Hey everyone, I am brand new to this type of shaving. I received my first razor in the mail, today, and had my first attempt at shaving with a double-edged safety razor. It didn't go all that well. That could have been for several reasons. First, I do believe my lather was too watery. Second, I might have been using too much pressure (even though I tried not to) due to my many years of shaving with cartridges. Finally, it has been suggested that my blades may be to blame, too. I used Merkur blades which, I now come to understand, are not well regarded. So my question/plea is this... I have a late 1940's era Gillette Super Speed. What blades can anyone recommend for this type of razor? Thanks so much, Tom
My personal favorites are Gillette 7 o clock (yellow pack), Astra (green pack) and Irridium Supers. They are all sharp and smooth. You should buy a sample pack and make your way through all the different brands. Check razorandbrush.com, they have great sample packs. I would also suggest picking one blade and sticking with it untill you have your techinque down so you can pinpoint any problems without making the blade another one.
I agree with these as the best blade with the exception of I like the Green pack 7 O'clocks. I would be willing to be that you used to much pressure. Think negative pressure.
Hold the razor at the end between your thumb and pointer finger. Just drag it down your face. Thats all the pressure you need.
Thanks, guys. I'll look into ordering a sampler of the blades you recommended. As an aside, I wonder what the difference is between the yellow and green pack razors?
Well... I've only had the yellow packs and I absolutely love them. I'm getting ready to order lots more of them. I've never tried a green pack. I may just have to order some of them too. From reading, it seems the yellows are made in Russia and the greens are made in India. If they use the exact same tooling, than there would be no difference. They are both SS and multicoated. The Green packs are cheaper but thats only because its cheaper to import from india than from russia.
Since you live here in Austin, just go down to Enchante and pick yourself up a few packs of different blades to try out. Just carve yourself out a little free time because if Charles is there, he'll tell you lots of stuff about shaving.
If you get ahold of Gio at razorandbrush.com let me know.. I have been trying to get ahold of him for 4 days to order a sample pack
+1 on the sampler pack suggestion. Your results will vary, so it's good to figure out what blades work for you. I was unimpressed with the yellow pack 7'O Clocks. I prefer Derby and Israeli Personnas (Crystals). I've also been known to use Feather blades. I found that the generic DE brands you can pick up at Walgreens or Walmart make good starter blades. I used them for a year while re-learning to shave.
Well, I just ordered some of the 7am green pack blades. I should get them in a couple of days, and I'll give it another shot then. The shaving soap I ordered should also have arrived by then, and this time I'll remember to get the excess water out of the brush. All things considered, I hope it will be a much different experience the next time!
And I love the 7 o' clocks. They're smooth and sharp and don't tug. Three nice shaves out of each blade. Derbys tugged like hell and crystals did the same. Plus gave me razor burn on the neck from not being sharp enough. I use them all in pretty aggressive razors.
I will take a different approach recommending a blade. Your '40s SS is not a real aggressive shaver so I would recommend buying a couple packs of Derby Extra blades as well as the same for Gillette 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge Blades (yellow). Go through the Derby blades until you get your technique down. These blades are a bit more gentle than the 7 O'Clock blades but will give you a close shave just like the 7 O'Clocks. When you are done with the Derby blades then you can go and order a sample pack from Gio at Razor and Brush and look for a blade that will do the job for you everyday. You will have your technique down pretty good and you will be basing your decision on the blade and razor rather than your changing technique. Good luck with your search. I might second Queen JoAnna's suggestions that you purchase your Derby and 7 O'Clocks from the TSD Store. Buy the way, you might also order some shave cream or soap samples from TSD Store as well. They are pretty good stuff.
Technique is definitely more important than the blade to start with. I can get an ok shave with a Derby blade but I wouldn't choose it over a Merkur. I would recommend sticking with a one blade at least for a couple of weeks untill you get used to shaving at the correct angle & with no pressure. Regards, Paul
Note: 7am blades are different than the green pack 7' O Clock. Took me forever to learn that. Not sure where the green pack 7' O Clocks are made, but the 7am's are made in India by the same company that puts out Sharp Stainless. FWIW, I have had good shaves with the 7am's. I have found their quality to be a bit haphazard- which means sometimes the sharpness varied between fresh blades and sometimes the grind and coating might have been a bit off.
I personally didnt like 7ams. If your still going to order a sample pack than I agree with the previous. Buy a few months worth of one blade and just stick with it till you get your technique down. That way the only variable comes down to blades. When I first started shaving I wasnt aware of there being more than a couple brands of blades and all that wamma jamma. I shaved with nothing but a Merkur HD and Feather blades for a year before ever trying a different blade. Yeah, I lost a nice chunk of my chin in one incident and had some thing I'm suprised didnt scar. But it sure tought me to have some nice technique
Have Irridium's gone missing? I haven't seen them available for a while at either West Coast or Razor and Brush.
Yeah they have gone out of production. Shame as they are my favourite blade to date since getting my sample pack from Paul. Any hanging around in a dark corner Paul ?? !!!
