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Newbie experiences on a sample pack

I am not into DE but this review is great because I have a couple of friends that want me to start them off with DE shavers.


Thanks for the time and energy!
Richard
 
J

Jarmo P

I got locally Astra Superior Stainless blades here locally as a curiosity. 70 euro cents a 5 blade package. It is just one store that sells many gadgets that mainstay stores would not sell any, but I had to try since they were so cheap. The only other DE blades I have seen here in Finland are Gillette Platinums, but they are 5 euro/5blades, so a totally different thing.

But as a shave the Astra blade I tried was really good except. It was paper wrapped as most other blades except those swedes. But that paper wrapper blade thing in Astra had 4 gunk parts. The blade was really really sticky on those 4 points.
I have no solid knowledge from where they were made, but 2 countries that I think might me Russia or Czech. And being stainless they might be older blades. But I like the blade almost as much as a swede. The sicky stuff in the blades, I have 9 left, keeps me from using them though. Looked disgusting though no effect on the shave.

I have done my sample pack study (still almost 3 blades in most brands), but settled for Derbys that I have 100. They give me good shaves and I trust them.

Merkurs sucked.
I stupid ordered 100 Feathers since I first experienced effortless shaves from them in my 3 sample pack blades. Only I was a newbie then and did not know that what cuts whiskers so well can be also not really friendly on the rest of my face, lesson learned. But I find them too sharp and not friendly on my skin. They were not expensive though.

Dorco was maybe not sharp enough, but not sure. Crystals and Wilkinson Swords were ok I think, but I liked Derbys more.

I am still in the process of comparing gilllette Platinums and Derbys. For the cost Derbys are a winner by far. Both are good blades though.
 
I am not into DE but this review is great because I have a couple of friends that want me to start them off with DE shavers.


Thanks for the time and energy!
Richard

Thanks!

I got locally Astra Superior Stainless blades here locally as a curiosity. 70 euro cents a 5 blade package. It is just one store that sells many gadgets that mainstay stores would not sell any, but I had to try since they were so cheap. The only other DE blades I have seen here in Finland are Gillette Platinums, but they are 5 euro/5blades, so a totally different thing.

But as a shave the Astra blade I tried was really good except. It was paper wrapped as most other blades except those swedes. But that paper wrapper blade thing in Astra had 4 gunk parts. The blade was really really sticky on those 4 points.
I have no solid knowledge from where they were made, but 2 countries that I think might me Russia or Czech. And being stainless they might be older blades. But I like the blade almost as much as a swede. The sicky stuff in the blades, I have 9 left, keeps me from using them though. Looked disgusting though no effect on the shave.

I have done my sample pack study (still almost 3 blades in most brands), but settled for Derbys that I have 100. They give me good shaves and I trust them.

Merkurs sucked.
I stupid ordered 100 Feathers since I first experienced effortless shaves from them in my 3 sample pack blades. Only I was a newbie then and did not know that what cuts whiskers so well can be also not really friendly on the rest of my face, lesson learned. But I find them too sharp and not friendly on my skin. They were not expensive though.

Dorco was maybe not sharp enough, but not sure. Crystals and Wilkinson Swords were ok I think, but I liked Derbys more.

I am still in the process of comparing gilllette Platinums and Derbys. For the cost Derbys are a winner by far. Both are good blades though.

As to the origin of the Astra blades: Look here

You see, this kind of comparison to me is far more valuable than the one by one reviews in the review section. Thanks for your input!
I agree on the sticky bit, I am not sure why it is there. Maybe to make sure the paper wrapper sticks?

I am curious if you would like the lord (resembles wilkinson sword for obvious reasons) and the sharp blades.
 
J

Jarmo P

Keep up with the good work in testing. We like to hear from your experiences.

I made a spreadsheet and I still keep a track of my shaves there.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=32593

It was rudimentar, but now as I have 2 razors, a couple of soaps, a few creams I seldom use but do sometimes make "superlather" with soap+cream combination, 2 brushes, so it is more as a shave based than how many shaves I used before switching to another blade.

Keeps me just recording things.
 
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. So far I have only used Derbys and a USA Personna once or twice. I think I will be ordering a sample pack next month to try out various blades....
 
I made a spreadsheet and I still keep a track of my shaves there.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=32593]speadsheet
Keeps me just recording things.

Maybe I will put my findings in a similar soreadsheet at the end. For now, I try to describe my experiences as best I can, so people can use it to determine possible alternatives.

Thanks for sharing your experience with us. So far I have only used Derbys and a USA Personna once or twice. I think I will be ordering a sample pack next month to try out various blades....

I can recommend trying out a sample pack. It is surprising how much blades differ. And as tastes differ, there just might be ne in there you very much like.

I enjoy your reviews and methodology.
Thanks for taking the time

Glad you (and some others it seems) like it. That makes it worth my while.



755
 
Blade number 9 Wilkinson
One of the to be trusted blades according to the Suzuki list. Well, I am not thrilled. It seems that my skin is somewhat more irritated. I am not sure if I can blame the blade based on a weeks trial, but for me it is enough to disqualify it. I like the Derby's better.
The irritation aside, I do think that the Wilkinson feel stable, consistent, safe. It is hard to find the right word. Not dull, not sharp. Middle of the road maybe?
I do had the feeling that I needed to have an extra good lather. Why that is, I don't know, maybe the experienced DE shavers know what that is a symptom of.
As always, I renewed the blade after 4 days, but I do not think it was needed. One or two days extra should not have been a problem.
Cost... well Wilkinson blades are not cheap. 0,45 Euro per blade. Yet another reason not to make it my favourite.

Next up:
Personna USA



863
 
Blade number 10: Personna.

In the review section a different Personna blade is depicted that the one I tried.
The one I tried is in the wiki on blades listed as the Super Stainless Platinum USA.
proxy.php


I tried this blade longer than the other ones, alsmost 1,5 week. As I did not shave a couple of days, I thought the blade deserved at least a full week. I extended to get in routine again: Sat is "new blade day".

Did i like the Personna blade? Well the skin irritation I suffered with the Wilkinson were not there, so at least I like it better than the Wilkinson. Mind you I might blame the Wilkinson for something entirely my own doing.
I liked them better than the Merkur ans Rotbart, but that is easy. There was however a resembling drag. So they don't seem overly sharp. Not nearly as sharp as the sharps, or the Derby's.
They kind reminded me of the Astra.

Longevity? Not sure. As they did not feel very sharp to begin with, I find it hard to tell when they become really dull. I just replaces them after 3-4 shaves.

At 0,45 euro per blade they most certainly will not be my top pick.
But fun to have tried them.

Next up: Lord Platinum Class.



966
 
I have been away for some time, but not inactive as you can tell by my experiences below.

Blade number 11: Lord Platinum Class.

I also reviewed this one in the review section. Although not bad,I fail to see the difference with the normal stainless steel. Maybe I am not experienced enough to actually tell the difference, aybe it is just an Egyptian Marketing stunt.

Please read the review in the review section for my more detailed experiences.


Blade number 12: Sputnik

The name is very appropriate. Lots of small nicks. Maybe because it is sharp, maybe just aggressive, I am not sure what the difference is.

I tried one blade for just a day, binned it thinking it must be a bad egg. But number two was maybe even worse. I quickly changed it for the next blade.

Maybe i will revisit this one when i am more experiences. Well, maybe not.


Blade number 13: Hema

A blade sold by a Dutch (also has stores in Belgium and Luxemburg and Germany) department store that mostly (if not only) sells everything under it's own brand. Dependable, good quality. Never (never say never) fancy, mostly simple and effective.

I do not know who manufactures the blades for Hema, some say the look like the Israeli Personna Platina. I think they feel more like Merkurs. They have about the same drag.
It would be something if these are indeed Merkur blades, as the Hema blades sell 10 for 1,35.

However, I did not like the Merkus (too much drag), and I do not like these. Not bad, mind you, but not sharp enough.


Next up: 7am




1117
 
Blade number 14: 7AM

Another one that has not yet been reviewed in the review section.
If you like a draggy blade, this is one for you! At first i thought it was due to the fact that I shaved late in the afternoon, but switching to my HD with the Derby loades, I could determine, it was just the blade.
Incredible what a drag. So much I immediately changed the blade. I have heard that sometimes there can be a non-starter in the pack. But on blade number 2 I had similar results. I finished the shave with the Derby. Need I say more?

The next day, I tried again. Still far too much drag.
If you think a Merkur is still way too agressive or too sharp, try these ones!
So I sinned against my rule to try a blade for a whole week...


Next up: the Astra Keramik


1235
 
The further I go along in testing my extensive Sampler pack, the more I agree with the YMMV notion.
There are blades I dislike (Merkur, 7AM, Sputnik, HEMA) that seem to have quite a following. There are blades i like very much (sharp, lord chrome) that seem to have litte or no following. Then there are blades everyone raves about (Gillette blue, Derby), that I find average.

I am still wondering if there is any logic to the idea: if you also like sharp, try lord chrome. If you dislike Merkur, dont try HEMA or 7AM. I am curious to find out if the groups of "like" and "dont like" are shared opinions.

So far for contemplations of a newbie shaver, going trough a pack. When I am done with all the blades, I will give my conclusion.... for what it is worth, as YMMV....

I would value your idea's /reactions.



Over to this weeks blade:


Blade number 15: Astra Keramik

I will add this one to my like very much category, and I am not the only one who seems to like it ( link ).
It is sharp, it is smooth. Price (bought here in holland in a specialty store) is reasonable 1,10 EUR per 5 , but I have heard that it should be doable to get them for less, if I travel to Italy....

The first shave was very pleasant (after the 7AM anything would be pleasant I guess). No irritation, no nick, just sharp. Maybe not a lasting sharp (as it is quite smooth), but sharp. I do think my face was smoother for longer with the Lord Chrome,but the shave far not nearly as smooth. No getting used to this blade, comfortable from the start. And it remained so up to somewhere in the third shave.
I can imangine that with a somewhat more agressive razor, this balde will perform miracles. This is certainly a blade I am looking forward to to try out in my Mergres that is waiting for me until I have finished my sampler pack and my technique has improved.

No negatives then? This seems hardly a review from a Dutchman.....
The one negative could be that it is maybe a bit to smooth, and could last a bit longer. Day 3 was the max. 4 days I would not recommend. But then again, the fourth day would be as good as a lot of the other blades.
So in short: smooth and sharp.

I am getting curious to the Feather......

But next up: Supermaxx stainless.


1326
 
J

Jarmo P

I don't much change the blades I use. My first sample pack has still all other brand of blades left, except Derbies of course, since I use them daily.
My Progress has been also loaded with a Feather for how long time, 2 weeks? But still not liking to use it.

One blade I just came to have is Red Pack Israeli Personna. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=37018&highlight=pack+israeli
From westcoastshaving. Got a 100 of them from John. I have started to like these blades a lot. My first shave was not so impressive, since out of my normal daily shave I had a 3 day beard growth and experienced quite a lot of tugging and the shave was not as close as I wanted. But the tugging was not cause the blades were was not sharp, just too much beard to remove.

Red Pack IPs are sharp but surprisingly more forgiving than Derby blades on my HD! And they need more to work to get the same beard reduction on my face. But exactly the kind of blades I would have wished for when in my first few months with HD I thought it was a too aggressive shaver.

I have a theory and no proof just a speculation: Some guy measured Derby blade's width from one cutting edge to the other and counted them as almost the most wide of all the blades. If someone measures these Red Pack IPs I would not be surprised if they measure less.

So Derby blade is more effective in removing stubble, but Reds are kind of more gentler and even more forgiving. Cannot decide which is my fave daily blade now

You like to try new brands of blades lli. And that is why I suggest you try these blades. I too live in europe and it took me almost 2 weeks for these blades to arrive, so if you order, don't be hasty, it might take some time.

Jarmo
 
The reason I am working my way trough as many blades as I can is not that I like doing it. I like to get the blade that suits me best. Had I settled for the first one I like, it would have been the Sharp. But then I had missed out on the Lord Chrome and the Derby and even the Astra Keramik (my favourite until now).
After this whole list (and possible additions), I will settle on the one I like best, only to try out a new one if for some reason the best is not good enough anymore.

But maybe as a reaction to Jarmo's post, I decided to sooner change blades I do not like. Yes, this means giving them less of a chance..... Maybe I will revisit the "so so"or better ones. But the less than "so so" will not return.

So here is the quicker than usual verdict on the Supermaxx Stainless:


Blade number 16: Supermax Stainless

The first shave was not bad, certainly after my terriffic experiences with the Astra Keramik. It is sharp, but not too agressive. There is some pull, but not too bad. You actually hear the hairs being cut.

No nicks, no burns, but my skin did feel a bit irritated.

But the inevitable but is: compared to the Astra, too much drag and they needed replacement after two days.

Next up:

Gillette 7'o clock.





1476
 
Really Nice review
I think it's too expensive ordering the sampler pack from the states
so i try all the blades available here in Germany. Gillette my favorite so far. followed by Derby although they give me little nicks all the time.
Merkur really seem to pull, same experience like you.
 
Really nice logbook of your blade trials!

Which type of 7 O'clock are you using: the Russian "sharp edge" yellow pack or the Indian green pack "super stainless" ones?
 
@bsc2009: I got the sampler pack in the UK. The name shall not be mentioned on this board, but send me a PM if you are interested.

@dimeotane: It is the yellow 7 o'clock. I did not know there is a green one as well. Or do you mean the 7AM ones I already tried (and disliked?).
 
After the remark of dimeotane, I found out I need to specify what type of Gillette: this is the yellow sharp edge one.

This is the first Gillette I truly like. Not counting the Astra Keramik as it is not branded as Gillette. This one is sharp and forgiving. Sharp and forgiving seems to be the combination of blade I like. It seems a bit contradictive, and I can't explain very well how this works. Maybe more gifted (or native speakers) can help me out here.
Little or no drag, lasting result, no nicks. Pleasant WTG and XTG (I do not do ATG under normal circumstances).

The blade lasted quite long. I think it could have lasted longer than the 4 days I used it.

This Gillette is slightly less expensive than the Astra Keramik, and that might just tip the balance in favour of this one. On the other hand, the Astra was even a bit smoother I think .

My plan for this test run is to finish testing my complete list, then revisit my top 5 and select by trial: one week per brand (A), then the next (B). Like the next (B) less than the one before (A) , return to the better for a week (A), then try the next on the list (C), and so on.

The current top 5 by the way is (no particulair order):
Astra Keramik
Derby
Gillette 7 O'Clock Yellow sharp edge
Lord Chrome
......

But next up:
Dorco.




1613
 
Blade number 18: Dorco ST 300


This is also a blade that was recommended as a tried and true blade by Suzuki. And indeed I liked it. I think it is a bit sharper than a Derby, but not as sharp as the yellow Gillette 7O'clock or the Astra Keramik.

On the other hand, it left my skin a bit dryer irritated than those two blades and the Derby. So I like it less than the yellow Gillette 7O'clock or the Astra Keramik.

It is not overly agressive (no nicks), but I needed more passes to get a smooth shave. That did result in a somewhat irritated skin.
Maybe that is just my technique.

I would, overall put these blades almost at par with Derby's (sharper on the plus, more irritation on the negative side), but with the lower price of the Derby, I like that one better. But I can see that in a different razor, the Dorco would come out a little different and would win the comparison with the Derby.


Next up: Trig Silver Edge.


1690
 
A blade made by the Treet Corporation.


This was a two blades in one day thing. The first blade I tried was dull. I thought it must have been non starter, or whatever one calls a bad egg.
So I changed it after half a shave. But the second blade was not much better.

Lots of drag, my hairs were close to being pulled out. Ok that might be a bit much, but I changed right away to derby to finish my shave.

Zero points for this one. However, I can see that people with a very soft haird might like this one.

Next up: Super-Max Platinum



PS: I my post of May 19, I l forgot to list the Sharp as one of my favourites. This was a blade I tried early on, I am curious to see how I like it in the rerun.
Stay tuned.
 
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