Derby's - just dreadful, might as well use a cheese grater. Razor burn and weepers every time.
The Worst Blade?
- Thread starter k2clones29
- Start date
I tried, I really tried - for a year I persevered thinking it was technique on my part... and surely I was just about to get the hang of it. Just happened to try a Shark one day and presto, amazing irritation free shaves every time... no weepers, irritation or fuss shave after shave.
I know it's a personal thing but the difference was so stark it amazed me - I actually went back and tried one when I posted this just to see if they were as bad as I recalled as it's so long since I used them. Yes, blood flowed and my face was scraped up... not a blade that works for me. If nothing else my scraped up face is a good advert for blade sampler packs
I've only tried a few blades in the past month since I rekindled the romance of DE shaving after a 55 year lapse but I've found Merkurs and Sharks to be unimpressive. Maybe it was my technique or the safety razors (I've got a lot to try out) but I've had much better luck with Personna, Fleather and Derby. I won't give up on them and maybe other combinations will work.
Ron
Ron
I'm partial to most of the brands pushed out of Moscow but the Gillette Silver Blues and Gillette Platinums tear me up.
As a glutton for punishment I give them a chance a couple times a year, then one blade goes in the box and the others go to the back of the cabinet...
As a glutton for punishment I give them a chance a couple times a year, then one blade goes in the box and the others go to the back of the cabinet...
For me, it's Wilkinson Sword. YMMV.
Nickshaves just did a review and it was impossible for him to get a close shave without major razor burn.
May have spoken too soon. I gave both the Gillette Blue and the Platinum another try with the Merkur 34C over the past couple weeks - and they were fine...... go figure
Derby is easily my least favorite. Sadly I didn't learn this until after a 100 blade purchase.
For me it is Feather blades: at 4 times the cost, 3 times the irritation and only 2 shaves per blade these are the most overly hyped blades I have ever used.
After reading through these posts (I readily admit I skipped a bunch of pages) it should be clear that there is no consensus on the worst blade, nor could there be.
The ubiquitous Derby is the perfect example of this. I suspect a vast majority of us think they are dull beyond reason and disrespect them at every turn, but some faces find them to be perfect and order them by the hundreds. And there is no sense talking about blades without including the razor as some work much better in some razor/face combinations than others.
The ubiquitous Derby is the perfect example of this. I suspect a vast majority of us think they are dull beyond reason and disrespect them at every turn, but some faces find them to be perfect and order them by the hundreds. And there is no sense talking about blades without including the razor as some work much better in some razor/face combinations than others.
For me there are three blades that just do not work: Topaz, Astra green, and Shark.
Merkur comes to mind first.
Merkur and derby
I think the Wilkinson Sword Classic is one of the smoothest blades I've used. Funny how someone can have a totally different experience.
I hated Derby blades from the first stroke. Was like a cheese grater on my face. I didn't like the sound of the blade on my face either.
+1
I also used a Merkur with my first razor (a 33c 'classic safety razor') and had to wonder if I had made a mistake getting into DE shaving. I had also ordered some Personna Blues with my razor, so I quickly learned that the Merkur blade was simply very different than the others. I've always considered it the worst blade I've tried. But now that I've improved my technique (greatly) and obtained a few other razors (Feather AS-D2, EJ Kelvin, Schick Krona and Weishi [sold as VDH]) I've also discovered that the razor can make one blade better than others. So...like you, I'd try the Merkurs again before declaring them the garbage I originally thought.
It's also why I'd not recommend to an absolute newb to buy a variety pack of blades at first. I'd recommend a decent blade that most like: Personna, Astra or Derby and get them to perfect their technique before doing their blade search. By trying an excellent blade with bad technique could leave a bad impression of what could be their best choice once they've gotten better at using their tools.
The obscure Chinese blades that come "free" with the cheap unbranded Chinese razors
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