New to DE, what order to use this variety blade pack?

I never though about that, but it makes sense. That blade probably gets smacked around quite a bit in shipping.

 

I like sharp blades in mild razors (think feather blade in a Gillette tech), or a mild blade in an aggressive razor (voskhods in a muhle r41). It seems to work the best for me.

 

Vdh and knock off Chinese blades are the worst, bar none, that I have ever used.

 

Thanks Jared. That sounds like what I do. Contact at 90 degrees and rotate forward until cutting starts. Then maintain angle. Thanks for the support and details. With the sample pack delayed in shipment, I purchased a set of Wilkinson Sword Classics which is the best I could find at the local drugstores at the moment. I think, once the Merkur blade either is worn out or I decide it needs to go, I might run the rest of February with the WSC 5 blades to tune my skills.It will be my own Feb '17 Rules month.

I will say one thing, I have been enjoying the whole wet shave/DE razor experience. I like that you need some skill to do it well, have to know your equipment, use the proper supporting supplies and picking the right tools is required. Using an electric or cartridge is more like this task is a nuisance that should be completed as fast as possible. I have been looking forward to shaving now and dare I say almost wish I needed to do it more often to hone my skills. It has been almost calming. All that with only a single brush, one cream, etc. TOBS Sandalwood is on its way so I will have two soon.

Frank

 

I used a Feather in my Fatboy (set on "3") last night...first time for both in a long time...and a most pleasant, smooth shave. So whatever you choose, know it's more technique than the tools.

 

Blades are not mild or agressive, razors are. Blades are smooth or rough.

---> http://theshaveden.com/forums/threa...ild-sharp-or-smooth-a-general-overview.37813/​

 

Below is a posting I did about a month ago with the results of my blade test. With another month under my belt improving my technique - the results still hold true for me. Although the Ladas (ranked fourth) have given me some amazing shaves recently. Everyone has their opinion and no one is wrong - your face will tell you what it likes. For what it is worth:

Since my return to DE shaving this past summer, I have been testing 30 different blades to find the ones that work best with my face. It was not a totally rigorous test. I used one razor, the Merkur 34c, for testing but I did vary the soaps, which also have an impact on blade performance. I have a medium coarse beard, my face is not overly sensitive except in the usual spots on either side of the Adams Apple, and I typically shave three times a week. The ranking is how I perceived the performance and obviously may/will differ from your experience. Most of the individual tests were posted on the Shave of the Day thread and or on the Safety Razor Forum. Below is a photo of the blades tested.

I ranked the blades into four categories: poor, good, very good, and excellent. The far left column are the "poor" blades. Within the column they are ranked best to worst. So the Derby was the best of the poor - if that makes sense. Merkur and the Asco Red were the worst of the poor. Both of these blades tore my face up to the point I had to take several days off from shaving to recover. I just cannot see ever using any of these five "poor" blades. The next column are the "good" blades. These gave decent shaves and in a pinch they work. Perhaps one would be sharp enough but not smooth enough or vice versa. For example - the Wilkinson. It gave me a very close shave but very rough on the first use. On the second use I it was far smoother. Sharp Durablade was the best of the "good" blades and the Dorco ST 300 was at the bottom. The next column are the "very good" blades. I could use any of these on a regular basis. These have potential. I wanted to like the Feathers, but I need to work with the blade a bit more (just too sharp for me at this point). I must say - the Dorco ST 301, for being so inexpensive, really is a very good blade. The far right column are the "excellent" blades. They all came very close to that sweet spot of sharpness and smoothness. The Polsilver Super Iridium is definitely the best of the best. The Astra SP was very close behind. The next three - Voskhod, Ladas, and Rapira Platinum Lux were all equally excellent. I really liked all three. The next 5 all could be in my regular rotation as well. It really gets difficult to separate them individually. They all gave me really close and smooth shaves without irritation with the first use.

Next step - buy blades. I have placed orders for all the excellent blades. For the top five (notice they are all Russian), I will buy a bit more. I want to now try these blades with other razors. The rankings could change for any given razor. I have a new Muhle R89 standing by.

So there you have it. Thanks for bearing with me on this adventure. I would be interested in your thoughts.


Col C, Jan 9, 2017EditReport
#1+ QuoteReply

 

I normally do not think blades should be included in the 30 days rule. One of the brands on the list, I could not get to work even during 6 months. When I seriously begun with DE I was stupid enough to stick with a bad brand for 6 months, having a terrible shave each time. Better blades was like the difference between day and night. Still today, I would not get good shaves from that particular brand.

I do not want to rob a newbie the possibility to change blade in order to improve shave.

 

Eenie, Menie, Miney & Moe are good friends of mine as well. They served me well, when I was sampling, as did some notes on results.