Newbie Blade talk

[BabyBudaNedly]

Good morning, Gents! Today is one of those opinionated days. I just want to kick the can down the road a bit.

I am a 55-year-old Newbie. In the 6 weeks I have been down this rabbit hole I have loved this discussion and this forum.

I have also made a few rookie mistakes. Became impatient with a purchase and got another razor. I now have all the Henson's aggressive wise and the Merkur 42c. (3-piece octagon handle) Regretting the Henson +++. All this in 6 week's time! One thing I know for sure is that I love Poraso products!

As I read about blades, I have come to the conclusion it is about pairing the blade with the razor. With your face type. Mine being Italian/Polish course Black/Grey hair. somewhat sensitive skin.

Here are my thoughts this Sunday morning.

• The most useful advice and comments I have seen are the ones that come from people who also describe their own face type. Your milage may very (YMMV) is so true but, We can be narrow down our choices of blades & sample packs with this type of information.
• When I go to a liquor store for wine. Somewhere is a description on many wines and a card with what it can be paired with. You would think that the manufacturers of these blades during this internet era would mention the description of their blades with suggestions. Or include a sheet of paper to the distributers. Ie; our blade would pair well with a mild to moderate razor.
• Why doesn't a powerhouse like Gillette even mention the blades on their web site? Sure, the attention they have is on cartridge razors but, they make so many DE Blades and make money why not mention?
• A part of me thinks that we have an executive somewhere laughing at our comments on Blade ABC and knows that ABC are all the same blade with different packaging.
• I went down this rabbit Hole because of Henson. I like the company. However, a part of me thinks I should have started with the Rockwell 6C in Gunmetal. You have different plates, and the end result would have been a cost savings. Which is why I went down this path. To save money on blades.
• Gillette Silver Blues do not Work for me. Only decent in the Merkur. What does that say about my face? Burn and 4 passes on 3 days stubble.
• Next on my list is the Gillette Platinum in the Henson ++. Then working my through the others.
• With all that being said. I must say...... This is all kinda of fun...... Good clean Innocent fun.

I look forward to the discussion and comments. Have a great day all!

 

[nemo]

A lot of it comes down to technique. I can use just about any blade in any of my razors. I'm not saying my technique is perfect or even great but the blade choice is not a huge thing for me. I don't think we can ask blade manufacturers or the distributors to accurately recommend pairings either, as you mention YMMV is real and these match ups are something the end user will or should find on his/her own.

It sounds like maybe you have a lot of different stuff you're trying out in a short period of time (6 weeks) and a lot of members recommend settling down to a specific set-up and stick with it a while and master it. I switch razors around a lot but when I was new to it in the early seventies I stuck with my trusty Krona and Schick blades. Prep, practice, patience.

My 2¢
Now go count the number of sides on that Merkur hex handle again.

 

[spacemonkey42]

There is no such card, because the pairings are completely varied, person by person. You'll find what works best for you. Add to that, your razor and blade preferences will likely change as your skill improves. It takes time and effort, but it is a fun part of this nutty hobby we share!

Have fun with it! Like Nemo, I'd suggest not changing so many variables so quickly. (Even though I did so myself! )

 

[Jay21]

My advice is to find a razor that works for you. That’s more important than an individual blade because the razor is the far more important aspect. The razor that works for you will handle a wide variety of blades.

On my face, the Henson simply doesn’t work. I can’t stand it. You seemed to indicate the Merkur does work for you, so stick to that and try different blades until you find the one you like the best.

 

[BigJ]

Good advice above!

My approach is to limit the variables. That makes it far easier to draw conclusions! At least for me.

 

[DesertIguana]

Reading, thinking, can not beat experminting with options. Just buy, try, and find Blade you like. Think Sampler Packs like Razor emporium selling, and other in Wet Shave I industry sell.

 

[blethenstrom]

Welcome to B&B! We are so glad you decided to join us here.

 

[dmshaver]

Welcome, glad you’ve joined!

 

[Gilf187]

I would hang on to anything that doesn't work now because I found over time anything works for me since my technique improved.

 

[WhiskerLess]

Welcome to B&B!

I am a newbie too, just joined and started DE shaving 2 weeks ago.
I almost bought Henson too, their marketing ads keeps popping on my feed.

However after some research, decided to go for Rockwell 6S instead.
Having 6 different plates could give me options which aggressiveness is suited to my liking.
Besides having its many good reviews of course.

 

[Dave himself]

Hi and welcome to B&B.

 

[BabyBudaNedly]

Welcome to B&B!

I am a newbie too, just joined and started DE shaving 2 weeks ago.
I almost bought Henson too, their marketing ads keeps popping on my feed.

However after some research, decided to go for Rockwell 6S instead.
Having 6 different plates could give me options which aggressiveness is suited to my liking.
Besides having its many good reviews of course.

Welcome and thank you!

 

[BabyBudaNedly]

A lot of it comes down to technique. I can use just about any blade in any of my razors. I'm not saying my technique is perfect or even great but the blade choice is not a huge thing for me. I don't think we can ask blade manufacturers or the distributors to accurately recommend pairings either, as you mention YMMV is real and these match ups are something the end user will or should find on his/her own.

It sounds like maybe you have a lot of different stuff you're trying out in a short period of time (6 weeks) and a lot of members recommend settling down to a specific set-up and stick with it a while and master it. I switch razors around a lot but when I was new to it in the early seventies I stuck with my trusty Krona and Schick blades. Prep, practice, patience.

My 2¢
Now go count the number of sides on that Merkur hex handle again.

Dam it 6 sides

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

BabyBudaNedly:

Welcome aboard the B & B (besides being enrolled in the fictional, sacred and utopian Order of Shavedom), so please feel free to come up to the promenade / sun deck & 'sit-a-spell'.

Sounds like your off to a great start and on your way to shaving nirvana and The Zen of Shaving, and yes,...this Forum has the knowledge, ideas, savoir faire, élan and all around 'know-how' to assist you in your Wet-Shaving experience. In a nut-shell...your 'gonna' love it here.

Many our Ladies & Gents experiences has been it's very wise to purchase a Razor Blade Sampler to see what blade would be a

good fit (mild, moderate & aggressive, ect...), for your person / face and razor(s).

Q. What other types of tools (razors, blades, soaps, aftershaves, colognes etc...), is in your 'kit'?

And please don't forget The 7 P's of Shaving...Prepare, Patience, Pressure, Practice, Persistence, Post shave and Passion.

Although, you may not be addicted yet (I think I'm holding up fairly well...with a few exceptions), because we all suffer (gladly and perhaps are doomed), from this shaving compulsion (and other Acquisition Disorders), because at times...
"Resistance is futile".

Lastly, please don't forget once you get time....to tell us a little about yourself in the Hall-of-Fame sub-forum.

"The essence of [shaving] pleasure is spontaneity". Germaine Greer

 

[Whisky]

You would think that the manufacturers of these blades during this internet era would mention the description of their blades with suggestions.

They probably don’t list things like that because the blades are mostly marketed to regions of the world where people have 1 razor and use whatever blades they can get/afford. I’m sure the percentage of DE users that own multiple razors is dwarfed by the percentage that only own one.

 

[Eric_75]

@BabyBudaNedly

Hello and welcome to B & B!

 

[NorthernSoul]

Try a number of different blades, you'll find a few brands that work well for you. As long as the blade is sharp enough and reasonably well-made, you can use it. This is not an exact science. Your razor and technique is probably more important in the end. Plus, you will find your technique improves with practice.

 

[musicman1951]

Welcome to B&B!

GSB blades don't work for me either, but I can tell you that we're in the small majority and it's a very popular blade. That's the way these things go. Unfortunately, the only way to find out which blade works best for you is to try a bunch.

The problem at the beginning of this journey is that you're technique has yet to settle in, so I would save the blade search for a couple of months or so down the road. I suggest you stick with your current favorite blade from the ones you've tried. If you change the blade and change the razor angle and then get a better shave you won't know which variable caused the improvement.

My first DE razor came with a pack of Derby blades that were so dull it felt like pulling the hairs out, so I didn't stick with those for the following months. But I think you've tried enough to select a reasonable choice for your Merkur. If you pull out that Henson 6 months from now and it's still a terrible fit you can sell it here and get something else.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I think I've commented or liked many of your posts already but this is the official "Welcome to the B&B community" post.

I started with an AC razor and there are only a handful of different AC blades on the market. It was easy for me to figure out which ones I liked initially... and now that I've been wet shaving for 2 years, I revisited them... and sure enough, my preference changed.

I posted that to say: When I decided to get into DE razors, I was totally overwhelmed by the blade options... I think there are well over 100 unique choices.. not duplicate offerings with different names for select countries. It was too much for me then and still is... I read a lot of DE threads and I copied a few favorites of the shave masters here. That worked well... and actually, continues to work as I got to know people who have the same whiskers, skin sensitivity, etc. with whom I have razors in common.... and the blades that work for them also work for me.

I'd check out the Henson thread... They are a great group of guys who are more than willing to share their experiences.

Henson Razor Club.

Has anyone tried or heard of this company? https://hensonshaving.com/

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[cranewarrior]

• A part of me thinks that we have an executive somewhere laughing at our comments on Blade ABC and knows that ABC are all the same blade with different packaging.

I've used 3 different Lord (of Egypt) blades in consecutive weeks and another one the prior month. Based on my shaves, I'm firmly convinced these blades are all sharpened with different angles and grinds, and there is variation as well in covering type and amount.

Lord Silver Star
Lord Racer
ASCO (Orange wrapper)
Shark Super Chrome

The first three all fall into the same "stainless" category, so they would be the prime candidates for being the same in different wrappers, but I think they vary quite a bit in feel and performance.