Why newbies should review blades!

Part of me wishes I would have gotten this advice starting out, and the other part is glad I didn't. Straights are a lot of fun, and not nearly as scary as they're made out to be. That said, I still love my DE's and injectors, and currently infatuated with SE's...

 

Excellent advice, but I'd recommend two of each blade. Duds are rare, but I have had bad blades before.

 

May I suggest adopting my routine...

Mon - Fri for DEs
Sat for Str8s
Sun for SEs

 

Lately it's been my new MMOC Sunday-Friday and my straight on Saturday... My other razors aren't getting much love!

 

Aside from being away on vacation, 7 days a week means 7 diffent razors.
I can't remember the last time I used the same razor more than once in the same month, let alone week!

 

Unfortunately for me, I haven't had a lot of free time to do regular shaves the last three (or four) weeks. Yeesh.

That said, I agree that trying different blades is a useful thing to do - as long as you're not trying new blades AND new razors (handles) at the same time! Until you build up the automatic responses we call muscle memory, you'll just confuse yourself royally. There _are_ razors that are slightly better at certain things (IMO), but that's just because of their geometry. (Big heads don't fit under noses as well as thinner (shorter?) heads, and that sort of thing) Note that I said _slightly_, and the only real reason to flip around is if you've had LOTS of problems in ONE specific area. If you're just having problems in general, then it is likely you, and not the razor (handle)

For me, I build up that memory using crappy blades, because that's what I could get regularly at a reasonable price. I've been able to shave with just about anything I've laid my hands on. So far, I've tried about 16-20 different labels, and I have _three_ that aren't very good, another one that was bad - but it was vintage, so I'm not blaming the blade, and the rest are various forms of 'good' and 'excellent'. Then there was Voskhod. The only brand new blades I've thrown away mid-shave. Even the vintage corroded blade didn't make me toss it before finishing the first pass. Is Voskhod a bad brand? Apparently not, as there are lots of people that like it. It simply liked me not. (The other 'not very good' were Derby, Dorco, and the white wrapped Personna that came in a 100 pack. I can get good shaves, I just don't have to like it much.)

I will say this. _The soap makes a difference._ Not any particular kind of soap or foam - just that you use it properly. Probably even more of a difference than the blades.

Interestingly enough - the Cloud blades shave as well as Shark. I haven't tried my other Chinese blades. I'm almost afraid to, but I'll do that when I'm back to regular shaving, and not mowing the face. (Let's call it my personal MayHem. )

 

I mixing SE and DE . From Se I have only two Ever ready streamline and Star Bostonian. SE usually using sunday and wednesday, and when I want slowly hedonistic shaving.
Blades are GEM.

For DE my favorie are Pool silver. alsousing green Astra and Gillette Nacet, some times Gillette blue and Wilkinson

 

Excellent advice! I have found this to be true and now wish I had been more patient in my early trad owed shaving days. I have a few blades I realistically need to circle back with to try again.

 

These 2 posts put just about the whole thing out there - clearly truth.

I would add one minor point. In my experience if you are paying attention to your shave, you can develop a "feel" for a blade that provides the feedback needed to adjust your fine motor skills allowing you to control the aggressiveness of the shave within the limits of the shave system.

Different systems (including the "finish" of the blade) have differing limits of control and different blade "finishes" provide different levels of feedback.

This becomes dramatically evident when you move to the straight razor. This system (SR shaving) provides the fullest range of variation and almost no limits to the control you exert over the shave. Here is where you must truly learn to be effective with a variety of blade "finishes".

Thanks to all for sharing your experiences!