Yet Another Journal of Razors and Blades and Stuff

[spacemonkey42]

And to Mountain Goat Thom’s point about the precision of blade testing: there’s some question as to whether or not the vintage English London Bridge and Wilkinson Sword are in fact the same blade rebranded. After trying one of each so far, I’m about 55% confident that they’re different. So just slightly more confident than a coin flip.

Perhaps surprisingly, they felt quite different to me. I'm 90% confident they are different. And 1,000% that they are both better than the orange London Bridge.

 

[APBinNCA]

there’s some question as to whether or not the vintage English London Bridge and Wilkinson Sword are in fact the same blade rebranded.

As a disclaimer, I am biased. That being said, we have the original trademark for the London Bridge blades with the year, but don’t ask me to find my bookmark…

The thing to keep in mind is that from 1965 on, they were improving the coating process nearly every year; this is why they were making changes to the branding frequently. Initially, the blades were simply PTFE coated like Spoilers, but then they started the chromium sputtering process by about 1968 I think. Those were the New Blades I think or Light Brigades as they are known. I can’t remember if the Super Sword Edge predates these, but I believe so. Regardless, by the time of the London Bridge blades, they were at their final version of these blades. The largest, though surprisingly small, difference is between the early coated blades and the later chromium blades. Figuring out exactly what you actually have is half the fun!

 

[APBinNCA]

Sorry for the above derail, I had something to say about blade testing and will get my laptop out and edit this post.

I started out with a specific razor for blade testing, partly because I believed it neutral and partly because I had limited choices. I have since moved blade testing to being per razor. I can certainly use my results from different razors to inform my choice for any new razor, there are patterns with enough data.

The reason for per razor is that I don't prefer blades any sharper than absolutely necessary which is very different from many people on here; I know that my face is more blade sensitive than razor sensitive. I really don't have to do blind testing because I don't have any real bias when trying a new blade in a known razor. Even blades that I have used with other razors that my bias might be to think they are going to be great, are easily tempered by the experiences of unpredictable results I have had. New razors have been more trouble than blades for me.

My process is to assess what sharpness blade might be appropriate for the razor that I have selected and then narrow that down to several blades based on past experience. Sometimes this works well, sometimes I get a surprise. I have mentioned the difficulty I had with the Aylsworth in my own journal, but it's aggression was much less that predicted and I had a lot of difficulty finding suitable blades. The difficulty getting in tune with how the razor behaves has always outweighed any bias about the blade that I might have, I am not sure how to explain that exactly. Sometimes I have been wildly out of range with my blade choice and payed a hefty price that set me back weeks, by the time I got back to the razor I really didn't know what was going to happen with the next blade up for trial. The thing is, this is all in the background of just simply shaving every single day; it holds a lower priority than being clean shaven so I have to switch to know combinations when I can't be bothered.

I guess I can see the benefit of standardising on a particular razor, but one really has to be certain that it's the razor that is right for their face and technique first because the blade that worked in that razor that you stocked up on may not work on the final razor that you eventually arrive at. I suppose this is like the scientific method in that you come up with a theory, x blade may work well in y razor, and then attempt to disprove it. You gather data, evaluate the results, make changes and test some more. I just don't find room in the process for bias because, as I have said, I have been bitten by that enough I am over it. On the other hand, some blades are just terrible and you could hunt through many razors trying to find one that it works with, but most people are comparing known top tier blades. I like to try the iffy blades in my Ti 'Bird of all things!

 

[Galibier_Numero_Un]

Sorry for the above derail, I had something to say about blade testing and will get my laptop out and edit this post.

I started out with a specific razor for blade testing, partly because I believed it neutral and partly because I had limited choices. I have since moved blade testing to being per razor. I can certainly use my results from different razors to inform my choice for any new razor, there are patterns with enough data.

The reason for per razor is that I don't prefer blades any sharper than absolutely necessary which is very different from many people on here; I know that my face is more blade sensitive than razor sensitive. I really don't have to do blind testing because I don't have any real bias when trying a new blade in a known razor. Even blades that I have used with other razors that my bias might be to think they are going to be great, are easily tempered by the experiences of unpredictable results I have had. New razors have been more trouble than blades for me.

My process is to assess what sharpness blade might be appropriate for the razor that I have selected and then narrow that down to several blades based on past experience. Sometimes this works well, sometimes I get a surprise. I have mentioned the difficulty I had with the Aylsworth in my own journal, but it's aggression was much less that predicted and I had a lot of difficulty finding suitable blades. The difficulty getting in tune with how the razor behaves has always outweighed any bias about the blade that I might have, I am not sure how to explain that exactly. Sometimes I have been wildly out of range with my blade choice and payed a hefty price that set me back weeks, by the time I got back to the razor I really didn't know what was going to happen with the next blade up for trial. The thing is, this is all in the background of just simply shaving every single day; it holds a lower priority than being clean shaven so I have to switch to know combinations when I can't be bothered.

I guess I can see the benefit of standardising on a particular razor, but one really has to be certain that it's the razor that is right for their face and technique first because the blade that worked in that razor that you stocked up on may not work on the final razor that you eventually arrive at. I suppose this is like the scientific method in that you come up with a theory, x blade may work well in y razor, and then attempt to disprove it. You gather data, evaluate the results, make changes and test some more. I just don't find room in the process for bias because, as I have said, I have been bitten by that enough I am over it. On the other hand, some blades are just terrible and you could hunt through many razors trying to find one that it works with, but most people are comparing known top tier blades. I like to try the iffy blades in my Ti 'Bird of all things!

I agree that there's no universal blade, and the "just enough, but not too much" principle has served me well with respect to sharpness.

I should have given my above post a bit more context, specifically that I don't play with many razors, and I'm centering on an aggressiveness window that's quite narrow (Overlander, Masamune, with a possible return to a GC .68-P or .76-P).

I've suffered too much in my first year since returning to DE shaving, and while there may be a magic bullet out there, I'm comfortable that my small quiver leaves me with being able to focus on improving my technique, and prioritizing comfort over a search for the holy grail (or BBS on a regular basis).

Your point about getting in tune with how a razor behaves rings loud 'n clear, and is yet another reason for my narrowing my window. Granted, an Overlander and Masamune "like" different angles, but the penalty paid for errors isn't in blood and rashes ;-)

This narrow razor window makes for easier for blade experimentation than most in this thread, as I'm getting a good idea of what works for me with respect to these two razors.

Parenthetically, I found that blades on the sharper end of the spectrum tend to make my Overlander mimic my soon to be sold Athena (I just posted it on BST). Wonderful as the Athena is, swapping to (for example) a Nacet or Permasharp in my Overlander has rendered it redundant to me ... should I be so inclined as to tempt fate by dancing on the edge (pun intended).

If I were prone to razor experimentation, then selecting candidate blades would be as you commented: horses for courses (specific blade or blade range per razor). In effect, I'm currently doing this.

I too, don't consider myself prone to confirmation bias. My tender skin keeps me honest, so yes, it's yet another reason for a blind test being irrelevant to me.

... Thom

 

[T Bone]

The thing to keep in mind is that from 1965 on, they were improving the coating process nearly every year; this is why they were making changes to the branding frequently. Initially, the blades were simply PTFE coated like Spoilers, but then they started the chromium sputtering process by about 1968 I think. Those were the New Blades I think or Light Brigades as they are known. I can’t remember if the Super Sword Edge predates these, but I believe so. Regardless, by the time of the London Bridge blades, they were at their final version of these blades. The largest, though surprisingly small, difference is between the early coated blades and the later chromium blades. Figuring out exactly what you actually have is half the fun!

So basically, you're saying that they're the same blade but the London Bridge is a newer version made with a different coating process?

(I'll give your other post a thoughtful response when I have a chance. I got a covid shot yesterday, and since I was due for a couple other vaccines, I thought it would be a good idea to get those at the same time. So it was all I could do to make it through the work day, my immune system has been all "what the fheck is all this?!?!!" today.)

 

[spacemonkey42]

Glad you're taking good care of yourself, @T Bone, feel better soon!

 

[huck1680]

I got a covid shot yesterday, and since I was due for a couple other vaccines, I thought it would be a good idea to get those at the same time.

Yeah been there done that...as far as I can remember, it was interesting. When I woke up I didn't know why my arms hurt. All I could think was I must have reached some sort of "Armistice"...BADABOOM! That's right...still here.

 

[Galibier_Numero_Un]

So basically, you're saying that they're the same blade but the London Bridge is a newer version made with a different coating process?

(I'll give your other post a thoughtful response when I have a chance. I got a covid shot yesterday, and since I was due for a couple other vaccines, I thought it would be a good idea to get those at the same time. So it was all I could do to make it through the work day, my immune system has been all "what the fheck is all this?!?!!" today.)

Yer a madman ;-) I don't know how I'd make it through a day if I stacked multiple vaccines. One at a time knocks me out. Hang in there.

 

[T Bone]

Thanks, guys. It's amazing what a decent night sleep will do for you.

Henson AL13++
Nacet (1)
Wald A1 Nimbus fan
Proraso green soap
AoS eucalyptus balm

Back to the AL13 for its second Nacet week, and I again wonder if there's really any competition. I'm sure at some point over the next week, I'll have a shave or 2 that reminds me that yes there is, but this morning's shave was awesome. No weepers at all, finished quickly without even trying to, face feels as good as before the shave if not better, and I have to search hard to find any missed stubble. This morning's shave gets 3 thumbs up.

 

[thombrogan]

Beautiful news delivered disturbingly (“three thumbs up!”) is awesome

 

[T Bone]

I started out with a specific razor for blade testing, partly because I believed it neutral and partly because I had limited choices. I have since moved blade testing to being per razor. I can certainly use my results from different razors to inform my choice for any new razor, there are patterns with enough data.

The reason for per razor is that I don't prefer blades any sharper than absolutely necessary which is very different from many people on here; I know that my face is more blade sensitive than razor sensitive. I really don't have to do blind testing because I don't have any real bias when trying a new blade in a known razor. Even blades that I have used with other razors that my bias might be to think they are going to be great, are easily tempered by the experiences of unpredictable results I have had. New razors have been more trouble than blades for me.

My process is to assess what sharpness blade might be appropriate for the razor that I have selected and then narrow that down to several blades based on past experience. Sometimes this works well, sometimes I get a surprise. I have mentioned the difficulty I had with the Aylsworth in my own journal, but it's aggression was much less that predicted and I had a lot of difficulty finding suitable blades. The difficulty getting in tune with how the razor behaves has always outweighed any bias about the blade that I might have, I am not sure how to explain that exactly. Sometimes I have been wildly out of range with my blade choice and payed a hefty price that set me back weeks, by the time I got back to the razor I really didn't know what was going to happen with the next blade up for trial. The thing is, this is all in the background of just simply shaving every single day; it holds a lower priority than being clean shaven so I have to switch to know combinations when I can't be bothered.

I guess I can see the benefit of standardising on a particular razor, but one really has to be certain that it's the razor that is right for their face and technique first because the blade that worked in that razor that you stocked up on may not work on the final razor that you eventually arrive at. I suppose this is like the scientific method in that you come up with a theory, x blade may work well in y razor, and then attempt to disprove it. You gather data, evaluate the results, make changes and test some more. I just don't find room in the process for bias because, as I have said, I have been bitten by that enough I am over it. On the other hand, some blades are just terrible and you could hunt through many razors trying to find one that it works with, but most people are comparing known top tier blades. I like to try the iffy blades in my Ti 'Bird of all things!

I find it interesting that there are some who can get a good shave out of just about any blade in their razors, some who have a blade preference regardless of razor, and others who have some specific blade pairings for each razor. You seem like the latter, which makes some sense for the reason you mentioned - not taking well to a blade that's any sharper than necessary for the razor - and also because (I think; correct me if I'm wrong) you have a rather varied collection of razors.

I seem to be more of the second type. I don't have a particularly heavy beard, but I've still found that sharper blades generally work better for me. Duller blades just don't do well with my wiry mustache/goatee area, so I end up doing too many passes there trying to get it smooth, whereas a sharper blade requires fewer strokes. It probably also makes a difference that most of my razors are pretty similar at this point - well-clamped and mostly mild - though Nacet was still my blade of choice with the Litebird (not well-clamped) and Henson aggressive (not aggressive, despite "aggressive" being in the name, but at least medium-aggression).

So my process has been to acquire a handful of razors that are good for me, and a small supply of a blade that's proven good for me in any razor. Using the blade, determine which of those razors is best for me. Then try a bunch of blades in that razor to see which blade is best for me in that razor. Sure, I may pass on Razor X because some other blade might have made it better than Razor Y, but I don't think it would be substantially better. I just don't have the time or interest to try several different blades in each razor. I may not end up with the absolute ideal razor/blade combo in the end, but I think I'll likely be close enough.

As for blind blade tests, I'm confident that I could tell the difference between, say, a Derby Extra and a Feather within a couple of strokes. Where I think it would at least be interesting is with similar blades - Nacet vs. Perma-Sharp, for example. How many people could really tell the difference? Would I still prefer Nacet? Or what about Nacet vs. Wizamet, or some other well-respected blade?

 

[blethenstrom]

As for blind blade tests, I'm confident that I could tell the difference between, say, a Derby Extra and a Feather within a couple of strokes. Where I think it would at least be interesting is with similar blades - Nacet vs. Perma-Sharp, for example. How many people could really tell the difference? Would I still prefer Nacet? Or what about Nacet vs. Wizamet, or some other well-respected blade?

I also think that your will be able to tell the difference between a Feather and a Derby Extra in a blind test. These single blade vs another blade are interesting and all but what if you did not know which blades were being tested?

You were mentioning Nacet vs perma sharps. Both great blades and you KNOW they are even before you started the test. The question is if that is the best way to run a test or should we not know which blade is being tested. I dare say that we have preconceived notions regarding most blades and I think that colors our judgement through our tests.

 

[spacemonkey42]

Like @blethenstrom says, there is so much confirmation bias in this hobby. It is very hard to control for. I know I am subject to it. Sometimes the impressions that I believe the most are the ones I didn't expect or even want. Going back to my start, for some reason I really wanted to like the OneBlade and I didn't want to like the Henson. After using them both, surprisingly I ended up strongly the opposite. Likewise, I started with boar brushes and really believed I liked skritch and backbone, but softer brushes won me over.

 

[T Bone]

The question is if that is the best way to run a test or should we not know which blade is being tested. I dare say that we have preconceived notions regarding most blades and I think that colors our judgement through our tests.

So not “here are 2 blades, I’m not going to tell you which is which, what do you like better?” You mean something more like “here’s a blade to try, I’m not going tell you what it is - could be a popular blade that everyone likes, a well known blade with mixed reviews, or a random blade you’ve never heard of - how do you like it?”

That would be interesting too. The closest I’ve come to that was a past blade PIF, where I intentionally didn’t look up anything about any of the blades prior to use. It wasn’t perfect. One was a Personna Israeli Eddison, and I knew that the Israeli reds at least are well liked. But the other 2 I didn’t know anything about - Bolzano and Timor - and I didn’t read anyone else’s posts before I tried mine (though I did after my first use).

 

[blethenstrom]

So not “here are 2 blades, I’m not going to tell you which is which, what do you like better?” You mean something more like “here’s a blade to try, I’m not going tell you what it is - could be a popular blade that everyone likes, a well known blade with mixed reviews, or a random blade you’ve never heard of - how do you like it?”

That would be interesting too. The closest I’ve come to that was a past blade PIF, where I intentionally didn’t look up anything about any of the blades prior to use. It wasn’t perfect. One was a Personna Israeli Eddison, and I knew that the Israeli reds at least are well liked. But the other 2 I didn’t know anything about - Bolzano and Timor - and I didn’t read anyone else’s posts before I tried mine (though I did after my first use).

You got it! It is just that logistically how to do that kind of tests are a bit challenging unless we can have a spouse load our razor or something like that.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Since it's so hard to do actual blind testing, I don't bother. I usually do a series of A-B comparisons instead. For instance, if I'm comparing straight razors, how do you blind that? So I'll shave one side of my face with one and the other side with the other. For the next pass I'll switch. I've even gone so far as to shave half my face, do a quick re-finish on a stone, and do the other side. This tells me a lot. At the very least, it's usually easy to pick a winner.

If I wanted to compare DE blades I'd probably do the same. Right side with blade A, switch to blade B for the left side. Then for the next pass, shave left side with blade A, etc. other half. The benefit here is that you're controlling for the razor, as well as prep, soap, etc.

I haven't done that level of testing with DE blades. But I have compared different razors with the same brand of blades.

This is the kind of thing you want to repeat over several sessions to solidify your impressions.

 

[T Bone]

You got it! It is just that logistically how to do that kind of tests are a bit challenging unless we can have a spouse load our razor or something like that.

Really that's the only way to do it I think, have someone else pick the blade and load it for you.

 

[Phoenixkh]

As I mentioned, I was going to do a blind test for Perma-Sharp and Nacet blades, but I really had to think about the hassle factor. I already know I enjoy them both. I don’t particularly enjoy testing procedures. I did so much of that over the past two years.

I’m going to try to take pleasure in every shave. I have plenty of gear. It might just be time to relax and put to use what I’ve learned along the way. Like David / @never-stop-learning , I’ll always remain a student. I do try to learn something new with every shave, even if it’s only to relax more effectively and quickly.

 

[T Bone]

Since it's so hard to do actual blind testing, I don't bother. I usually do a series of A-B comparisons instead. For instance, if I'm comparing straight razors, how do you blind that? So I'll shave one side of my face with one and the other side with the other. For the next pass I'll switch. I've even gone so far as to shave half my face, do a quick re-finish on a stone, and do the other side. This tells me a lot. At the very least, it's usually easy to pick a winner.

If I wanted to compare DE blades I'd probably do the same. Right side with blade A, switch to blade B for the left side. Then for the next pass, shave left side with blade A, etc. other half. The benefit here is that you're controlling for the razor, as well as prep, soap, etc.

I haven't done that level of testing with DE blades. But I have compared different razors with the same brand of blades.

This is the kind of thing you want to repeat over several sessions to solidify your impressions.

LOL at blind testing straight razors.

Left vs. right comparisons would never work for me. The grain is slightly different on both sides of my face, but more importantly, I'm right handed so it's easier to stretch my skin on the left side. To hold the skin on the right side of my face I have to reach my left hand all the way over. That's a much bigger variable to me than differences from one shave to the next. Prep is almost always a shower. Razor would have to be the same. Soap I don't think matters much, but I only have a couple in rotation at any time anyways.

Definitely need to repeat over several shaves though so you don't jump to any conclusions on 1 bad shave.

This is all kinda theoretical anyway, like blind testing straights. I'm not going to have my wife randomly select and load a blade for me. Though if someone else does, I'd like to read about the results!

 

[APBinNCA]

I find it interesting that there are some who can get a good shave out of just about any blade in their razors, some who have a blade preference regardless of razor, and others who have some specific blade pairings for each razor. You seem like the latter, which makes some sense for the reason you mentioned - not taking well to a blade that's any sharper than necessary for the razor - and also because (I think; correct me if I'm wrong) you have a rather varied collection of razors.

This is an interesting point and I think I was pointing my finger at people who fall under category two while admitting that I am in category three. What I had forgotten is that I was once in that same category! In fact, that's how I ended up with a blade stash large enough for several lifetimes; I didn't have as many razors and when I found blades that I liked, I bought hundreds each. Whether I knew that my preference might change or not, I thought at the time that since those blades worked with a couple of razors that I had that they would work with most that I might acquire in the future. You are right that my razors are all over the map, but I am coming around to a very narrow preference and those blades that I have bought are getting used. What I am failing to do is get rid of razors outside my preference which requires me to find and keep some quantity of blades that work with them. I do find some utility in having a few milder razors than my norm, but I am still a long ways from switching to them and setting my aggressive razors aside. So my blade stash is safe for now and will continue to get whittled down. As a reminder for some reading now, my feel preference is largely informed by the time I spent straight shaving so I have no trouble using a "dull" blade in an aggressive razor(technique). I acknowledge that that's a recipe for disaster for most as any resistance can become kinetic energy headed toward their skin. After typing this, I don't feel like I said anything new or useful.