Hello everyone! Well I am still a newbie to the world of the DE razor. I am shaving with a Merkur 38C and have purchased the extended razor sampler from West Coast Shaving as my first razor purchase. I started with the Merkur blade pack and was wondering how long does it take to get enough understanding of how a blade type performs? Also, by what categories does one judge a blade, I've heard smoothness and sharpness? I am starting a blade journal for this sampler pack so hopefully in about 6 months to a year I am able to make a judgement on which couple or few blade types to buy.
How to rate a blade?
- Thread starter Little Blade
- Start date
In my opinion, blade rating is the most subjective process of all equipment rating, because there is nothing to really go on but feel. You can't look at it or smell it, alter its performance with more or less water, or weigh it or balance it in your hand. It's all about how the blade interacts with your face and that is totally individual, although there do seem to be a few blades that are highly regarded across the board.
I keep a notebook and my procedure is the following:
Try one blade each in my two razors (Tech and HD) and note any differences.
Does the blade feel smooth? Does it require excellent lather in order to glide?
Does it feel scrapy or sound loud as it cuts?
Does it skip or tug?
Does it irritate?
How sharp does it seem to be--how much reduction does it do per pass?
After I use a blade in both razors I move onto another brand. If a blade sucks I won't return to it. If it seems decent, I will put it back in rotation and do the same procedure above for a second evaluation. I keep my prep the same (hot shower, hot towel, and pre-shave oil), but rotate brushes and creams. If there's any question about my lather quality affecting the shave, I go back to my standby of Trumper Coconut and whip up a perfect lather to eliminate that variable.
Good luck and have fun!
I keep a notebook and my procedure is the following:
Try one blade each in my two razors (Tech and HD) and note any differences.
Does the blade feel smooth? Does it require excellent lather in order to glide?
Does it feel scrapy or sound loud as it cuts?
Does it skip or tug?
Does it irritate?
How sharp does it seem to be--how much reduction does it do per pass?
After I use a blade in both razors I move onto another brand. If a blade sucks I won't return to it. If it seems decent, I will put it back in rotation and do the same procedure above for a second evaluation. I keep my prep the same (hot shower, hot towel, and pre-shave oil), but rotate brushes and creams. If there's any question about my lather quality affecting the shave, I go back to my standby of Trumper Coconut and whip up a perfect lather to eliminate that variable.
Good luck and have fun!
G
gone down south
Don't overthink it. Shave with the same blade for about a month so that you get a good baseline level of skill. After that, just pay attention to how you feel during and after the shave with each brand, and come back to any you liked after a few weeks using another one. Sooner or later the favorites will emerge by themselves.
Does it cut without tugging?
Do you get immediate hair reduction, or have to go over and over the same spot?
Does it skip?
Do you get random nicks that you can't attribute to pilot error?
Do you get irritation during or after?
Is it uncomfortable?
Try different blades while keeping all other variables...constant - you should start to get some resolution to what at first seem pretty vague as far as rating them. I keep a journal organized by brand/model. I also use each blade for exactly 4 shaves, long enough to get a feel, get used to it, smooth any minor variations in, e.g., lather quality yet not so long that blade wear becomes an issue.
Do you get immediate hair reduction, or have to go over and over the same spot?
Does it skip?
Do you get random nicks that you can't attribute to pilot error?
Do you get irritation during or after?
Is it uncomfortable?
Try different blades while keeping all other variables...constant - you should start to get some resolution to what at first seem pretty vague as far as rating them. I keep a journal organized by brand/model. I also use each blade for exactly 4 shaves, long enough to get a feel, get used to it, smooth any minor variations in, e.g., lather quality yet not so long that blade wear becomes an issue.
This is a very personal subject as it varies from one to the other. It all depends on how comfortable you think the shave is with the blade. A blade might be good in a razor and bad in another. Further, with your technique improving, a blade will also improve.
You might get a few bad blades in a batch or the blades are just bad for you. I would say try 5 blades and you will know if they are good or not!
You might get a few bad blades in a batch or the blades are just bad for you. I would say try 5 blades and you will know if they are good or not!
YMMV 
Anything important has already been said.
Anything important has already been said.
G
gone down south
I've written blades off after less than one shave. Not particularly fair to that blade, I guess, but I have a setup that works quite well and any new blade I would consider can't just be good, it has to immediately excel.
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