Help a newbie, 28 different blades

[lancre]

First off, Welcome aboard!

My first thread and day as a member here at B&B although I have been a reader for quite some time.

I am new into shaving with a DE-razor and for the last 4-5 years I have been using only a trimmer on my neck due to irritation from cartridge razors.

I was hoping to get some help with the choice of blades to start out with. Aware of the basics but not sure where to start. Is it always best to use a forgiving blade when you start out in order to practice your technique? Is it possible to categories the different blades by sharpness, smoothness

Bearing in mind other threads I know that a single blade can split this forum into 100 parties so I am not sure what to expect out of 28. Hopefully there can be some sort of consensus at least

These are the 28 different types of blade I have: (omitted for brevity)

As for the rest of the set-up:

Razor: Merkur 34C (too mild for a coarse beard according to some but figured it would be a good start!)
Brush: Semogue 620
Shaving cream: Cella and Proraso
After shave: Nivea Sensitive
Styptic: Osma alum block
Skin/hair: Sensitive skin + Coarse beard

Good, solid choices of gear.

On your choices of blades:
1.) None of us here have quite your combination of beard, skin, and pain tolerance. So take any advice on blades with a dump truck full of salt.
2.) On MY face, of the blades you've listed, I've found the smoothest to be Voskhod and Shark SS, followed by 7 O'Clock SS. The sharpest, if you don't get instantly discouraged by the "newbie nicks", have been Feathers, and Lab Blues. A really sharp blade with a mild razor can be great. My overall all-around favorites have been Derby Extras and German Wilkies.

Pick one and use it consistently. My first few shaves with a Derby were misery, but looking back that really had nothing to do with the blade. I can get a good shave with a Derby now that I've been through the process hundreds of times. I have tried at least half of the blades in your list and I am confident I can get a nice smooth shave with any of them because of PRACTICE! Focus on good technique. I think that is easier to do if you don't change all the variables over and over. So pick one and stick with it for a week or two before moving on! When your technique improves you will be able to feel the difference between blades better, and decide what you like.

That being said. Personally, I would pick Personna Lab Blue or Voskhod as good blades to learn with. I've worked through a full hundred pack of both of these blades and they produce nice smooth shaves for me.

Ding, ding, ding!! We have a winner here! Practice, practice, practice. As a general rule, technique trumps tools. And technique involves more than just the razor/blade. Prep is important. I shave at the end of my shower, and the first thing I do is to soap up my face and neck, and then leave it lathered up while I wash the rest. My skin is well hydrated by the time I get to my shave. Make sure you soak the bristles on the Semogue for a few minutes before the shave as well.

Try the blades for yourself to find the ones you like and work for you. As your technique improves over time, don't hesitate to try the blades again to see if you like the blades even better. Try at least 2 examples of each blade before passing a final judgement.

It's amazing how blades magically improve along with your technique. The blade you hate today may become one of your favorites a year from now.

 

[Frank Shaves]

Welcome and nice collection!

My advise would be to start by focusing on a smaller number of blades from different manufacturers - like Dorco, Gillette, the company that makes RPL and Personna, and to avoid the sharpest blades at first. What I would not do is to only focus on Gillette blades.

Some of my favorites are the Dorcos you have, RPL, *** and G7OSP.

I would also use each blade a few times before moving on to the next.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ackvil]

Welcome to B&B.

As you can see, a consensus is hard to find when it comes to blades.

You have a nice selection. My favorites in that group are the Personna Labs, Israeli Reds, Gillette Silver Blues, and Polsilver Super Iridium. For me, those blades are sharp enough to cut through my thick beard but smooth enough to give me an irritation-free shave.

Merry Christmas.

 

[jmudrick]

Unless coming from an identical twin using the same gear blade recommendations are worthless or worse to the extent they cause you to question your own experience. Just. Shave.

Sent from my LG-US998 using Tapatalk

 

[merovirginian]

Exploring the blade options and finding your favorites is one of best parts of ymmv-shaving. I have my own chart of blades that worked for me, that didn't, that were in fact poor, but also based on each razor I enjoy (I don't have nearly the extensive razor dens of others) (and surprise, to me, blades felt differently in different razors). As @Tostig posted, there's a benefit to looking and/or starting with crowd favorites. There was a recent post about top 5 blades that I summarized in part that might help you: Your top 5 DE blades - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/your-top-5-de-blades.577141/page-3#post-10459136

 

[sailor18]

You have a lot of great blades in that sample pack. No doubt already embedded in that pack are the 4-5 blades that will become, eventually, your personal best blades ever. The trick is just to find them through experimentation.

As far as my thoughts on the matter, you know how back in the ole' days they used to say "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM". Meaning for purchasing managers making capital investments; IBM was the safe, predictable, high quality, nearly universally accepted choice you could never be faulted for making.

Well, the blade that kind of plays the role of IBM is ... Gillette Silver Blue. Nearly every other blade has its passionate lovers and loathing haters, but with GSB, the armed camps pretty much boil down to "best blade ever" vs. "pretty good blade but not my absolute favorite". Practically no one dislikes the GSB, whereas for many it's their # 1 blade. It's very sharp -- not quite as sharp as the ultra-sharps in your sample pack, the Feather, Kai, Nacet, and Perma-Sharp Super, but sharper than the mid-sharp blades which most of the others are.

For me, GSB isn't # 1 but is definitely always top 5. The GSB is my reference blade - the first thing that goes in a new razor to test the razor, and also the one I use on the left side of my face when I'm using another blade on the right side for the first time to decide how I feel about it.

Bottom line for me is, Gillette just got something right with the GSB. It's a 9 for sharpness and a 9 for smoothness and maybe an 8 for longevity, and whereas you can always find a blade that knocks the cover off the ball and scores a perfect 10 in one of those three categories, you may not find a better overall balanced blade.

From there, I'd delve into the Gillette Platinum, which is kinda similar to the GSB, a little less sharp and a little more forgiving - making it an exceptional "starter" blade. The Platinum is just super super easy to shave with, very tolerant of mistakes, very unlikely to leave you irritated.

From there, on to the Polsilver or Wizamet (they are the exact same blade), which are in fact Gillette products made in the same plant as GSBs, and not all that different from the GSB. Wizamets have a cult following and I'm definitely in it. It's my # 1 blade. Once you've had 5 or 10 shaves with the GSB, you'll be equipped to decide if you like the Wizamet/Polsilver better or worse. Some say the Wizamet/Polsilver is sharper and less smooth; others that it is smoother and less sharp. In my opinion the Wizamet is a skootch less sharp and more smooth than a GSB, making it a super-comfortable daily blade while still having enough cutting power for a true BBS shave.

So to sum up what I've got to say on these blades:

Blade Sharpness Smoothness Longevity
GSB 9 9 8
Polsilver / Wizamet 8.5 9.5 9
Platinum 7 10 9

As you can see from my totally made up numbers above, to me they are all tippy-top top tier blades.

Two more blades in your list I will comment on are the Gillette SharpEdge and the Astra SP. The SharpEdge is similar to the GSB, maybe as sharp but perhaps not quite as smooth/forgiving. I have 200 SharpEdge and really like them. The Astra SP, also a Gillette blade out of the same factory, is a more debatable blade. It's inexpensive, but some (including me) might say it isn't as sharp or smooth as a GSB. To me it just doesn't feel as refined or good to shave with as a GSB/Polsilver/Platinum/SharpEdge, though it's perfectly acceptable to me for a shave if one is lying around. But there are more than a few people for whom the Astra SP is their favorite blade of all time, so it's definitely a YMMV thing.

Special shout out to the Rapira PL. I've become such a Gillette guy with the blades that I rarely use other brands, but the Rapira has definitely won a place in my heart. I really like it.

I must say that I really really do appreciate extensive and thoughtful posts! Very interesting to read about others experiences, tips and tricks.

Voskhod and Polsilver are the blades that I have been drawn to for some odd reason after reading and watching reviews on youtube. Would not want to start with any of those as technique is #1 priority and a first bad experience might ruin them for me. However, you have to start somewhere and not think too much so I think I will have the first shave today with Astra SP!

Thank you once again!

 

[sailor18]

First off, Welcome aboard!



Good, solid choices of gear.

On your choices of blades:
1.) None of us here have quite your combination of beard, skin, and pain tolerance. So take any advice on blades with a dump truck full of salt.
2.) On MY face, of the blades you've listed, I've found the smoothest to be Voskhod and Shark SS, followed by 7 O'Clock SS. The sharpest, if you don't get instantly discouraged by the "newbie nicks", have been Feathers, and Lab Blues. A really sharp blade with a mild razor can be great. My overall all-around favorites have been Derby Extras and German Wilkies.



Ding, ding, ding!! We have a winner here! Practice, practice, practice. As a general rule, technique trumps tools. And technique involves more than just the razor/blade. Prep is important. I shave at the end of my shower, and the first thing I do is to soap up my face and neck, and then leave it lathered up while I wash the rest. My skin is well hydrated by the time I get to my shave. Make sure you soak the bristles on the Semogue for a few minutes before the shave as well.



It's amazing how blades magically improve along with your technique. The blade you hate today may become one of your favorites a year from now.

Thank you! The purpose of this thread was so that I could get a sense of which blades the more experienced would recommend for someone just starting out. Even though there have been a lot of different opinions about different blades I think some blades have popped up more than 2-3 times and that is where I will start.

The technique is where I want to put focus and hopefully a fairly sharp and smooth blade can help me in that process. I soaked the bristles in a glass of water in the fridge for 3 days in order to break it in a bit faster and it did wonders! I will soak it before jumping into the shower and experiment with hot/cold water shaves to see if that can help with any possible razor burns/bumps.

 

[sailor18]

Welcome and nice collection!

My advise would be to start by focusing on a smaller number of blades from different manufacturers - like Dorco, Gillette, the company that makes RPL and Personna, and to avoid the sharpest blades at first. What I would not do is to only focus on Gillette blades.

Some of my favorites are the Dorcos you have, RPL, *** and G7OSP.

I would also use each blade a few times before moving on to the next.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you! I am actually hoping that any of the Gillette's will not end up being my preferred blade.

 

[sailor18]

Welcome to B&B.

As you can see, a consensus is hard to find when it comes to blades.

You have a nice selection. My favorites in that group are the Personna Labs, Israeli Reds, Gillette Silver Blues, and Polsilver Super Iridium. For me, those blades are sharp enough to cut through my thick beard but smooth enough to give me an irritation-free shave.

Merry Christmas.

Thank you! Israeli reds, Gillette Silver Blues and Polsilver seem to be highly regarded by many! Will save the Polsilver until I have a tad better technique since I do not want a bad technique to give me a bad first impression

 

[sailor18]

Unless coming from an identical twin using the same gear blade recommendations are worthless or worse to the extent they cause you to question your own experience. Just. Shave.

Sent from my LG-US998 using Tapatalk

Straightforward. Probably very true. Today will be the first shave!

 

[sailor18]

Exploring the blade options and finding your favorites is one of best parts of ymmv-shaving. I have my own chart of blades that worked for me, that didn't, that were in fact poor, but also based on each razor I enjoy (I don't have nearly the extensive razor dens of others) (and surprise, to me, blades felt differently in different razors). As @Tostig posted, there's a benefit to looking and/or starting with crowd favorites. There was a recent post about top 5 blades that I summarized in part that might help you: Your top 5 DE blades - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/your-top-5-de-blades.577141/page-3#post-10459136

Thank you for the link, I will definitely check out that thread in its complete form. Also, thank you for the reminder about different razors...when people list their favorite blades one has to consider that they might use a different razor and that they would not necessarily prefer those blades in another razor (e.g. the one I am using).

 

[Billski]

Nice, your sampler options seem very good. If I could only use one: Nacet!!

I go along with @xiletero . Use a Nacet.

 

[Tostig]

Thank you! Israeli reds, Gillette Silver Blues and Polsilver seem to be highly regarded by many! Will save the Polsilver until I have a tad better technique since I do not want a bad technique to give me a bad first impression

I think you've done a fine job of extracting value out of this thread

 

[sailor18]

It is done!! I went with Astra SP and Cella. Impression; needless to say my technique needs a bit of work. During the first pass I struggled a bit to find the correct angle and it did not seem as if I got the "audible feedback" as heard/seen in many youtube videos.

After the first pass there were some parts where the hairs had not been removed as the rest of the neck so I decided to perform a second pass with the grain. After the second pass it was all even but also not smooth enough imo. Also, after the second pass I experienced NO irritation whatsoever.

The third pass (across the grain) removed significantly more but I also experienced some minor irritation after that pass. This was even more so evident when I pulled out the alum block. After cooling my face down with the block, splashing on some Nivea sensitive after shave balm and letting the skin rest for 20 minutes I do not feel much discomfort at alla actually. 1 pass with a cartridge razor usually led me to have major bumps, redness and irritation.

To summarize my first experience with a DE razor: Happily surprised!!!

One question, this audible feedback or the clear feeling of the hair being cut by the blade. I did not experience that at all! Is this solely a matter of blade angle? It kind of felt as if I just did a stroke with the razor and the hairs were more or less gone?

 

[Tostig]

One question, this audible feedback or the clear feeling of the hair being cut by the blade. I did not experience that at all! Is this solely a matter of blade angle? It kind of felt as if I just did a stroke with the razor and the hairs were more or less gone?

It depends a lot on the razor. I find a 34C to be a mid feedback razor, without a huge amount of audible and tactile feedback, though not overtly lacking in that area in some kind of bad way. A lot of people don't like excessive feedback. The 34C could be contrasted with a high feedback razor, for example the Parker Variant, which provides a loud audible and you can feel and hear every hair being cut as it's cut. So there's just a lot of variability from razor to razor, some razors like the Rockwell 6S on the lower plates have virtually no feedback that I can detect and I have to go to one of the more aggressive plates to be able to feel myself shaving at all! Feedback also depends on some other factors, like cream and blade and so forth, but one of them also being acquired experience. 10 shaves from now, you may notice the blade and cutting action more than you do right now. I'd say just enjoy your upcoming shaves, learn the angles and how much pressure to apply (your face and neck will tell you what you need to know), and you may well find that the 34C gives you the right amount of feedback once you've gotten used to it.

 

[sailor18]

Thank you for sharing the knowledge! I am excited and look forward to trying the different blades and soaps/creams as my technique improves

 

[Macduff]

@sailor18 First off excellent choices on the blade sampler! I’ve used the majority of those on the list and you’ve got a VERY good selection to choose from. Regarding audible feedback, it’s really angle dependent. With more time using a DE, you’ll find the angles at which it’s most pronounced. That said, all razors vary in the amount of feedback you’ll hear so i wouldn’t use it as a measuring stick. The best way to know if you’ve got the right angle is the result. You’ll come to know how much hair should be reduced by each pass and what angle “feels” right. It’s mostly just getting used to it. Personally the only use i have for audible feedback is on my final “pickups” pass where it’s tough to feel any stubble and you’re not actually sure if the blade is catching any more hair. Just keep shaving and you’ll find it all becomes very much second nature.

 

[sailor18]

@sailor18 First off excellent choices on the blade sampler! I’ve used the majority of those on the list and you’ve got a VERY good selection to choose from. Regarding audible feedback, it’s really angle dependent. With more time using a DE, you’ll find the angles at which it’s most pronounced. That said, all razors vary in the amount of feedback you’ll hear so i wouldn’t use it as a measuring stick. The best way to know if you’ve got the right angle is the result. You’ll come to know how much hair should be reduced by each pass and what angle “feels” right. It’s mostly just getting used to it. Personally the only use i have for audible feedback is on my final “pickups” pass where it’s tough to feel any stubble and you’re not actually sure if the blade is catching any more hair. Just keep shaving and you’ll find it all becomes very much second nature.

Thank you! Yes, It was rather obvious that I did not get the angle correct from the start. Since the hair on my neck grows "upwards" I have to hold the razor upside down (so that the razor head is pointing down) and do strokes upwards in order to go with the grain. Found this to be a bit tricky, I assume it feels a bit more natural (and easier to get the technique right) if you shave downwards as one would do with the sideburns for example. However, the only part I do want to shave is my neck so I have to practice, practice, practice!

 

[lancre]

Thank you! Yes, It was rather obvious that I did not get the angle correct from the start. Since the hair on my neck grows "upwards" I have to hold the razor upside down (so that the razor head is pointing down) and do strokes upwards in order to go with the grain. Found this to be a bit tricky, I assume it feels a bit more natural (and easier to get the technique right) if you shave downwards as one would do with the sideburns for example. However, the only part I do want to shave is my neck so I have to practice, practice, practice!

The more you practice, the more natural the motion will feel. Keep at it.