Blades that go well with the Feather Popular

[boarbeatsbadger]

Hi all, I am getting into the DE game because of Covid. Pre-Covid I would shave occasionally with an electric Philips but now due to my job and because I don't want to catch Covid in the store etc. I need to wear N95 style masks. These masks only work if you are fully shaven, so I am a bit different from most here because I entered shaving not for the thrill but for medical reasons.

Early in the pandemic I went to cartridges but they cost a lot and many blades going over my face at once every day caused a lot of irritation. So I switched to BIC disposables that have a single blade. Those worked better, but that is so much waste and I feel there could be better/more efficient systems out there. So I decided to step up to DE.

After researching the threads, I settled on the Feather Popular because it is inexpensive and it is hard to cut yourself, a good starter. Considered a de89 from Edwin Jagger and the King C Gillette but where I live those are twice the price of the Popular so it was a no-brainer.

My question is: which blades do you think will be a good fit for the Popular's angle of attack? On a hunch I already ordered some Voskhods, they are inexpensive and some on here mentioned they got their best shaves with the Popular/Voskhod combination. Which other blades do you recommend?

 

[cpcohen1945]

You might find some useful information (opinions, really!) here:

Feather Popular?

Hi guys. I have a simple question. I just noticed the Feather Popular razor on amazon. Who here uses one and what is the shave like... I presume it's a mild razor and probably works well with Feather blades. I may order some Feathers for the hell of it, and maybe this inexpensive razor will...

www.badgerandblade.com

My experience is limited -- I haven't shaved with anything but a Feather blade in 10 years or so. If you try one in the Popular, remember that it is _very_ sharp, and you should use _no pressure_ on your skin. (maybe with a Feather Popular, you could get away with very light pressure.)

An alternative would be an Astra blade. Many people like them, and they're milder (less sharp, and less likely to cut, in unskilled hands) than Feather blades. It would be great to have some quantitative data on blade sharpness, but I've never seen anything.

. charles

 

[srqshaver]

I think you want a smoother blade than a sharp one. It doesn't sound like you have a heavy beard either. I think a lot of people here would suggest several of the Gillette blades, myself included. The Gillette Platinum and Silver Blue, and the King C. Gillette blades are very smooth to me. Some people like Gillette Nacet and Astra SP. It's a little difficult to say "This blade...this is the one blade" because most people differ in opinion. The ones I've listed are all highly recommended by a lot of people but not everyone.

Another thing to check out is The Great Blade Exchange post to see how you can request many different kinds of blades. There is also a blade PIF from time to time where a generous member will randomly choose a new member to gift some blades to. Lastly, just ask. If there's a blade you'd really like to try, just ask, and most likely one of the members will happily mail you a couple.

Best of luck no matter what you decide to do.

 

[boarbeatsbadger]

Shaved today with the Feather Popular/Voskhod combination and it worked GREAT! The scientist in me wanted to know why the Voskhod is a great blade for the Popular, so I did some digging.

First off, the Popular has a small blade gap and is designed for the Feather blades which are very sharp with a gently sloped bevel. It turns out that Voskhod blades have a similar angle based on my measurements taken from the SEM photos posted here:

A little closer look at Voskhod and Feather blades (SEM Comparison) - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/a-little-closer-look-at-voskhod-and-feather-blades-sem-comparison.388037/

On the same link we see why the Feather blade is sharper: more carbon. But the Voskhod compensates by being more smooth, the chemical composition suggests it is because it is likely chrome plated.

I am satisfied with the Popular/Voskhod combination for now, I will try the Feather blades when I have more experience shaving.

I think other blades that might have a gently sloped bevel are the Bic Chrome Platinum and the Rapira Swedish Supersteel, so I will get those when I want to try something else. The Bic Chrome Platinum and Rapira Swedish Supersteel are probably also going to last longer than the Voskhod because the Bic Chrome Platinum has platinum coating while the Rapira Swedish Supersteel looks exactly like the Voskhod minus the chrome plating from the SEM photos posted here:

Scanning Electron Microscope Blade Edge Images - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/scanning-electron-microscope-blade-edge-images.386550/page-5

I am new to this DE shaving thing but the scientist in me thinks that angle of attack is absolutely key, and so far the scientific approach seems to be working. I think the reason some on here have bad experiences with some blades that others find really good is because they are using the wrong razor for it, one that encourages a more or less extreme angle based on the blade gap. So the correct way to assess blades would be in the context of the razor it is in. Just my 2 cents as a noob.