hey guys, got another for you. i shave with a EJ chattsworth razor. now i have tries out a few blades with it from feather to astra to derby. i always seem to get the best shave on the 1st run. 2nd shave i get nicks 3rd is brutal. im thinking that with my face the sharper the better. only blades that does justice on the 2nd go is feather, its also my go to blade. anybody else experience this? im tossing out my blades after 1 shave to get a solid shave now. there cheap as rice so its no big deal to me. but maybe i should try a more aggressive razor?? thinking about the 39c... i heard all about it and am not worried at all. anyway any suggestions would be helpful. thanks!
I haven't had that experience. I can get 3 or more shaves per blade, depending on the blade. I can get more shaves out of a Feather, for sure. I hand strop my blades for first use and dip the razor head in 91% alcohol to clear more soap residue the hot water doesn't get and I'm good to go. I've been doing this DE shaving for 3 months and am finding suddenly all brand blades are working fine for me, no matter the razor. I've also started cold water shaving for closeness and a better feel afterwards. You should be able to get more shaves out of the Feather or Astra, but if you are getting nicked on the second shave, toss it after one.
Just started it last week and it feels terrific and closer. Cold water lathering. Cold water rinses between passes or just add more cold lather. Rinse razor in cold water to rinse off soap while shaving. I've tried it with my Futur and get absolutely no tugging or nick or burn. I've also used my Fatboy and a vintage Merkur travel razor (Tech type head). Then rinse face in lots of cold water. I top it off with a menthol splash. Invigorating and my face feels better and looks less red after shaving.
really???? goes completely against the rules you know.....but in that case i like the idea man . ill give it a shot this week, let u know how it works out. thankx man
You could try a more aggressive set up for the heck of it if you have the ready resources, but I'm not sure this will allow you more shaves per blade. Some only do get one or two good shaves out of their blades..and if you are getting good shaves that's what counts. After all as you so eloquently put it, the blades are cheap like rice. As for the cold approach you can try this too..why not. Myself I prefer a warmed up 1st pass...
b4 we start, ur profile pic is awesome! now, i have sensitive skin and what seems to be a norm beard. but lately im thinking maybe im like....underestimating my whiskers. unless i use feather or astra i feel tugging. but by the look of my beard you would say it doesnt look that bad 'as in thick...ect" trying to figure this out.....thankx 80's man
Sounds very similar to my beard and skin type. I'm 50 years old so my whiskers are grey and tougher now that I'm older (dang it!). I would suggest Personna Med. Prep. blades in your EJ razor. I use them in my R-89 (same head as the EJ 87) and they're great. Also, I'd suggest an adjustable razor if you don't already have one. That will allow you to dial in and experiment with the kind of aggression you need in a razor to get the shave that's best for you. I have the Merkur Progress, Fatboy, Slim and Super Adjustable. Let me know if you're interested and I'll be happy to PIF you a Super Adjustable with some Med. Prep. blades to go with it. The Super Adjustable is a '70's razor is considered by many to be the best adjustable Gillette produced. It's excellent. EDIT: I just noticed that Jeff/Smoothy is selling what looks to be a brand new Slant HERE in the classified section for a great price. In case you were interested.
I second the Med Prep. It is a little bit more tuggy than the Feather for me, but it lasts me three head and face shaves. You could also try the Astra Stainless, I like it better than the Platinum, that is more common. It is also as smooth as the Feather for me. If the slant is still available I would jump on it.
+1 on the Polsilvers. In addition to Feathers, in the EJ I also like Voskhods, Rapiras, and 7-O'clocks (Yellow, Blue and Black).
That stupid ymmv, feathers for me are at max good for 2 shaves can get min 5 from perssona reds using my ej 87
I have got the most shaves from my Feathers, as much as 8, and Voskhods are just as sharp and smooth and my go to for my Red Tip. The Personna reds do very well in my Red Tip as well. The Astra and Feathers work nicely in my Progress while the Feathers work best in the Fat Boy for me. Different razors will work better with different blades. The fun is trying them blindly and being surprised at the outcome. I got some really nice shaves from a Lord Cool blade. I tried hand stroping at first as well but found that I may have taken off some coating that effected the smoothness of the blades making them less comfortable to use.
Not sure how far I could push the Feathers but I get easily 5 shaves out of each blade. I usually toss them after the last shave of the week which is normally Fridays. ASPs last about 4 days, sometimes (depending on the razor) up to 5. All other DE blades I've tried are on average 3-4 days (about 2 passes and a bit of touch-up each day). I have noticed though that all the blades I have tried had a shorter lifespan in my Merkur 11C open comb, by 1 day, some blades by 2 days less than usual. My go-to blade is the Feather and it performs exceedingly well in my Red Tip.
Allegedly Tradere is working on a stainless slant. The more of the market they get, the more innovation they'll get out. I'm thinking a modern adjustable would be un-Godly expensive, but with Merkur et al charging what they do for zinc-tastics, I'm hoping Tradere will take a big bite out of the market.
I only get 1 shave out of a blade, myself. I can streatch it to two ( or more), but each subsequent shave is tuggier, rougher, and, less close. I have a little more luck pushing a blade in my futur, but even there it is really not worth it, IMO. You migth also try the blue pack Gillettes (Super Platinum from their PPI plant) if longevity is really important. They have a bit more lifespan than most blades, and are one of the sharpest out there. I still only sue them for 1 or *maybe* two shaves each, though...
