DE Blade performance Varies w Razor??

[MetroNome]

I started out with an HD, used Derbys, BlueBird, Merkur, etc....but disliked the performance....and settled with Feathers...

Now I upgraded to a Mergress...and have found that the Derbys, BB, Merkurs, Personna, etc perform better than with the HD....

Is this normal, or is it my imagination?

 

[Sledgehammer39]

It's quite normal. You will find that certain blades will not work in a particular razor. Than those same blades are super in another razor.

 

[beginish]

It's quite normal. You will find that certain blades will not work in a particular razor. Than those same blades are super in another razor.

+1. I have some Iridium Supers that were just awful in three different razors, but are fantastic in a Fatboy.

 

[Buck Melanoma]

Think about tolerances. Razor widths, to say nothing of grinds, vary between brands (and likewise razor tolerances vary between brands and samples).

A blade that is a little wider than another might seem more aggressive. It might work very well in a non-aggressive razor where it might be terrible in an aggressive razor.

 

[michiganlover]

There is also the possibility that this is merely an issue of your technique being better now.

Blades you had written off as a newbie could be perfectly acceptable now that you have better technique.

That is why newbies are encouraged to shelf blades that disagree with them, to retry later.

 

[California Cajun]

I started out with an HD, used Derbys, BlueBird, Merkur, etc....but disliked the performance....and settled with Feathers...

Now I upgraded to a Mergress...and have found that the Derbys, BB, Merkurs, Personna, etc perform better than with the HD....

Is this normal, or is it my imagination?

Whatever works for you, go with it! No two faces are alike.

 

[Obi Wan]

The closeness of the shave depends upon a combination of factors the main two for my skin and stubble are blade/angle from the safety razor and the sharpness of the blade. I like mild razors i.e those that have less blade exposure like the gillette Tech and Superspeed and Edwin Jagger de89l combined with blades that are regarded as sharp i.e feathers and gillette 7 o'clock SharpEdge 'yellows'. If I'm using a blade like a Bic platinum or Astra I'll use an adjustable and dial up the aggressiveness of the razor YMMV.

 

[ricardo9505]

i think it has to do with the razor. my brother likes certain blades in his Merkur HD. BUT when he had the merkur classic, some blades he disliked.
I inherited his Merkur classic razor and will be getting a new Edwin Jagger soon. I am sure my blade preference may change as well.

 

[kosby]

I think you are on track. In my HD and DE89, Feathers are the perfect match for those razors, head and shoulders above any other blade I've tried in them but I'm convinced that my slant can be loaded with just about any brand of blade and give a DFS every time.

 

[mistervee123]

Completely normal for different blades to respond differently in different razors.

I have tried to use the same blade with all my razors, but it just didn't work out. The shave quality and the shave comfort varied wildly between the different blades and razors. I use Voskhod Teflon or Feathers in my Progress XL and Mergress. I use Voskhod Teflon, Astra, or Bolzano in my Merkur 38M and my Weber. I use Derby or Bic in my Fat Boy and Slim. I still haven't figured out what blade, if any, works in my Gillette '56 Super Speed, but maybe it's a little too mild, or I got a lemon on this particular one.

 

[phillylion]

It's quite normal. You will find that certain blades will not work in a particular razor. Than those same blades are super in another razor.

I've found this to be absolutely true. When I get a new razor, I test it with all of my blades to see which ones it is best with and which I should avoid.

 

[ODJ]

All of my razors (Mergress XL, DE89, HD-34C and '57 Superspeed) all perform wonderfully with Astra SP's!

 

[ia_james]

I still haven't figured out what blade, if any, works in my Gillette '56 Super Speed, but maybe it's a little too mild, or I got a lemon on this particular one.

These were ok in mine, but just ok. I think it's me rather than the razor though, I love my OS and have been contemplating an R41.

http://www.amazon.com/Personna-Plat...717&sr=8-50&keywords=double+edge+razor+blades

 

[jsj_297]

The progress/Mergress have a slightly different blade angle geometry to the HD If I recall correctly. And I found the progress to be wayyyy smoother on my face than the HD as well.

 

[a Rose's thorn]

You wouldn't think that a blade that disappoints in one razor would excel in another, but its funny how that happens. That's what appeals most to me - the variety that is available, day in and day out. Though there is nothing like finding your go-to set-up.... the one that consistently works for your face.

 

[David in Boston]

Could be a number of things such as the weight of the razor and the blade gap.

I can understand how it can be rewarding or frustrating in finding the right combo of blade and razor.

 

[Teddyboy]

I started my DE shaving with Merkur 38C, which I believe is a long-handled version of the HD. I can tell you definitively, that blades which did not feel smooth in the 38C, were truly excellent in other razors, e.g., Muhle R89 and the various Gillette adjustable. So it is not your imagination.

In conclusion, dump the HD!

 

[KipNoxzema]

Let me remove the mystery with our blade gap ranking.

http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Double-Edged_Safety_Razors_Ranked_by_Blade_Gap

Now you'll see why a Gillette Adjustable at 4 can be similar to a Muhle R89.

 

[Rufust445]

I've found that a 7 o'clock Sharpedge (yellow) in a Schick Krona is the one way I can use up what I have left of these blades. It makes a nice performing combination, but no better if as good as other, cheaper blades in my Gillette adjustables, Super and Slim.

 

[Wildalaska]

Feathers perform perfectly in the two razors I use.