So here's a question for the more experienced DE shavers around here: Who of you (if anyone) can get a satisfying shave from absolutely ANY blade you load up? Meaning acceptably close with zero irritation in 2 to 3 complete passes. Just thought I'd throw it out there, since there seem to be such differing opinions about the various blade choices. Wonder where this one is going to go?
Who can shave with absolutely ANY blade?
- Thread starter americanarmsdealer
- Start date
Not I.
I can get an acceptable shave with just about anything, though I prefer Swedish Gillettes & any flavor of 7 O'Clock blade.
I have been able to get good shaves with everything from Merkur's to Feather's, using my 57 SuperSpeed
I always do 4 pass shave, and I always get 3 days on a blade.
Some are trickier than others, cut the heck out of myself using Shark with my great grandfather's fat handle tech (somehow it's got more gap than my grandfather's Slim adjustable on 9)
So far I like Dorco 300 and Isreali Crystals the best, easier to get good shave with.
I have tried:
Merkur
Wilkensen Sword Indian
Gillettte 7o'clock russian yellows
Derby Extra
Astra
Feather
Red Pack Personna Isreali
Crystal Isreali
Dorco 300
Dorco 301
US Personas (Walmart and Family Dollar)
Gillette Blue Blades
Shark Super Platinum
I always do 4 pass shave, and I always get 3 days on a blade.
Some are trickier than others, cut the heck out of myself using Shark with my great grandfather's fat handle tech (somehow it's got more gap than my grandfather's Slim adjustable on 9)
So far I like Dorco 300 and Isreali Crystals the best, easier to get good shave with.
I have tried:
Merkur
Wilkensen Sword Indian
Gillettte 7o'clock russian yellows
Derby Extra
Astra
Feather
Red Pack Personna Isreali
Crystal Isreali
Dorco 300
Dorco 301
US Personas (Walmart and Family Dollar)
Gillette Blue Blades
Shark Super Platinum
I can get by on most, but don't try to sell me on Merkurs or Wal-Mart Personnas, because I'm not buying.
So far I can. But I've only been using a DE for a month, and I've only tried Sharks, Crystals, and Iridium so far!!
I certainly can't but I can tell you for sure it is not all about technique and experience!
I encountered irritating coatings, burning preservative oil (alcohol bath worked partly) and blades that simply don't cut my whiskers.
In my family there are many men that grew a full beard because nothing worked for them and the rest is on str8, DE and injector. Most of them don't shave every day (including me) just because even a SAS causes trouble.
I encountered quite a lot of blades that don't hold their edge for one complete shave! Luckily there are a few that do the trick for me a couple of times but it is harder to find great blades nowadays then it was a couple of decades ago.
I encountered irritating coatings, burning preservative oil (alcohol bath worked partly) and blades that simply don't cut my whiskers.
In my family there are many men that grew a full beard because nothing worked for them and the rest is on str8, DE and injector. Most of them don't shave every day (including me) just because even a SAS causes trouble.
I encountered quite a lot of blades that don't hold their edge for one complete shave! Luckily there are a few that do the trick for me a couple of times but it is harder to find great blades nowadays then it was a couple of decades ago.
I pamper my skin like a baby and then 4-5 passes.
With DE blades, I can think of eight brands that I've tried. All were usable, but some were noticeably worse than others, and I'd rather not use them again. Equaline, Merkur, and Gillette 7 O'clock Yellow were the worst for me, but if I had nothing else, I'd get by.
ALMOST any blade. I won't shave ever again with A&P store brand blades.
Merkurs did not work for me. They were just plain terrible.
Excepting the carbon steel blades of yore - (because NO ONE gets a good shave from them), I've had good results with all except these;
.
.
yeah, those blades can give stick of butter a mean rash.
Other than carbon steel blades and the Shark, I have gotten decent shaves from most every blade I tried. Still prefer to shave with the best blades available, tho.
not me.
I stick with the same 4 blades, Derbys, Merkurs, IP Reds and 7 O'clock Yellows and get the same nice shave out of all of them. I tend to favor certain blades in certain razors, so that probably explains why the shaves balance out.
Me...I like Merkurs and Walmart Personnas. All the blades I tried I had no problems with other than Feather but now I like Feathers too. Ive tried and liked Merkurs, Personna, Derby, Bluebird, Kai, and Feather. The only difference is some last longer than others.
And yet, before the advent of the stainless blade, those buggers ruled the roost from about 1901 to about 1960, and early DE shavers reported getting weeks, and sometimes months, of use out of a single blade. Men (and women) must have been made of sterner stuff back in the old days.
Makes me wonder if they were better before time got to the edges...
I can get by on pretty much anything though obviously some are better than others. 
My first 15 years consisted of one razor and dime store blades. Never gave it a thought really. Then I picked up a Fatboy at a garage sale in 1995 and used that until fairly recently. I did discover brushes, soaps, creams, and yes blades in the last two years. As mentioned above, I believe you can get a good shave with any new blade. They do differ, no doubt about it, but to say a single brand of blade just won't shave? Sorry...you can't sale me on that one! Oh...and not that anyone is asking, but I think the Red IP's are fantastic blades!
