I agree with the majority opinion that the sharper blades work better. My everyday razor is the AL13+++. Permasharps and Nacets are in the top 5, but I started looking to alternatives since these are getting scarcer and more expensive over time. I now consider the BIC, Personna Med Prep and 7 O'Clock Blacks as my top 3...due to their availability and cost. Feathers are sharp, but not as smooth as the others and they are costly.
What blade works best in a Henson razor?
- Thread starter MrMoJoe
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- #62
4th and final shave with the Nacet is in the books. I know I have to shave tomorrow night for work the following day, so I shaved early this morning and only did 2 full passes, WTG and XTG. This time with Haslinger Schafmilch. A very clean, comfortable shave. Not BBS, mind you, but that wasn't the goal; I'd say about 85% there. Only if I run my fingers directly against the grain can I feel any rough patches, and for today, that is perfectly acceptable. The final result for the Nacet after 4 shaves? This is a truly outstanding blade, and may be my favorite so far; sharp and smooth all the way. Both the Bic and the Lab Blue were outstanding, but somehow I believe the Nacet just felt better on my face, like it was working better. This is highley subjective, of course, and I'll give the Bic another go at some point to compare again. Next up, Gillette Silver Blue.
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- #63
Tonight was my first shave with the Gillette Silver Blue blade in the Henson. Soap tonight was SV Felce Aromatica. I did a full 3-pass shave, and it was remarkable. The thing that really stands out is that I barely felt the blade. Only on the 3rd pass going ATG could I really feel the blade, and even then it was minimal. Finished up with rinse, alum block, cold splash/pat dry, and applied SV Felce Aromatica balm. I went for BBS, and boy did I get it; incredibly close and smooth with no irritation, even in the usual trouble spots. Can't wait to see how this one holds up.
So far with a Henson AL13 mild I’ve used the Perma-sharp and the BIC Chrome Platinum for head shaving. The Perma-sharp worked really well for me while the BIC did not.
I think the problem is that the BIC isn’t as aggressive so I had to go over areas more and I have a feeling I started applying pressure to get the BBS shave that I’m always trying to get. This resulted in a good amount of irritation after this shave and I was able to start feeling the start of stubble poking through within an hour or so whereas with the Perma-sharp blade I had BBS for a good 16 hours or so.
I have other blades that I’m going to try though, and I think I’ll give the BIC another chance someday. I also tried a new soap as well, but I think as I’m trying new blades I need to just stick with Proraso red because it works so well for me.
I think the problem is that the BIC isn’t as aggressive so I had to go over areas more and I have a feeling I started applying pressure to get the BBS shave that I’m always trying to get. This resulted in a good amount of irritation after this shave and I was able to start feeling the start of stubble poking through within an hour or so whereas with the Perma-sharp blade I had BBS for a good 16 hours or so.
I have other blades that I’m going to try though, and I think I’ll give the BIC another chance someday. I also tried a new soap as well, but I think as I’m trying new blades I need to just stick with Proraso red because it works so well for me.
I've had good experience with the BIC blades in the Henson, but some people have noted inconsistency with the sharpness of the BIC blades.
I have only used my new Henson Mild about 5 times so far - Head & Face shaves
Feather - Good close shave but irritated my skin
Gillette Nacet - Good close smooth shave virtually no irritation
BIC Platinum - Again good close smooth shave with little irritation
Astra Superior Platinum - Excellent shave - again smooth and close
Gillette Perma Sharp - Yet again close and smooth with little if any irritation
The Henson is now my go to razor so simply going through various blades to test - although i get the feeling most blades will work well with this razor...as always YMMV
Feather - Good close shave but irritated my skin
Gillette Nacet - Good close smooth shave virtually no irritation
BIC Platinum - Again good close smooth shave with little irritation
Astra Superior Platinum - Excellent shave - again smooth and close
Gillette Perma Sharp - Yet again close and smooth with little if any irritation
The Henson is now my go to razor so simply going through various blades to test - although i get the feeling most blades will work well with this razor...as always YMMV
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- #67
After shaving with four "new" blades (new to me), 4 shaves each with Bic, Personna Lab Blue, Nacet, and one shave so far with Gillette Silver Blue, I thought about a question that was asked by another member in this thread: "Why try something new if you already have something that is working?" My answer was "Because there might be something better out there". At this point in my experiment, that much is quite clear. I have been pleasantly surprised at how much difference the blade could make, and contribute to the overall experience. All of the blades so far, have been noticeably better, for me, than the Astras I had been using exclusively for the last 2-3 years. I will revisit them at some point, now that I will have a much broader experience upon which to compare. Also - I just ordered a tuck of Wilkinson Sword (German) to add to the mix.
That is one blade I've not yet tried. Looking forward to your review in the Henson, and your final conclusions.
"Why try something new if you already have something that is working?"
Easy answer:
Production changes over the years
Factories close
New factories show up
Most importantly... variety is the spice of life!
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- #70
Agreed!
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- #71
2nd shave with the Gillette Silver Blue today. Soap was Stirling Bergamot Lavender. Another close, incredibly smooth, comfortable shave. 3 full passes, folowed by rinse, alum block, cold water splash, pat dry and a splash of Speick aftershave. I've been rubbing my face and neck all day, amazed at how smooth it is. Maybe not quite as sharp as the Bic or Nacet, but sharpness is a total non-issue at this point; the GSBs are so smooth. So far, these have all been outstanding, and even though I am leaning ever so slightly toward a couple, I don't really have a clear-cut favorite as any real difference is so subjective.
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- #72
3rd shave with Gillette Silver Blue, and another great shave. Soap was PdP Original/Bergamot and Thyme. Once again it was an incredibly smooth and comfortable shave, and 3 passes resulted in BBS. The 3rd pass did give slight irritation on the sides of my throat when I went straigt against the grain, but after a few hours it wasn't noticeable and was smooth as could be. This is such a fine blade, I don't see how I can possibly boot the GSB from the lineup. I started this experiment hoping to find a favorite, but I am realizing that I will probably wind up with 5-6 favorites.
I just had my first head shave with my Henson Ti22 mild using an Astra SP blade and loved it. Super smooth and comfortable shave.
After seeing how much the OP in this thread is liking the Gillette Silver Blue with his Henson I think tomorrow’s shave will have to be using that blade. Today it was going to be either the GSB or the Astra and I went with the Astra.
The next shave after that one, which will be later in the week, will be with a Feather blade.
After seeing how much the OP in this thread is liking the Gillette Silver Blue with his Henson I think tomorrow’s shave will have to be using that blade. Today it was going to be either the GSB or the Astra and I went with the Astra.
The next shave after that one, which will be later in the week, will be with a Feather blade.
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- #74
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!! 4th and final shave with the Gillette Silver Blue was yesterday evening. Soap this time was a sample of MdC Fougere (very nice). 3 full passes, taking my time and making sure to use very light pressure, being extra careful when going ATG on the throat so as to avoid irritation. The result was amazing. 4 shaves in and this blade was still plenty sharp, and incredibly smooth; every bit as good as shaves 1, 2, and 3. If I weren't testing other blades, I'd definitely keep going with this one to see how many shaves I could get. After having some very slight irritation last time, the extra care and attention to prep and technique this time really paid off, resulting in a BBS, totally irritation free shave, even on the usual trouble spots. YMMV of course, but for me, this GSB is a magnificent blade. Nest up: The blade, the myth, the legend ... Gillette Perma-Sharp.
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- #75
1st shave with the Gillette Perma-Sharp is in the books, and it was a bit of a weird one. Soap was Stirling Bergamot Lavender. 1st pass WTG was uneventful; everything felt fine. On the 2nd pass XTG, this blade started to feel a little rough. When I went ATG on the 3rd pass, the sharpness of the blade was not in question, as it took care of the whiskers with no problem, but it still felt a little rough on my skin. While rinsing my face, it felt nice and smooth, so I definitely got a close shave and there were no visible weepers. While applying the alum block, I definitely felt some stinging. Cold water splash, pat dry, and splash on some Speick aftershave. So here's what was weird: In spite of what felt like a somewhat rough shave, there were no weepers and very little irritation when all was said and done, and I had a nice, close shave. I know a lot of people love this blade, but the jury is still out for me. I realize multiple factors (besides the blade) can affect the quality of a shave, so I will pay close attention next time. Thankfully I've got 3 more shaves with the Perma-Sharp, so I very well may get it dialed in and have some great shaves with it. Who knows?
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- #76
2nd shave with the Perma-Sharp was much better. Soap for this shave was PdP Bergamot and Thyme. I'm not sure why, but the blade felt smoother this time, but still very sharp. I did 3 full passes, but didn't push it too far, making sure to use light pressure, 3 passes and done with no touch-ups. The alum block revealed no real stinging, and I followed with a cold water spash and applied D.R. Harris Arlington aftershave. Very nice.
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- #77
I said I might get the Perma-Sharp dialed in, and on shave #3, that's exactly what happened! What a fantastic shave! Soap was SV Felce Aromatica. 3 full passes with touch ups and attention to trouble spots, and I got a BBS, irritation free shave. Close, smooth, and comfortable, just the way it should be. Usual finish with alum block and cold water splash, followed with Felce Aromatica after shave. My first shave with this blade wasn't that great, but #3 was just about as good as any I've ever had.
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- #78
4th and final shave with the Perma-Sharp is in the books. Soap today was Stirling Bergamot Lavender. I did 3 full passes, WTG, XTG, and ATG, with touch ups in the trouble spots This is definitely a sharp blade, make no mistake, but if your technique is off, you will know it. I got a very close, very smooth shave again, but even though I was very careful, I wound up with some razor burn on both sides of my throat. Based on everything I'd heard, I had high expectations for this blade; maybe too high. I really wanted to like the Perma-Sharp, but this time around, my face didn't like it as much as the others I have tried so far. I still have 4 left in the tuck, so I will revisit it again in the future. Next up - the Gillette 7 O'clock SharpEdge Yellow.
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- #79
I have been sick all week, so I haven't posted, but I do have 3 shaves in the books with the Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdge Yellow. Honestly the first two shaves did not go very well. On the first shave, the blade felt rough, and I was left with a lot of irritation. So on the second try 2 days later, I was very careful in every aspect of the shave, paying close attention to prep, blade pressure, direction, angle, etc., and I still wound up with a rough shave and irritation. It was a real head-scratcher, but maybe this blade just was not for me. Today was shave 3 with the Yellow. It was immaculate. No tugging, nothing uncomfortable whatsoever. Smoooooth. I can't see were I did anything different. The alum block felt good, with only a hint of momentay stinging in one spot on my throat. After a cold water rinse, pat dry, and application of SV Felce Aromatica after shave lotion, I had a totally BBS, irritation free face and throat. Perfection. I do have a few thoughts. First of all, I was under the weather with a flu-like virus, so my technique and focus may have been off. Also, I had a pretty rough time with the Perma-Sharp last week, and my face was really raw and irritated when I started with this blade, and I think I should have taken a few more days off to let it heal. Or maybe it's just the nature of shaving, I don't know. Anyway, I've got one more shave with this blade this round, and I will revisit them all down the road.
I like these discussion from people with course hair. Thank you!
