Blades for coarse and REALLY sensitive skin?

[Goden]

I've been a cartridge shaver for many years now and, well, it wasn't cutting it. (Dohoho, puns). Anyway, I have a ICE-branded DE from HouseOfKnives here in Canada, which I'm pretty sure is a rebrand but it's not too shabby.

I have a shorter beard which is extremely coarse and I have extremely sensitive skin due to having seborrheic dermatitis on my beard area. To give a sense of reference, I can go days without a shave and touch my neck area and I get irritation just from touching the skin with my hands. It's that sensitive sometimes.

Now the blades I got with it are Merkur Platinum blades. After only using this thing once I tore my face to ribbons and was left with wicked razor burn. The cuts and scrapes are from not knowing how to use the DE yet but the problem was that I could feel the blade biting into my hair and tugging on it rather than cutting it or just simply not even cutting it at all. I'll give it another few attempts to try and perfect my technique and my soap application but I doubt the dullness problem will go away. This is something I've read quite often about Merkur blades - they're not sharp enough for coarse beards.

My question to you folks is thus: Which blades would you recommend the most for being sharp enough to cut thick hair but still gentle? Preference goes to sharpness. I can handle razor burn but tugging is a huge no-no.

I live in Canada so my choice of blades is probably half of what is available to US customers, but it is still not too terrible. Amazon.ca has a decent selection. The selection of sample packs on Amazon.ca is limited so I would like to see what people recommend the most and see if those blades can be found in sample packs.

 

[Lmuhuskyboy]

Your beard sounds like mine. I use Astra. Feather is good but it cuts me when I'm not careful. It also might be your razor. I use a Muhle R41. Some say its too aggressive but it works for me.

 

[Goden]

Alright, I've ordered a sample pack which contains Feathers, Lord, Astra, Gillette, and others.

 

[Relentless]

A sampler is the best way to go. With skin that sensitive I need to stress the HUGE importance you should place on pre-shave technique. Do a search for Kyle's method. (Is that right? Someone please correct me.)

Astras are sharp and smooth. They are also inexpensive if that's important to you.

 

[mastershake]

i dont find astra all that sharp myself they are good blades but not my fav. i also have sensitive skin and my go to blades are polsilver si, silver blue, and labs at the moment. i like lord plats but it depends what razor i use them in. they can be good and turn and bite you in a different razor. my best smooth and bit less sharp blade is the voskhod.

 

[Goden]

A sampler is the best way to go. With skin that sensitive I need to stress the HUGE importance you should place on pre-shave technique. Do a search for Kyle's method. (Is that right? Someone please correct me.)

Astras are sharp and smooth. They are also inexpensive if that's important to you.

I looked up Kyle's method and I'll give it a try in the future.

And no, cost isn't a big factor. I'm used to cartridges which are more expensive than even the most expensive DE blade.

 

[jwilock]

SIs and Meds would be worth a try. But with what you described super smooth rather than super sharp would be something to look for. Two really inexpensive blades come to mind - voskhods and Lord ss or plats. good luck with your hunt for the perfect blade for you.

 

[JCinPA]

Astras are super comfy and get the job done for me. My favorite blade is the Gillette Super Plat Black from India (Blues from Russia almost indistinguishable) and those are a little sharper while still comfortable, for me.

I just tried the Polsilver Super Iridiums, and while I am impressed by them, they won't replace my blacks. I'm going to try to work a trade for them.

I think your sampler will give you some great choices. I've never used Lord. Feathers are great, but you really have to pay attention to what you are doing, no daydreaming, and normally I only get two shaves out of them--a common complaint.

I'm going to go against the recommendation for Kyle's prep. I think the heat can cause skin irritation and it is not needed. If you shower before you shave, you'll end up prepped just as well without the fuss and heat. I step from the shower to the sink and get right to it.

 

[ArNav]

I would strongly recommend Red Personnas for people with really sensitive skin.

 

[Mick]

Welcome to B&B

Word of advice (if you see this before you start). Pick one brand out of your "sampler" and shave with ALL of the blades before trying another brand. It should take a couple of weeks to a month to go through 5-10 blades in a pack

If you have not already done so, stop into the Hall of Fame and tell everyone a little about yourself

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/30-Hall-of-Fame

 

[mastershake]

I would strongly recommend Red Personnas for people with really sensitive skin.

reds are great for sensitive skin, but they imo are not at all great for coarse beards unless you use a much more aggressive razor, i have REALLY coarse hair and i only like the red's in a aggressive razor otherwise i cant use them. as you said good for sensitive skin though.

 

[chrisf8657]

If nothing will work out for you in the end, you may need to try a depilatory such as Magic Shave.
I'd speak with a dermatologist also.

 

[crfcom]

I have the same combination of coarse beard/sensitive skin you have and I have to be very particular in my choice of shave gear. I look for smoothness above all else. You can get a good, close shave with most blades though, after awhile, you'll establish a couple of favorites. The smoothest for me are 7 o'clock Blacks and Personna Reds. Blacks are much sharper and more durable, and Reds are more forgiving. Polsilver SI's and Med Prep Personna's are right there too. I do better over-all with a mildly aggressive razor. The Gillette New Improved heads are excellent, my Tradere SB is my favorite,but I agree with the poster above who stressed preparation. Soften that beard, and find a rich lubricating cream or soap to work with.

 

[dparish1952]

By the way Italianbarber.com is a great Canadian website offering all sorts of shaving gear. But the don't have what I recommend, the Personna stainless steel double edge blades (US) made.

HTH

Dennis

 

[Cerbul13]

I am in the boat of having too sensitive skin, and half the blades I tried draw blood unless I use preshave oil or I combine oil with my lather. The other half of the blades are decent enough to not damage my face at all, but a few select of them are polished enough to not have any damage at all, even if I push it. Here is the list of what works for me. And is not about sharpness, is about how smooth their edge is.

Gillette 7 O'Clock Black
Gillette 7 O'Clock Blue
Gillette 7 O'Clock Green
Perma Sharp
Personna Lab/Med
Super Iridium/Polsilver
Astra SP/SS


Blades that destroy my face:
Bic Yellow
Bic Astor
Rapira Super Stainless
Personna Barber
Gillette Yellow Sharp Edge - those are an exception as they don't fit the too rough group, instead they simply are too sharp and cut my face like butter no matter how low pressure I use
Gillette Platinum russian


Also, you should consider the situation that some blades feel very different on the WTG pass, and curiously enough some give the feeling that they tug. But don't let yourself fooled by initial feeling, as those might give you the smoothest XTG/ATG passes ever. Obviously, it may be that the apparent tug is nothing more then the blade cutting very close on the WTG pass.

 

[Sir Walter of Mount Royal]

My question to you folks is thus: Which blades would you recommend the most for being sharp enough to cut thick hair but still gentle? Preference goes to sharpness. I can handle razor burn but tugging is a huge no-no.

You want the sharpest blade you can find and change it after only two or three shaves, max.

Try Feathers. They cost almost more but they are the sharpest of them all.

 

[Sir Walter of Mount Royal]

I do better over-all with a mildly aggressive razor. The Gillette New Improved heads are excellent, my Tradere SB is my favorite,but I agree with the poster above who stressed preparation. Soften that beard, and find a rich lubricating cream or soap to work with.

+1

 

[Sir Walter of Mount Royal]

Also some shavers with very coarse beard like thicker, more rigid blades, single edge blades. You might want to try a vintage GEM razor.