They have an nice wrapper.
Are those instructions inside the wrapper on the left telling you to fold the blade in half before inserting it in the razor?They have an nice wrapper.
I would happily shave with any and all of these blades. Most I've shaved with at some point or another and they can (with some effort) give me at least one or more good shaves. Maybe not the best shave but they are definitely usable blades.
However there is one blade that I've encountered that is completely worthless. Until you've tried a Flying Eagle Chinese blade you really have no idea just how bad a blade can get. It's a blade I could not even finish the first pass with. I can't say this for any other blade and I've tried a whole lot of them, including many of the less desirable ones.
The Flying Eagle is just sharp enough to grab onto the hair and dig in but not sharp enough to actually cut through it. This results in you pulling out each hair root and all. It's flat out torture to use this blade.
A sadistic member here sent me a pack of these blades (actually it was included in a very nice PIF) and I've passed on the majority of them on to other users with warnings of just how bad they are. The result is always the same, by far the worst blade ever. Nobody seems to make it through a shave with most binning it sometime during the first pass.
There are few listed in this thread:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/198176-What-blade-is-the-WORST-for-you
For me, Balaka blades were the worst.
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My favorites are the Feather as well as the old Gillette Spoilers. Both provide outstanding effectiveness with much comfort and are long-lasting.
I'm not picky over the blade, most providing effective shaves with adequate comfort. For me, it's mostly about the mileage a blade gives before wheezing to a stop. If it goes a full seven-day week it makes the grade. If it can't hold out that long before it loses its effectiveness and begins to pull then it's a second rate product. I'm happy with a number of blades that receive frequent mention here as being horrible.
The worst blade I actually managed some shaves with is the Wilkinson. Tried them off and on for a couple of years after I took up double-edged shaving after a 30-year hiatus. Ineffective cutting and discomfort like no other is my experience with the Wilkinson. Tried buying them on different occasions. All were wretched.
Then there's the worst blade I never shaved with. The Chinese Flying Eagle brand. Picked up a couple of packs. I've tried them a couple of times but have yet to shave with them because they simply won't cut. I don't think the sharpening step was completed when the blade was manufactured. I've never successfully cut a whisker with a Flying Eagle. Try a pack just for the amusement. Quality so deplorable simply must be experienced.
Are those instructions inside the wrapper on the left telling you to fold the blade in half before inserting it in the razor?
Merkur...great razors, crappy blades.