Ever since my first (and only) post, I've been searching for that white whale, that blade that makes a BBS shave effortless.
I haven't found it yet, but I've gotten damn closer.
Meet the JiFULI DE blade from Aliexpress.
I bought a 50-pack for the princely sum of $0.50, or $0.02 a blade. Granted, this was on Aliexpress' infamous 11/11 sale, but their current price of $5 is certainly nothing for a cheapskate like me to sniff at!
As a background, my beard is rather coarse, but straight. I don't shave unless I'm going out, or my beard hits the 4-day mark where it's scratchy and uncomfortable.
As you could guess, sharper blades tend to fare better, but I do get irritated quite easily. Astra SP has always been go-to, with a little tug, while I've also made heavy use of Bic Platinums and the range of Gillette blades you'd expect.
I loaded this up with a MUHLE R89, and sweet baby Jesus am I astounded!
I'm maybe 8 blades in so far, and the QC has been great. Each blade feels identical, and they all perform as I've grown to expect. Normally I wouldn't mention this, but with these being sold on Aliexpress, I'm sure some would question their consistency.
To start, these blades have a weird feel. They bite W/XTG, but they certainly do not tug. ATG is somehow as smooth as butter. Besides the aforementioned "bite", I have absolutely ZERO irritation. I still apply aftershave, but I wouldn't complain if I'd somehow forgotten that step.
I should also mention these blades are surprisingly long-lasting. My current blade is on its sixth shave, and still going strong. If anything, it's gotten smoother, with that bite disappearing almost entirely.
I'm starting to sound like a mouthpiece for these guys, so I'll leave it here, but I'd absolutely urge you to give these blades a try. They're cheap, sharp but smooth, and long-lasting. What more could I want?
I haven't found it yet, but I've gotten damn closer.
Meet the JiFULI DE blade from Aliexpress.
I bought a 50-pack for the princely sum of $0.50, or $0.02 a blade. Granted, this was on Aliexpress' infamous 11/11 sale, but their current price of $5 is certainly nothing for a cheapskate like me to sniff at!
As a background, my beard is rather coarse, but straight. I don't shave unless I'm going out, or my beard hits the 4-day mark where it's scratchy and uncomfortable.
As you could guess, sharper blades tend to fare better, but I do get irritated quite easily. Astra SP has always been go-to, with a little tug, while I've also made heavy use of Bic Platinums and the range of Gillette blades you'd expect.
I loaded this up with a MUHLE R89, and sweet baby Jesus am I astounded!
I'm maybe 8 blades in so far, and the QC has been great. Each blade feels identical, and they all perform as I've grown to expect. Normally I wouldn't mention this, but with these being sold on Aliexpress, I'm sure some would question their consistency.
To start, these blades have a weird feel. They bite W/XTG, but they certainly do not tug. ATG is somehow as smooth as butter. Besides the aforementioned "bite", I have absolutely ZERO irritation. I still apply aftershave, but I wouldn't complain if I'd somehow forgotten that step.
I should also mention these blades are surprisingly long-lasting. My current blade is on its sixth shave, and still going strong. If anything, it's gotten smoother, with that bite disappearing almost entirely.
I'm starting to sound like a mouthpiece for these guys, so I'll leave it here, but I'd absolutely urge you to give these blades a try. They're cheap, sharp but smooth, and long-lasting. What more could I want?