Worked my way through Letterk's sample blade pack

[galopede]

Morning all,

I recently returned to wet shaving a few months ago. I started on a Schick injector when I was in my teens many years ago when my father gave me one to stop me ruining his! Always with a can of gunk. Then I went onto electric the grew a beard!

Anyway, I took the advice of many members here after joining recently and ordered one of Letterk's sample blades packs. I've now worked my way through one of each plus a few others and have decided to make a report of my first impressions, for what they’re worth.

All the sampling has been done using the Merkur HD for consistency, plus Taylor’s Avocado cream and a Shavemac Best Badger.

Firstly. the best has got to be the Feather, as most here agree. Excellent BBS shave but what I can’t understand is why so many B&Bers seem to be afraid of them!

I found it the smoothest and most gentle of the different brands. Not one nick. Not one pull or tug at the whickers. Hardly a tingle when finishing off with the alum block. It wasn’t just one pass either as I need several full passes in all directions plus several more touch ups against the grain to get a reasonable shave, as the bristles grow in all sorts of directions! The Feather actually managed to get rid of the up until now permanent rough patches around the Adam’s apple. Still took a couple of hacks though but I didn’t need to have a final scrape with the cheap nasty disposable twin blade on that bit. (only thing that ever seemed to shift that bit of bristle)
Now thought it was a ***** cat of a blade, so smooth and gentle. Not at all aggressive. Makes me wonder what some of you do with them to be so afraid! I’ve yet to try one in the Futur though. Might be a different story there.

The next best after the Feather, in joint second place, were the Israeli and the Swedish Gillette. Not much difference between them though I think the Gillette was just a touch sharper but the Israeli was a touch smoother.

For any Brits reading this, I’d put the excellent Tesco’s own brand in the joint second place along with the Swedes and Israelis.

Then came the Merkurs, of which I now have many, having bought the HD and a Futur, making 20 free blades plus the ones in John’s sampler! (I didn’t used the loose blades that came with them, as per the board’s recommendations)

Next came Wilkinson Sword, not in John’s sampler pack. Not a bad blade but nothing to write home about. Fairly smooth but not too sharp.

Bottom of the list came the Derbys. Had a couple of quite rough shaves from that one before binning it. Hacked chunks out from under the chin! Of course, I have more Derbys in the pack and that one could well have been a duff one and may go up in my estimation in my next round of tests.

Now I will go through them all again and see if I still feel the same way about them! A difficult job but someone has to do it.

It gives me something to do of a morning...

Gareth

 

[Scotto]

Thanks for the review. I like the Feathers, but I find them too inconsistent. I'll go through a few blades with magical shaves, and then hit one that is a demon. Such is life. I have pretty much settled on Derby's as my daily blade, though I will use Swedish Gillettes and others on occasion to keep things interesting.

 

[mantic]

I have a new-found respect for Feathers. The first time I tried them a couple years ago they were just too scarey-sharp for me. On an impulse I popped one into my Progress a couple days ago, and now that I have a couple years experience under my belt I've been getting absolutely astonishing shaves with it. For "best bang for the buck" I think you still can't beat the Israeli Personna's though.

--Mark

 

[guenron]

Gareth,
How dare you post such a reasoned discourse on blades! Absolutely unacceptable.
Not having specifically purchased a LetterK Sampler, but having used most of the blades in it and several others (BTW, I DO recommend the Sampler for novices and shaving gourmets) I feel comfortable comparing the relative merits of the different brands. I also feel comfortable saying that the differing skill levels, facial topographies, and whisker qualities should and do yield the YMMV reveries. Another all together separate issue is an appreciation for the fact that many of the posters may have no more than a dozen shaves under their belts and post as though their findings are based on expertise built of long experience. That is one of the pitfalls of scouring the forums.
Now to the point. I enjoyed reading your "first blade" reflections and find that many coincide with my own. Despite the number of years I have been wet shaving, it is always good to do a sanity check every so often. Looking back I was a Gillette or Schick blade guy most, if not all of the time until about five years ago. I got my hooks on some Merkurs and enjoyed them immensely. While they are no longer my everyday blade, I always carry them with my Progress when I travel. So what's all of this about? I pride myself in being able to wrest a good (B) shave from even the poorest of blades. It's all about skill with tools. You may wish to try that as a challenge at some point.
I enjoyed your reflections.

 

[Suzuki]

Ron, I admire your desire to wrest a good shave from the poorest of blades - sort of like trying to make a soufle over a campfire

 

[guenron]

Ron, I admire your desire to wrest a good shave from the poorest of blades - sort of like trying to make a soufle over a campfire

Once a month I go down to the South Branch of the Canadian River with a piece of broken glass, a clam shell, and some lye floor soap to renew my oneness with the past!

 

[letterk]

Great report. As Ron said, YMMV on these. Blades are a funny thing and usually result in a wide array in performance reports. Personally, the Derbys have been my go to blade. I also work in the Feathers once in a while and just recently have been having some good luck with the Swedish Gillettes in a less aggresive razor. While I can get a good shave with Merkur, their inconsistancy drives me batty. The Israelis are fine, but I don't get any performance upgrades, either sharpness or smoothness, over the other three.

 

[TAsunder]

I'm still working through the sample pack, but found something interesting. The feathers give a great shave the first time I use a particular edge. But the second shave is significantly less smooth. I've gone through at least 5 feathers and this is the pattern every single time. The merkurs I used exclusively before did not have this problem. Sort of the opposite, really. First shave seemed about the same as the third on the same edge.

That said, I still prefer the feathers because it's not really a big deal to throw away a blade that's so cheap after a couple of shaves.

Haven't gotten a good read on the others because I've only tried them once or twice each.

 

[boboakalfb]

I'm still working through the sample pack, but found something interesting. The feathers give a great shave the first time I use a particular edge. But the second shave is significantly less smooth. I've gone through at least 5 feathers and this is the pattern every single time. The merkurs I used exclusively before did not have this problem. Sort of the opposite, really. First shave seemed about the same as the third on the same edge.

That said, I still prefer the feathers because it's not really a big deal to throw away a blade that's so cheap after a couple of shaves.

Haven't gotten a good read on the others because I've only tried them once or twice each.

Thats odd..alot of people feel that the Feathers smooth out a bit after the first shave. Then they stay in the smooth zone for 3-4 days before getting too rough. Whatever works best for you...still less $ then the Mach 3 / Fusion cartridges.

 

[mrob]

I do appreciate the review--very nicely and thoroughly done!

I'm a confirmed Derby user, and have been scared straight from the Feathers--too many nicks every time I load one. Merkurs are just OK, and the Target specials are horro-movie stuff.

 

[thatbrian]

Great review.

When I first was lurking around here I remember thinking "these guys are nuts if they think that they can tell differences in blades! A blade is a blade isn't it?". Well, now I can say that I can not believe how much better a shave I get from Feathers than any other blade by far. No contest. With every other blade I feel tugging and pulling and after many passes I still have stubble. With the Feathers I don't even need to go against the grain to get BBS. No cuts, no irritation just a great shave.

-Brian

 

[htownmmm]

Gareth,

Great review! As you have noted, the Feathers aren't as scary as you believed. that is why most posters will add the phrase 'YMMV'.

Blades can and do make a dramatic difference in wetshaving; some of us find the magical blade initially, others after much trial and error. Be thankful you have found your go to blade quickly.


Marty

 

[galopede]

Gareth,

Great review! As you have noted, the Feathers aren't as scary as you believed. that is why most posters will add the phrase 'YMMV'.

Blades can and do make a dramatic difference in wetshaving; some of us find the magical blade initially, others after much trial and error. Be thankful you have found your go to blade quickly.


Marty

OK, I give up! What does YMMV mean? I see it everywhere on this board!

Thinking more about the Feather blades, I'm not so sure about them now.
The reason? There's not enough stubble 24 hours later for another luxurious shave!! They are TOO good for me to need a shave every morning and I want my brush and lather fix!

As I said, I'll be going through the selection again a few times before I need to order any new blades but I think I might be looking for feathers.

Gareth

 

[xChris]

OK, I give up! What does YMMV mean? I see it everywhere on this board!

YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary

 

[guenron]

Ron, I admire your desire to wrest a good shave from the poorest of blades - sort of like trying to make a soufle over a campfire

Strange that you mention that similie.. Should you ever have the opportunity to be in the Normandy area of France, you must go to the Mont St. Michel. On the Mont St. Michel there exists a family-owned and run restaurant that specializes in omelets. The preparation of the omelets is a monument to the culinary art and showmanship all at one time. But not to tarry, they are cooked over a open fire that is built with a particular wood. Never in my life have I enjoyed such an omelet anywhere else. You ask the name of the restaurant? La Mere Poulard, if I recall.

 

[mrob]

This reminds me of an experience I had recently. . .(cue atmospheric music soundtrack). . .

Tired from a long day on the road, I stumbled into a Denny's restaurant. Bleary eyed, I told the waitress, a haggard, 70s-ish woman named Flo, to bring me the specialty of the house. Moments later, she returned from the kitchen holding a steaming plate of Moons Over My Hammy, a delectable concoction of scrambled eggs, sliced ham, and processed cheese. I tucked into that plate like there was no tomorrow.

Now, that's good eatin', Ron! $3.99, all the weak coffee you can guzzle, lots of smoke wafting your way from the "Smoking Section," thoughtfully located 1 table away from your Non-Smoking table. Gotta love the Denny's experience!

 

[guenron]

This reminds me of an experience I had recently. . .(cue atmospheric music soundtrack). . .

Tired from a long day on the road, I stumbled into a Denny's restaurant. Bleary eyed, I told the waitress, a haggard, 70s-ish woman named Flo, to bring me the specialty of the house. Moments later, she returned from the kitchen holding a steaming plate of Moons Over My Hammy, a delectable concoction of scrambled eggs, sliced ham, and processed cheese. I tucked into that plate like there was no tomorrow.

Now, that's good eatin', Ron! $3.99, all the weak coffee you can guzzle, lots of smoke wafting your way from the "Smoking Section," thoughtfully located 1 table away from your Non-Smoking table. Gotta love the Denny's experience!

Perhaps a measure of greatness, I can still remember what I had for lunch at La Mere Poulard and that was just about 30 years ago! Maybe Moons Over My Hammy for breakfast today?

 

[mrob]

Yeah, I think we remember good meals in crystalline detail. I had a great 10 course tasting menu at a wonderful French restaurant in Quebec City a year or so ago--3 kinds of faux gras, pea soup foam with smoked salmon, a veal dish that was out of this world. . .accompanied by great wines and stunning desserts.

Although the company has a lot to do with this--I remember great meals with my wife in better detail than those enjoyed with colleagues or other friends.

 

[readyme]

Great review...thanks. I look foward to more from you.

 

[MJB]

I too think this was an excellent review. I have already gone through the pack once and am now doing a second run.

My first go told me the Feather was easily the best. The Feathers still give the smoothest first with the grain pass. Unfortunately, with the Feathers as I go across of against the grain or do any blade buffing--trouble. At first I hated the Derby's and Merkurs but seem to be appreciating them more. Truth is though I may very well settle on the Euro Gillettes--not I just gotta figure out where to find them for purchase. These seem to allow me to use all the techniques that I do with relative comfort and smoothness is great. They along with the Merkur seem to evolve the least over a weeks use and seem pretty consistent--I've used 3 with good results all the way.

Again YMMV