What's new

Seeking a new blade

The best course of action would probably be to buy sampler packs of blades. Alternatively, there's also the great blade exchange: The Great Blade Exchange - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/the-great-blade-exchange.606840/page-7#post-11657863

Personally, I had limited experience with blades, but up until I tried the vintage Polisilver Stainless Steel, the best blade I'd used was a LOI Salon Quality Titanium (I think it's a rebadged Durablade/Sharp Titanium). Next was Lord Platinum and Lord Super Chrome. Asco Platinums were also good (I'm a Lord family man, I guess 🤷🏻‍♂️). The Astra SP and SS both proved to be pretty good for me. The Shark SS was not.

There are some more blades I tried, but these are the ones I remember off the too of my head.

Oh also, the Fatip Piccolo is excellent! I have a gold and a nickel Piccolo. However, given my thick fingers, I much prefer my Fatip Grande razors (also in nickel and gold).

Good luck with your search!
 
For the razors you have listed, I would try:
Med Prep, KCG, Nacet, and Minora

I prefer Minora's to Nacets in my Non-R89 razors.
Call me kooky, but I prefer Astra SS over SPs and Lord Super Chromes over Platinum

My top 3 for R89 / R6S (4) is:
Super Iridium, Crystal/Personna Platinum, Minora
 
When shavers recommend blades, they are typically blades they like in their own razors. Those blades might not be suitable for your beard, your face, and your razors with your shaving technique. That is why blades are one of the most YMMV aspects of DE shaving.
Truer words have rarely been posted on B&B. While I happen to like the Wilkinson Sword blades I use on my home razors & the Derby I have in a small pack in the dopp kit, I can't tell anyone else what they should use.

The best advice I've seen is to get a variety pack, try 'em all, then decide.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
Come to the Shark side......
Once a year for a week is enough for me! What does @BigJ have to say?

Edit: I used a Gillette Platinum for the first time in a LOOOOONG time the other day. I was blown away by the quality. I just bought 50 on the 'zon for not much more than 7 bucks. 100 Astra SS for less than $9.... I love those, I can't tell the difference between them and Gillette Silver Blue.

Good luck OP!
 
Well, since receiving the overwhelming yet lucid and in depth input from my fellow B&B members, for the price of 2 Martinis I simply ordered a quick 400 blades of varied brands. Added to my existing stock, and adjusted for my age and usage; way too many.

A donation to The Great Blade Exchange PIF will be forthcoming no doubt.
 
Nacet and GSB are my go to blades, but right now l'm trying a Kai for the first time and am impressed. Completed shave four, which is usually when I chuck a Feather and the Kai is still going strong.
Because of a slight increase in blade width there is more feedback, which I like. So if a Kai shows good longevity then their only drawback as far as I can see is their higher price.They are certainly as sharp as a Feather, and IMO smoother. :lemo:
 
Nacet and GSB are my go to blades, but right now l'm trying a Kai for the first time and am impressed. Completed shave four, which is usually when I chuck a Feather and the Kai is still going strong.
Because of a slight increase in blade width there is more feedback, which I like. So if a Kai shows good longevity then their only drawback as far as I can see is their higher price.They are certainly as sharp as a Feather, and IMO smoother. :lemo:
Both Feather and Kai are pricey but I liked Kai better than Feather for similar reasons
 
Your friendly Indian blade evangelist here to remind you that there some fine specimens available, and some... cough

Gillette Wilkinson Swords made in India for the Indian market, they are surprisingly the bottom tier blade. The older, still available, made in China for India ones are even better. The Gillette Blacks are a great blade, but I think they are too sharp to be considered "balanced."

Vidyut Metals makes Zorikk and Super-Max. You can't go wrong with most of them, but try the Diamond Edge or anything that says Titanium. The Super Platinums are nice blades, but slightly less sharp. There is also the green box Super Stainless.

Any of the Lord family blades labeled "Platinum class" are decent though not as sharp as I would like. You see what they did there, they aren't Platinum coated. There are several different boxes at several different prices and blades inside are in the same exact wrapper.

Don't forget about Kais, they are in that middle ground as long as you can deal with the added width.
I've been having some trouble identifying the difference between the Indian GWS, the ones made for India in China, and the Chinese ones when they have been removed from the tuck. Most of the GWSs I've tried have come as loose blades from a sample pack, and I have no certainty of which is which without relying on the seller's ability to distinguish.
 

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
Based on the blades you have listed I highly recommend the Sputnik blades. Sharp and smooth. And they have their own vibe. I enjoy them.

Gillette-Sputnik-Double-Edge-Safety-Razor-Blade-5-Pack_1200x.png
 
I have an assortment of moderate supply (GSB, 7 O'clock yellow, Polisilver, Israeli Persona, Voskhod) and am looking to expand my horizons. I know the YMMV factor is real but advice would be welcomed. I'm seeking the balance between sharp and smooth. A Goldilocks blade as it were. All to be used in vintage Gillettes, Rockwell 6C, Merkur HD38, EJ89 and the like.


I've never tried Nacets, Lord, Big Ben or Treet to name but a few. It's been years since I used a Permasharp. Same for Astra SP which I seem to remember liking but I've recently read that they have plummeted in quality (is this so?). Amazon has Astras from different sellers indicating them as being Russian, USA, and being from Derby International, LLC which I think means Turkish.

Any thoughts?
Personna Med Prep.
Excellent performance in every razor I have loaded with them. Not cheap, worth every cent.
Runner up: Gillette Platinum (dark blue, supposed to be The Swede).
 
As previously mentioned, try out the Bic Chrome Platinum. They sit somewhere between the Astor green and Feather. (But after the first shave, they are sharper than the Feathers!). And they will last you quite a few shaves. Plus they're cheap!
I've only been at this for about 4 months but I've already acquired a bunch of razors and have tried a bunch of different blade brands through sampler packs. In the end, I stopped at Bic and bought a 100 pack through Amazon!
It's all I'm using now for my daily shaves.
They work great in pretty much every razor!
 
Nacet and GSB are my go to blades, but right now l'm trying a Kai for the first time and am impressed. Completed shave four, which is usually when I chuck a Feather and the Kai is still going strong.
Because of a slight increase in blade width there is more feedback, which I like. So if a Kai shows good longevity then their only drawback as far as I can see is their higher price.They are certainly as sharp as a Feather, and IMO smoother. :lemo:
There is another potential drawback with Kai blades. Because they are wider than a normal blade they increase blade exposure. That might be what you want if you feel a razor is too mild. On the other hand I found that they can make a previously "safe" razor cut you. I managed a handful of small nicks from a Kai blade in my Feather AS-D2. I've never had that with any other blade. To make things worse the wretched blade cut my finger when I removed it. It seems the final part of the Kai production process is to put a curse on every blade.

Just something to be aware of before buying 100 cursed blades.
 
There is another potential drawback with Kai blades. Because they are wider than a normal blade they increase blade exposure. That might be what you want if you feel a razor is too mild. On the other hand I found that they can make a previously "safe" razor cut you. I managed a handful of small nicks from a Kai blade in my Feather AS-D2. I've never had that with any other blade. To make things worse the wretched blade cut my finger when I removed it. It seems the final part of the Kai production process is to put a curse on every blade.

Just something to be aware of before buying 100 cursed blades.
I've used the Kai in my Rex Envoy which is usually considered somewhat aggressive, without a problem. But maybe this old skin of mine is just too tough. 😆
 
I've used the Kai in my Rex Envoy which is usually considered somewhat aggressive, without a problem. But maybe this old skin of mine is just too tough. 😆
It probably makes less difference in an aggressive razor, where you don't expect the safety bar to be doing much anyway. They certainly ruin the carefree shave of a good mild razor though.
 
Top Bottom