The Wanderer's Journey

[Clay S]

But if you only use half, then hasn''t it really cost you £5?

It only costs (weird symbol)2.50 $3.31 at current exchange rates even if thrown away unused. The cost per use goes up infinitesimally at that point though.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Yes, the cost per shave varies, but it's no more cash out of the wallet

 

[AimlessWanderer]

MdC Shave 8
Personna Platinum shave 16

The blade is toast. Flipping it did nothing to revive it this time. It was good enough for a couple of passes, but wasn't going to chance it against the grain.

Soap was fine. Starting off the lather in the mug seems to have fixed everything.

Next blade: Gillette Super Stainless aka Russian Green.

 

[Esox]

Gillette Green. The smoothest blade I've used. If only they were as sharp as a Feather and lasted as long as a Polsilver.

 

[Clay S]

Gillette Green. The smoothest blade I've used. If only they were as sharp as a Feather and lasted as long as a Polsilver.

Gillette Green is People!!!
Russian Green is People!!!

I'd like a $50, that costs $20, but spends like a $100.

 

[Esox]

Gillette Green is People!!!
Russian Green is People!!!

I'd like a $50, that costs $20, but spends like a $100.

That movie freaked me out when I was little lol.

How about a $100 that costs nothing, cant be spent, and only traded in for a new one?

 

[AimlessWanderer]

MdC Shave 9
Gillette Super Stainless shave 1

Very smooth blade, but with a little drag to it. Almost as if someone's already done the first 10 shaves with it to break it in. I don't envisage this breaking any endurance records.

Still using the mug to start off the lather, and still problem free.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

MdC shave 10
Gillette Super Stainless shave 2

This blade is rather underwhelming. It's smooth, but it really drags through the cut. Blades should feel like this towards the end of their life, not on shave two. I haven't taken it against the grain yet, and I'm not sure I will.

 

[Clay S]

I haven't taken it against the grain yet, and I'm not sure I will.

Come on! Take one for the team!

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I'll see how well the next shave goes

 

[AimlessWanderer]

MdC shave 11

Gillette Super Stainless shave 3

Full three pass shave today, very tuggy, and not particularly close. Blade ditched.

Next blade, Rapira Swedish

 

[AimlessWanderer]

MdC shaves 12 & 13
Rapira Swedish shaves 1 & 2

This blade isn't much better than the Russian green, and I don't expect it to get me to double figures like most blades do. It is a little better than the last one though, so I'll stick with it until the first poor shave.

I've figured out that I can get the lather started without the mug, and without getting brush burn, by sticking to painting strokes until things get started. The soap sample in the pot is a donut already, so I don't think it'll last much longer than the previous two. If that's the case, then I'm not reducing the high cost per shave from this soap, and it will remain several times the cost of other soaps. While the shave is good, it's not good enough to justify that IMHO.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

MdC shave 14
Rapira Swedish shave 3

Not a bad shave. Blade is a little uninspiring. Not bad enough to ditch, but not something I'd track down to buy. I might get 6 or 7 shaves from it.

Soap is still performing OK, but depleting at least as fast as the others did. I should be able to take it just over 20 shaves though.

I'll not be rushing out to buy a full one. My maths suggest I'd get about 600 shaves from a tub for £45.00, compared with 500 shaves from Mitchell's at £7.00. The MdC does feel a little more luxurious during the shave, but Mitchell's has a better post shave feel. A fun side quest, but no real treasure found.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

MdC shave 15
Rapira Swedish shave 4

That's enough of that blade, and no more "experimental" blades for a while. I just want to have a good run of shaves with blades I enjoy. Not decided which, yet.

Soap performed well again, but left the skin feeling a little dry today, so a little hydration via balm was in order. I may give myself a little break from experimental soaps after this sample too. I'm really starting to miss banal "take your brain out" shaves, where I don't have to focus, concentrate, and negotiate around the characteristics of the products and kit.

 

[Seveneighth]

MdC shave 15
Rapira Swedish shave 4

That's enough of that blade, and no more "experimental" blades for a while. I just want to have a good run of shaves with blades I enjoy. Not decided which, yet.

Soap performed well again, but left the skin feeling a little dry today, so a little hydration via balm was in order. I may give myself a little break from experimental soaps after this sample too. I'm really starting to miss banal "take your brain out" shaves, where I don't have to focus, concentrate, and negotiate around the characteristics of the products and kit.

What is your "go to" set up?

Your razor and brush stay constant, don't they?
So Mitchell's for soap? Which is your go to blade?

 

[AimlessWanderer]

What is your "go to" set up?

Your razor and brush stay constant, don't they?
So Mitchell's for soap? Which is your go to blade?

Before I signed up here, Mitchell's for soap, and Wilkinson Sword Classic blades. I've got between two, and two and a half year's soap/cream to get through before I get to opening my next puck of Mitchell's though, unless spoilage robs me of some of that soap sooner. Two new craft soaps, one part used craft soap, one grated stick of Palmolive, two more samples, and a barely started tube of Erasmic.

I had my first shave with a fresh Wilkinson blade yesterday. Bliss! Really nice to get a shave with after battling with a couple of tuggy blades. However, I now have other blades that work well for me too. Here's my blade box.

Wilkinson, SuperMax Super Stainless, Blue Diamond Titanium, Astra SP, Derby Extra, Derby Premium, Feather, Gillette SharpEdge, and a few others.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Before I open any more tucks, I also have this pot of loose blades to work through.

There's over a year's blades in there.

 

[Seveneighth]

Before I signed up here, Mitchell's for soap, and Wilkinson Sword Classic blades. I've got between two, and two and a half year's soap/cream to get through before I get to opening my next puck of Mitchell's though, unless spoilage robs me of some of that soap sooner. Two new craft soaps, one part used craft soap, one grated stick of Palmolive, two more samples, and a barely started tube of Erasmic.

I had my first shave with a fresh Wilkinson blade yesterday. Bliss! Really nice to get a shave with after battling with a couple of tuggy blades. However, I now have other blades that work well for me too. Here's my blade box.

View attachment 968150

Wilkinson, SuperMax Super Stainless, Blue Diamond Titanium, Astra SP, Derby Extra, Derby Premium, Feather, Gillette SharpEdge, and a few others.

I haven't used a Wilkinson Sword blade in ages. Do you buy yours on the High Street or is there a better way?

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I haven't used a Wilkinson Sword blade in ages. Do you buy yours on the High Street or is there a better way?

Before I wised up, I was getting them 10 at a time from Wilko, now about £4 a pack. However, I last bought 100 on ebay for about £10 delivered. I think they've gone up a bit since then. I've got about 85-90 left, as I did give a few away. Not that it matters to me now though, as I think I've got enough blades to see me through to my final shave

 

[Clay S]

Before I wised up, I was getting them 10 at a time from Wilko, now about £4 a pack. However, I last bought 100 on ebay for about £10 delivered. I think they've gone up a bit since then. I've got about 85-90 left, as I did give a few away. Not that it matters to me now though, as I think I've got enough blades to see me through to my final shave

I hope to hone through an SR before I'm done shaving, but I think I'd have to get awfully bad at honing to have any chance at that!