Looking for a little advice on blades

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by James_P, Nov 13, 2017.

  1. James_P

    James_P Well-Known Member

    Hey all,
    I am new here but I have been shaving with a DE safety for about a year. I have a super speed on its way as well as a slim adjustable. I currently use feather as my blade. I do get some irritation on my neck and nick myself. I wanted a little advice about changing up my blade until I become more proficient at the art. Is astra a good choice? Perhaps Wilkinson classic? I guess I will let the more experienced chime in...

    I know it’s mostly preference but I don’t know where to begin


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  2. swarden43

    swarden43 "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way."©

    Best to begin with a sample pack.
    Ask 100 people what the best blade is and you'll get 101 different answers.
    The only way to get the RIGHT answer is to try a blade and ask your face.
     
  3. Zykris

    Zykris Well-Known Member

    Feather blades were a hit and miss for me till my technique improved. Astras are sharp and smooth for me and did not iritate my neck as much. Wilksonson blades are not as sharp but give a comfortable shave. I can't see you going wrong in either case but it definitely is a YMMV situation.
     
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  4. James_P

    James_P Well-Known Member

    Oh nice I didn’t know there was sample packs.

    Where is a good place to order? Amazon have good prices? I’m a prime member


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  5. swarden43

    swarden43 "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way."©

  6. Linuxguile

    Linuxguile dating an unusual aristocrat

  7. sdguero

    sdguero Well-Known Member

    Excellent advice!

    Excellent place to start!
     
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  8. preidy

    preidy Just call me Dino

    When I started I used blades that had a reputation of being somewhat "forgiving". Feather is a great blade but not in that category. I found that a Crystal; Personna Red and Voshkod were three that fit that bill for me. Matter of fact I still use those blades today. Super Speed - Crystal. NEW SC - Voshkod. Red Tip - Personna Red. Blades are subjective but IMV some blades are just easier on you while getting your shave footing.
     
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  9. Christopher Powell

    Christopher Powell Well-Known Member

    I ordered a bunch of blades from tryablade.com and tried them all. I ordered 3 blades of each brand so I could use them in different razor. The biggest winners for me were Astra Superior Stainless, Rapira Super Stainless, Astra Superior Platinum, Personna Lab Blue and Rapira Swedish Supersteel.
     
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  10. BaylorGator

    BaylorGator MISTER Fancypants

    There are lots of good blades that should work. Astra SP is a good choice that works for a lot of people. Feather is at the "super sharp" end of the spectrum, meaning your technique needs to be good or it can come back and "bite" you. Once your technique is good enough, the differences in most blades becomes relatively negligible.
     
  11. Bama Samurai

    Bama Samurai with Laser-like Focus

    Feather is fine. Constant switching of blade brands whilst learning will greatly impede your technique development. Just pick one and master it. Blades don't matter nearly as much as people like to pretend they do. Blades are often the catch all excuse for what is really lack of technique. Astra SP is also a fine choice, but again, your issues at this point have very little to do with blade brand, and you'll surely get lots of advice telling you to switch brands, but it's not necessary. Pick one blade brand, one razor, one soap and one brush. Use them exclusively for 30 days. Trying new blades now is akin to trying new club sets as a novice golfer who lacks the ability to hit the ball properly.
     
  12. Bama Samurai

    Bama Samurai with Laser-like Focus

    This.
     
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  13. Demidog

    Demidog Well-Known Member

    I second ensuring that you're very experienced before sampling a lot of different blades. Or what you could do is sample blades now, pick one and stick with it for a while, then revisit the sample pack again in ~6 months or more.

    I'm of the opinion that blade choice matters to a pretty great extent. However, a lot of blades perform similarly. There are a ton of what I would call upper mid-tier blades that perform like Astra SP, a select few top notch blades, and some atrocious blades that shave about as well as a rusty can. The only absolute truth is that your mileage may vary. For some, blade choice doesn't matter but that's not a universal rule. I have a lot of experience now and I still wouldn't touch some blades with a 10 foot pole.
     
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  14. chevyguy

    chevyguy Well-Known Member

    Try Try a blade. The owner is known well on the shaving forums.

    Clayton

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  15. Ijustmissedthe50s

    Ijustmissedthe50s The Warnee

    You've got good equipment, you're perfectly capable of getting great shaves with it. Make YOU the variable, not the hard/soft ware and you'll teach yourself how to shave with ANY shave quality blade quickly enough. 346x0f4.jpg
     
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  16. capsfanx

    capsfanx Well-Known Member

    I went for a Sampler when I first started. I had 2ea of 9 different blades. I decided to go through and use one and then switch when the time came to a different blade. I noticed the first time through I hated several of the blades. When I got to them the second time around, I really liked them. Can only attribute that to my technique got better over time. I feel that I can now shave with any blade and have a good experience with it. I also feel as a few others have posted that the difference in blades is not as extreme as a lot of people think. However.....part of what I have found while shaving with a DE razor the past 6 months is that I do like variety. I like using a different soap and aftershave everyday, rotating through the ones I own. Occasionally I will shave with the same set twice in a row, but rarely. Having said that, with so many different brands of blades.....even if they are pretty close......it adds to the fun of doing what we like to do.....using different stuff! I use a blade about 3-4 days in a row and I toss it. Generally for no reason other than to use something different.

    If we all wanted to stick with one blade and one can of goo and one aftershave......we would still be shaving with our Mach 3 or DSC or whatever, being finished in about 2 minutes and hating the whole process!

    I’m no expert and have only a few months of experience....but I get Damn Fine to BBS shaves every day! I enjoy the whole experience every day. I look forward to it everyday. I read about shaving stuff on forums every day, etc. I’m having fun with it! Fun with shaving?? I know....but maybe it’s because I’m still new to it....maybe it will be like this for years to come. Time will tell.

    Some great advice from many folks here with way more experience than I have! You are seeing people on both sides of the fence for sure. You mentioned you have been shaving with a DE for a year now. Surely technically sound then I would think. Buy a sampler.......find a few you seem to really like and buy each of them in bulk! Then do as mentioned and pick one of them and use nothing but for 30 days! Maybe the next month switch them out after 3-4 shaves. Or every shave....whatever you find works for you and helps you have fun with this “hobby”!

    Just the 2 cents from a newbie!


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  17. Ijustmissedthe50s

    Ijustmissedthe50s The Warnee

    You've hit a fine point on the nose! Once the basic of getting a great shave from technique is second nature, it's just plain fun and nomal to want to try different equipment, accoutrements, etc. That's basically why TSD exists...for that very reason. Swardens mantra of 'its your shave, enjoy it your way" is the whole reason we can have fun discussing our shared interests. 346x0f4.jpg
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2017
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  18. James_P

    James_P Well-Known Member


    Lol I failed to mention about 1/2 of the year I grew a full beard . I really wasn’t paying any attention to technique until I came here less than a week ago. Thanks for your input. I am really trying to increase my skills. I make my wife feel my face after every shave! Lol


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  19. gorgo2

    gorgo2 geezerhood

    Big Ben by Lord. Cheap, smooth and easy on the face. About as forgiving a blade as you can get.
     
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  20. gorgo2

    gorgo2 geezerhood

    Also, Dorco. Available to you locally at Dollar General or Family Dollar.
     
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