Blades: New to DE Shaving!

[CRshavBer]

My friend just brought me back a Gillette 7 o’clock Sterling (India) DE safety razor. It looks exactly the same as the Gillette Super Blue (China) and the Gillette Rubie(Russia) and very similar to Lord (Egypt) and Rapira (Russia) DE razors.

Which BLADES do you recommend for a smooth, enjoyable shave?
1. Gillette 7 o’clock Super Platinum (Black, India)
2. Gillette 7 o’clock Super Stainless/ Permasharp Stainless (Green, India)
3. Gillette 7 o’clock Sharp Edge (Yellow, India)
4. Gillette Super Blue (China)
5. Gillette Rubie Plus/ Platinum Plus (Russia)
6. Gillette Super Thin (South-East Asia)

Also, I would like to try out the Gillette Guard single-blade disposable cartridge razor with a safety comb (India). Any remarks?

Thanks in advance!

 

[leatherdog99]

Gillette Nacet. I’ve been DE shaving for 12 years and experimented with several different blades and this is my personal go to and works great for me. To me, and many others, this blade has the perfect balance of sharpness, smoothness, and longevity. Please note, like most blades, the first shave is when you break it in, so you have to take it a little easy and don’t over-shave (too many passes). After that, the shaves are a dream and you can easily get 5 shaves out of it. There are people claiming to get over 100 shaves with this blade but I toss mine at about fifth shave. You can also buy these for $11.95 for 100 at Italian Barber. No I don’t work for them but I did just buy a bunch.

 

[geneaut]

I love most of the Gillette blades but they are mostly in the higher end of the sharpness scale so be cautious starting out with them. I know when I started out the first few Gillette’s I used seemed extremely uncomfortable because I wasn’t used to that kind of sharpness. When eventually I retried them after getting to know my shaving routine they really shined. So don’t be disheartened if they aren’t perfect in the first try. Take your time and be gentle letting the razor do most of the work.

I’d also plug the Astra blades. They are made in the same plant as the Russian Gillette blades, and are a tad more forgiving on my face.

 

[CRshavBer]

Gillette Nacet. I’ve been DE shaving for 12 years and experimented with several different blades and this is my personal go to and works great for me. To me, and many others, this blade has the perfect balance of sharpness, smoothness, and longevity. Please note, like most blades, the first shave is when you break it in, so you have to take it a little easy and don’t over-shave (too many passes). After that, the shaves are a dream and you can easily get 5 shaves out of it. There are people claiming to get over 100 shaves with this blade but I toss mine at about fifth shave. You can also buy these for $11.95 for 100 at Italian Barber. No I don’t work for them but I did just buy a bunch.

Thank you so much for the info. I just read a whole lot of great reviews about the Gillette Nacet. Also, I really appreciate you mentioning about breaking the blade in, that is good to know moving forward.

 

[CRshavBer]

I love most of the Gillette blades but they are mostly in the higher end of the sharpness scale so be cautious starting out with them. I know when I started out the first few Gillette’s I used seemed extremely uncomfortable because I wasn’t used to that kind of sharpness. When eventually I retried them after getting to know my shaving routine they really shined. So don’t be disheartened if they aren’t perfect in the first try. Take your time and be gentle letting the razor do most of the work.

I’d also plug the Astra blades. They are made in the same plant as the Russian Gillette blades, and are a tad more forgiving on my face.

Yes I heard good reviews about the Astra blades. But I’ll be cautious, I got two Gillette 7 o’clock blacks to start out with. I’m gonna order a sample pack with a bunch of different brands to see what I feel comfortable with. Thank you!

 

[BigJ]

My top tier (in no particular order):
Personna lab
Personna red
GSB
Nacet
Astra SP

 

[CRshavBer]

My top tier (in no particular order):
Personna lab
Personna red
GSB
Nacet
Astra SP

Thanks I’m excited to try the Nacet and Personnas!

 

[geneaut]

Thanks I’m excited to try the Nacet and Personnas!

Personnas have always been comfortable and forgiving for me also. Both the American made Blues, and the Israeli Reds.

 

[CRshavBer]

Personnas have always been comfortable and forgiving for me also. Both the American made Blues, and the Israeli Reds.

That’s great to hear. I’ll be sure to try out both the American and Israeli version, thanks.

 

[Blackland Razors]

My recommendation for beginners is to pick one blade that the community generally regards as good. Honestly, it doesn't really matter which one. But just pick one. Use that blade type to learn how to shave properly with the DE. Hone your technique with that blade until you are getting repeatable, high-quality shaves. Once you have it down then I recommend trying a bunch of different blades to figure out which blade is perfect for you. When you begin something new it's always a good idea to keep the variables to a minimum. Your technique - not blade choice - will be the limiting factor for a while so get that sorted before playing with all the different brands. A lot of new shavers blame blades for poor shaves and spend a lot of effort swapping between them hoping to find a magic fix before they come to the realization that their own skill was the problem and not their blade.

 

[eezee]

Of your choices listed I like the 7:00 Yellow then the Silver Blue.

You should also consider IMHO

Astra
PolSilver
Personna Red

 

[Jaybeez]

+1 on the advice from Blackland. Spot on.

 

[GaryTha]

My recommendation for beginners is to pick one blade that the community generally regards as good. Honestly, it doesn't really matter which one. But just pick one. Use that blade type to learn how to shave properly with the DE. Hone your technique with that blade until you are getting repeatable, high-quality shaves. Once you have it down then I recommend trying a bunch of different blades to figure out which blade is perfect for you. When you begin something new it's always a good idea to keep the variables to a minimum. Your technique - not blade choice - will be the limiting factor for a while so get that sorted before playing with all the different brands. A lot of new shavers blame blades for poor shaves and spend a lot of effort swapping between them hoping to find a magic fix before they come to the realization that their own skill was the problem and not their blade.

+1

 

[CRshavBer]

My recommendation for beginners is to pick one blade that the community generally regards as good. Honestly, it doesn't really matter which one. But just pick one. Use that blade type to learn how to shave properly with the DE. Hone your technique with that blade until you are getting repeatable, high-quality shaves. Once you have it down then I recommend trying a bunch of different blades to figure out which blade is perfect for you. When you begin something new it's always a good idea to keep the variables to a minimum. Your technique - not blade choice - will be the limiting factor for a while so get that sorted before playing with all the different brands. A lot of new shavers blame blades for poor shaves and spend a lot of effort swapping between them hoping to find a magic fix before they come to the realization that their own skill was the problem and not their blade.

Thank you for the great advice. I was gonna get a sampler pack but I think it makes more sense just to stick to one blade till I perfect the technique. I can always get the variety pack in a couple months. Very insightful

 

[CRshavBer]

Of your choices listed I like the 7:00 Yellow then the Silver Blue.

You should also consider IMHO

Astra
PolSilver
Personna Red

I had a Gillette 7 o’clock black to start with, and it shaved great. I’m gonna get a pack of Astras since that’s the most accessible and reasonably priced. Once I get the technique down I’m looking forward to trying the Personnas.

 

[leatherdog99]

Thanks I’m excited to try the Nacet and Personnas!

Let us know what you think after a couple of shaves from these. I liked the other recommendations below regarding sample packs and trying different ones too. Over time you will get to know what sharp vs. smooth means even though every blade is essentially sharp. And as people mention, everybody is different. I have sensitive skin with coarse hair and tend to lean toward sharper blades but I want smooth (no tugging). Regardless, it’s a fun hobby and one of the simple things in life.

 

[leatherdog99]

One more thing. When trying all these blades, I suggest tryablade.com, where you can order individual blades. It’s a much cheaper way to go and you won’t feel as bad if you bought a five pack from another site of some blades you don’t like.

 

[CRshavBer]

One more thing. When trying all these blades, I suggest tryablade.com, where you can order individual blades. It’s a much cheaper way to go and you won’t feel as bad if you bought a five pack from another site of some blades you don’t like.

Thank you so much for the website I just checked it out! A lot of different options. I will definitely be using it in the future.
Btw, have you ever used the Gillette Super Thin, Super Blue (not Silver Blue) or the Gillette Rubie blades?
Are most Gillette blades just branded with different names in different countries?

 

[CRshavBer]

Let us know what you think after a couple of shaves from these. I liked the other recommendations below regarding sample packs and trying different ones too. Over time you will get to know what sharp vs. smooth means even though every blade is essentially sharp. And as people mention, everybody is different. I have sensitive skin with coarse hair and tend to lean toward sharper blades but I want smooth (no tugging). Regardless, it’s a fun hobby and one of the simple things in life.

I agree Shaving is very pleasant. I don’t do it often, but atleast 2-3 times a week. I’m using de Vergulde Hand shave tablet, its a Dutch brand over 450 years old! It smells absolutely fantastic. Along with some country music, you can’t go wrong.
I’m not exclusively using DE razors, I love vintage electric razors (Braun for instance) and trying out vintage and modern cartridge razors. But you can’t beat a good DE razor shave.

 

[leatherdog99]

Thank you so much for the website I just checked it out! A lot of different options. I will definitely be using it in the future.
Btw, have you ever used the Gillette Super Thin, Super Blue (not Silver Blue) or the Gillette Rubie blades?
Are most Gillette blades just branded with different names in different countries?

Never tried those and have only heard of the Rubies which are suppose to be very nice. I believe most of the Gillette DE blades, if not all, are manufactured in St. Petersburg, Russia and they are marketed for different parts of the world. For example, the Nacets have Arabic writing on the side and are targeted more for the Middle East. This would make sense, since those blades are perfect for thick coarse hair.