Blade suggestions for abnormally tough beard on extremely sensitive skin.

[ironfingers]

I haven't tried a DE89 but i have used a Yaqi head that looked like a knock off. It was more aggressive than a tech and i didn't get on with it. There's a table of blade gap measurement floating around somewhere for vintage Gillettes, maybe look that up. I know its not the whole story as far as aggressiveness goes but it'd be a good place to start and hard data is better than anecdotes.

Techs are just easy mode for me. They find their angle very easily, almost intuitively in my experience, and the moderate gap and exposure means i don't have to concentrate to hard with them as they almost never bite.

I've no experience with the 7 O'clock Razor but it does look like a tech copy. I'm sure someone on the net has compared the two.

My Pearl L55 Closed Comb too is a DE89 knockoff. It feels right to me even with the Feathers and the BICs. I feel like I can handle a little bit more aggression, just a little. I had already checked many tables on the blade gaps but what I also hear is that blade gap is just one of the parameters that decides the aggression. For example the DE89 has a blade gap of about 0.76 but it's still considered mild to moderate. On the other hand the R41 has almost no blade gap at all but is still one of the most aggressive, due to the blade exposure. That was why I thought asking fellow members of this community about their experiences would be better.

From your response I am thinking the Gillette Tech style would be too mild for me. Thank you for the clarification.

 

[ironfingers]

Today's shave was with the Pearl L55 Closed Comb with a fresh new Gillette Wilkinson Sword Blade (India version). Excellent shave and I think I have found my favorite Indian DE Blade. Previously I had tried it on the Gillette 7 O'Clock Sterling Silver Razor which was way too mild and it didn't provide me a good shave at all. On the second shave with the same blade back then I used it, on my first ever attempt with any open comb razor, on the Pearl L55 Open Comb and got a very good shave except for some tugging and pulling. This razor blade seems to receive a lot of love, even from overseas and so I wanted to try it again. This was so far the blade that gave me the best shave on the Pearl L55 Open Comb. So wanted to try it on the Closed Comb too.

Right away as I started the first pass on the left cheek WTG I could say that this was decently sharp. It's definitely a notch down from the Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum Black and more or less on the same level of sharpness as the Astra SS. I mean between this and the Astra SS I can't for sure say which is sharper as there are some areas where this did seem to have more struggle than the Astra SS and some other areas it performed better. Under the jawline was some tugging but the chin area was easy.

The XTG and the ATG passes went on smooth and the overall shave was awesome. No irritation and all along the shave I could hardly feel the blade. This is definitely my favorite Indian DE Blade among the Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum Blacks, Gillette 7 O'Clock Permasharp Stainless Greens and the Parker Stainless. The Gillette 7 O'Clock Permasharp Greens did give me a good shave on my second shave in the Pearl L55 Open Comb but this is better.

So far my best value for money was the BIC which offered me 3 good shaves per blade. This blade has already exceeded that on value even if it offered me only one shave. Will try a second shave with this blade on Saturday and let you all know how it goes. I am not having high expectations for the second shave as my whiskers must have already damaged it pretty badly.

The Brut Original aftershave didn't give any burn, and the burn in the mustache area was lesser than that of the Astra SS too. I think this blade will make it to my shaving rotation even if it's a one shave blade.

 

[ironfingers]

Today's shave was with the Pearl L55 Closed Comb loaded with the Gillette Wilkinson Sword India made blade on it's second shave. Considering the comparable Astra SS was tugging quite significantly on it's second shave I had already made up my mind that this is going to tug and pull too. In fact I had planned not to go ahead with the shave if that happened and instead switch over to a fresh Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum Black instead.

I was in for a huge surprise. As I took the first stroke WTG in the left cheek I could see that the blade still had enough sharpness for me to go ahead with the full 3 shave and then the cleanup. Again there was some pulling in under the chin in left side similar to the first shave. The chin area offered a little resistance this time unlike last but when I used a shallower angle there was no tugging any more.

The second pass XTG was similar to the last time, it was smooth. The ease of the shave cannot be compared to the Feathers or the BICs but this was good definitely. The third pass ATG showed some difficulty in the cheek area. Proceeded with the cleanup and got a nice close shave but this time there was a tiny but of irritation. And there were 2 weepers this time, the first was in the second pass at the edge of the lips on the right side and the second was in the third pass in the mustache area again on the right side.

Overall the shave was close and satisfactory. Again I could manage 2 shaves with this blade if I wanted to but I don't see that as necessary as even with a single shave this blade is better value for money than any other blade I own.

The last time I wasn't sure how this blade compared to the Astra SS. Now I have more clarity. The Astra SS clearly struggled far more on it's second shave and I would definitely not use it for 2 shaves in the Closed Comb. But with the Gillette Wilkinson Sword I can manage 2 shaves, but I don't have to as it's 1/6th the price of the Astra SS. In comparison I would give the Astra SS the edge in smoothness and the Gillette Wilkinson Sword the edge in sharpness.

 

[ironfingers]

Most of the Gillette branded blades coming from Saint Petersburg are good to great, including the Gillette 7 O'clock Yellows (sorry I forgot to mention them, trying not to overwhelm). I like them quite a lot, especially in the Fatip OC. I would say the Yellow ones are somewhere between the Astra SS and the Nacet.

The Polsilver Super Iridium has been a favorite blade of many; they seem to hit the sweet spot of sharp + smooth + longevity. There has been a lot of hype around Polsilver and a lot drama about blades being discontinued which has been going on for years now. That has raised their cost to an insane level.

The Wizamet Super Iridium appears to be the same blade as the Polsilver, just in different packaging. These seem to be distributed in only a few markets like North African countries. You can buy them grey-market on Ebay from a few vendors. A typical decent price for us would be 250 blades for $45, including shipping from Morocco.

How does the Personna Platinum Israeli Red compare to the Gillette 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge Yellow? Most people seemed to suggest that the Reds are smoother and the Yellows sharper. Is it? I would prefer sharpness over smoothness. Fewer strokes with a sharper blade gives me a closer shave with good enough comfort than more strokes with a smoother blade.

I am looking for something that's above the Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum Blacks in sharpness. I tried the Gillette Wilkinson Sword Indian made blades and they were wonderful. They're the cheapest and the best value for money blades I currently have and they also shave fantastically. One of the reviewers on youtube who loves the Gillette Wilkinson Swords says that the Yellows are almost exactly the same feel. Is it true?

 

[Atlantic59]

How does the Personna Platinum Israeli Red compare to the Gillette 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge Yellow? Most people seemed to suggest that the Reds are smoother and the Yellows sharper. Is it? I would prefer sharpness over smoothness. Fewer strokes with a sharper blade gives me a closer shave with good enough comfort than more strokes with a smoother blade.

I am looking for something that's above the Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum Blacks in sharpness. I tried the Gillette Wilkinson Sword Indian made blades and they were wonderful. They're the cheapest and the best value for money blades I currently have and they also shave fantastically. One of the reviewers on youtube who loves the Gillette Wilkinson Swords says that the Yellows are almost exactly the same feel. Is it true?

I think you have Nacets. I would try those first. If you like them, you will have found one of the better Saint Petersburg blades. The Yellows I find somewhat less sharp and less durable than the Nacets, though a good blade. You can try the Yellows later on if you don't like the Nacets. Sorry, but it has been a long time since I tried the Gillette WS.

Personna Reds, based on what you have tried and liked so far, I would once again try the Nacets first. Reds are a favorite for many people, but others find them not as sharp as they like.

 

[Mawang Dwei]

This thread is of great interest to me as I have tried a lot of different razors and blades. I suggest the OP try a slant bar razor such as the Merkur 37C or Merkur 39C (which is just bigger than the 37C). I have the Parker Semi-slant razor and it gives a very different shave than a slant bar razor.

 

[ironfingers]

This thread is of great interest to me as I have tried a lot of different razors and blades. I suggest the OP try a slant bar razor such as the Merkur 37C or Merkur 39C (which is just bigger than the 37C). I have the Parker Semi-slant razor and it gives a very different shave than a slant bar razor.

Not too keen on slant bars. I love how close they shave but even the innocuous Astra SS can cause some irritation when I use it in the Parker Semi Slant. I always try to get a close shave, as close as possible. Must blame it on my OCD I guess. So even if I use the slant I still go against the grain and then do the cleanups to get the BBS. This means irritation is sure. The Closed Comb Pearl L55 may be taking more strokes for the same amount of closeness but I am able to use the sharpest blades to counter that and get a closer shave easier.

Another thing about the semi slant that I find a little troubling is that because of the slant the blade gap is not the same on both the sides. This gives me trouble in the mustache area and the chin when going across the grain and against the grain.

Moreover I shave once every 2 days and that means that I don't get any significant benefit in using the semi slant. In the last 16 years I've regularly shaved every alternate day and would have missed it for about a month once willingly. Other than that it will be less than 10 occasions scattered over the 16 years that I missed a shave. Again OCD.

 

[ironfingers]

Shaved today with a fresh Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum Black loaded on the Pearl L55 Closed Comb razor. Today I was able to able to judge the sharpness of this blade better. The previous time I tried it I had been shaving with the BIC before and that lead me to obvious comparisons and I felt that this blade wasn't too sharp.

Now things were different. The last 4 shaves were with the Astra SS and the Gillette Wilkin Swords (2 shaves each). And before that I had 5 shaves with 2 Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum Blades. That's effectively 9 shaves away from a BIC.

The last 4 shaves being with the Astra SS and the Gillette Wilkinson Sword I could see the difference that the Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum Blade made. It was noticeably sharper than the Astra SS and the GWS. It was a closer shave and was smooth too. When I applied the Vi-John Splash aftershave there wasn't much burn, meaning this was the most comfortable shave for me so far with this blade. However the burn was little more than the shaves with Astra SS and the GWS.

But something common with the previous shaves with this blade was the weepers, at least 3 this time. This is very surprising. The blade is clearly not as sharp as the BIC or Feather. It's smoother than the Feather definitely. But still I don't bleed with the Feather or the BIC.

Planning to do one more shave with the same blade. It didn't go well the last 2 times and I had already decided that this was a one shave only blade. Even if this time I get more than one shave with this blade I don't think this blade will make it into my shaving rotation.

 

[Atlantic59]

Don't you have Nacets already? Why not try them?

 

[ironfingers]

Don't you have Nacets already? Why not try them?

Yes. They're unopened. The problem is that there are many opened packages and it's in complete clutter. I have 3 blades including the Nacet, the Schone Razor, Tabac and MenXP Mud Shaving creams that I haven't tried yet. Mostly the first trial of any new product, specifically ones that I have high hopes for, always happens on a weekend when I don't have to rush with it. Since I shave only alternate days I can only test one new product over the weekend.

This Saturday I've planned to try the Schone with a fresh Astra SS, Pink Woolf Boar Brush and the Proraso Green Shaving Cream. The only variable here is the Schone Razor and this would be the best way I can judge it. If it clicks on the first shave itself I might continue with it over the next week or I will switch back to a tested combination and wait for the weekend again for another test.

Voskhods are still pending testing, as are the Crystals. Among shaving creams I have 2 that are pending. Love the smell of the Tabac. It's moderately priced, kind of around the same as the BodyShop Macca Root, per gram basis. If it clicks then it could be my go to cream. The Tabac Soap has so far been among the only 2 soaps that I loved, the other being Mike's Natural. Penhaligon's was okay, manageable. Others were horrifying. Distilled water may have worked better for the soaps that didn't work but I won't bother that much especially when I love many creams.

For Nacets the current plan is to do some shaves with the BIC and then try the Nacets. This way I would be able to judge both the sharpness and smothness. Sounds like a plan?

 

[Atlantic59]

Yes. They're unopened. The problem is that there are many opened packages and it's in complete clutter. I have 3 blades including the Nacet, the Schone Razor, Tabac and MenXP Mud Shaving creams that I haven't tried yet. Mostly the first trial of any new product, specifically ones that I have high hopes for, always happens on a weekend when I don't have to rush with it. Since I shave only alternate days I can only test one new product over the weekend.

This Saturday I've planned to try the Schone with a fresh Astra SS, Pink Woolf Boar Brush and the Proraso Green Shaving Cream. The only variable here is the Schone Razor and this would be the best way I can judge it. If it clicks on the first shave itself I might continue with it over the next week or I will switch back to a tested combination and wait for the weekend again for another test.

Voskhods are still pending testing, as are the Crystals. Among shaving creams I have 2 that are pending. Love the smell of the Tabac. It's moderately priced, kind of around the same as the BodyShop Macca Root, per gram basis. If it clicks then it could be my go to cream. The Tabac Soap has so far been among the only 2 soaps that I loved, the other being Mike's Natural. Penhaligon's was okay, manageable. Others were horrifying. Distilled water may have worked better for the soaps that didn't work but I won't bother that much especially when I love many creams.

For Nacets the current plan is to do some shaves with the BIC and then try the Nacets. This way I would be able to judge both the sharpness and smothness. Sounds like a plan?

Up to you, of course. I just have a feeling you would like the Nacets. It seems they would be in the right ballpark, based on what you have liked so far. It might be too late, though, and you're a goner for the BICs.

 

[ironfingers]

Up to you, of course. I just have a feeling you would like the Nacets. It seems they would be in the right ballpark, based on what you have liked so far. It might be too late, though, and you're a goner for the BICs.

I too believe that I am going to love the Nacets. BICs are my go to blades but at this point my favorites are the Feathers. There's still significant difference in the sharpness between the BICs and the Feathers especially on the first shave. Nothing slays my whiskers as effortlessly like the Feathers. BICs are a close second at this point but the Feathers do command some lead.

I love the BICs but they're kind of uneventful. They're too easy to shave with. I mean the cream hardly matters. Feathers work best with Proraso Green, BodyShop Macca Root, Godrej Sensitive and Vicco Turmeric With Sandalwood Oil. I won't use a new cream with the Feather till I am over 80% confident about it. The BICs on the other hand work with everything I have, even canned foams. I mean they're the ones that I used to judge the other products. They've become more like the coffee seeds in a perfume shop. I mean that in the good sense. But it's surprising. Considering the other products that BIC makes, the cheap ball pens and so, how did they manage to create this kind of a masterpiece?

 

[ironfingers]

Up to you, of course. I just have a feeling you would like the Nacets. It seems they would be in the right ballpark, based on what you have liked so far. It might be too late, though, and you're a goner for the BICs.

Indeed the delay in me trying the Nacets is a little deliberate. Out of fear actually. Not fearing that I may not like them but fearing what if I am completely blown away. Happened already with the BICs. I have ran through more BICs than all of the other blades put together. And the problem is that the BICs work only in the Closed Comb. This means that not only the other blades will be lying idle but also the other razors. I am sure that's going to happen with the Nacets too. That's why I am planning to clear up some of the others before I go to the Nacets.

 

[ironfingers]

After putting it off for so long I finally tried my new Schone razor today. The brush was Pink Woolf Boar brush, the cream Proraso Green which is my go to when trying a new blade or razor, and the blade an Astra SS which is one of the smoothest and most forgiving in my collection.

I would like to split this whole thing into 2 parts. First I am going to speak about my experience and then I am going to to talk about some general positives and negatives about the razor itself, which again cannot be universal but I believe would still be helpful for some at least.

I was waiting for the shave today. Used a lot of hot water as usual to soften up my beard. Then washed the beard area as usual and started making the lather in a bowl with the Proraso Green and the Pink Woolf Boar brush. I used a little more cream than usual today as this was a new razor and I am not sure how it's gonna feel and shave. Created a nice thick, slick and creamy lather. Applied it on my face. Took a good amount of time to apply so the boar brush has a fair chance to soften my beard up. This brush doesn't have much backbone but still I prefer it over badger.

I took the first stroke WTG on the left cheek. After a couple more strokes I wanted to feel the just shaved area. It was closer than any of the recent shaves which were all with a closed comb and possibly closer than even the Parker Semi Slant. There was no struggle for the blade in removing my whiskers. Usually the Astra SS is not the best match for my whiskers but today probably due to the razor. I tried both a shallow angle and a steep angle. The steep angle definitely felt more comfortable but the shallow angle seemed to shave closer. In the neck area too the pass was comfortable and a little closer than usual.

Then I came to the mustache area. Here it felt a bit raw. There was a lot of blade feel but I think it's expected out of an open comb razor. Then I proceeded to the chin area. There was some significant tugging and pulling. I changed to a shallow angle and it was slightly better. After the first pass I could see that the shave was closer than usual. At the end of the pass there was a weeper on the mustache area on the right side. This was unusual for the Astra SS blade. I have had weepers with this blade in the past but those were in the Parker Semi Slant and usually in the neck area only.

I lathered up and went for pass 2 XTG. This time I experienced something similar to the other open comb razor I've used before, the Pearl L55 with the Open Comb head. In the cheek area the razor hopped a bit. I mean during a stroke it would slightly jump, lose contact with my skin and then land back. It doesn't feel very comfortable when this happens. I kind of managed trying a shallow angle or a steep angle in different areas during this pass. The same razor hopping happened on the left side of the neck area too. After the pass I could see it was again closer than usual. There were a couple of weepers in the chin area after the pass and one was big.

Lathered again and went for the third pass ATG. Started with the right cheek and used a steep angle first and it shaved clean. I take a couple strokes from below the earlobes up across towards the tip of the cheek bones. When I used a steep angle here it didn't shave at all. So I used a shallow angle and it cleaned up some hair.

In the neck area I was able to get a close shave with fewer strokes than usual. But even with the few strokes I could feel some discomfort. Also the weeper I had on the chin during the second pass was now bleeding through the coat of lather. I shaved the chin and mustache areas next. The chin was comfortable but the mustache area, though took fewer strokes for a clean shave, felt uncomfortable. When I was trying to do some cleanup around the jawline and just beyond the chin I could feel the teeth of the open comb making my skin feel tender. So I stopped after just a couple of strokes.

Then I cleaned up, had some cold water splashes. I could see that the shave was very close, one of the closest in recent times. But I was sure that the After Shave was going to burn a good deal today. Today I applied my favorite aftershave which is Clubman Pinaud Bay Rum. It burns a lot even usually but is the best for razor burn I have ever tried. As expected the burn was prominent but not too severe.

About 3 hours after the shave I could feel some stinging in the neck and around the lips. I didn't have this much irritation when I used the Astra SS in the Pearl L55 with the Open Comb head. But that was on the second shave with the blade. Someone suggested me to use any blade on the closed comb for the first shave and then use it on the open comb afterwards saying that a fresh blade may be an overkill for the open comb. The most tender part after the shave today is the jawline.

Now for the general things about the Schone Razor. It's a beautiful razor, well crafted, feels good in the hand and is aesthetically pleasing too. However it's a bit too small for my large hands. I usually grip the razor with the thumb and the first 3 fingers and place the little finger at the bast of the handle for support. But this razors handle is too short and I had to grip close to the neck of the razor to have enough space for all my fingers. That probably impacted the shave quality I believe. It's going to take some getting used to. And the handle doesn't have a great grip. It's smooth with some rifle bore style grooves but that wasn't enough especially with the super slick Proraso Green.

I will shave again on Monday with the same razor and blade. It's likely to give me lesser burn than today as it will be the second shave with the same Astra SS blade.

 

[ironfingers]

Today was the second shave with the same Astra SS blade on the Schone Razor. This time I chose to use a steep angle no matter what to see if that reduced the amount of post shave irritation. The blade definitely performed better than it would on the closed comb on a second shave. The first pass WTG went fine and there was nothing to complain about.

The second pass XTG was a little tugging a bit and that made me feel the blade too but it was still okay. The third pass ATG was more little more tugging and I again felt the blade due to that. And in the jawline the steep angle didn't help much and I had to use a shallow angle. So this time too the skin started feeling tender probably due to this.

The overall shave this time though was less problematic than the last time. The aftershave did give some good burn but there was not much stinging through the day except the occasional sting around the chin area. And this area was where many strokes were needed for cleaning up.

At this point my favorite is still the closed comb with a sharp blade like the Feather or the BIC. Some other blades too work but for only 1 shave while these two last 3 shaves each. The open combs do give me a closer shave but I am able to get a close shave with the Closed Comb too but with lesser irritation. I am not giving up on the Schone Razor yet. Maybe the Gillette Wilkinson Sword or the Voskhod will give me better experiences with it.

 

[Atlantic59]

It's too early to give up on the Schone. You need several weeks with it, I'd say. You have to become accustomed to a whole different geometry.

Going with a steep angle is good for WTG & XTG passes. Once you get experienced with the Schone, you will not have much hair left for the ATG pass. Still, I'd suggest modifying your technique for the ATG pass, to ride closer to the cap, but still maintain a neutral angle.

Try holding the razor handle like a pencil. This may be more comfortable for you, but will take some adjustment. Remember, minimal pressure, use short strokes, with the slickest lather you can make. Try a very wet lather.

 

[ironfingers]

It's too early to give up on the Schone. You need several weeks with it, I'd say. You have to become accustomed to a whole different geometry.

Going with a steep angle is good for WTG & XTG passes. Once you get experienced with the Schone, you will not have much hair left for the ATG pass. Still, I'd suggest modifying your technique for the ATG pass, to ride closer to the cap, but still maintain a neutral angle.

Try holding the razor handle like a pencil. This may be more comfortable for you, but will take some adjustment. Remember, minimal pressure, use short strokes, with the slickest lather you can make. Try a very wet lather.

There was indeed very little hair after the WTG and XTG passes. Much lesser than what I am left with after the same 2 passes with a closed comb. But most of what is left is the hair in the problem areas, which for me are the jawline, around the Adam's apple and most areas of the neck. In these areas the hair grows in various directions, even in kind of a circular pattern around the Adam's apple. In the jawline and in some places in the neck it lays flat against the skin. So it requires multiple passes in multiple directions while stretching the skin in various directions no matter what razor I use, at least so far. Sometimes even after more than 5 strokes after all the passes I could still feel hair in these areas.

Also I always go for the BBS. I would never be satisfied with a DFS. That is part of the problem. With the Schone or the Parker Semi Slant I can get a DFS in 2 passes. Pressing for the BBS is mostly the cause of the irritation. And the more aggressive a razor the prominent it is.

I will continue with the Schone Razor definitely. Considering the experience with the Astra SS I would, at least at this point, not chose to go with anything sharper.

 

[Atlantic59]

There was indeed very little hair after the WTG and XTG passes. Much lesser than what I am left with after the same 2 passes with a closed comb. But most of what is left is the hair in the problem areas, which for me are the jawline, around the Adam's apple and most areas of the neck. In these areas the hair grows in various directions, even in kind of a circular pattern around the Adam's apple. In the jawline and in some places in the neck it lays flat against the skin. So it requires multiple passes in multiple directions while stretching the skin in various directions no matter what razor I use, at least so far. Sometimes even after more than 5 strokes after all the passes I could still feel hair in these areas.

Also I always go for the BBS. I would never be satisfied with a DFS. That is part of the problem. With the Schone or the Parker Semi Slant I can get a DFS in 2 passes. Pressing for the BBS is mostly the cause of the irritation. And the more aggressive a razor the prominent it is.

I will continue with the Schone Razor definitely. Considering the experience with the Astra SS I would, at least at this point, not chose to go with anything sharper.

Consider why you are so sure you need a BBS every time. Do you know, for any person that sees you, there is no difference between a DFS and BBS? Even for yourself, in a few hours there will be no difference.

I'd suggest getting as close as you can in three passes, or perhaps two passes plus touch-ups. As you get better with the Schone, you should find yourself getting a closer shave with fewer passes. But try not to jump to conclusions, just practice. Keep experimenting with blades.

 

[ironfingers]

Consider why you are so sure you need a BBS every time. Do you know, for any person that sees you, there is no difference between a DFS and BBS? Even for yourself, in a few hours there will be no difference.

I'd suggest getting as close as you can in three passes, or perhaps two passes plus touch-ups. As you get better with the Schone, you should find yourself getting a closer shave with fewer passes. But try not to jump to conclusions, just practice. Keep experimenting with blades.

You're right. Not many notice. One of the reasons that I try to get as close a shave as possible is that I shave once every 2 days. If I get really close a shave (luckily I don't have ingrown hair issues) the whole day my face is presentable. Even on the next day till noon or so only someone who's about an arms distance away could notice I haven't shaved. In the afternoon it starts looking obvious. But that rugged look is kind of okay and I do enjoy it a bit. By late evening it starts to become a bit unsightly. The next morning I must shave as the thick dense whiskers are now visible even from a good distance. I have tried shaving everyday instead. If I do a single pass shave then by noon itself I will have noticeable stubble and by evening it will look like I didn't shave at all. A 2 pass shave fairs only slightly better. Beyond that it's not comfortable to shave the very next day. And moreover I got used to this habit of shaving alternate days and find it to be easier on my skin too.

Initially when I switched back to the DE I was not giving too much about the BBS especially since I was using the Feathers. Having known their reputation I started with 2 pass shaves and gradually progressed to 3 pass shaves. It was DFS or lesser most of those times. Having come from cartridge usage for over 7 years, it seemed great.

As I gained experience I was able to very close shaves with little irritation if any. And it became the comparison index for everything there on. Initially my comparisons were against the Mach 3. Now all comparisons are against the BIC or Feather in a closed comb. And that's part of the problem. My expectations are very high with every new razor or blade I try.

Yesterday I shaved with the Schone again with a fresh Astra SS. This time I was able to get a close shave without the amount of irritation that I experienced the previous time with the same combo. The cream this time was the Godrej Sensitive which is another of my go to creams. Like you suggested I used a steep angle during the WTG and XTG passes and used a shallow angle in the ATG. The WTG was a little more tuggy in some areas but it was comfortable. The XTG though saw some razor hopping. The ATG was comfortable again. So I am thinking of using the steep angle only in WTG and use the shallow angle in both the XTG and ATG passes. Will let you know how it goes after trying it out tomorrow.

 

[ironfingers]

After 2 attempts with 2 Astra SS blades on the Schone (each blade used twice) I feel that the shave is more comfortable on the second use of each blade. I am not enjoying the blade feel. At this point I see no significant advantage with the Schone or any open comb over my Pearl L55 closed comb. In fact the same blades feel duller and the more blade feel means that I am having to do fewer strokes but still I am not able to achieve the closeness I prefer, while I am able to achieve the same comfortably with the closed comb. Will continue with the Schone definitely to get better with it.

Today I shaved with the Gillette Wilkinson Sword China made blades which came free with the Pearl T-121 razor (I am yet to try the razor but the head design mimics the L55 and so I am sure it's gonna shave similar. Only difference is it's a 2 piece razor as opposed to the L55 which is a 3 piece model). It felt almost identical to the India made version of the same blade. Gave a great smooth and close shave with almost no irritation. These blades came free with the L55 too but back then I didn't realise that they were Chinese version when I tried them. And that time I had tried it on the way too mild Gillette 7 O'Clock Sterling Silver razor on the first shave and wasn't impressed. On the second shave I used it on the same L55 but with the Open Comb and from what I can remember that was the best shave I have had so far with the open comb razor. Gonna try another shave with the same blade on it's second use. I don't have to use this blade twice as it's very very cheap but I just want to check. Will update after trying.