Gillette 7 o'clock

I have a sampler pack with about 15 different brands and the 7 o'clocks are one of them. I have tried all of the blades at least once and after I used them I'd catagorized the blades packs as either like or dislike. I had the 7 o'clocks in the dislike section, but I couldn't remember why I didn't like them, and I'd heard so many people saying they really liked these blades I decided to give them another try last night.

THESE BLADES ARE ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE! Of all the sampler packs I have, these are the worst. The best way I know to describe how this blade feels is it just feels like a dull blade, like it isn't sharp at all. A nice blade (like the Personna Reds) glides over my face and you can hear the snapping of each wisker as it cuts, but there's no tugging or hacking. It's just one, smooth motion. With the 7 o'clock I could feel the blade tugging at my beard, and I found I had to keep going over and over each area multiple times to get a close shave.

I realize different people are going to have different results and not everyone likes the same things, but I can't for the life of me see how anyone has had good shaving experiences using these blades.

 

Which 7 o'clocks are they? There are 4 different 7 o'clocks, and one of them was the same for me.

 

Are you SURE they're 7 O'Clock and NOT 7 A.M.?

They're completely different animals.

 

That's funny because that's what the Red Pack Personnas were like for me.

 

I'll look when I get home to see which 7 o'clocks they are, and to make sure they're not 7 A.M.s.

 

Do you have a heavy or light beard?

 

Fairly heavy...

 

Same here. I can't explain why, but the Personna Reds have worked the best for me out of the blades I've tried.

 

Maybe I ought to revisit them, then...

 

That's funny, a duller blade (like the red personna, dorco, etc.) tugs MUCH more for me. The Gillette varieties (7 o'clock included) are sharper, we've seen the microscope photos at SMF, I don't think there is any debating that.

I think the difference here is in the razor, and the technique. Maybe your razor is a bad match for the 7's, maybe your technique/angle/pressure better suits a duller blade.

There's nothing wrong with either of those things, but I suggest you either a) try them in another razor, or b) toss them in a drawer and come back to them in a year or two

I did that with Feathers and Swedes, and I had a very different experience with them with a 2 year interval in between -- my technique, razor, and perspective had all changed. The Gillette 7 o'clocks are very good blades, sharp and smooth, but like anything they will not match everyone's setup.

Cheers.

J

 

Surprised. The yellows are my everyday blade and provide smooth comfortable shaves.

IMO the yellows are significantly better than the others. Do not give-up on the yellows.

 

Maybe its because 7 o' clocks are sharp, personas, dorcos, etc are not.

 

Or maybe it's just these blades don't work well in my particular razor.

 

Thats a possibility.

 

I still think you're talking about a different blade. YMMV and all that, but dull? I can't image anyone calling these dull...

 

I don't know Jim. I've tried a few of the yellows myself and found them to be no better than Derby's. Compared to Feathers (especially the ones you sent me last month), they do seem somewhat dull.

Don't get me wrong, they're decent blades, but nothing I would ever buy again.

 

I checked them again last night and they are definitely the yellow 7 o'clocks. I guess there are other factors in play besides just having a sharp blade when it comes to getting a nice shave. This really is an art that must be learned.

 

Even a dull or crappy blade wont destroy your face. Maybe you'll get a little bit more tugging or a tiny bit of razor burn, but the only thing that will destroy your face is you. I've had plenty of OK shaves from blades I'd never use again. No blood shed and no razor burn. I think the technique is most likely at fault here. I'd say they're bad blades, but 95% of people like them, including me.

 

The reason I question the notion that it's technique is because I don't have any problems whatsoever when I use Personna Reds, unless my technique is just all wrong for these particualr blades.

 

That is very possible, these are much sharper than Personna reds. This is why most new users are cautioned against feathers and gillettes, for fear of slicing yourself up, and taking off skin.

What I do: lighten way up on my touch, the razor should not even touch the skin, be gliding right above the skin on a layer of lather. Make sure my lather is extra slick, not dry at all. Make sure my angle is not too steep, just barely enough to cut the hairs.

I did not like the sharper blades at first, and was happy with Derby blades for 2 years, until I stupidly tried sharper ones, and could not go back. If you're happy with the reds, nothing says you can't stay with those. Or come back to these later. Totally your call.

Best of luck.

J