Rank these blades for the new person

[mdlinkous]

OK.. so I only have one shave under me using the Edwin Jagger DE89. I need to work on my technique (angle, etc.) but I was well pleased for my first shave... no blood... no burning/sensitivity. I used the Derby blade that came with it.

I have a sample pack that arrived today. I was hoping that someone more experienced could kinda rank my blades (they all may be crap for as much as I know). If one sticks out as GOTTA TRY or THROW AWAY let me know. I know much of it is trial and error and depends on what works for the individual.

My blades are (drum-roll):
SHARK
FEATHER
Astra Super platinum 5
Gillette Silver Blue
Gillette 7 O'Clock
and another pack of Derby

 

[ClintO]

Different blades work differently for everyone. Out of the ones you have I've used the Feather, Silver Blue, and Astra and they all worked well but in different ways. I wouldn't throw any of them away, try them all. Ones you hate now you might love 6 months down the road as you get your technique refined.

 

[D E Windsor]

My every day blade is ASTRA SP. I really like Feather but I like the price of the Astras better. Red Personna is a blade that I also do well with. A lot of gents like Derby, but I cannot get a good shave with them and they really tear my face up. That's what works well for me, but only you can figure out but trial and error what works the best for you.

 

[mdlinkous]

Different blades work differently for everyone. Out of the ones you have I've used the Feather, Silver Blue, and Astra and they all worked well but in different ways. I wouldn't throw any of them away, try them all. Ones you hate now you might love 6 months down the road as you get your technique refined.

good advice!

 

[Curlingfly]

Boy, this is going to be a hard question to answer and most likely you will receive many diffrent answers. Blades are very much a personal item that differ from person to person. What works for me most likely will not work for you, ect. However with that being said, I will rank them in the order (I think) you should use:

Astra
Gillette 7 O'clock
Gillette Silver Blue
I would tuck the Feather blades away for now. Use them when you have perfected your technique a bit.
I have never used Shark blades so I can't speak about them.
The Derby blades, I would not use, however some people love them.

 

[VerbaVolant]

...
SHARK
FEATHER
Astra Super platinum 5
Gillette Silver Blue
Gillette 7 O'Clock
and another pack of Derby

Far from being an expert but here is how I rank these blades (overall):

Feather
Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdge
Gillette 7 O.Clock SuperStainless
Astra Superior Platinum

Never tried GSB. Shark Super Chrome are excellent if older stock and with white/blue wrapper. Derby never worked for me and they have a permanent residence at the bottom of the list (together with most of German blades)

If I would be to suggest your next blade (and stay with the brand for more than a week, maybe two, before you switch to another brand) Astra SP would be the one. Followed by Gillette 7 O'Clock (any from St. Petersburg), followed by Feather. Once you reached Feather you will know which way to go.

There are many other options and many better suggestions.

Hope this helps and enjoy your shaves!

PS. Don't throw away anything.

 

[Monsieur Blaireau]

Welcome to the forum! It seems you're off to a good start. Unfortunately, the thing with blades is, you'll have to rank them for yourself, as everyone's experience varies and tends to be personal. There don't seem to be any bad blades among the ones you've got, though the Derbys do tend to get maligned pretty regularly. I myself have had only mediocre shaves with them. But if that is anything to go by, you got no place to go but up!

I shave with straights almost every shave these days, but I do go back to the DE now and again, as I in fact did for my last shave, which is maybe why your post caught my eye. And I have shaved with all of the blades in your list. The thing to keep in mind here is blade and razor combination. That is, it's not just the blade, but the razor you've got it in. I had mixed results with the Feather in my EJ DE89, which I ultimately sold because it was milder than I like. My last shave was with a Feather in the dreaded Muhle R41, 2011 version, and it was absolutely BBS. How many shaves that blade will give me remains to be seen; Feathers start very sharp, but, perhaps because of that, don't always retain the edge as long as other brands.

Sharks for me were a disaster. Cuts and irritation, whatever razor I put them in. A friend swears by them, so my loss was his gain. (Though not entirely, as he runs a wine shop).

Astra SPs were a fine middle of the road kind of experience for me. A good shave whatever the razor, just somehow nothing special.

Gillette Silver Blues get raves, but for me they were on the harsh side, again, no matter what razor they went in: vintage Hoffritz (which is basically a rebranded Merkur), Red Tip, R41 or R89. Those are the only DE razors I've used.

In the R41, nothing seems to blend comfort and closeness like the Gillette 7 O'Clock's. Except maybe the Lord Platinums. Or the Super Iridiums. But neither of those is on your list, and I don't want to get too far off track. Of the blades you've listed, the black label Gillette 7 O'Clocks are the most consistently super fabulous I have tried.

 

[eth]

You appear to be aware of individual differences regarding blades, it has also been explained greatly by others already. So I'll make my ranking, should you be interested.

Spoiler

Gillette Silver Blue
Astra SP
Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdge (yellow)
Feather

Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Stainless (green)




Shark (Super Chrome and Super Stainless are equally bad)
















Derby

 

[Niles]

Those are good blades. The Gillette 7 o'clocks are my favourite, along with Astras. I would try Feathers last as they are probably the sharpest you'll try.

 

[Labowski]

FEATHER
Astra SP
Gillette Silver Blue
Gillete 7s
Derby
Shark


It really boils down to personal preference but I really want to get the point across that feathers are not as "scary" as the hype-beast has made them out to be. I tried them out my sample pack when I first started DE shaving and they gave me the best shave and I had ZERO issues.

My personal favorites, when it comes to choosing a blade, are: Feathers and Bic chrome-platinums. Those two give me the best shaves with no irritation, nicks, or cuts.

 

[shavefan]

Never tried the Sharks but all the blades on your list are good. IMO, having others rank them is a waste of time, try them yourself and then YOU decide how they rank.

 

[dfoulk]

I'm only a month in but did some research myself when I started and many of these blades are thought well of.
This is a pretty good sampler pack. No crap (except for the Derby that is).
I'm using the same razor as you (good choice).

I'm the exact same as Curlingfly on this
FEATHER - maybe save this one until you get your technique down. Really good but unforgiving.
Astra Super platinum 5 - I bought 100 of these, inexpensive and very good.
Gillette 7 O'Clock - haven't tried (I want to) - many people like these. - cheapest I've found for these (by a lot) is razorsdirect.com
Gillette Silver Blue - haven't tried (I want to) - these have quite a following - cheapest I've found for these (by a lot) is razorsdirect.com
SHARK - haven't tried but from what I've read not great.
Derby - Some people like these but many absolutely hate them. Personally, I dislike these. For me they were uncomfortable as they felt like they pulled more hair out than they cut. Threw it away after one partial shave.

In my First sample pack I had Feather, Astra SP, Personna Red, Crystal, and Derby.
The feather stood out for being very sharp and very unforgiving (got some razor burn from it and I was being careful to go light - I will revisit this one again later on), the Derby stood out for being garbage, and everything else did a pretty great job.
I'll usually go three, maybe four shaves with a blade and pitch it. Unless you are trying to get every last shave out of a blade then most of the good quality blades should work for you just fine. It probably doesn't matter as much as you may think it does as long as you don't pick the really bad ones. I picked up some personna med preps as well. These are prob my favorite so far. Sharp like the feather but much more forgiving.

My biggest mistake starting out was trying to get too close of a shave. Just do three passes and whatever is left is left. As you get better at it you will get closer and closer. I'm getting a nice close shave now and still improving. Before, I kept going over areas to get it perfect and sometimes got some razor burn and irritation. Plus some of the remaining stubble will disappear once you throw some cold water on your face and everything tightens up. Map your face as well so you know what direct everything grows in. This will help you to better understand what you need to do with those trouble spots. Shave in silence and you can hear the blade cutting, this sound will help you get the proper angle.

Also, I'd try all of the blades and go back to the ones you like.
The ones you don't like put aside and try again later when your technique is better.
Or try them down the road in a different razor.

 

[Buddy97]

All good blades and, as has been pointed out already, only your own experience with them will determine whats right for you.

However, I must speak up in favour of the Shark - I have been using these is my own EJ DE89 and they have become my blade of choice. I have used them nealry exclusively in that razor for the past 6 months and, without fail, they give me fantastic shaves with no irritation. I know the Shark is not the most liked blade here, but I did read in some thread that they do appear to work well for some reason in EJ razors. I don't know if that is the case or indeed why that could be, but I can vouch for their excellent performance in my own EJ.

 

[wagstaff]

Too much variation in experience for anyone to tell you. I don't get along at all with Shark blades (even in a DE89); but I do get along ok with Derby blades in the same razor. It's a mystery.

Feathers and Gillette 7 O'Clock blacks, yellows, and dark blues are all really good for me. I think the GSB's are, too, but it's been too long since I've used one.

The nice thing about a sampler pack is you get to have your own experience. Just all one kind before moving on to the next. If you don't like a blade right away, you might find you like it more later, with a bit more experience. The danger is pretty much just thinking you like "later" blades "better" because you're better at shaving by then.

 

[Cumberland Sausage]

Of the ones you list I've used Shark, Gillette (7 O'Clock yellow), Derby and Feather blades. Started with the Derby, which were sort of ok since I didn't have experience of anything better; went on to Shark, which I liked, although the odd one felt a little scratchy; then tried Gillette, which I didn't like as much as the Shark; and am now on Feather, which give a great shave for me. That could be because my technique has improved, so I might try the Gillette and Shark blades again -- but I've also got some Personna blues I went to have a go with. Which just shows that my perceptions are different to those of many of the other posters here, and probably so will yours be.

 

[BlackBard]

My biggest mistake starting out was trying to get too close of a shave. Just do three passes and whatever is left is left. As you get better at it you will get closer and closer. I'm getting a nice close shave now and still improving. Before, I kept going over areas to get it perfect and sometimes got some razor burn and irritation. Plus some of the remaining stubble will disappear once you throw some cold water on your face and everything tightens up. Map your face as well so you know what direct everything grows in. This will help you to better understand what you need to do with those trouble spots. Shave in silence and you can hear the blade cutting, this sound will help you get the proper angle.

Also, I'd try all of the blades and go back to the ones you like.
The ones you don't like put aside and try again later when your technique is better.
Or try them down the road in a different razor.

Good advice from a relative noobie, especially the part about listening to what the blade is telling you. And, remember, no pressure.

 

[chilliman64]

my order of preference from first to last:

1 - GSB
2-4 - G 7 / Derby / Astra SB (any order)



(insert pause for dramatic effect)




5 - Feather
6 - Shark

 

[ThomasB98908]

I use the Atraa SP as my every-day blade. Never had a problem with them and get great shaves. The Merkur blades however are crap as far as I'm concerned. I also use (occassionally) the Gillette blacks with good results. Its a matter of personal choice as to what feels best on your face and gives good results.

 

[CGW409]

All good though the Feather is one to hold off on till your technique is more honed,not a dangerous (well not more dangerous than any razor blade) blade but can bite the novice.
I find the Shark to be a good blade though I find the Super Chrome to be a bit smoother than the stainless.
The only blade you have that IMOHO should be melted back down and reformed back into what ever was scrapped and melted down to make the blade is the Derby.

 

[Guest111]

I'm going to go against the consensus here and say go ahead and use the Feather. It cuts through whiskers like butter. Just pay attention to what you're doing. You should be doing that anyway, right? Yeah, you'll probably get a few nicks, maybe even a bonafide cut. I did. But a) cutting yourself shaving is not the end of the world, (or the end of anything, really. it sucks for a few minutes and you move on with your day), and b) I'm convinced that jumping straight to the Feathers after the crappy Merkurs I tried with my first DE caused me to get the hang of things MUCH faster than I otherwise would have. I had no choice but to figure it out, and quickly, if I wanted to stop bleeding. So I did. No regrets whatsoever.