- Thread starter
- #21
wildman,
definitely invest in the sampler pack and decide for yourself!
definitely invest in the sampler pack and decide for yourself!
No Merkur Blades for me :(
- Thread starter mlebarron
- Start date
You will not be sorry if you you try the Tesco blades. The one I got to try from the "Tesco train tryout" in the US was the best blade I have used, hands down. I finished up trying all of the blades in the sampler pack, and I got a better shave with the Tesco blade than any others, even the Feather.
Of course, YMMV.
Nice to hear considering Tesco is local
. Maybe I won't bother with the sample pack and just walk to Tesco once the included Merkur blades are finished 
.
I, too, had an umitigated disaster using Merkur blades.
This is my first step into wetshaving, so I wasn't expecting miracles. But I found the shave far less close than I'd been able to get with crummy plastic disposables, plus my neck was red and painful for the full 24 hour cycle until the next shave, which was just as bad.
I'm using a best badger brush, Crabtree & Evelyn's shave soap and a Gillette Speedy with the aforementioned Merkurs.
I have a very thick beard growth, and I've always been sensitive to razor burn. As I said, I wasn't expecting miracles, but I wasn't expecting my first DE experience to be worse than my years with disposables and cartridges.
Do I need to try sharper blades? Or is my face simply not compatible with wetshaving?
Thanks for the advice, gents.
This is my first step into wetshaving, so I wasn't expecting miracles. But I found the shave far less close than I'd been able to get with crummy plastic disposables, plus my neck was red and painful for the full 24 hour cycle until the next shave, which was just as bad.
I'm using a best badger brush, Crabtree & Evelyn's shave soap and a Gillette Speedy with the aforementioned Merkurs.
I have a very thick beard growth, and I've always been sensitive to razor burn. As I said, I wasn't expecting miracles, but I wasn't expecting my first DE experience to be worse than my years with disposables and cartridges.
Do I need to try sharper blades? Or is my face simply not compatible with wetshaving?
Thanks for the advice, gents.
Well, I tried to give merkur blades a chance. I couldn't even make it a week. I would get irritation in places I've never had it before, and I also got a lot more blood, and the shave was never that good. I don't mind some irritation if I got all the hairs, but the merkurs were leaving big patches all over. So, I don't think I'll be tring merkurs again for awhile!
keep trying, it can take awhile for your face to get used to wetshaving. Also, try other products and blades. There is alot out there, the trick is to find what works best for you. Try using some shaving creams as they seem to offer more protection then soaps.
Good luck and press on!
I would get some Personnas (american is fine) and get the hang of the techniques first.
Merkurs are great blades, but have a reputation for how unforgiving they are. Derbys are far mroe forgiving, and will also give an excellent shave. Actually I think any blade out there is more forgiving than the Merkur.
I'm one of those that has a severe dislike for the Isreali Personna...I find it razor burns me worse than a rushed Merkur shave, but the shave isn't near as smooth. Acutally the IP is the first DE blade that left bumps all over on me. I've been keing them around in event that they may need a more advanced technique to use as well...or they just don't play well with my Merkur classic razor.
Red Personnas (platinum chrone, unknown origin) are also a reasonable blade. Similar to Derby, but not quite as good a shave. It's a nice fallback blade.
Merkurs are great blades, but have a reputation for how unforgiving they are. Derbys are far mroe forgiving, and will also give an excellent shave. Actually I think any blade out there is more forgiving than the Merkur.
I'm one of those that has a severe dislike for the Isreali Personna...I find it razor burns me worse than a rushed Merkur shave, but the shave isn't near as smooth. Acutally the IP is the first DE blade that left bumps all over on me. I've been keing them around in event that they may need a more advanced technique to use as well...or they just don't play well with my Merkur classic razor.
Red Personnas (platinum chrone, unknown origin) are also a reasonable blade. Similar to Derby, but not quite as good a shave. It's a nice fallback blade.
I will come to the defense of Merkur blades. First for me, I think throughout a week of shaves they are more consistent than Derby's (my second fav), Israeli's (third fav), Swedes, and Feathers.
I actually love Feathers for the first pass-smooth as silk but across and against the grain is no place for a Feather for my face. For me, the Merkurs require a gentle first pass--debulking only I don't try to get a close shave with the first pass of a merkur--still the Merkur allow me to really get jiggy on the second and third passes including using my blade buffing against the grain final bbs pass.
For me the first shave of a Merkur blade and the last shave (#7) are the same. For me one Merkur blade seems just like the next. For me with the other brand blades, to me seem to vary slightly from blade to blade and seem to change behavior from the shave to shave. As with everything shaving as indicated by all the "for me" statements, YMMV.
I actually love Feathers for the first pass-smooth as silk but across and against the grain is no place for a Feather for my face. For me, the Merkurs require a gentle first pass--debulking only I don't try to get a close shave with the first pass of a merkur--still the Merkur allow me to really get jiggy on the second and third passes including using my blade buffing against the grain final bbs pass.
For me the first shave of a Merkur blade and the last shave (#7) are the same. For me one Merkur blade seems just like the next. For me with the other brand blades, to me seem to vary slightly from blade to blade and seem to change behavior from the shave to shave. As with everything shaving as indicated by all the "for me" statements, YMMV.
I had an absolutely great shave last evening with a new Merkur blade in a Merkur Vision razor. The shave itself was smooth and comfortable. No nicks, cuts, or scrapes. And the result was as BBS as I have ever gotten it.
Tim
Tim
I have been using Merkur blades now, for TWO whole days. And I didn't have to call an ambulance....nice shave, better than the cartridges...
Im using an HD, too.
dwight
Im using an HD, too.
dwight
I was a little shocked to see so many people not really liking the Merkur blades. Surprising to me, I guess, since a lot of people like their razors. (ie. HD, slant, vision, futur.) I have a tough beard and I love the Merkur blades. I do have to change it about every 3 to 4 shaves. However, every razor has been like that for me, even the feather which I thought was too aggressive. I think a lot has to do with the razor you are using as well, it seems that some blades "work" better with certain razors. Plus, dont know if this is true or not, someone was telling me that the "quality" of Merkur blades has/is dropping. Not sure if I believe that or not though.
THe Merkur blade is good. A little more expensive than the Derby or Feather. It is one of my favourite and most trusted blades.
I'm beginning to agree with you in that my beard and Merkurs just don't mesh well. I do like the Feathers best and after I run through my 100 IP's and the rest of LetterK's sampler pack, I'll probably stick with Feathers forever.
Of the three I've tried, Merkurs give by far the least irritation vs. IP's (really bad razor burn) and Derby (seems sharper, but causes ingrown hairs!).
I've only been at it since Thanksgiving, so it's back to Merkurs until I get better on the technique!
I've only been at it since Thanksgiving, so it's back to Merkurs until I get better on the technique!
Coming back to this thread, I think that the Merkur blades often get slated quite unfairly. They really aren't that bad IMO. And in my experience, the only think lacking with the Merkur blades is maybe that they aren't quite as sharp as the Feathers for example, and maybe can't give quite as close a shave.. but can still perform very well nevertheless. And if you're getting a lot of irritation and nicks, then I think that at least you should look first at your technique, prepping and lathering ability before dismissing the blade that you happen to be using. Now I'm not saying that I'm the Chuck Norris of Wetshaving with Merkur Blades, but in my experience they just aren't so bad as what people make them out to be! And due to all the bad publicity that the Merkur blades tend to get on these boards, it only takes someone who just happens to have a bad shave when using one (probably due to inadequate technique/lather etc..) and then it's the same old story..........
'Merkur blades are officially crap'.....!
yawn.....
'Merkur blades are officially crap'.....!
yawn.....
