Hey all, A few weeks back I ordered a sampler pack from WestCoast; I had been shaving with Walgreens and Walmart blades for a while. Personna's were never good to me. The shaves left my skin irritated, even after adjusting my technique. The blade simply did not match and the shave was tough. Dorco was much the of the same. Merkur - worse. When I found my Derby needed changed, it was hard to change to another blade. I reluctantly moved on to the Crystal's. No irritation... but still not right. The shaves are better than with Personna's, Dorco's, and Merkur's, but there's just left that it's annoying. I've rubbed my face several times daily throughout the past week in frustration. When I shaved with bad blades, I expected a bad shave. I knew what was coming. The Crystal is just so close to being good... but not close enough. All of this to bring about my final realization: I would rather shave with a bad blade and have a bad shave than shave with a decent blade and get an almost good shave. Cheers!
That last inch can be the most difficult Crystal's are my second choice in blades. I found the "sharp brand" blade to be what I was lookin for, but it is only good for a shave or two.
You might want to try a Feather. I'm a fan of Crystals, but the Feathers definately edge it out for sharpness and shaveability IMO.
SilcenDice, What a screen name. I like that. Welcome to TSD. Hope you find answers to all your shaving related questions. Here's my two cents worth on this one. You got a good start on finding a blade to suit you by going with the WCS sampler pack. But it seems that you have not found that "one" blade that is just for you. This is something that you may never find. In order to help you in your quest I suggest that you go to Squire's Blade Reviews and try some other blades. These reviews are the best an most thorough I have seen for blades. He uses the Feathers as his benchmark and rates the other blades against it. Most of the blades he reviews can be found at Tryphon aka Razor and Brush. I found my go to blades through Squire's reviews. They are Iridium Super Extra Stainless, Gillette 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge, Treet Classic Dura Sharp, and the Derby Extra. All these blades did well for me, each providing an excellent shave. I put them in this order because each required a different amount of effort to get that BBS. By effort I mean the amount of time used on my final "oil pass" or buffing pass as some call it. Take a look at the reviews and then order a pack or two of some of the blades that you think might work best for you. I'm sure you will find something that will suit your needs. Good Luck
Thanks for all of the sound advice; I am only partially through the WCS right now, so I am not quite ready to move on to more blades. This morning marked the second day away from the Crystal and using a red Personna... the first shave was good, the second not quite. And the experimentation continues! Also, do mall cuttlery shops or any other brick and mortar's sell Merkur slants? I'm using a '65 thin adjustable Gilette, and I think I might be ready to move on to greater (and more dangerous?) things... I'd like to see the beast before I buy it. Thanks again!
I never found any of the "popular" blades to suit my tastes. They werent sharp enough or didnt provide me with a close enough shave. Most of them left me tugging at my chin while wincing in pain. The blades I've come to love have been Astras and Irridium supers. I have crystals in a 50's SS right now and they require way to much pull to be comfortable. Not even close to being sharp enough for me. Maybe I'll try them in a more aggressive razor eventually, but I rather have an all around blade.
I forgot to mention this earlier - I tried the Korean Dorco as distributed by WCS (http://westcoastshaving.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=12). The Crystals were the Super Platinum +, I believe.
Ah, the 300s, which I haven't seen anyone say a nice thing about. The Dorco 301s are suppose to be far superior to the 300s. These are the 301s.
So true.............. :sihns011 :happy102 Im a firm believer in the right blade for every razor and everybuddy is different. Half the fun is experimenting with different combos and when they click.........Its sooooooo good. Good luck.
