changing blades

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by sparky5693, Mar 3, 2007.

  1. sparky5693

    sparky5693 Administrator Staff Member

    Administrator
    At this point i've settled upon my favorite blades. It seems the sharp, and IP's are my favorite. Recently I have noticed that my shaves appear to be the best when I alternate. It seems if I used the same brand blade for too long (lets say a couple weeks) i just don't get the same level of shave. I can't yet decide if it's just because it keeps me from getting stagnant in my technique, or if somehow my whiskers adapt to a certain blade.

    That sounds kinda cool. "All beware the evolving whiskers" :p
     
  2. PottyDoctor

    PottyDoctor Jeff Foxworthy of Shaving

    I keep hearing about the Sharps, but I've never seen them for sale anywhere.
     
  3. PalmettoB

    PalmettoB The Old Guard

    :rofl Now I have this mental image of uberwhiskers reaching out and grabbing the razor and saying, "not this time, big man!"

    But seriously, I still switch around some since I have a few left over from my sample pack. But my go-to is the Swedish Gillette. I get a consistently good shave from them in most of my razors (at least my adjustables and Tech).

    I thought I would toss out all my Derby's after I first tried them, but have revisited using them since I have been at it for a while and have improved my technique. Not bad! I would probably use them if I couldn't get the Swedes.
     
  4. DragonBoy

    DragonBoy Team Player

    Just send René (SSLstudio) a PM.. He will fix you up with the Sharp..
     
  5. rick

    rick I'll make ya SCream!


    I agree about the alternating part.
    BUT.....:cool:
    I like to change between razors, rather than blades.
    Derby's are treating me right in ALL my DE's right now.
    Sounds like you're finding the combos that work for your face and that's very cool !! :cool:
     
  6. SSLSTudio...

    SSLSTudio... Forum Debugger

    Very interesting point sparkster , I had the same thoughts like 2 -3 days ago .
    I have been this week on a simple quest brush Bk8 as much as possible , Gillette No66 trying out different blades with this particular razor since every razor behaves different with different tuned blades. Now I always use the Gillette 66 with a Feather. then tried it with the Sharp which didnt give me the satisfaction I needed I thought then lets go for a Derby the blade I dislike the most because I always get nicked or get weepers guess what..the very best smooth shave with the Derby and the longest abundance of stubble.. I was like :confused: :confused: :confused: state of mind... still recovering from that surprise shave here...it seems the whiskers ADAPT to blades...we need to sucker punch them .I think your on to something...
     
  7. crackstar

    crackstar Israeli Ambassador to TSD

    For me this is strange. Before I discovered the Sharps and 7 AM's, I was using Merkur blades for quite a while, and I was getting good shaves with them. The first time I had ever used a Sharp, I noticed that I could get even better, closer, and more comfortable shaves, and I didn't even need to spend as much time in the process. The 7 AM's work very, very well for me a swell, although, I must say I find them a little more aggressive and tricky than the Sharps. The next time I used a Merkur, I nicked myself slightly in 2 places, and I even got a bit of razor burn. I haven't touched a Merkur since. The Derbys are very good also, but I get very nervous when I use them, and I don't find the comfort level as high as with the Sharps.

    Jeff
     
  8. Will

    Will Nevermind

    I do the switcharoo too!

    I don't know why?

    Some days I feel like a Feather, some days I don't.
     
  9. Htownmmm

    Htownmmm Member

    I switch on a regular basis. I have found that using the same blade on my skin for too long a period of time will cause irritation to develop. By changing the blade(and razor), my skin/whiskers have no idea of what to expect and respond positively to the shaves.



    Marty
     
  10. sparky5693

    sparky5693 Administrator Staff Member

    Administrator
    Exactly right. This isn't just a matter or variety, but actually an improvement to my shave. Currently I rotate between 2. I still don't know if its the whiskers adapting somehow, or if it just forces me to refocus my technique every time I change blades.
     
  11. PottyDoctor

    PottyDoctor Jeff Foxworthy of Shaving

    Sparky, your absolutely right about achieving a better shave with less irritation just by rotating among various brands of DE blades on a regular basis.

    Shall we call it.....

    The Sparky Hypothesis
     
  12. sparky5693

    sparky5693 Administrator Staff Member

    Administrator
    That sounds great, but i'm sure i'm not the only one to think about this.....now if I could just figure out why
     
  13. Wecktwonicwhizzer

    Wecktwonicwhizzer New Member

    Tell Me Why...

    Interesting observations and theories. As a matter of preparing for the nuclear winter, I shift from my (beloved) Feathers every so often and use a pack of other brand blades. Oddly enough I usually notice a higher level of satisfaction with the other brand blades than I recall from the acts that led to their retirement to the storage cabinet.:think002
    While you are supporting your hypotheses, please help me figure this one out. All I can think of is absence makes the heart grow fonder..
     
  14. DragonBoy

    DragonBoy Team Player

    I have been testing a LOT of different blades (like 30) with different levels of satisfaction.. Finally I found Derby Extra and felt that I had come home.. Nowdays its 95% Derbys and just for the kick of it 5% other brands.. Some of the others that I still like is: Tescos, UK Wilkinson, Swedish Gs.. And some other too..

    So I cannot really see myself as a changer.. Come to think of it I seem to change razors less and less as well.. I think Im fixing my favourites.. Hmm.. That felt grown up.. :D
     
  15. Stubble

    Stubble Member

    Very interesting discussion indeed. I'm going to have to reach into my blade sampler again, and try some of these other blades over again. Seems logical, just never thought of it.
    Any more comment on the 7AM blades, again haven't heard of them.....
     
  16. Kingpepper

    Kingpepper Active Member

    IMHO 7AM's are similar to Sharps. They are both made by Samah Razor Blade Industries in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Don't have any 7 Am's left, may buy more in the future. They make a fair shave but YMMV.
     
  17. Will

    Will Nevermind

    I could not agree with you more.

    7am = Sharps V2
     
  18. msandoval858

    msandoval858 Active Member

    I also found Sharps and 7 am to be pretty close to the same.

    If you are interested in trying these, Enchante does have both in stock, although they are not listed on the main website.
     
  19. qaswer

    qaswer New Member

    I am not agreed regarding this because for many years i have used only one brand of bladed and those worked fine for me although now i have switched to some other brand but i don't changes brand daily or weekly .
     
  20. fritz

    fritz New Member

    For me, it's always Feathers, Feathers, and Feathers. I feel I need a sharp blade to shear the whiskers rather than trying to snag them and pull them out. Yes, it requires more care, more prep, more patience. But hey, I'm retired! My calendar starts with a Sunday followed by 6 Saturdays! 30 minutes minimum for a GREAT shave! Hot towels and all!

    My sympathies for those who have to shave in 10 minutes or less. I have been there...too many years.:D
     

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