My first blades I have used so far...

[Smoothshave]

Let me first show a picture of how heavy my beard is:

I have tried the Lord Super Chromes which were horrible.

Today I used two different blades, half of my face with another blade, these two:

The Personnas are made in Israel and the Gillettes in Shanghai as you all know.

How these two were? No difference with the Lords. Terrible, I had two directions: WTG and XTG. Especially the XTG was horrible, it pulled my skin like crazy. ATG was totally not possible, it sticked and I had to use a lot of force to shave it ATG.
I lathered with Proraso and let it wait for 5 minutes.

I even had 4 nicks.

Maybe I am expecting too much from a DE razor blade? I always hoped it would glide on the face like ice skates without pulling the hair. I had the impression that these blades were blunt.
Maybe I should try a lawn mower next time!
So these two brands are going in the bin just like the Lords. Does anyone have suggestions on which brand is suitable for me?

 

[ateace]

Sorry to hear that.

My suggestion is first to try the blades that get favorable mention. Feathers have the reputation of being the sharpest blade currently avaiable.You may need to try Iridium Supers. The general consensus is that they are a very sharp blade and smooth. Gillette 7 O' Clocks may work, especially the Yellow pack and the green pack made in India (not Russia). Israeli Personnas/Crystals and Derby are also worth trying.

Good luck - Keep us posted.

 

[Rutgers Football]

I think i have a coarse beard, and i think those super thins are very nice -- smooth and sharp enough. definitely sharper than Derby.

for reference, i think red IPs are awful -- not sharp enough.

i like feathers, astra superiors, gilette permasharp, etc. Derby's are fine for me in very aggressive razors.

 

[TheBigL]

I also have a heavy beard, but I find I can use about any blade with the proper amount of prep.

I would experiment more with the blade angle and non-pressure with one brand of blade.

 

[Millay]

I also have a heavy beard and find Feathers do exactly what you want, they glide across my skin with no tugging or skipping..

I wonder if your technique perhaps needs work.. I find my technique is still changing daily and its getting better and better, do you shower before the shave? or get a hot wet towel and stick that on your face for two minutes to soften the beard?

Also leathign the lather on for 5 minutes might be a bit of a problem, after that amount of time i imagine it is drying out thus making it a lot less smooth for the shave.

Just a few ideas from someone with only a little experience.

 

[bonusmarple]

I have not used the Gillettes, but Lord and the RPIPs are decent, but not great, blades.

I would suggest trying a Gillette 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge, Feather, and Shark, in that order.

www.westcoastshaving.com
www.melyus.com

 

[Luc]

+1 on trying other blades.

Feather would be a good starter point. Astra Superior platinum or Derby would also be good. I didn't have any great success with Gillette 7 o'clock. They were good but not enough to become part of my rotation. However, I would recommend trying them.

 

[CarlosAT]

Just goes to show how YMMV. I also have a thick beard. The Astras and Derbys were just not sharp enough for me. I haven;t tried Feathers yet because I want to further my technique first, but I have some Sharks that I got from member "melyus" that I absolutely love.

If you're in the US, I'll gladly send you a Shark blade to try before committing to a bulk order. If you're in the US, PM me your details.

Good luck.

 

[Smoothshave]

Just goes to show how YMMV. I also have a thick beard. The Astras and Derbys were just not sharp enough for me. I haven;t tried Feathers yet because I want to further my technique first, but I have some Sharks that I got from member "melyus" that I absolutely love.

If you're in the US, I'll gladly send you a Shark blade to try before committing to a bulk order. If you're in the US, PM me your details.

Good luck.

What a pitty, I live in that small trans-atlantic country called: the Netherlands.....

 

[CarlosAT]

What a pitty, I live in that small trans-atlantic country called: the Netherlands.....

You know what, it will cost me about a dollar to send you a blade in an envelope. I think I can manage that. I don't know how long it will take to get there, but if you want me to send you one, you can PM me your details.

 

[Smoothshave]

You know what, it will cost me about a dollar to send you a blade in an envelope. I think I can manage that. I don't know how long it will take to get there, but if you want me to send you one, you can PM me your details.

Very kind of you. I have sent you my address. If you need any blades, I can send them to you.

 

[Smoothshave]

I have tried the Personnas and Gillettes again (same blades) and it was even more dramatic than the first shave. The Personnas second shave with that blade was so worse that I had to stop shaving on my first pass and change it to the Gillette. The Gillette was better on the second shave than the Personnas but still jerking, pulling.
The Lord's were the opposite, the second Lord was better than the first.
Redness, lots of nicks....terrible...
I have had it.....tuesday I am going to a store where Feathers are available. I will buy that and try it.

Before lathering I have put some oil on my skin....no effect...