Razors and guns. Dangerous combination. We too have guys in this part with guns, but they usually work for the mafia! I try to make myself enjoy my own posts, since, i am not so hardcore as to really enjoy razor photograps most of the time. Especially the old, rusty ones.
From all i have read, including a local forum and a local website called "The Art of Shaving", which has even a section of "how to choose the right blade" and "How to hold the razor" (which is different than another shaving website that was advocating either holding near the balance point - what i naturally went for by instinct - or by the tip), as well as my preconceptions that come from the everyday work, my conclusion is:
1) There is a chance, that one day, one may become "Blade Jedi" and get BBS with anything. How much this chance is, i don't know. But certainly some people have also natural talent about some things.
2) I also think there is, individual variability of various factors (type of skin, hair, razor, that can affect the effectiveness of the blade and make it require more effort. This effort might be minimal for Blade Jedis). For those who don't manage to become Blade Jedis, it's YMMV.
3) By googling, i actually found some guys who did blind trial!
http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/community/index.php?threads/shaven-blind-blade-test.30685/page-5
My surprise was the ranking of Derby as sharper than Shark SS, but invidual variability can explain that (it's just 0.5 difference, that's within statistical error). However, Derby, in the preference rating, hits the bottom! I mean, there MUST be a reason!
Conclusion: Just in case i won't reach Blade Jedi level, i am going to order some hundreds of Astra SP, because even in the "blind trial" they scored very well! I must also shave again with Shark, as well as Dorco and Personna Red, to see if i like them. Frankly, for the price, the Astra is unbeatable. It's 10 cent more than the Derby in 100 pack and it's cheaper than Dorco and Shark. But, i wouldn't mind some blade rotation in the future, so i may as well buy not just Astras. My doubt about the Shark is that it was jumpy at first ATG in the throat. But, that might have been my inexperience or my joy for finding a better blade that made me lose concentration, because WTG the blade was very smooth.
About individual variability, even the way you hold the razor will change things. It's different weight distribution and it's different lever action. So, by now, i tend to believe that some blades and razors will work better. Blade Jedis might minimize this to a point and they might have individual characteristics that help (like hair that is easier to be clean cut rather than tugged or dry skin that favours the cutting action of a duller blade).
I reserve final judgement, but, like in Physics, one must try to find a theory that can explain everything. And i am biased towards YMMV, because people vary. Even the "normal values" that you see next to your blood test values, in reality isn't exactly "normal values", it's an "reference interval". The "normal values" are a statistical range. A group of "healthy individuals" is selected and they see what values they have. These values are then put in a Gauss distribution and the 95% of the values in the distribution is what becomes the "normal values". This doesn't mean that those in the 5% left outside are sick. They are healthy. They are just "out of the ordinary". Or simply, they are "too different than the 95% of the rest of the sample". For all i know, this 5% may exist also in shaving and they might be the Blade Jedis!
Like i said, i reserve final judgement after some years. But everyone swears about his own belief, so what should one believe... A "shaving guru" in a local forum, is of the opinion that "hand matters more than the blade". But he still believes that blades don't work equally well for all. Just to say, that one must try to combine all these experiences, in 1 theory. It's like searching for the holy Grail of physics law, where you must have a law that can be applied to every occasion. Or why Einstein had to say "Newton, forgive me".
Nice brush handle! Reminds me of flowerpot. I 'd probably break it sooner or later, but it's nice. Nice photo too (i like the background out of focus blurred).
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