Hi, I switched to DE for the savings last year. I tried several brands and settled with Personna labs as the best for me so far, with Wilkinson swords in 2nd and Astras slightly behind those. Any suggestions for other blades similar to the Personnas? They are good but I have very coarse and thick hair and sometimes I need to go very slow with short passes to avoid snagging. Feathers and Sharks have been the worst for me so far they completely tear my face off. Any help is appreciated, thank y'all in advance!
Tried several blades, Personnas are close but looking to hone in to perfection
- Thread starter snowfoot
- Start date
Good morning snowfoot......If you ask 100 of us, (you included), you may very well get 100 different answers. I would highly recommend getting sample packs of various blades and then just trying them out to see what blade(s) is/are a good fit for your razor(s), technique, and more importantly your face. To date, you are already on course with Personna labs, Wilkinson swords, and Astras. Personally, I like the Nacets, Feathers, Bic Chrome Platinums, Perma Sharps, and Pol Silvers.
I used to like the Israeli Personnas, but I'm quite fond of the Gillette Platinums and Gillette Silver Blues now. They're sharp, yet smooth and comfortable.
The Labs/Med Preps are pretty sharp. You might try Gillette Silver Blues.
Sometimes it's a razor/blade thing, sometimes it's a razor/blade/face thing. You really don't know until you try them. GSBs don't work well for me, but Feathers are great. it's a mystery.
I'd also give Wizamets a try. Sharp and smooth.
I'm not trying to spend your money, but it's possible you might need a more aggressive razor given they way you describe your beard. But try a bunch of blades first.
Sometimes it's a razor/blade thing, sometimes it's a razor/blade/face thing. You really don't know until you try them. GSBs don't work well for me, but Feathers are great. it's a mystery.
I'd also give Wizamets a try. Sharp and smooth.
I'm not trying to spend your money, but it's possible you might need a more aggressive razor given they way you describe your beard. But try a bunch of blades first.
What razor are you using?
That's also one of the components for finding the right shave.
That's also one of the components for finding the right shave.
Welcome to B&B.
I would try Gillette Silve Blue, Gillette Platinum, 7 O'Clock SharpEdge or Wizamet blades.
I would try Gillette Silve Blue, Gillette Platinum, 7 O'Clock SharpEdge or Wizamet blades.
The old Israeli Personna's were a good blade, and were my favorite in the Timeless 95 OC & Rex. Sadly, the replacement, now made in Germany, just don't compare to the Israeli blades. I have 180 of them, and don't care for them in my daily driver (Rex Ambassador) nor Timeless. For a really smooth, yet sharp blade, the Rapira Platinum Lux is now my favorite, sharp enough to get the job done with ease, yet VERY smooth, about as smooth as it gets in fact.
For brute force, with a lower setting on the Rex, Feather blades also work great, which is sort of surprising, as they'd never been my favorite, but seeing other Rex owners suggesting them, ordered in a fresh set of 50. - Sharpest blade on the market, but you need to exercise a bit more common sense to prevent nicks. Perfect match in my Rex, with the setting dialed down from the usual ~4 to ~1.5, and still get a great shave, with less blade feel.
For brute force, with a lower setting on the Rex, Feather blades also work great, which is sort of surprising, as they'd never been my favorite, but seeing other Rex owners suggesting them, ordered in a fresh set of 50. - Sharpest blade on the market, but you need to exercise a bit more common sense to prevent nicks. Perfect match in my Rex, with the setting dialed down from the usual ~4 to ~1.5, and still get a great shave, with less blade feel.
If you have a very thick, coarse beard, you need very sharp blades.
Feathers are the sharpest out of the wrapper, but they deteriorate quickly so they are not ideal for someone with a coarse beard trying to save money.
Shark Super Chrome and Super Stainless are not close to being sharp enough for a coarse beard. However, there is a Shark Platinum blade and the similar Lord Platinum Class blade that are much sharper. Lord is the company that makes the Shark branded blades.
The Personna Comfort coated lab blue blades have a thick PTFE coating that makes them very smooth, but somewhat tuggy on the 1st shave for those with tough beards However, after the first shave, the coating starts to wear off and they become quite sharp.
When you say Astra blades, are you talking about the Astra Superior Platinum (green) or Astra Superior Stainless (blue). I have never found an Astra green that was sharp enough for my tough beard. The Astra blue are much sharper. If you have not tried them, you might be pleased.
Which Wilkinson Sword blade have you used. The Classic blades made in Germany are quite sharp after you get past the 1st shave. They have a pretty thick coating, similar to the lab blues. Although made in different countries, they are made by the same company that makes Personnas.
Some other blades you may want to try are:
BIC Chrome Platinum blades made in Greece. One of my favorites.
Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum (black) blades made in India- very smooth and very sharp.
Gillette Nacet blades made in Russia. Very sharp, but perhaps not quite as smooth.
Gillette PermaSharp Super made in Russia. Similar to Nacets.
Personna Platinum Chrome- Israeli Reds if you can still get them. They are now made in Germany at the same factory that makes the Wilkinson Sword Classic blades. I have only tried a few of the new German blades and like them, but some say they are not as good.
Gillette Astra Superior Stainless blue made in Russia
Although not as familiar as the blades listed above, there are some other you might want to try at some point. I find them to be both sharp and smooth.
Dorco Prime Platinum STP301 blades made in Vietnam
Vidyut Super Max Blue Diamond blades made in India
Durablade Sharp Titanium made in Bangladesh
Rapira Platinum Lux made in Moscow Russia
The Gillette Platinum and Gillette Silver Blue blades are very sharp and I can use them, but I find the blades listed above to be even sharper such that I can get an even better shave.
The blades you will ultimate define as your favorites will depend also on the razor or razors you use them in. If you are using a fairly aggressive razor, you might find some of my top blades to be too sharp for that razor. If you can use the Wilkinson Sword Classics, you should be able to use any of the blades I recommended.
Feathers are the sharpest out of the wrapper, but they deteriorate quickly so they are not ideal for someone with a coarse beard trying to save money.
Shark Super Chrome and Super Stainless are not close to being sharp enough for a coarse beard. However, there is a Shark Platinum blade and the similar Lord Platinum Class blade that are much sharper. Lord is the company that makes the Shark branded blades.
The Personna Comfort coated lab blue blades have a thick PTFE coating that makes them very smooth, but somewhat tuggy on the 1st shave for those with tough beards However, after the first shave, the coating starts to wear off and they become quite sharp.
When you say Astra blades, are you talking about the Astra Superior Platinum (green) or Astra Superior Stainless (blue). I have never found an Astra green that was sharp enough for my tough beard. The Astra blue are much sharper. If you have not tried them, you might be pleased.
Which Wilkinson Sword blade have you used. The Classic blades made in Germany are quite sharp after you get past the 1st shave. They have a pretty thick coating, similar to the lab blues. Although made in different countries, they are made by the same company that makes Personnas.
Some other blades you may want to try are:
BIC Chrome Platinum blades made in Greece. One of my favorites.
Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum (black) blades made in India- very smooth and very sharp.
Gillette Nacet blades made in Russia. Very sharp, but perhaps not quite as smooth.
Gillette PermaSharp Super made in Russia. Similar to Nacets.
Personna Platinum Chrome- Israeli Reds if you can still get them. They are now made in Germany at the same factory that makes the Wilkinson Sword Classic blades. I have only tried a few of the new German blades and like them, but some say they are not as good.
Gillette Astra Superior Stainless blue made in Russia
Although not as familiar as the blades listed above, there are some other you might want to try at some point. I find them to be both sharp and smooth.
Dorco Prime Platinum STP301 blades made in Vietnam
Vidyut Super Max Blue Diamond blades made in India
Durablade Sharp Titanium made in Bangladesh
Rapira Platinum Lux made in Moscow Russia
The Gillette Platinum and Gillette Silver Blue blades are very sharp and I can use them, but I find the blades listed above to be even sharper such that I can get an even better shave.
The blades you will ultimate define as your favorites will depend also on the razor or razors you use them in. If you are using a fairly aggressive razor, you might find some of my top blades to be too sharp for that razor. If you can use the Wilkinson Sword Classics, you should be able to use any of the blades I recommended.
The Personna’s are sharp, but not as smooth as I like. For me, I prefer Nacet & Feather blades. Nacets are smooth & sharp for about 10 shaves, Feather for 2 shaves.
Kai. I like Personna and Kai. You like Personna so maybe you will like Kai too. That’s science.
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My ‘top-tier’ for what it is worth (and in no particular order):
Personna lab (or med prep)
Personna red
Wizamet SI (or Polsilver)
GSB
Nacet
Astra SP
Personna lab (or med prep)
Personna red
Wizamet SI (or Polsilver)
GSB
Nacet
Astra SP
Nacets and Perma Sharps work really well for me. The sample pack is likely the best way to find your "go-to" blade.
As stated above, different blades work better in different razors. As an example, KAI or Feather blades work best for me in mild razors, like my Super Speed.
As stated above, different blades work better in different razors. As an example, KAI or Feather blades work best for me in mild razors, like my Super Speed.
Since joining this forum and taking a deeper dive into blades, I’ve noticed Gillette 7 o’clock (yellow) blades seems to be one of the most mentioned blades by far, with several members reporting multiple shaves per blade. Are they really that good? I’ve found an insane deal on Amazon for 100 of these bad boys. I understand YMMV so I’ll try myself first of course. Just interested in others opinions.
It’s a shame that I didn’t get a couple in my sampler pack. I did get two Gillette Silver Blue which performed well very well.
Edit: I just noticed that my wording “taking a deeper dive into blades” sounds pretty scary.
It’s a shame that I didn’t get a couple in my sampler pack. I did get two Gillette Silver Blue which performed well very well.
Edit: I just noticed that my wording “taking a deeper dive into blades” sounds pretty scary.
The 'blacks' seem to be the sharpest of the 7 o'clock family. They get a lot of attention on B&B and they have a good following.Since joining this forum and taking a deeper dive into blades, I’ve noticed Gillette 7 o’clock (yellow) blades seems to be one of the most mentioned blades by far, with several members reporting multiple shaves per blade. Are they really that good? I’ve found an insane deal on Amazon for 100 of these bad boys. I understand YMMV so I’ll try myself first of course. Just interested in others opinions.
It’s a shame that I didn’t get a couple in my sampler pack. I did get two Gillette Silver Blue which performed well very well.
Edit: I just noticed that my wording “taking a deeper dive into blades” sounds pretty scary.
I am tempted to try them myself.
The Platinums and Silver Blues are excellent, solid choices.
What razor(s) and soap(s) are you using in your current setup James? You mentioned 'tugging' in your OP and that you have a heavy coarse growth.
Just trying to home in on any other factors to discuss that may be of help to you.
Slow strokes can sometimes worsen the cutting experience. It's best to be decisive and do quite rapid strokes. It takes the whiskers by surprise
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7 o'clock yellow blades are very good. If you like the GSBs, you will probably like the Gillette Platinums, also.
I’m hooked on Slant bar after buying the Merkur 37C recently. I added the Razorock German 37 to my small collection as well and these two are the smoothest shaves I’ve ever had. I shaved today with a Bic blade in my German 37, with Col. Conk lime shaving soap.
My go to soap is Proraso white soap, and until I started experimenting with blades, I tended to alternate between Merkur and Feather blades.
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