Total newb review of blades in my sampler pack

Like I said - they all give great shaves. I have found that once technique is mastered then almost any blade works. There are a few exceptions where almost everyone has issues with certain blades.

 

I have become curious with the statement that technique with any blade will work. I would agree with the caveat that the blade must cut comfortably.

For guys with coarse beards, I think that some blades just will not work comfortably while might be fine for finer beards.

THis is analogous to comparing shaves with a butter knife, a steak knife and finally a straight razor. I am not sure one could shave comfortably with a butter knife. I am not sure it is even possible. For that matter paper can cut. Can we shave with a piece of paper.

I believe there is a minimum requirement that once met in blades then technique can get us clean shaven with anything over than minimum. I think comfort is a part of that minimum. Sure I could shave with a Shark but I would be so irritated that I could get more ingrown hair, razor burn and possibly have infections.

So for me, the definition of shaving requires some degree of comfort and so just any tool will not do. There is a baseline that our skin and hair requires that sets the minimum requirements.

 

Everybody is different my brother. That is why the caveat YMMV is thrown around so freely. Find what works for you and run with it. Sometimes we overthink things.

 

I disagree with the statement that every blade works with right technique. For many this is true. With good preparation technique, you get your whiskers softer and by having good lather and very quick short moves with the razor tilted to create a guillotine effect, one can go down in sharpness. For many it means even to the most dull blades.

But not for everybody. Shaving is YMMV and some got coarse enough that no preparation is enough for the more dull brands.

 

Not sure anyone said "every blade". Although I do believe if you have mastered the right technique for your face then you can get a good shave from most blades. That is not to say every shave will be the absolute greatest but it will be good. We all have our favorites. I happen to like (as many do) Russian blades. I also think having a selection of blades available in the den is good. As I continue to buy razors - some razors work better with certain blades. I recently purchased a vintage Gillette Fatboy and it seems to take just about any blade and give an excellent shave. I have a Muhle 89 series that is very picky. Whatever works for you - every face is different. Thats the adventure of it all.

 

+1

 

Rapira Platinum Lux 6.9/7
Pretty uneventful shave. Fairly comfy and decently sharp. All around solid blade. Would keep it in the rotation.

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Are you doing longevity too or just discard after 3? For me, I found them OK for 3-4 Max.

 

Regarding how long to stick with a blade. No matter the blade I shave with it Sunday to Friday. Then it goes into the blade bank. Could they keep going? Sure. But why? Of all the consumables we all use, blades are the cheapest. Just my 0.02.

 

Im just tossing after first use. Ill do longevity with the blades I end up liking.

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Not at all. The differences between blades are far smaller than your example. I agree that new converts need a "minimum", but I also see a lot of not-so-great shaves with primo gear around here. You will find that as your experience increases, the range of blades that will be satisfactory will increase.

My point about blades don't matter...every new convert (not you in specific in this case) in the world would be best served by simply picking anything and sticking to it. Most new guys change too often in the first two months and inadvertently sentence themselves to a never ending rotation of blaming equipment for their lack of developed skill.

When I was new, I had "sensitive skin", could only shave every 48 hours, and held a lot of string opinions about blades. Now I am equipment agnostic, can shave every day with almost any DE blade and have no irritation issues. It is really amazing how much sharper and smoother DE blades have gotten in the last 30 months....

 

I feel exactly the opposite. Brittle, unsoaked, unprepped hair reacts favorably with alkaline soap and is easier to cut than soft whiskers. This was actually the standard advice in the days before safety razors. I feel like many new guys over prep, over-exfoliate, and actually add to the irritation issue.

 

The Muhle has a smaller attack angle sweet spot, and will show you how rough a blade is if your angle is too high. This is probably what you're describing.

And you're right, not every blade... But the amount of blame blades get for bad results, given their inherent similarities, is unwarranted.

 

A wise man said, "Technique Trumps Tools."

 

That probably is the issue with the Muhle. That said it still is an excellent razor. I'm finding though my Fatboy and Merkur 34c are getting the majority of the shaves now.

 

That man was @GDCarrington!

 

And he was soooo right!

 

im looking forward to what you think of the Gillette super platinum. Those are my favorite but then again i havent tried that many.

 

ill try em tomorrow. need a little more growth

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The Nacet blade is one of my mainstay blades - it is very sharp but it will perform great with the right razor and technique.