My Sampler Pack Just Arrived. Need Help with Queuing Them Up

[CartridgesAreADrag]

My extended sampler pack just arrived from WCS, and I've been trying to find resources that identify the relative sharpness of each of the blades.


Based on reviews I kluged together a relative sharpness scale of 1 -5 (I personally have only shaved with Astra SP's thus far)

5.0 - Feather New Hi-Stainless Platinum
4.0 - Astra Superior Platinum
4.0 - BIC Chrome Platinum
3.5 - Red Pack Israeli
3.5 - Crystal or "Israeli"
3.0 - Merkur Super Platinum
3.0 - Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdge
2.0 - DORCO Platinum ST-300
2.0 - Derby Extra

Does this seem like a fair assessment of their relative sharpness? If so, I'll be using them from Derby through Feather and report back with findings (from a noob perspective). My eventual hope would be to come up with a table that could be given to new shavers to help give direction as to what blades they should gear towards first based on their hair density/thickness/skin sensitivities.

If anyone knows of a guide that exists similar to this, please let me know.

Thanks,
-Cart

 

[lowjax]

I think you have pretty good order there. I'd do the same if I was you. Work from the bottom up. Out of that list, I like the Feathers, Astras, Personnas, and Crystals the best. Derby, Dorco, and Merkur are my least favorite.

 

[Mick]

You will find that some razors like certain blades more than others regardless of what you think is sharp or not.

My suggestion is burn through each pack in its entirety (use all of the blades in a pack in a row). Keep notes so that in a month you can go back and recall what a blade you used a couple of months ago was like

 

[xxvaleria]

There are so many variables in shaving that it is difficult, if not impossible, to come up with an absolute ranking. The razor, the blade, the skin and beard, the prep and lather, and the subjectivity of the shaver. In addition, there are other considerations besides sharpness such as perceived smoothness and blade life. Good luck on your project, but I'm afraid that in the end, the ranking will only be relevant to you.

 

[jeff91605]

IMHO I would move up the 7 o'clocks up with the BIC, but I haven't tried the Israeli blades

 

[Mr Moustache]

Seems that someone is well on their way to getting a shave journal started. Do people do that here? I do this with my pipe tobacco and it is a great way to keep track of likes and dislikes.

 

[aihpcfl]

You will find that some razors like certain blades more than others regardless of what you think is sharp or not.

My suggestion is burn through each pack in its entirety (use all of the blades in a pack in a row). Keep notes so that in a month you can go back and recall what a blade you used a couple of months ago was like

+1

I would also just close my eyes and pick a pack. Blades are so much an individual thing that you need to find out for yourself what is better than what.

On the other hand you could try what by conventional wisdom is the best, and then what is the worst, and so on. That is sort of what I have done. But use a pack of blades up before you open another. You may find as I did that no blade is perfect and you tend to get used to whatever you are using. Or maybe not.

 

[ailevin]

You might find this thread about blind blade tests interesting. I was surprised that it was so difficult for an experienced shaver to tell the difference between brands of blades. I obsessed about sequencing my sampler, and my early experiences seemed to say there were big differences between the different blades. However, now six months later, I think it was more like there were big differences from one shave to the next, and I mostly blamed the blade or the soap/cream.

There are definitely noticeable differences in how different brands cut and even the sound they make, so I do not want to discount important differences and preferences. Yet, I like the advice above to use up one brand of the sampler at a time, unless you really have a bad experience with it. In fact, if you have a bad experience, toss the blade and try another of the same brand, and if you dislike the second blade, put the pack in the reject column. I would think about blades early on as more forgiving or less forgiving. In fact, if you find a blade that seems to be working well, I would suggest sticking with that blade for a couple months so you are dealing with fewer variables while practicing your technique.

I started with Israeli Personna Reds because I was a Mantic59 fanboy after watching his videos (bought the Progress razor too). After going through a ten pack I cycled through Crystal, Personna Lab Blue, the "dreaded" Feather, and lately Astra SP. I was impressed enough with the Astra and they were cheap enough that I decided to buy 100 on Amazon. Subjectively there seem to be two dimensions: sharp/dull and smooth/rough, though they probably are not really so separable. I find the Lab Blue and Feather to be sharper but rougher than the Astra, and I find the Astra to be sharper and smoother than the IP Red. I suspect that smoother correlates with more forgiving.

 

[alex2363]

Great solid advise all around here. I hope you take some of the suggested orders. Dont forget YMMV.

 

[jovan]

From the blades I have tried I would say you did a fantastic job of rating the blades. Enjoy.

 

[CartridgesAreADrag]

Thanks for all the positive responses.

Anyone know of any blades that would go in the 1.0 slot? I mean not scrape your face off dull, but a serviceable blade that is more smoothness than hair shredder?

 

[aihpcfl]

There is just not that much difference between the "worst" blade and the "best" blade. Take it with a fair share of skepticism when a guy says a blade shredded his face. It's true that there are differences between blades, but truly, you can just as well close your eyes and pick one. Otherwise, start with the Astra blade.

 

[djh]

Blades (like almost everything else in this shaving caper) are very much YMMV. Feathers, however, are almost universally believed to be sharp. Probably best to leave them for a while until you gain some experience. As far as the others go, you could probably draw a package out of a hat and have no problems.

Welcome to Badger and Blade.

 

[mfgorilla]

I tried to queue up my sampler pack like that too. Didn't make it halfway through before I gave up on doing it that way. After finding my own experience being different enough from the "consensus" I just kind of started picking the next pack at random.
Keeping notes is a good idea. But instead of burning through the whole sample leave one or two so you can get a more direct comparison later.

 

[ailevin]

Just for fun, I returned to my sampler and tried a Derby blade yesterday--never used one before. Seemed to be a little more tug on first pass, but shave was very comfortable.

 

[ailevin]

This afternoon, I used the Merkur blade that came with my Progress--never used one before. Less tug than Derby, but not as clean a cut as Astra, Lab Blue, or Feather. Again shave was very comfortable; very slight sting on part of neck with Alum, but I think I got a little too aggressive with angle ATG, so I don't fault the blade.

 

[CartridgesAreADrag]

Tomorrow I start my journey with the derbys. I finally burnt through the last days shave with my 5 pack of astras.

 

[CartridgesAreADrag]

Just for fun, I returned to my sampler and tried a Derby blade yesterday--never used one before. Seemed to be a little more tug on first pass, but shave was very comfortable.

I tried the Derby this morning. I have to say that it was a very comfortable shave as well, something similar to a day 2 shave with an Astra. However, the sensory experience wasn't the greatest, I really like to hear the Velcro rip that the Astra produces when cutting through the hairs.

 

[KipNoxzema]

Read the reviews and form an opinion, keeping in mind you may get a bum pack now and then.

 

[ailevin]

Broke out an Israeli Personna Red yesterday for the first time in many months. Seemed to cut more effortlessly than Derby or Merkur, but not as smooth as Astra.

Merry Christmas,

Alan

P.S. Still waiting for kids to come over so we can unwrap presents and see if Santa brought me that Merkur Slant!