Blade performance

[Retiredgene]

Nick44 - welcome to B&B, I'm sure you will have a blast here and I'm about 20 miles down the road from you

You are doing fine, have a good sampler selection and you will do okay and "tuning in" to threads like this by Winblows and others you will find is FUN

I was a DE / Wet Shaver in the service in the 1960s, then returned to it several years ago after 30+ years with a beard & years of Gillette abuse

As far as blades, I always shaved 3 times with each blade in my samplers, kept razor and other changes to a minimum and everything worked out fine after my time with them.

Good luck….Gene

 

[Winblows]

I really feel for you, Retiredgene.
It must have been a loss.
Never the less ... we still shave ...

 

[Winblows]

And sill:

• Rotbart MOND-EXTRA
• Gillette Old Type top cap /Unknown handle Merkur 1904 like / Fatip base plate
• Gillette Old Type top cap /Unknown Merkur 1904 like handle / Fatip base plate
• Gillette Old Type top cap /Gillette Common bar handle / Fatip base plate

What a blade !!!

 

[Winblows]

View attachment 260068

Another try with Astra SP.
I'm seriously more and more certain, that the quality of a particular blade (not only Russian) is very close connected to the hangovers at the workers in the production / quality control team.

1. Fatip Chrome base plate with Gillette Old Type top cap on Tradere handle
2. Rotbart MOND-EXTRA
3. Gillette Old Type
4. Fatip Chrome base plate with Gillette Old Type top cap on EMIR handle
5. Gillette Tech
6. Gillette Tech
7. Gillette Super Speed
8. Fatip Chrome base plate with Gillette Old Type top cap on Tradere handle
9. Mühle R41

Truly amazing! 9 comfortable BBS shaves with this blade.

 

[Winblows]

Couldn't feel any difference between the SS and the SP.
8 BBS shaves and still life in the blade.

1. Gillette Tech
2. Gillette Tech
3. Gillette Tech
4. Fatip Chrome (base plate) Gillette Old Type (top cap)
5. Gillette Fatboy
6. Gillette Tech
7. Gillette Fatboy
8. Gillette New LC Common Bar Handle

 

[Winblows]

LASER ULTRA Triple Coated Edges (India)

1. Gillette Old Type / Laurel Sheffield handle
2. Gillette Fat Handle Tech
3. Gillette NEW LC
4. Fatip base plate / Gillette Old Type top cap / iKon Bulldog razor handle
5. Gillette Fatboy
6. Gillette SS Rocket

Another low cost blade. 6 BBS shaves.
Very nice, but for me, this blade performed lousy in mild razors (had to do a lot of touch ups).
Great shaves with the NEW LC and the Fatboy.

 

[mffjm95]

I have only tried a few blades:
Merkur Plat= good blades no nicks
Wilkinson = Not so good, many nicks
Lord = not so good at all 10 or more nicks
Personna = good blade, nicks only every now and then (prob bad technique)

 

[Winblows]

1. Gillette Tech
2. Gillette New LC Common Bar Handle
3. Gillette 7 o'clock NEW LC
4. Fatip base plate / Gillette Old Type top cap
5. Gillette Superspeed W3
6. Gillette Super Speed (US)

For me this blade works best in mild razors. It felt some rough in the NEW LC and the Fatip.

 

[Minahanna]

Trial and error is the only solution. Blade performance depends on many factors: the blade itself, the razor you use, the particulars of your beard, your technique, etc.

Personally, I am working my way through a blade sampler from WCS that includes 7 o'clock yellows and Crystals. For me, the 7 o'clock yellows work better than the Crystals. But YMMV.

Same here I also find the gillette 7o'clock yellow to work the best for me.

 

[Winblows]

1. Fatip base plate with Gillette Old Type top cap on Tradere handle
2. iKon OSS
3. Gillette Fatboy
4. Gillette Fatboy
5. Gillette Fatboy
6. Gillette adjustible long handled "Black Beuty"
7. Mühle R41 razor
8. Gillette Tech
9. Gillette NEW SC with Common bar handle (HD, filled with lead/tungsten)
10. Gillette Tech (HD, handle filled with tungsten)
11. Gillette adjustible long handled "Black Beuty"

11 full face BBS shaves !!!
What can I say ?
The workers at the factory in Osaka (the old blade stock) didn't have much Sake the day before

 

[Winblows]

1. Fatip base plate with Gillette Old Type top cap on Tradere handle
2. iKon OSS
3. Gillette Fatboy
4. Gillette Fatboy
5. Gillette Fatboy
6. Gillette adjustible long handled "Black Beuty"
7. Mühle R41 razor
8. Gillette Tech
9. Gillette NEW SC with Common bar handle (HD, filled with lead/tungsten)
10. Gillette Tech (HD, handle filled with tungsten)
11. Gillette adjustible long handled "Black Beuty"

11 full face BBS shaves !!!
What can I say ?
The workers at the factory in Osaka (the old blade stock) didn't have much Sake the day before

I didn't notice, that I was going on using the Feather blade (the new one, that I started to use was inside another razor that used at last shave).
So, it will be 14 !!!

1. Fatip base plate with Gillette Old Type top cap on Tradere handle
2. iKon OSS
3. Gillette Fatboy
4. Gillette Fatboy
5. Gillette Fatboy
6. Gillette adjustible long handled "Black Beauty"
7. Mühle R41 razor
8. Gillette Tech
9. Gillette NEW SC with Common bar handle (HD, filled with lead/tungsten)
10. Gillette Tech (HD, handle filled with tungsten)
11. Gillette adjustible long handled "Black Beauty"
12. Gillette adjustible long handled "Black Beauty"
13. iKon OSS w/Bulldog handle
14. Gillette NEW SC with Common bar handle (HD, filled with lead)

 

[Winblows]

1. Gillette SS Rocket
2. Gillette SS Rocket
3. Mühle R41 razor
4. Gillette adjustible long handled "Black Beauty"
5. Gillette Sheraton razor
6. Merkur Futur razor

Very efficient blade, but in some way, it doesn't suit me. I don't have many of these though.

 

[Winblows]

Crystal Platinum Super+

I was very busy lately, so I didn't have the time to update my summary, but I had 6-8 nice shaves with different razors (mostly the Fatboy).

 

[Winblows]

5 very nice shaves

1. Gillette Tech / iKon Bulldog handle
2. Merkur Futur
3. Mühle R41
4. Gillette Fatboy
5. Gillette Old Type top cap / Fatip base plate / Tradere handle

 

[Winblows]

5 nice and smooth shaves.

1. Gillette Tech / Tradere handle
2. Fatip base plate / Gillette Old Type top cap / Tradere handle
3. Fatip base plate / Gillette Old Type top cap / Tradere handle
4. Fatip base plate / Gillette Old Type top cap / Tradere handle
5. Gillette Fatboy (WTG@9, ATG@4)

 

[Winblows]

Until now, I used to shave with 2-3 day intervals (over 48 hours between each shave).
It was 2 pass shaves, a WTG followed by an ATG.
Recently, I realised something interesting.
With my growth, I can make a BBS in one pass (ATG), if I do it within 36 hours since last shave. No irritation at all !
This is a very nice discovery, because I always have smooth cheeks and the neck. The shaves takes about ½ of the time.
I used the Gillette SS Rocket and a Personna Super.

The blade gave me 12 irritation free BBS shaves.

 

[Winblows]

This blade worked just unbelievable !

My "one pass" method works tremendously well for me ! I just love it. Quick and perfect results.
In the last few weeks, I did as follows:

• 04-12-2014 Germany: Timor blade (12) ATG - Gillette Black Handle Super Speed
• 03-12-2014 Germany: Timor blade (11) ATG - Gillette Black Handle Super Speed
• 02-12-2014 Germany: Timor blade (10) ATG - Gillette Black Handle Super Speed
• 01-12-2014 Germany: Timor blade (9) ATG - Gillette Black Handle Super Speed
• 29-11-2014 Germany: Timor blade (8) ATG - Gillette SS Flair Tip Rocket
• 28-11-2014 Germany: Timor blade (7) WTG - Merkur Futur
• 08-11-2014 Germany: Timor blade (6) ATG - Gillette SS Flair Tip Rocket
• 06-11-2014 Germany: Timor blade (5) ATG - Gillette SS Flair Tip Rocket
• 05-11-2014 Germany: Timor blade (4) WTG - Merkur Futur
• 04-11-2014 Germany: Timor blade (3) ATG - Gillette SS Flair Tip Rocket
• 02-11-2014 Germany: Timor blade (2) ATG - Gillette SS Flair Tip Rocket
• 31-10-2014 Germany: Timor blade (1) WTG - Merkur Futur

I used different brushes and soaps.
And ofcourse I used alum and the unrefined shea butter

 

[Winblows]

In the last few weeks, I did as follows:

Derby blade (1) ATG - Gillette black bandle SS
Derby blade (2) ATG - Gillette Slim @3
Derby blade (3) ATG - Gillette SS Rocket
Derby blade (4) ATG/XTG - Gillette Slim @3
Derby blade (5) ATG - Gillette SS Rocket
Derby blade (6) ATG - Gillette SS Rocket
Derby blade (7) ATG - Gillette SS Rocket
Derby blade (8) ATG - Gillette Slim @3

I think, that the Slim is more comfortable and more efficient (less "re-drawings" and "touch-ups") than the SS.
Maybe it's because of the weight difference (SS 60g, Slim 71g).

 

[Winblows]

1. Merkur Futur
2. Star Razor (ENGLISH MADE)
3. Gillette SS Rocket
4. Gillette Slim @3
5. Gillette Tech
6. Gillette Tech with Maggard MR8 handle
7. Merkur Futur @6

The last shave was a 3 week old beard. The blade took it as it was a piece of butter, but after this achievement, I let the blade rest in peace.

An amazing blade

 

[Winblows]

I made a test with the Astra SP on Gillette Aristocrat 1948 and Gillette Fatboy @4. I switched between them on every shave (still ATG only).
Both razors should give the same shave, and they did

7 wonderful shaves with the same blade