DE razor sample pack - advice on strategy

[erehwesle]

Allright friends, got my package from chez whipped dog, and ready to start shaving!

Got a sample pack of razors as well, but brand new to wet shaves...

Hence the question, what order do I try these blades out? Use the same kind until the learning curve subsides? Or try new ones every couple of days? Here is what we have to work with:

6x Astra SP
Perrsona Super
feather platinum
gilette 7oclock super platinum
merkur super
Wilkinson sword

The current plan is to use the Astra's until I get comfortable, as I have six. Then try others. Any ideas on order?

This is going to be Fun!

Best,
T

 

[Shave_Rat]

You'll get lots of varied ideas on this one. lol

What I did is I stuck to one blade till I felt like I was more or less getting the hang of it, then moved to different ones, keeping a bit of a journal on what I thought of each. I also saved one of each type to re-visit after a couple months in, to see if/how my initial impressions changed.

You may want to put the feathers further down on your list to try, traditionally they are less forgiving of technique that isn't very refined and such, but some have pulled the feathers out, and went right at it. Another theory is that they really force you to get better technique fast since they can be so unforgiving. *shrug*

Mostly, comes down to doing things as you want to, keeping track of results, have fun with it, and keep in mind that yes, it may be rough initially while you walk that learning curve.

 

[Luc]

Keep it simple, this is not World of Warcraft! There's no right or wrong strategies.

 

[bryan1980]

Start with any of them. Just make sure to keep good notes along the way about the pros and cons of each blade as you use it. It's not always easy to remember all of the minute details when you're done sampling. Make sure to do at least three shaves with each blade (unless there's one that particularly rough). If you have multiple razors, try each blade in each razor, as well. A blade that's almost unusable in one razor might be great in another.

 

[erehwesle]

Well I loaded an Astra for the first shave with my new razor, as I have six of them, and it went rather awesome. I think I'll leave it in feels dull, and then start with the Sword, 'cause swords are awesome.

And, yes I'm keeping notes, good point... just a quick question too, what qualities do you look for when you are taking notes? If I made notes on the Astra today it would be, well, shaved face, check, less irritation than cartridge, check, couple of nicks, unfortunate, but check.

I imagine I'd feel if something irritated me a lot more, particularly if across the grain, which I always had to use with cartridges, and always made me feel like I was scraping sandpaper across my face. I think persistence is also something to note, a brand new Astra SP vs. what it feels like when I've used it for several days, when it starts feeling pickier.

What do you look for in a DE blade that feels good? Do you know it immediately? One shave? Several shaves?

Interested to hear your responses.

Yrs,
T

 

[Shave_Rat]

Well I loaded an Astra for the first shave with my new razor, as I have six of them, and it went rather awesome. I think I'll leave it in feels dull, and then start with the Sword, 'cause swords are awesome.

And, yes I'm keeping notes, good point... just a quick question too, what qualities do you look for when you are taking notes? If I made notes on the Astra today it would be, well, shaved face, check, less irritation than cartridge, check, couple of nicks, unfortunate, but check.

I imagine I'd feel if something irritated me a lot more, particularly if across the grain, which I always had to use with cartridges, and always made me feel like I was scraping sandpaper across my face. I think persistence is also something to note, a brand new Astra SP vs. what it feels like when I've used it for several days, when it starts feeling pickier.

What do you look for in a DE blade that feels good? Do you know it immediately? One shave? Several shaves?

Interested to hear your responses.

Yrs,
T

Sometimes you'll know right away, first pass or two. The blade will feel rough, or like it's jagged, pulling or tugging instead of cutting. Sometimes the results will show some razor burn/irritation during/shortly after the shave, though it's hard at first to chalk that to a blade compared to developing technique. Sometimes it's later in the day when you realize the stubble is growing back sooner/faster than the shave a day ago on a different blade.

As for blade longevity, I got to where I just toss them after 3-4 shaves. You may be able to get 4-6, you may find that after 2 the blade has really degraded. Since the ones I buy are never over $0.20 a blade, I don't even think about trying to push more shaves from a blade than 4.

 

[bryan1980]

Well I loaded an Astra for the first shave with my new razor, as I have six of them, and it went rather awesome. I think I'll leave it in feels dull, and then start with the Sword, 'cause swords are awesome.

And, yes I'm keeping notes, good point... just a quick question too, what qualities do you look for when you are taking notes? If I made notes on the Astra today it would be, well, shaved face, check, less irritation than cartridge, check, couple of nicks, unfortunate, but check.

I imagine I'd feel if something irritated me a lot more, particularly if across the grain, which I always had to use with cartridges, and always made me feel like I was scraping sandpaper across my face. I think persistence is also something to note, a brand new Astra SP vs. what it feels like when I've used it for several days, when it starts feeling pickier.

What do you look for in a DE blade that feels good? Do you know it immediately? One shave? Several shaves?

Interested to hear your responses.

Yrs,
T

You're on the right track as far as what to take note of. Just note any tugging during the shave, and whether it happens WTG, XTG, or ATG. Post shave, make note of any irritation, and also take note of how fast your stubble returns. As far as feel goes, there are some blades that feel better on the second shave, the first use sometimes smoothes the edges out somewhat.

Since you're a beginner, some nicks and irritation can be attributed to technique, or lack thereof. Keep that in mind while trying blades. Also, keep the variables to a minimum when trying blades. Use the same preshave, during shave, and postshave habits each time. Stick to one cream or soap during this time. If you throw too many variables into the mix, if you have any issues, you'll won't be able to tell what's causing them (blade, razor angle, bad lather, etc.).

 

[oxford1833]

My wife makes fun of me, but I actually keep a shaving journal. I record impressions of each razor, blade, soap/cream and brush I use. Funny thing is that she's the anal one!

 

[Shave_Rat]

My wife makes fun of me, but I actually keep a shaving journal. I record impressions of each razor, blade, soap/cream and brush I use. Funny thing is that she's the anal one!

I do the same thing. I have an online shave blog offsite from here, I only keep my straight razor shave journal on the forums. My other shave stuff goes into the blog.