So, I needed some blades for my razor that is coming in. These happened to be the only ones at Wal-Mart but I've heard good things. Is there any other recommendations out there or do you all think these blades are good (of course, personal preference and how I react to the blade will vary)?
Good blades..many members have found the Wally Wilkys to be alright. If they're what is handy right now, they'll do for a start...
Two pieces of advice. Step one get a good sample pack from an excellent vendor. Here are three. www.bullgooseshaving.net/ http://www.shoeboxshaveshop.com/index.html http://www.razorbladesandmore.com/ The second piece of advice is one that was given to me when I started traditional shaving and it worked so well, I give it to others freely. I call it the 30 day rule. Find a razor, then a blade that will not cause issues with your face (that may take a few different blades in a sampler to find a suitable choice or it maybe the first out of the gate) and select a soap or cream that is easy to generate good lather. Once you find those, spend 30 days using nothing else until you build up your technique. After 30 days, change one and only one variable and work for another week. At that point you should be able to make better decisions because your technique is now in place.
Wilks are a very middle of the road blade, I find them to be consistent performers, they are my go to blade when I try new razors. They last for 3 or 4 shaves.
Thanks guys for the information! GD, I'll keep that in mind for sure, They look nice and were quite cheap so I can't complain unless they cut my throat!
They're what I started and they do perform well (of which I'm glad because if they hadn't I probably wouldn't have stuck with it )
These are my second favorite blade and my go to for trying new razors. Plus the plastic pack they come in with the blade disposal in the back is extremely useful.
I'm not going to say the 30 day rule is not good advice, but I went pretty much the opposite way myself. My first few DE shaves were so good, I got adicted to trying new things, bought a dozen or so cheap DEs off ebay, and tried everything I could get my hand on. My first 30 days probably saw well over a dozen different razors. I did stick mostly to Derby blades during that period, because they seemed to work well for me and they were cheap. I bought them in a pack of 100 for $8 on Amazon, and the price is actually getting better. the last box of 100 I bought was $7.25. I think they are a great beginner blade because they are cheap, ann seem to work well for a lot of folks. I give them away to anyone who is interested in trying DE, and I include a 5-pack with every DE razor I sell. After experimenting thoroughly with razors I did branch out and try a lot of different blades. I settled on Personna 74 (when I can get them) and Personna Lab which are also not too expensive for my every day blades. Interestingly, My girlfriend doesn't like them. She cuts herself with Personnas, and also didn't care for any of the other bldes I gave her to try, so she uses Derby's. I think they are a nice balance of sharp (but not too sharp) and smooth that will probably work well for most people, especially when starting out. No I know that they don't work for everyone, and some people hate them, because I read people complaining about them on message boards, but in real life I've not met anyone that did not like them, and for less than 8¢ blade thay are pretty tough to beat. Then again I easily get twice as many closer shaves from Personna Labs which I get for about 13¢ a blade, so I guess I do have them beat.
Matt, I saw those myself on Amazon but I wasn't sure if they were worth a shot. I suppose any will be, though.
Mattface, I've done pretty much the same as you. I bought many razors and many brands of blades and didn't have trouble with hardly any, other than Merkur blades that come with the Merkur razors. It just seems too mild. The Feather was too much in the Merkurs when I first started the DE shaving, but were okay in milder razors. The Bolzanos bothered me at first but I haven't tried them lately. I found the Wilkies and Personnas of all stripes and Astra and Derby and Gillettes, etc. to all work well. The Russian with Swedish steel Vodstoks, Rapira, Lada seem milder but still work great. I just haven't found any blade that just gave me a lot of problems.
The only ones I really didn't like were Lord. For some reason those felt like cheese graters on my face, and I did once get a bad Derby. Also I think Feather are over rated. That said they are not all created equal. I really like all the Personna blades I've tried. Was really into the Israeli made Red pack ones until I tried the Labs and I never looked back. I do tink the Derby blades are worth a shot. for less than the cost of 10 feathers if you hate them you can surely find someone that likes em, but if you like em you've got a years worth of shaves in that box.
Yes, I too prefer all Personnas, especially the Labs and Meds. When I first started DE shaving, I had read reviews of blades on Amazon and they raved about Feather blades, so I bought 100 of them. I wish I hadn't. There are very good blades out there that are a lot cheaper.
The CVS and Walgreens store brand blades, made by American Safety Razor/Personna, worked better for me than the Wilkinsons in the DE89L. These store brand blades seemed to be the same as the Personna Double Edge Platinum Chrome in the black and red packaging. In the Merkur, the Gillette India Wilkinsons worked much better than ASR store brand blades or Wilkinson Sword Classics. Here is my take on the Wilkinson blades, in case it helps. I am not sure which of the blades below correspond to the ones at Walmart. Wilkinson Sword (blue and white wrapper, by Gillette India) This is a nice blade. In the Merkur 34C, it gives pretty smooth shaves with no irritation. In the Edwin Jagger DE89L, it is a very good blade that gives nice three-pass shaves with no irritation, and gives baby bottom smooth four-pass shaves with minor irritation. Wilkinson Sword Classic (black label on dispenser, made in Germany) In the Merkur, it gives rough shaves and is somewhat irritating. It is much like the Wilkinson white label in this regard. In the DE89L, it gives smooth shaves with a little irritation. Lasts for 5 shaves, and is a pretty good blade overall in this razor. Wilkinson Sword Classic (white label on dispenser, made in Germany) In the Merkur, these blades are not very good at all. They give shaves that are irritating and not very close. In the DE89L, they give three-pass shaves that are average to a little better than average smoothness, but not irritating. Four-pass shaves in this razor are quite smooth with very minor irritation. Of the above blades, the ones made by Gillette India were the best. Wilkinson Sword (white label on box with gold 5) Wilkinson Sword Economie I have not tried these two blades yet.
I'll have to try to find some Personnas. It seems like they don't sell that stuff around here, but maybe I'm wrong. will have to check. If any of you sell any I'd be happy to buy from you.
Personna is a brand name of Personna American Safety Razor, sometimes called American Safety Razor or ASR. If you have a Walgreens or CVS drugstore in your neck of the woods, their store brand double edge blades are Personna. Both those chains have stores nearly everywhere, so there are likely some nearby. From what I have been able to tell, these CVS store brand blades: and these Walgreen store brand blades: are the same as these Personna blades: All three give the same shaves for me, the dispenser is the same, and, if I recall correctly, mention ASR/American Saftety Razor Company on the package. If you really want a great selection of blades, however, online is the way to go. Shoebox Shaveshop has a very large selection of blades and lightning fast shipping. There are many other online vendors that also sell double edge blades.
I have found that Wally Wilkies performed nicely for me. In fact, they are currently my go to blade. I can get a minimum of 6 comfortable shaves from each blade, consistently. They are not my favorite blade, that still remains Feather blades, but as far as availability and price, I haven't found any thing better, for me. Blades are too much of a preference item for any one to say they are the best. What works for me may not work best for others.
Here is the CVS website listing of 5.49 U.S.D. but they may be more in the store. http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/catalog/s...77&productId=278077&navAction=jump&navCount=3
