Journey to 100 blades (journal)

[Abz88]

After a recent blade tuck buying spree I've decided to attempt to try 100 different blades. I'll keep track of them all on my spreadsheet but figured it was worth sharing my thoughts on various well known, (hopefully) hidden gems and likely a few duds along the way!

So far I've only tried the 14 below but I have another 74 blades on deck.

I'll update the journal as and when I'm trying a new blade, ideally for a weeks worth of shaving unless the blade just doesn't work for me.

The only other point to note is that "different" blades will include blades suspected as the same but repackaged (Med Prep/Lab Blue, BIC Chrome/Astor etc).

 

[hangblague]

What do you like so far?

 

[Abz88]

Blade 15: BIC Astor Stainless

I used my current favourite BIC Chrome Platinum last week so figured this week I should give the Astor a try. It felt the same on shave 1 as the BIC Chrome Platinum did on shave 1. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the week goes, but I have a feeling I will be in the "they're the same blade in different packaging" camp.

 

[Abz88]

What do you like so far?

So far my top blades have been BIC Chrome Platinum, Personna Platinum Chromes, Vikings Swords and King C Blades. Closely followed by 7 O'Clock Yellows and Polsilvers (just not quite sharp enough in my milder razors). I just got a FaTip Gentil/Piccolo though, so the milder blades might come into their own in that.

 

[Abz88]

Second shave with an Astor blade and again it felt exactly like a BIC Chrome Platinum.

 

[Abz88]

Third shave with the Astor blade and I'm convinced its the same as the BIC Chrome Platinum as it hit its "sweet spot" in terms of peek sharpness and smoothness exactly like the Chrome Platinum did last week. I'll try them both at the same time next week, but I doubt it will change my mind on this.

 

[Abz88]

Fourth and final shave with a BIC Astor. My standard single pass Sunday shave and it felt identical to last weeks single pass with a BIC Chrome Platinum.

 

[Abz88]

Blade 16: Super Shave X Platinum

Made in China by Mers Razor Works (their only DE blade)

I had a tuck of these thrown in for free on a Connaught order a while ago and never got around to trying them on the basis they aren't meant to be the sharpest of blades. Now that I have my more aggressive/efficient FaTip in my den I figured it was time to break one of these out.

First shave was really nice, it's a very smooth blade to the point that in the Gentile head it often felt like there was no blade contact despite it provide a nice close shave. It also only has the faintest of glue spots on one side of the blade (I only noticed them when looking at the blade as it didn't stick to the wrapper) which mean it's easy to maneuver into the correct blade alignment position on the FaTip.

 

[Abz88]

Second shave with the Super Shave X Platinum and again it felt very smooth but the shave wasn't as close a shave as the first shave I had with it. I'm thinking either it's starting to lose its sharpness or it's just not sharp enough for two days growth vs the one days growth on Monday.

 

[Abz88]

Third shave with a Super Shave-X, it again felt very smooth but it's definitely lost its sharpness, one final shave to go with this one and then I doubt I'll be using it again unless its with a more aggressive razor.

 

[Abz88]

Fourth and final shave with the Super Shave-X, it still feels very smooth but definitely lacking in sharpness now for this razor.

 

[Abz88]

No new blade this week, using an Israeli Red this week and then next week I'll try the new German version of the blade (I'll be referring to it as a German Gold) to compare them.

 

[Abz88]

Blade 17: Personna Platinum (DE)

Trying out the German version of one of my favourite blades (the Israeli Red) this week. I decided to use the same razor, soaps/creams and brush that I shaved with last week while using the Israeli Red so that I could compare the two.

First shave felt the same as last weeks first shave. Its sharp and smooth, although in the lighter tech it didn't quite cut as smoothly/closely as it likely would in a heavier razor. After the first shave, it feels like this blade is identical to the Israeli version it replaced.

 

[Ligeti]

Blade 17: Personna Platinum (DE)

Trying out the German version of one of my favourite blades (the Israeli Red) this week.

I read about the 'red personna' several times on B&B, thinking 'my packaging is blue all over, so they must be talking about different blades'.
Now from your pictures (the one above and the one on your first post), it looks like 'red' reffers to the colour of the word 'Personna'? If that's correct, I was using the 'red personna' without knowing it (my packaging looks exactly like the one in your first picture)

 

[Abz88]

I read about the 'red personna' several times on B&B, thinking 'my packaging is blue all over, so they must be talking about different blades'.
Now from your pictures (the one above and the one on your first post), it looks like 'red' reffers to the colour of the word 'Personna'? If that's correct, I was using the 'red personna' without knowing it (my packaging looks exactly like the one in your first picture)

Yes, that's correct. The blue packaging with the red writing is the Israeli Red/Red Personna packaged for the UK markets. The all red packaging you also see is the Israeli Red/Red Personna packaged for the US markets but they are identical blades. The one with the Gold writing on the packaging I used today is the new version of this blade now that they have moved operations to Germany.

 

[Abz88]

Second shave with the German Personna Platinum, it felt identical to shave 2 with it's Israeli brother last week.

 

[Abz88]

Third shave with the German Personna Platinum and it felt identical to shave 3 with it's Israeli brother last week.

 

[Abz88]

Just realised I forgot to post about shave four with the German Personna Platinum, yet again, it felt identical to shave 4 with the Israeli version!

I've been revisiting previously tried blades in other razors and trying out soap samples so sticking with known combinations, but next week I plan on trying out a Gillette Platinum (light blue packaging) and comparing it with the King C blade I am using this week.

 

[Abz88]

Blase 18: Gillette Platinum (Light Blue)

Trying out a Gillette Platinum this week to see how it compares to a King C blade I used in this razor last week. First shave in and it doesn't quite feel as sharp as the King C did but I did have an extra days growth than usual today which could explain it. Its still a mid-sharp blade and nice ans smooth. I ended up with a touch of post-shave irritation today as well which I didn't get after shave 1 on a King C.

 

[Abz88]

Yesterday's post-shave irritation disappeared by the evening and my skin is feeling good today so I'll give the Platinum the benefit of doubt that it was just lingering irritation from a previous shave coupled with an additional days growth.