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Mildest Blade?

Hannah's Dad

I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
What is the mildest (irritation-free) razor blade you have ever used.
Thanks.
I disagree that a mild blade necessarily reduces irritation.

1. Mild blade = more passes + buffing;
2. More passes + buffing = greater chance of irritation; therefore,
3. Mild blade = greater chance of irritation

That said, if you’re looking for a “less aggressive/less sharp” blade, the Personna Reds (Israeli) fall in that category.
 
What is the mildest (irritation-free) razor blade you have ever used.
Thanks.
I disagree that a mild blade necessarily reduces irritation.
I agree that a mild blade does not necessarily mean an irritation-free shaving experience; that comes from a multitude of factors (razor, prep, technique, etc.) And while blade selection is important, it's certainly not the only factor that needs to be considered. All that being said, I get my best results using moderately sharp blades such as the Personna Crystal and the Astra Superior Stainless.
 
I disagree that a mild blade necessarily reduces irritation.

1. Mild blade = more passes + buffing;
2. More passes + buffing = greater chance of irritation; therefore,
3. Mild blade = greater chance of irritation

That said, if you’re looking for a “less aggressive/less sharp” blade, the Personna Reds (Israeli) fall in that category.
I guess I’m more interested in the “least irritation” part more than the “least sharp” part.
So if the sharpest blade=least irritating blade then so be it!👍🏻
 
I guess I’m more interested in the “least irritation” part more than the “least sharp” part.
So if the sharpest blade=least irritating blade then so be it!👍🏻

For me, the sharpest blade in an aggressive razor has the least margin of error and the greatest chance of weepers, nicks, and cuts. Like @Hannah's Dad , the other end of the spectrum is also risky in my experience - the more time/effort I spend during one shave, the more irritation I will encounter. My best choice of sharp/smooth lies somewhere in the middle, and the middle is some pretty wide open territory. Your experience will almost certainly vary from mine or anyone else's, but @Danuhoh has a great suggestion for a starting point - Astra Superior Platinum. If these are too sharp, there are lots of smooth options. If you are needing too many passes to get an acceptable shave, then there are sharper options.

In addition, your razor will greatly affect your choice of blades. The rule of thumb suggested by many on B&B is to pair a mild blade with an aggressive razor, and an aggressive blade with a mild razor.
 
For me, the sharpest blade in an aggressive razor has the least margin of error and the greatest chance of weepers, nicks, and cuts. Like @Hannah's Dad , the other end of the spectrum is also risky in my experience - the more time/effort I spend during one shave, the more irritation I will encounter. My best choice of sharp/smooth lies somewhere in the middle, and the middle is some pretty wide open territory. Your experience will almost certainly vary from mine or anyone else's, but @Danuhoh has a great suggestion for a starting point - Astra Superior Platinum. If these are too sharp, there are lots of smooth options. If you are needing too many passes to get an acceptable shave, then there are sharper options.

In addition, your razor will greatly affect your choice of blades. The rule of thumb suggested by many on B&B is to pair a mild blade with an aggressive razor, and an aggressive blade with a mild razor.
I think the aggressive blade & mild razor works marginally, but once the shaves learns a good solid technique a more aggressive razor paired with that aggressive blade will result in the best shave with the fewest passes and no irritation. I pair my Feather blades with a Rockwell 6S using plate 4 or plate 5. Not the most aggressive razor available, but also not what I would call a mild razor. You can still cut yourself with this combination if you don’t have good technique. I can’t recall the last time I had to use a styptic or alum block, and I’m not the best shaver in this group by a far piece.
 
I just found my favorite combo...a Rockwell 6C (3) + Personna Med Prep blade!
You guys were right...Sharp and smooth are not mutually exclusive categories! :thumbup:
Thank you!
 
QUOTE="Hak.1963, post: 11201590, member: 125328"]
Right now I have to say Derby Extra in my Parker Semi-Slant or in my British Gillette Flare Tip.
So smooth and mild, and no irritation what so ever 🥰
[/QUOTE]
Really? I have British Aristocrat Jr. I need to try it with a Derby!
 
Kent of Inglewood - These are their own branded blades. I don’t know who makes them For Kent, but they are exactly as advertised.

524B31D9-E313-4023-A95E-5679E79F0436.jpeg

“We’ve carefully selected and tested these from dozens of others to be perfect for sensitive skin. Most folks struggle with some form of irritation while shaving, and these are guaranteed by us to keep your skin happy shave after shave. Despite their mild edge, they are great for fine and coarse hair-types alike and work perfectly with any double-edged safety razor.”
 
once the shaves learns a good solid technique a more aggressive razor paired with that aggressive blade will result in the best shave with the fewest passes and no irritation

This is interesting and true YMMV territory...

I couldn't possibly argue against the idea that better technique leads to better shaves and therefore less irritation.

I would, however, suggest that that's as far as we need to take it.

For me, a better technique leads to better results fullstop - in my case, as with many others I'm sure, better technique allowed me to indulge my adventurous side with more aggressive razors... Once that got old, and not before having learned a few more lessons, a return to milder designs improved my comfort without any loss in quality of results.

As before, of course mileage may vary, but there's definitely a pervasive attitude amongst many (present company excluded I'm sure!) that mild is for beginners and therefore not for the experienced... I would suggest that this is not quite backwards, but certainly a misguided view.

At this point I can use mild and aggressive - as a general rule though, it's usually the milder razors that get the lion's share of the work... As always, YMMV!
 
It really depends what causes the irritation...

It can be inferior results leading to more passes and/or too much buffing (this may be caused by poor technique, it isn't necessarily but probably is more often than most of us would dare to admit or allege!!)

It can be too aggressive a setup (razor+blade) combined with poor technique.

It can be poor prep.

It can be minor allergies to products we use - anything from allergies to animal hair (ie: move to synthetic brushes), to ingredients in our soaps/balms/colognes, to the costings on the blades themselves.


In most cases, technique is likely a not insignificant factor - whether that's in the prep or in the act of shaving itself.


Whilst it doesn't hurt to try new things (brushes, soaps, blades) I would tend to assume it's not these things initially - too much switching can cause an information overload and excessive focus on materials instead of on technique.
 
Kent of Inglewood - These are their own branded blades. I don’t know who makes them For Kent, but they are exactly as advertised.

View attachment 1246036
“We’ve carefully selected and tested these from dozens of others to be perfect for sensitive skin. Most folks struggle with some form of irritation while shaving, and these are guaranteed by us to keep your skin happy shave after shave. Despite their mild edge, they are great for fine and coarse hair-types alike and work perfectly with any double-edged safety razor.”
Never heard of them! Thanks for the info!
 
I get the least irritation from a fresh Feather blade. As long as your technique is on point and the razor holds the blade rigidly, these do a great job. No tugging, no resistance just a great result.
 
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