There was a mega thread on razors for beginners located:
www.badgerandblade.com
Thought I would try the top voted razors and share my thoughts on them. I'm not new to DE shaving, but recently got back into it with the purchase of my Rockwell 6S. I was using the Norelco Oneblade for a bit
Shaving setup:
Summary of my favorite blades ranked best to worst, followed by brief notes on each razor in case you didn't want to read everything:
The only razor blade I knew anything about beforehand, was the feather blade for being sharp. This is a very blunt and unbiased opinion of blade feel.
Astra SP - Super Smooth, very sharp, not a single nick. 2 passes BBS. I was really surprised as this was the first razor of the bunch I used.
Sharp 9/10 Smooth 10/10 Rating 10/10
Gillete Silver Blue - Not as sharp or smooth as the Astra SP. Required 3-4 passes, still don't think BBS. Felt like I had to apply more pressure to get a close shave, and that irritated my skin a little.
Sharp 6/10 Smooth 6/10 Rating 6/10
Personna Red - Not quite as sharp as Astra, but more than the Blue. Not quite as smooth as Astra, but more than the Gillette Silver Blue. 2 passes got me BBS, however I had a couple nicks. Might've been from user error from pressing down too hard.
Sharp 8/10 Smooth 7/10 Rating 8/10
Wizamet Super Irdium - More Smooth than the Personna Red & Gillette Silver Blue, not as sharp as the personna, but more than the gillete silver blue. Took 3 passes for the BBS shave. Had more feedback with this blade than most. Couple nicks and irritation.
Sharp 7/10 Smooth 8/10 Rating 8/10
Gillette Nacet - Didn't find this blade very smooth. Pretty sharp, had trouble getting a smooth shave. 3-4 passes, BBS. No nicks, but there's a fair amount of irritation throughout. Tried to be more cautious of the nicks.
Sharp 8/10 Smooth 6/10 Rating 7/10
Feather - Wanted to throw this in here knowing it's considered a very sharp blade. I had almost no feedback due to how sharp this blade was. 2 passes BBS. I had 1 nick, but very little irritation. This felt similar to the Astra SP. Wish I did this back to back with the Astra, it's been a few weeks since I used the Astra.
Sharp 10/10 Smooth 9/10 Rating 9/10
I'll have one last update in the next few weeks change my razor to the #1 plate, and using the Astra/Feather to see which one I'll end up using going forward.
Thoughts and opinions are welcome
Mass Appeal DE blade
I have a question that is related to the tried-and-true "list your favorite blade" but with a slight twist. Instead of listing your personal favorite blade, the one that works best for you, instead list the blade you believe is most likely to appeal to the broadest section of wet shavers. In...
www.badgerandblade.com
Shaving setup:
- Rockwell 6S w/ #3 plate. I should be using a #1-2 because my skin is really sensitive, but I think allowing the blade to be more aggressive with the 3 setting, will more quickly show me characteristics of each blade, as I'm only giving each blade a single shot. I didn't want to document all of this, and not be able to tell the difference because the blade isn't very exposed. I'll go back with my favorite razor at the end of shootout with the #1 plate, and see the difference.
- Stirling shave soap
- Preheat water over stove until it starts steaming. Shaves are better for me when the water is extra hot. I don't feel like doing this out of the shower all the time.
- Bevel After Shave Balm
Summary of my favorite blades ranked best to worst, followed by brief notes on each razor in case you didn't want to read everything:
- Astra SP
- Feather
- Personna Red/Wizamet Super Irdium
- Gillette Nacet
- Gillette Silver Blue
The only razor blade I knew anything about beforehand, was the feather blade for being sharp. This is a very blunt and unbiased opinion of blade feel.
Astra SP - Super Smooth, very sharp, not a single nick. 2 passes BBS. I was really surprised as this was the first razor of the bunch I used.
Sharp 9/10 Smooth 10/10 Rating 10/10
Gillete Silver Blue - Not as sharp or smooth as the Astra SP. Required 3-4 passes, still don't think BBS. Felt like I had to apply more pressure to get a close shave, and that irritated my skin a little.
Sharp 6/10 Smooth 6/10 Rating 6/10
Personna Red - Not quite as sharp as Astra, but more than the Blue. Not quite as smooth as Astra, but more than the Gillette Silver Blue. 2 passes got me BBS, however I had a couple nicks. Might've been from user error from pressing down too hard.
Sharp 8/10 Smooth 7/10 Rating 8/10
Wizamet Super Irdium - More Smooth than the Personna Red & Gillette Silver Blue, not as sharp as the personna, but more than the gillete silver blue. Took 3 passes for the BBS shave. Had more feedback with this blade than most. Couple nicks and irritation.
Sharp 7/10 Smooth 8/10 Rating 8/10
Gillette Nacet - Didn't find this blade very smooth. Pretty sharp, had trouble getting a smooth shave. 3-4 passes, BBS. No nicks, but there's a fair amount of irritation throughout. Tried to be more cautious of the nicks.
Sharp 8/10 Smooth 6/10 Rating 7/10
Feather - Wanted to throw this in here knowing it's considered a very sharp blade. I had almost no feedback due to how sharp this blade was. 2 passes BBS. I had 1 nick, but very little irritation. This felt similar to the Astra SP. Wish I did this back to back with the Astra, it's been a few weeks since I used the Astra.
Sharp 10/10 Smooth 9/10 Rating 9/10
I'll have one last update in the next few weeks change my razor to the #1 plate, and using the Astra/Feather to see which one I'll end up using going forward.
Thoughts and opinions are welcome
