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Bottom Tier Blades

Space_Cadet

I don't have a funny description.
The lowest of that middle tier is probably the Personna Platinum.

It is one of my favorite blades. :)

I have a similar experience with Feather blades. They won't make it through three shaves for me. Thus, I have eliminated them from my rotation.

I tried shaving with Feather but couldn't even complete the shave. I think that it is too sharp for it's own good. There is absolutely no need for a blade to be sharp to such an extreme extent. No call for it. It misses the point. And in addition to being ridiculously sharp it is also so unforgiving that it is simply dangerous. I see no reason to use such blades, unless you like to live on the edge.
 
Treet Platinums. Just good enough to get the job done for one shave only. I bought them in bulk for roughly 6 cents / blade so that's cool with me. I consider them medium sharp and pretty smooth.
 
When I shave with a new BIC, they are sharp, nearly as sharp as a Feather. But the second and subsequent shaves are extremely smooth. I finally binned one yesterday after 14 shaves because I felt a couple of tugs. I normally get 4 shaves from a Feather.

Huh. OK I must admit that sounds pretty good :)

I'll give them more of a chance!
 

Space_Cadet

I don't have a funny description.
Trying some low-budget, lower-end blades the most success I've had was with the ridiculously cheap Treet DuraSharp carbon blades. They rate very low in the sharpness department, but they are the smoothest blades I've used. It's like shaving with a butter knife. A perfect match for an aggressive razor.
 
Blades have to be one of the most hilariously YMMV thing I've encountered. I've tried some Voskhod I got in a sampler (in two different razors) and both times after the second shave I said 'no way I'm going to do this to myself on purpose." :) Into the Nope drawer.

Today I tried a Rapira Lux which I imagined might be similar but it was much better. Better than what I don't know, other than for me better than a Voskhod :p
 
Blades have to be one of the most hilariously YMMV thing I've encountered. I've tried some Voskhod I got in a sampler (in two different razors) and both times after the second shave I said 'no way I'm going to do this to myself on purpose." :) Into the Nope drawer.

Today I tried a Rapira Lux which I imagined might be similar but it was much better. Better than what I don't know, other than for me better than a Voskhod :p

Voskhod: The Roulette wheel of DE blades!

Last year I used these blades for roughly 80 shaves in a row getting 3 shaves from a blade....then the drama began. Now I'm like you, not even gonna bother with them, just not worth the hassle. Sad though considering a good Voskhod is still the best blade I've used to date.
 

musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu
Razor blades are a YMMV thing so what work for some folks may not work for others. The question I have is that since razor blades are relatively inexpensive, why would anyone have a blade in their rotation that they consider to be bottom tier?


I have the same question. I've got my top tier down to two blades. Those are the only two blades in the den.
 
Hmm...interesting thread. I've got 4 top-tier blades. Occasionally I whip out another one but not that often. My non-top-4 collection includes some excellent blades like 7O'clock Yellows, Rapira PL, and Lab Blues; it's just that they don't appeal to me as much as my four favorites so I rarely use them. Any blade I can actively say I don't like, such as Voshkod or Feather, I never use. So I guess one could say a Yellow (SharpEdge) is "bottom tier for my rotation" when in actuality I think it's one of the best blades in production, just not as good for me as the ones I love the most.
 
Huh. OK I must admit that sounds pretty good :)

I'll give them more of a chance!
I haven’t had so much as a weaker in the past dozen shaves. Today I loaded a new BIC and had one on my upper lip after the second pass. But it was my fault. I got a little careless because the previous blade had been so forgiving.
 
ZaZa, without doubt the lowest of the low in my den: dull, rough, uncomfortable and short-lasting!
:sob::sob::sob::sob:

(On the good side: wonderful name, great graphics and terrific packaging.)
Big J .....You are absolutely right....In my case it was the ZAZA PLATINUM.Even with good prep and preshave that blade couldn't cut my beard.I even tried 3 different razors....no go!

Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk
 

Space_Cadet

I don't have a funny description.
"The question I have is that since razor blades are relatively inexpensive, why would anyone have a blade in their rotation that they consider to be bottom tier?"

I wonder about that too. It makes no sense. The only explanation I can offer is that people get bored and want some variety and change, so they buy different blades that might not turn to be among their favorites. But then again, you can shave not only with your absolutely favorite blade, but also with many different types of blades if they give you more or less decent results.
 
Trying some low-budget, lower-end blades the most success I've had was with the ridiculously cheap Treet DuraSharp carbon blades. They rate very low in the sharpness department, but they are the smoothest blades I've used. It's like shaving with a butter knife. A perfect match for an aggressive razor.
I had the same experience with the Treet black beauties. Dull but very smooth. I rarely used them.
 
I haven’t had so much as a weaker in the past dozen shaves. Today I loaded a new BIC and had one on my upper lip after the second pass. But it was my fault. I got a little careless because the previous blade had been so forgiving.

Ah wow. Makes sense though. I mean, out of these Wilkinson Sword blades I dunno... it's like I am getting 2 good shaves and then one bumpy one, lol. But I could be imagining it and maybe that third shave is actually OK but I want the reassurance of a new blade, haha :)

I am quite new to all this stuff really. Up until I got more into all this I was quite a lazy shaver who let the stubble grow for quite a while before each shave. And then I used a fresh blade every time (Personna or WS or whatever I found locally really) but it didn't matter so much because I was shaving so infrequently.

I wouldn't want to go back to all that though because it resulted in worse shaves and... an appearance that looked a bit up and down! I have learned more since then :)
 
It is one of my favorite blades. :)



I tried shaving with Feather but couldn't even complete the shave. I think that it is too sharp for it's own good. There is absolutely no need for a blade to be sharp to such an extreme extent. No call for it. It misses the point. And in addition to being ridiculously sharp it is also so unforgiving that it is simply dangerous. I see no reason to use such blades, unless you like to live on the edge.

I did not stop using Feather blades because they are too sharp. I love the sharpness of Feather blades. However, I don't use them because they do not hold their edge. They start feeling harsh after a couple of shaves.

Feather blades may well be too sharp for you, but there are lots of people with very tough beards who love them. I do not because I have sensitive skin to go along with my tough beard. I love BIC blades that are just as sharp as Feather blades, but hold their edge longer.
 

Space_Cadet

I don't have a funny description.
I love BIC blades that are just as sharp as Feather blades, but hold their edge longer.

There are some blades that are very close to Feathers in terms of sharpness, but hold their edge much longer, and are much more smooth and forgiving. For example Kai, Nacet, Gillette Platinum (I mean these: tinyurl.com/y8kefeur) and a few others.
 
I’m in the same spot as the OP. I have tossed or given away blades that are inconsistent to the point I don’t want to try, and blades that just aren’t compatible with my skin/hair.

Rapira Platinum Lux give an outstanding shave... Once. After that they are garbage for me and get tossed.

My preferences in no particular order but above the RPL: Bic Chrome Plat, Gillette Platinum, Astra SP, Parker, Feather, and 7O’clock green.

My hell no list includes: voshkod, 7O’clock yellow, Nacet, and merkur.
 
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