as one who's had extremely bad experiences buying SE blades at the hardware store, I wouldn't stock up on all they had right away. Make sure they work well enough for you.
Ha! Great reply! I've mod-ed a Durham to used two Feather blades, one on each side. It works, but pretty aggressive. I'd stick to the Pro-guard blades. I used their T-handle razor. There are several different styles. I used the aluminum Dorset. I tried the DuBarry with the screw on handle, but that was way too aggressive. I have two plastic handled ones: black, with finger grips and a smooth, layered faux MoP one. One (I forget which) has a beveled cap, as opposed to a rounded curved cap. I started to mod that one, but it looked scary. I never used it. I didn't try the other. I also have a couple of Durham barber razors I haven't mod-ed. I put a thin refrigerator sheet magnet in the hollow of the head. This does two things. 1) It holds the Feathers in place while closing the head. 2) It props up the blades along the center line to keep the cutting edges from sticking up off the guard when the cap is attached. I thought I might be able to refine this so the blades sit on the guard at a more friendly angle, but I never got back to it. Using just one blade in the current configuration leave too much space for the cap to snap on securely. A shim, perhaps a dulled Feather blade, would reduce blade handling. Maybe the thickness of the shim could provide some adjustability. Could be a DYI Cobra razor (see ClassicShaving.com). I might have to get back to this...
dont overcomplicate things. the blades i mentioned should work fine but do listen to omega and dont buy a whole lot. i think the least you can buy is a pack of ten for under $5.
Home Depot Here I Come If I had know that this would be so good I would have asked sooner. I will find the carpet blades and give them a try. I appreciate the advice, and I knew that someone would have a good alternative. Will N.
i use stanley. mine were uncoated stainless steel but i know they have a carbon steel as well. disclaimer - if you chop your face up it aint on me
Substitute I asked the same question, and got some good advice. You can buy carpet blades from most anywhere, I got mine at Lowe's. They are sharp, and little oily, but the exact size and shape as the original. Will N.
It's all on me I bought some Kobalt blades and they do seems plenty sharp if just a little oily. That is better than old and rusty. If I loose any blood it is all on me, and no one else. Thanks for the advice. Will N.
And how did I know that if anyone would have the answer to using an ancient antique razor with almost impossible to find blades it would be Dave. :happy096
My face is still on the front of my head. I tried the carpet blades this morning in the old Durham Duplex without incident. I can't say that they were the sharpest blade, but they are alright and I did get a good shave. I don't know why I couldn't hone them to polish them up a little either. Thanks Dave for the suggestion. Will N.
I'll defer to Dave, but my thought is that honing MAY change the bevel. That's why I asked Dave my question. If the bevel on the carpet blade is no good for shaving, can one fix it by honing? From his answer, it sounded like the bevel is good/ok for shaving and honing may do more damage than good. I think corking and stropping, ala Rolls, would be a better way to improve the shave.
Well, I picked up some Stanley carpet blades over the weekend and tried out the Durham T Handle I showed in this thread. So how did it go? Umm I gotta tell you, not too good for me. Made 2 wtg passes that pulled and left alot of stubble. Only made halfway through a atg before I threw in the towel and grabbed my standby D/E to finish off. I'm gonna give the face a couple of days away from it before I try again. I'll probably use some preshave oil also just as an added protection. I wish I had a D/E hone to try on the blades.
really??? wow. i know im not the only one using these. i read a thread about this on B&B about 10 months ago and was suprised to hear i wasnt the only one using carpet cutting blades. i really hope these work for you.
Thanks for the input Dave. I'm not giving up any time soon. If it works well for you, then that tells me that I've got more work to do on my technique. After all, I'm only 46, not as old as you. In the meantime I'll let my face settle down by using my magical D/E setup that I fall back on after a rough shave using something new.
maybe its different for me b/c i use the straight razor version. or maybe my face is pure russian cowhide..
T handle Blues I used my carpet blades in the straight version as well, and while I did wish they were sharper, I did not find them bad. I slipped a new one into my T handle Durham Duplex and it was not good at all. I have to think it was the Straight design that allowed me to get a better angle on my face. Will N.
Ha! That's convenient! You can shave and strop at the same time! What model T do you have? I only used Feather AC blade in my Durham T's, but I tried the DuBarry and the Dorset. The former was more aggressive than the latter. I don't know how much difference there would be with Stanley Durham blades. I lined two Feather AC blades on the head, one on each side. Because the edges were not part of the same blade, when I tightened the head, the center would drop, raising the edge and exposing it. I put a shim in the center channel (a thin refrigerator magnet to help hold the blade in place), but a single blade would probably work much better. Also the DuDarry top screws onto the handle like a Gillette three piece, so there is more pressure on the blade. The Dorset has a slide-on top, the usual Durham arrangement.
And I shortly will... I made sure to look for one with the attachment, because if I'm correct, that will let you shave without the guard, in a more straight razor fashion. Correct?
