Anyone else try these blades?
Having read the reviews, most notably seeing them as the favorite on the LeisureGuy and scourmanop blogs, I decided to give them a try. I realize they're a very "love it or hate it" type of blade. After a single shave, I think I'm very much in the "Love it!" camp. For those new to it like myself, it is a blued carbon steel blade as a protective finish. I love the way these Black Beauties look, just very old-school looking and classy (as these were initially bought as an alternative to the expensive Gillette Super Blue). And I also appreciate how they're packed - double wrapped in paper, no glue spots on the blade to hold it in place. Very simple, very neat.
As far as sharpness, it's got to be at least on par with my Gillettes. How so? I had a rather simple prep - shower, face lather with Cella, and start shaving. Maybe it's just because Cella is so awesome, but I normally work a little shaving cream onto my face (Proraso, usually) and let it help soften my hair before giving it a hot rinse. I gave myself my normal 3 pass shave: WTG, XTG and ATG, with just a small touch up on my neck, just under my chin. BBS, just the way I like it.
It felt very smooth on my face. Now, it didn't exactly glide across my face, but there was absolutely no drag whatsoever and shaved just how I wished any blade would shave. Not as smooth as a Gillette Swede, but a bit more so than a Super Iridium or a Gillette 7 O'clock yellow. I thought it offered a lot of tactile feedback, without scraping my skin or pulling my facial hair. I washed my face immediately, gave a cold water splash, then hit my face up with my alum block, Pinaud Clubman, and some a/s balm. No sting, no irritation, no stubble. Lovely.
I can't say anything for longevity yet, as I've only had one very satisfying shave. However, they do no seem to last long at all from others' experiences, even when rinsing your razor and blade in a bit of alcohol. I'll try push a couple of blades as far as they can go, but it is awfully tempting to use a brand new blade for each shave. That definitely drives up the cost per shave, however.
The cost was $1.79 from the Shoebox Shave Shop for a pack of 10 blades; no discount for buying 100, unfortunately.
Shave materials: Cella shave soap, my trusty Merkur long handle classic 23c, and Rooney 1/1 super silvertip brush, Pinaud Clubman aftershave splash, generic alum block, Nivea Extreme Comfort aftershave balm.
Having read the reviews, most notably seeing them as the favorite on the LeisureGuy and scourmanop blogs, I decided to give them a try. I realize they're a very "love it or hate it" type of blade. After a single shave, I think I'm very much in the "Love it!" camp. For those new to it like myself, it is a blued carbon steel blade as a protective finish. I love the way these Black Beauties look, just very old-school looking and classy (as these were initially bought as an alternative to the expensive Gillette Super Blue). And I also appreciate how they're packed - double wrapped in paper, no glue spots on the blade to hold it in place. Very simple, very neat.
As far as sharpness, it's got to be at least on par with my Gillettes. How so? I had a rather simple prep - shower, face lather with Cella, and start shaving. Maybe it's just because Cella is so awesome, but I normally work a little shaving cream onto my face (Proraso, usually) and let it help soften my hair before giving it a hot rinse. I gave myself my normal 3 pass shave: WTG, XTG and ATG, with just a small touch up on my neck, just under my chin. BBS, just the way I like it.
It felt very smooth on my face. Now, it didn't exactly glide across my face, but there was absolutely no drag whatsoever and shaved just how I wished any blade would shave. Not as smooth as a Gillette Swede, but a bit more so than a Super Iridium or a Gillette 7 O'clock yellow. I thought it offered a lot of tactile feedback, without scraping my skin or pulling my facial hair. I washed my face immediately, gave a cold water splash, then hit my face up with my alum block, Pinaud Clubman, and some a/s balm. No sting, no irritation, no stubble. Lovely.
I can't say anything for longevity yet, as I've only had one very satisfying shave. However, they do no seem to last long at all from others' experiences, even when rinsing your razor and blade in a bit of alcohol. I'll try push a couple of blades as far as they can go, but it is awfully tempting to use a brand new blade for each shave. That definitely drives up the cost per shave, however.
The cost was $1.79 from the Shoebox Shave Shop for a pack of 10 blades; no discount for buying 100, unfortunately.
Shave materials: Cella shave soap, my trusty Merkur long handle classic 23c, and Rooney 1/1 super silvertip brush, Pinaud Clubman aftershave splash, generic alum block, Nivea Extreme Comfort aftershave balm.
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