Blades

[JM]

It might be just me but I really don't see that much difference in the blades. Some blades seem to last longer, others seem a tiny bit sharper, but in the end I can pretty much use any of them. I had trouble with one brand when I first got started but have since ordered and retried the blade without issue.

Is it just me? Do you good folks on B&B have supper sensitive skins? I shave with cold water and wonder if that's the biggest difference.

 

[fcdiscus]

I am with ya here brother! Once you have a good technique and prep- the blade becomes not much of an issue. Very slight differences IMHO- and I have tried a shootload of them!

 

[PMT]

Yeah, I am the same way, any blade seems fine and I can make them last longer than the norm without running to the styptic! maybe luck, or could be that I shave every day without fail, so the blade maybe isn't as challenged

 

[dcobranchi]

There are a few blades that are just not sharp/smooth enough for me. Dorcos, for one. Sharp (the brand) is another. Those blades are seriously misnamed, IMO.

 

[JimK]

I go blade hunting all the time, and often get caught up in the moment with a particular blade brand. Then, I get a reality check when I go back to my favorite cheap blade, the Astra SP. it works very well in all of my razors, and perfectly in my favorite razor. Bottom line..... There are dozens of awesome performing blades available today. Perhaps more than ever before. It isn't rocket science after all. Yes, Feathers are awesome in my favorite razor. Yes, Personna and Merkur blades are also awesome, but all of the above are pricey.... Derby is cheap, and delivers a reasonable shave. Good value there, and the truth is that I could live with them without complaint if that was all I could buy. Then there is the Astra blade... Nine cents each including shipping. As smooth and sharp as any other blade I have tried. Just wonderful!

I really try every brand that raises an eyebrow here, and I find that various names and wrappers of a high brow nature cause me to gush about their performance from time to time. Then comes the reality check.... The cheap Astra gets its turn after I waxed philosophic about how well the Feather works in my Stahly, even though it is a bit bloody in my other razors, yet the lowly Astra SP works perfectly well in all of my razors, and is quite astonishing in my favorite razor... I really try to love Royalty in the world of razor blades, but I keep running into a cheap Russian brick wall named Astra that says "pay no attention to the label. You can't buy better at any price". As far as current production goes, I believe the writing on the wall....

 

[bvance554]

I generally agree. I've only come across one brand of blade (no need to name names and debate it) that although it did remove hair, I would prefer to not use again. Other than that the rest is just personal preference. I also seem to use my blades much longer than most on here so I guess I do not have super sensitive skin.

 

[imfallen_angel]

Overall the difference can be very tiny... but some can easily show you the difference between a good/average blade and a bad one.

I didn't see much of a difference in the brands at first, but eventually I started to find myself feeling snagging, feeling the blade on the skin as per some scrapping is occurring, compared to a blade that glides so well that I can't even feel it cutting the hairs.

Dorco is the only blade that I had to stop and switch to something else during my first shave with it (I only had one that came with one of the razors).

Aside that, I've just tested how far I can take a blade and went 6 shaves with an Astra SP, when I normally stick to 3. And the result was that the 4th shave was quite harsh, pulling, tugging, skin was sensitive, even a bit razor burnt. The 5th was just as bad, and the 6th, I had to stop after a few strokes. (I'm still recovering from this experience).

But it did give a new perspective about blades and how they feel is reference to usage and bluntness.

So the difference might be tiny, but they count, and can count a lot.