Gillette Silver Blue - Two Shaves and Out?

[badgerparade]

Well, I tried my first Gillette Silver Blue blade this week, and it was not quite what I expected! Very nice the first time out in my Aristocrat #16, sharp and reasonably smooth. The next day, same razor, only slightly less sharp. This morning, ouch! Felt like the thing had grown teeth. I took it out straight out and started with a new blade. This is the biggest drop-off I've experienced since Feathers, which deteriorate even more quickly for me (1 shave and out). I have a wiry old beard, so I don't blame the blades, but it's a bit of a disappointment.

I think the Astra SPs and Gillette 7 o'clock yellows are made in the same factory, but they both last longer in my experience.

 

[Lakebound]

The Silver Blues do get mixed reviews here. I have to be honest and say that I too expected much more from a very popular blade. I guess I chalk them up with Feathers: Some love them and some don't.

To each his own I suppose.

Regards,

Frank

 

[The Dean]

I only used GSB once, Loved it and I think it lasted 5 shaves for me.

 

[wazza]

I quite like these blades, so far. I have had 2 shaves on my first blade and I got a pretty clean shave with it. Will see how the next shave goes.

 

[Jeff_H]

I have not had that experience with the GSB's. I always get at least 3 shaves out of them, but I can shave with one all week (4-5 shaves) if I'm not in a hurry to try a different blade in a different razor. I am not as good about setting aside a blade with 2-3 shaves on it, then loading it up again a few days to a few weeks later. I usually just bin them and start with another. I try not to think about it because the more I do the more it seems wasteful and I really do dislike waste.

Anyhow, I have a thick, course beard, especially on my chin and under my chin down the center of my neck. The hairs in this area appear nearly twice as thick as the hairs on my cheeks. To me, the GSB has had the best combination of sharpness, smoothness and longevity of any blade I've tried. I just bought some Polisilver SI's, and they may be every bit as good as the GSB, I just need more time with them. For me, the Voshkods are a good 2nd blade. Maybe not quite as sharp, but maybe smoother. Pickier about which razor it likes, but a very solid blade as well.

 

[Early Morning]

Some blades really are razor specific and just because the combo works for one person doesn't mean it'll work for everyone. I can get pretty good performance out of Silver Blue simply by popping it into a milder OC and using shorter strokes. I average about three or four shaves per blade.

 

[cfender]

Well, I tried my first Gillette Silver Blue blade this week, and it was not quite what I expected! Very nice the first time out in my Aristocrat #16, sharp and reasonably smooth. The next day, same razor, only slightly less sharp. This morning, ouch! Felt like the thing had grown teeth. I took it out straight out and started with a new blade. This is the biggest drop-off I've experienced since Feathers, which deteriorate even more quickly for me (1 shave and out). I have a wiry old beard, so I don't blame the blades, but it's a bit of a disappointment.

I think the Astra SPs and Gillette 7 o'clock yellows are made in the same factory, but they both last longer in my experience.

I use the GSB in a 2011 Muhle R41. I have a very similiar experience with the GSB blade. It degrades very fast and I almost always toss it after 2 shaves. I like the blade a lot but I don't expect it to last. I know that is very different from many who get several shaves out of it.

 

[Planbee]

4 great shaves per blade for me so far. Just okay on shave 5, so why bother?

 

[Frankthetank]

I've had the opposite experience, where my GSB's last significantly longer than any other blade I've tried. In fact, they seem to just get smoother with a few shaves. The one I'm on right now probably has about 5-7 shaves on it, and I usually toss them around now, but I'm gonna see just how long I can stretch these out. And I have a fairly thick coarse beard.

Maybe you got a bad blade? Try another one, or another pack if you have one.

 

[renewingmind]

I get anywhere from 3-7 shaves out of them. GSB's are the only blade I've ever gone past four shaves with.

Joel

 

[Penknight]

Used my Gillette Silver Blue again yesterday for the second shave, and I felt some irritation on my neck. I'm going to try it again today and see if it was just a bad shave day. If not, I'll toss it and load up a Feather, which just arrived yesterday. I do enjoy how the Silver Blue feels on that initial shave, though. Silky and smooth, barely noticeable that you have anything against your neck or face. Still beats what I was getting from Astra Superior Platinum, though. After the second shave, I just tossed it. My girlfriend would give me a sympathetic look and ask if I was alright after using it twice. Kind of a shame, since I read a lot of good things about it on here as well...

 

[Pebcak]

These are my go to DE blades. For me they're as sharp as a Feather and as gentle as the Bolzano blades. I can an easy 4 days of 3 pass shaves out of each side.

 

[atoms8791]

These blades have become one of my favorites. I was using the black 7 O'clocks pretty regularly, but I decided to give these a try. I got 3 great shaves out of it, and the 4th one was a little less comfortable, but still close. I chucked the blade after that. That's pretty much on par with what I've been getting from my blades in terms of longevity, but the smoothness is something else (I'm using these in an EJ89 razor). My alum block didn't reveal any irritated spots at all. Good stuff.

 

[Icebear]

I am currently using a GSB for the very first time in a iKon OC 2013.
I had the shave #6 with it this morning and usually do 2-pass shaves with a little touch up here and there. The last 3 shave were all DFS in my book, little to no irritation. Soap : RazoRock XX.
I park my razor on a magnet.

 

[inspiringK]

Oscroft also tested these blades and seemed to come to the same sort of conclusion; they work well but only for about 2 shaves.

The GSB blades are definitely in my top 3 blade choices (the other two being Astra and Gillette Black India). Since I subscribe to the two-and-out rule for any blade that I use, I don't really care what the third shave from a GSB would hypothetically be like.

 

[Penknight]

I was able to get three shaves out of mine, but the blade nicked me beneath my lower lip quite a bit as I worked around my goatee. Only place that it got me, actually. Next up for me is a Feather blade. The first that I've ever tried. Interested to see how that goes...

 

[coyotewhisper]

I enjoy using Gillette Silver Blues, I can get four days worth of shaves from them. Personally it has just the right amount of sharpness for me. They provide nice DFS when I use them.

 

[kosmin]

I did get good results for the 1st and 2nd shave, however felt a huge drop in sharpness in the 3rd round. Good blade overall, I only use them for 3 shaves, no matter the brand, so this is not really a big problem.

 

[renewingmind]

I have been using the same GSB now for almost two weeks. It's like some sort of mutant immortal blade. Two weeks of four pass shaves!

It isn't cutting quite as close as a fresh one, but it still feels great every morning. Weird.

Joel

 

[Chadao]

I just revisited the GSB. Same as the last time. It was a smooth blade, but not in my top 3. To paraphrase Oscroft, the Gillette Yellow just seems to melt through my whiskers, the GSB was not as smooth. I bought 100 when I thought they were going out of production. I may PIF a few, and hang onto the rest, waiting for the great shavepocalypse.