Opinions on Some Blades?

[Zig the Pirate]

I'll start off by saying that I have coarse, wiry hair. I've had family members come to me to remove a splinter from their foot, only to find a hair that had broken the skin.
My shaving is limited to my head and touch-ups for my neck and cheek lines.
I have tough Native American hair. I've noticed that certain ethnicities (African, Arab, Jewish, Amish, traditional Middle Eastern, etc.) have promoted shaving blades better-suited to that particular mix of skin oil and hair qualities.

I've made a list of some known blades here on B&B, and I'd like your opinion how each would do for a coarse-haired fellow that shaves every 1-2 days without any fancy preps.

I'll be using a Merkur HD 34C for consistency.

Thanks all
-Gillette Super Blue. I've used this and I like it. I need more.
-Croma Diamant. Never used.
-Shark Super Chrome. This will be my go-to when the Wilkies test is over.
-Crown. I've never heard of this brand.
-Derby Premium. I get mixed up with the Derby Premium, Derby Usta, and Derby Extra.
-Dorco Prime Platinum. I hear this is the blade that comes with EVERY sampler pack.
-Topaz Platinum. Sputtered edges. Yup, they've coated their edges. How do they shave?
-Astra Superior Platinum. I actually have a light shave on one of these, so I'm satisfied so far. I hear they're good.
-Assured Safety Razor Blades. Got 'em in a tuck of five for a dollar, PLUS a TTO razor. They weren't nearly as bad as I thought they'd be, but they dulled quickly.
-Tiger Platinum. Come on tiger, please give me a BBS shave without any weepers!
I noticed a slight fold on the edge, but it's fixable.
-Elios. I shall reserve this space for my comments, as I've already tested the Elios but am not ready to publish.
-Persona Super. I only have one of these blades to test, so I've gotta make it count.
-Rockwell. The consensus is "they make great razors so why can't they make great blades?"
Well, I'll find out with a very mild razor.
-Rise. I had this left over from a business trip. From the ones I had used, they were super smooth but not sharp at all. Any users?
-Zaza. Yup, Zaza. These are also leftover from my military days; this time in Turkey. The average Turkish grunt has more dense facial hair than an American or Canadian, and the Turks shave more often.
Two passes (three if there's an upcoming inspection) with just warm water mixed with lanolin. Rinse with whatever's clean, and use a weak aftershave.

 

[FarmerTan]

Hard to go wrong with the GSB. You might want to try Astra SS. I like them better than the Astra SP.

That's about all I can help you with of the ones you listed. Nacet is a good one for me.

 

[Iron Paw]

@FarmerTan said it right...GSB, Astra SS, and Nacet are in my top pick of blades.

 

[FarmerTan]

@FarmerTan said it right...GSB, Astra SS, and Nacet are in my top pick of blades.

I always knew you were a genius! I don't care what @KeenDogg sez about you!

 

[merovirginian]

I don't shave my head, so feel free to discount this for that reason (as well as because it's just me). I have coarse hair and tend to shave my face every two days. No matter what anyone says, with blades, there's really no right answer for every face/hair/skin type especially when coupled with a specific razor.

With that said, I also need to quibble over one of my favorite blades: Dorco Prime Platinum (STP-301). For me, it's fantastic. You might be confusing it with the Dorco Platinum (ST-300) or Dorco Stainless (ST-301). Completely different blades. The STP-301 works beautifully in my Karve, fwiw.

Otherwise, on your list, the GSB is great. Nacets also appeal to the coarse hair crowd (but strangely not me). I feel the impulse to turn this into another general 'top 5 favorite blade' response. But I don't think that's what you want. If you do, this is a great start:

Your top 5 DE blades

Your Top 5 DE blades? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[razorhead63]

@FarmerTan said it right...GSB, Astra SS, and Nacet are in my top pick of blades.

I agree. Those three are great blades.
Especially the Astra SS for performance and value.

 

[BigJ]

YMMV is the rule, especially for blades!

That said, you have some fine blades and a first-class razor. Since you asked, my favorites from your list are: GSB, Astra SP and the Personnas. I rate Dorco Primes and Elios just a bit lower.

My least favorite are: Derby’s, Rockwell and ZaZa.

The main thing is to try things for yourself and to ENJOY the journey!!

 

[Badgerstate36]

YMMV. Ive always found it interesting though that some of the blades from Turkey or the middle east are some of the dullest blades you can buy. Derby and Lord are blades that come to mind.