Good Morning all... So now that my wetshaving addiction is rapidly approaching my running addiction in intensity, I have a question about the new lady in my life... I started out with a mid 50's TTO and loved it but my son soon nabbed it so I tried out my early 50's travel tech and, although a little tricky to hold on to, loved it a well. Then, on a whim, I bought a lovely blue star lady gillette... you know, just to have. All along, I've been trying out the various blades from a sampler pack. I was pretty impressed with the look and feel of the lady so I loaded it up with a Merkur blade and had my first difficult shave. I felt lots of pulling around my chin (for the first time) and had way more nics than from previous shaves. So... out with the Merkur and in with an Astra. Much better but still not as great as I hoped. Is it the lady or the blades?
My Woman has all the flavors of the LG and loves all of them. Your problem is the Merkur blades. The Merkur blades have a small fan club,but most folks throw rocks at them.
:sihns011 Seems like Jeff is quite the fast typer and beat me to the post and is now gloating about it ... While I have not tried the blade you are speaking of, I do in fact, have all three colors of the Lady Gillette. I LOVE it. I have tried the Rapira (various versions), Feather, Super-Max (various versions), Gillette Super Thins, Dorco-301, etc. etc. etc. It's more than likely the blade.
That points to the Merkur blade as a major factor in the problem. It might be a good idea to try out additional blade types in the razor. That way you can determine which blade types, if any, work great for you in the Gillette Lady.
Every Merkur blade I've tried has been a horrible experience, not just in my Lady Gillette razor. Can't say the same for Astra Superior Platinum blades though (you didn't say which Astra blade you used). Got really good shaves from the Astra Superior Platinum blades in my Lady Gillette razor and others. Then I found the Israeli Personna blades. Fantastic blades in all of my razors.
Give me a minute to run away before casting any stones. I like the Merkur blades. They are far from my favorite blades, but they are light years better then others. I don't think they are worth the premium being charged. They get a bum rap as they are commonly one of the first blades tried by new wetshavers. Blame the blade for some bad technique and the horrendous blade legend grows.... The same thing happens with Williams soap with people getting on the band wagon without learning to use it properly.
Oddly, my first DE shave was the TTO my son nabbed with a merkur blade and it was quite good. I used an Astra Superior Platinum. Need to get my hands on a few Israeli Personnas. Thanks everyone for the very valuable help. I'm off to talk nicely to the lady.....
Via this eBay search, grab 10 of them for $3.99 shipped free. If you decide you like them, they get much cheaper if you get the 100 pack. Aside from their sharpness and smoothness, I also like the fact that they don't have any glue/wax spots holding the wrapper on them. Also they are hand-packed at the factory and in the 100 packs I've ordered, I always had more than 100 (yeah, I get bored so I count them.. lol!).
Just to clarify... when I view the search for blades, the ones for 3.99 indicate that they are made in the same factory as IPs.... is this ok or do I want to find Personnas. Or is this discussed in much detail somewhere else on TSD?
Yes, they are made in the same factory because they are the same blade. But blades from this particular factory are loved by many. I think while the factory makes the name brand Personna blades for that part of the world, they also sell them un-branded as a sideline. But bottom line, same blade, yes. Those are the ones you want in the blue and white wrapper.
A quick follow up... I felt that the lady deserved another chance so I slipped in a Feather blade.... great shave!!! I've also ordered some IP's. J
I think its the blades and not the lady. I love Derby blades but not in a slant. only feathers. try other blades and stay true to your lady!
