Sharper than IP but just as smooth?

[mretzloff]

I love my IPs but am not getting BBS with them. I've been wet shaving for a few months, so I'm 99% sure my angle is spot on.

I have tried Dorcos, Feathers, Derbies, Swedes, Crystals, and Gillette 7 O'clock SharpEdges.

I found the above blades to be not as smooth as IPs, even though some were sharper. I define smooth as the ability to give an irritation-free shave.

Which blades would you recommend? Should I go back and give one of these blades another try?

 

[mk-ultra]

Give Kai a try.

After months of Red IPs only, I was no longer getting the shave I wanted. I tried Feathers for a while and am now auditioning other blades.

Iridium and Astra may work well for you also.

 

[mretzloff]

Give Kai a try.

After months of Red IPs only, I was no longer getting the shave I wanted. I tried Feathers for a while and am now auditioning other blades.

Iridium and Astra may work well for you also.

I forgot to mention Astra. I tried them and hated them.

After finding that IPs are no longer working, which blade do you prefer now?

 

[Bobtrumpet]

I love my IPs but am not getting BBS with them. I've been wet shaving for a few months, so I'm 99% sure my angle is spot on.

I have tried Dorcos, Feathers, Derbies, Swedes, Crystals, and Gillette 7 O'clock SharpEdges.

I found the above blades to be not as smooth as IPs, even though some were sharper. I define smooth as the ability to give an irritation-free shave.

Which blades would you recommend? Should I go back and give one of these blades another try?

What razor(s) are you using. It may not be the blade. I get a better shave with an IP in a Tech, but the IP doesn't work as well as the Red pack Personnas in my Muhle R89 (Muhle/EJ head).

You might try the Shark blades; they seem to carry over a smoothness while being sharper than many. Made in India Gillette's, the 7 O'Clock PermaSharp green pack (not to be confused with the Russian 7 O'Clock Super Stainless green packs) or the 7 O'Clock Super Platinum black packs also have had good reviews.

I kind of surprised that you didn't get good results from the Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdges. They seem to be the smoothest of the Russian Gillette blades (including Astras). YMMV, and all that.

(Nit to pick: IPs = Crystals = Super+ Platinum, made in Israel. If you mean IP = Red pack Personnas, your nomenclature is off. See here).

 

[markb]

I love my IPs but am not getting BBS with them.

You could be like me. No matter what I try, I just cannot get a true BBS shave. Cheeks are okay but the neck is where I have the most problems. My stubble just grows in weird patterns there. But, DFSs are not bad.

 

[mretzloff]

What razor(s) are you using. It may not be the blade. I get a better shave with an IP in a Tech, but the IP doesn't work as well as the Red pack Personnas in my Muhle R89 (Muhle/EJ head).

You might try the Shark blades; they seem to carry over a smoothness while being sharper than many. Made in India Gillette's, the 7 O'Clock PermaSharp green pack (not to be confused with the Russian 7 O'Clock Super Stainless green packs) or the 7 O'Clock Super Platinum black packs also have had good reviews.

I kind of surprised that you didn't get good results from the Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdges. They seem to be the smoothest of the Russian Gillette blades (including Astras). YMMV, and all that.

(Nit to pick: IPs = Crystals = Super+ Platinum, made in Israel. If you mean IP = Red pack Personnas, your nomenclature is off. See here).

I'm using a Merkur HD.

So, Israeli Personnas are Crystals and red pack Personnas are Personna Platinum?

 

[TimMechEngr]

After trying 6-7 different blades in my HD and SS, Sharks have been the blades that agree with me most in these razors.

 

[Bobtrumpet]

I'm using a Merkur HD.

So, Israeli Personnas are Crystals and red pack Personnas are Personna Platinum?

The first part is right ("Israeli Personnas are Crystals"), but the second part may be troublesome, as Personna seems to make several blades with Platinum in the name.

If you call these

Red Pack Personna's, you'll be fine.

 

[mk-ultra]

Give Kai a try.

After months of Red IPs only, I was no longer getting the shave I wanted. I tried Feathers for a while and am now auditioning other blades.

Iridium and Astra may work well for you also.

I forgot to mention Astra. I tried them and hated them.

After finding that IPs are no longer working, which blade do you prefer now?

I'm still auditioning blades. For me, so far, Kai is winning. I have a few more to try yet. I just finished with an Iridium and used an Astra today. The Iridium gave me an awesome first shave, but the next three were a bit rough.

Gillette 7 O'Clock yellow seemed to work well for me. Sharp was a bit rough.

But, of course, YMMV.

 

[Chevyguy]

I love my IPs but am not getting BBS with them. I've been wet shaving for a few months, so I'm 99% sure my angle is spot on.

I have tried Dorcos, Feathers, Derbies, Swedes, Crystals, and Gillette 7 O'clock SharpEdges.

I found the above blades to be not as smooth as IPs, even though some were sharper. I define smooth as the ability to give an irritation-free shave.

Which blades would you recommend? Should I go back and give one of these blades another try?

I would give the derbies another try. Thats what I did and they sure surprised me, nice and smooth.

Clayton

 

[Stubblefield]

Wow, Prince of Penhaligons, that's pretty special.

Matthew, You probably will not find another blade that is as smooth as the Red IP, except for the Gillette Yellow or Super I. Sharper, yes, but smoother? Probably not.

Honesty, I think you have to get used to sharper blades. And to be really honest, I don't think the Merkur is the best razor in all situations. They are somewhat aggressive, for sure, but when I switched from Merkurs to Gillttes the difference was night and day. If it were me, I'd look for an inexpensive Super Adjustable (as they work with pretty much ANY blade, even Derbys) and see if it is the razor that is holding you back. If I had a spare I would send you one.

EDIT: Hey Matthew, do you still have the Mergress? If so, how do the Red IP's perform in that razor?

 

[tlanning]

Join the B&B razor trading consortium and see if you can score a Futur for a couple of weeks, I agree with the fact that your razor may be holding you back

 

[Darjeeling Express]

Join the B&B razor trading consortium and see if you can score a Futur for a couple of weeks, I agree with the fact that your razor may be holding you back

Great idea! Here's the link

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/group.php?groupid=50

 

[Dubbya]

I'm using a Merkur HD.

So, Israeli Personnas are Crystals and red pack Personnas are Personna Platinum?

If you want to get nit-picky, Crystals are Israeli Personnas and Israeli Personnas are the Personna blades in the white 100 and 1000 count boxes, or the old version of the red packs which were labeled "Made in Israel." Both new runs are made in Israel by Personna, as were the old red packs.

As for common nomenclature, the new run red pack Personnas are referred to in the colloquial by the name Israeli Personna.