Blades Recommendation for a Newbie
- Thread starter dynamo
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Sample pack from one of our vendors. Westcoastshaving.com has some good ones and very reasonable shipping. Everyone has their personal favorites, so the best way to figure it out is to try them all.
Sometimes sharp is better for sensitive skin since it will require less passes. Blades are very much a YMMV product.
Sometimes sharp is better for sensitive skin since it will require less passes. Blades are very much a YMMV product.
The Astra Superior Platinum is a very, very smooth blade. It IS sharp, but very forgiving of small errors in shaving technique. A lot depends on how aggressive your new razor is (I haven't shaved with one of the Edwin Jagger razors, so I don't know), and the quality of your shaving prep and lather. Proper preparation prevents poor performance ... or in this case, prevents nicks and scrapes.
"Waste" a lot of time at first with hot moist towels on your face, elaborate lather preparations, a cool water splash afterward to close the pores, etc. You'll soon find which ones are superfluous for you, and which you need to keep in your routine. At some point you'll find your own personal Occam's Razor of shaving and you can shave in five minutes or less without much fuss.
"Waste" a lot of time at first with hot moist towels on your face, elaborate lather preparations, a cool water splash afterward to close the pores, etc. You'll soon find which ones are superfluous for you, and which you need to keep in your routine. At some point you'll find your own personal Occam's Razor of shaving and you can shave in five minutes or less without much fuss.
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- #4
+1
That would be the way to go. I had blades that were very well regarded by some members that I found dull. A good blade for me can be a bad blade for you. It depends on your technique, face and razor that you use (sure the lather/prep are also influencing...).
I would also recommend trying one of the sampler packs and then seeking some guidance on how to progress through the included blades (I personally found moving up in sharpness as my technique improved to be a good strategy).
But if you really just want a lot of one kind of "beginner blades" I think that either color pack of the Israeli Personnas tend to be blades that are fairly widely thought of as providing a pretty decent shave without risking too much damage to your face. But of course, like anything else with blades, YMMV and the fact that lots of others think they're ok beginner blades doesn't mean they'll be good for you, thus, back to the sampler pack idea
But if you really just want a lot of one kind of "beginner blades" I think that either color pack of the Israeli Personnas tend to be blades that are fairly widely thought of as providing a pretty decent shave without risking too much damage to your face. But of course, like anything else with blades, YMMV and the fact that lots of others think they're ok beginner blades doesn't mean they'll be good for you, thus, back to the sampler pack idea
I have been using the EJDE89L for a few days, and I like the astra and red personnas. I have a heavy beard, and don't know what I'm doing yet. Tried the red personnas for the first time today. It required WTG,WTG,XTG,ATG,touchup. But I did skip a day shaving yesterday. I'm going to finish the week with the reds and try feathers next week.
+1 on that. I've found that Crystals are very similar.
When I started I just picked a blade at random. I started with Wilkinson Sword Classics.
Edit: In all seriousness, I spent ages reading up on blades. I read loads of threads on what everybody thought was best and worst. So I just bought the first brand I could and then worked from there.
Edit: In all seriousness, I spent ages reading up on blades. I read loads of threads on what everybody thought was best and worst. So I just bought the first brand I could and then worked from there.
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The Wilkenson Sword from Walmart is very good, and inexpensive
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=172945
There is a "Smart Sense" blade from K-mart that is also very good, but not inexpensive, if you want something to compare.
I'd start with the Wilk, and in the mean time order a sampler from one of the B&B vendors (I like Bullgoose), or make a sampler for yourself.
I'd try to include Red Pack Personas (or Crystals), Shark SS, Derby in the sampler or selection.
Lots of good blades around!
- Mike
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=172945
There is a "Smart Sense" blade from K-mart that is also very good, but not inexpensive, if you want something to compare.
I'd start with the Wilk, and in the mean time order a sampler from one of the B&B vendors (I like Bullgoose), or make a sampler for yourself.
I'd try to include Red Pack Personas (or Crystals), Shark SS, Derby in the sampler or selection.
Lots of good blades around!
- Mike
For me, the best blades in my DE89L are in order -
1. Super Iridium
2. Astra
3. Derby
4. Red IP
5. Medical Personna
6. KAI
7. Lord
Feathers are great if I'm very careful and steady. Not for morning use, for me anyways.
Shark and Dorco 301's are usable, but barely.
The Wal-Mart Wilkinson Sword blades are awful, as were the Personna's that Wal-Mart sold previously. IMHO, of course.
1. Super Iridium
2. Astra
3. Derby
4. Red IP
5. Medical Personna
6. KAI
7. Lord
Feathers are great if I'm very careful and steady. Not for morning use, for me anyways.
Shark and Dorco 301's are usable, but barely.
The Wal-Mart Wilkinson Sword blades are awful, as were the Personna's that Wal-Mart sold previously. IMHO, of course.
First off, welcome to B&B! I'm glad you found us. This is a great place to hang out and shoot the bull about your newfound, weird hobby!
Perfect example of why you need a sampler pack!
You'll find more YMMV in regards to DE blades than either other product in wetshaving. Good luck in your blade search!
Perfect example of why you need a sampler pack!
You'll find more YMMV in regards to DE blades than either other product in wetshaving. Good luck in your blade search!
Mmmmm. Yes. +1 to this.
I may be in the minority on this point (with respect to blades), but I suggest getting just one kind of blade, and using just one kind, for the first 2-3 weeks as you get accustomed to your prep, learn to make lather, get used to your DE, etc.
It will help if you change just one thing at a time. You can't really begin to evaluate the other blades in a sampler until you have enough consistency in all the other things.
The Red IP is a wonderful blade because it is sharp, but it's also forgiving and gives a very smooth shave. It's one of those great blades to start with that many people come back to after trying a host of other options.
My advice:
Look for a sampler that has a pack of Red IPs in it, start with those (use them all!) and then move on to try other choices.
-- Chet
Get yourself the most extended sampler you can get. And after that maybe one more. Advice on blades is worth next to nothing, except for a nice read, since blades seem to have the highest YMMV-factor of all shaving stuff. In the end you can only trust your own skin to tell you what is good and what not.
+1 on this
Generally there is no way to tell what will work. Trial-and-error, and gradual improvement in technique are what point you in the right direction.
About the only general agreement is that Feather blades are sharp. And some feel they just won't do.
I'm working out which ones work for me and have made a short list now. I have gotten satisfactory results from US Personnas and their imported Red and Blue packs as well. I like most of the Russian blades and I'm learning to favor my Vidyut Zorrik blades.
Researching is so much fun!
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