Blade and source

AFDavis11 · 05-09-2008, 01:13 AM

What is your preferred DE blade and what source do you use to acquire it.

I've been using the Feathers and I bought them through Cotton something I think. As you can imagine the blades last a long time for me. I usually use the razor about twice a week.

I've been thinking about dropping down to the Merkurs which seem smoother, which is why I ask.

Hawkeye5 · 05-09-2008, 03:18 AM

Swedish Gillettes from West Coast Shaving. Second goes to Derbys, available on ebay.
I find the Swedish Gillette to be much smoother than Feathers. My son-in-law also uses them and he has very sensitive skin. My son prefers Feathers.
I wouldn't touch a Merkur blade on a bet. They don't work for me at all.

Brad · 05-09-2008, 04:14 AM

Feathers first, then Derbys

+1 on the Merkur. Same for 7AM. Don't work for me.

JMS · 05-09-2008, 04:23 AM

Heretics!

sensei_kyle · 05-09-2008, 01:25 PM

Derby blades off of eBay. I like them as much as the Feather blades and better then Merkur.

Milton Man · 05-09-2008, 02:03 PM

I've collected a nice little stash of blades (swedish Gillette's, tesco platinum coated from England, and some generic blades from Loblaw's here in Canada (which I secretly think are Swedish Gillette's).

That said, I'm still looking for a used DE razor - preferably Mercur HD or Classic, or 38C if you know anyone selling one inexpensively (not that they're all that expensive to begin with, but y'know)

Mark

freebird · 05-10-2008, 02:57 AM

When I use de's, I just use persona's, they're cheap and easy to get.

Ookla · 05-10-2008, 03:04 AM

I have a bunch of Israeli Personnas. I like those and Wilkinson Swords. The WS are too pricey for me, but I rarely touch the DE anymore. I suppose a 10 pack could last me a couple months.

RobertFontaine · 05-10-2008, 03:09 AM

I have a box of feather and a weishi that I haven't used for 3 or 4 months that used to keep me pretty happy.

zebbassman · 05-11-2008, 08:55 PM

I have only used Merkur and I think they work very well. But since I started shaving my head the blade is dull afterwards. MAybe I should try some other manufacturer of DE blades.

geoffreyt · 05-13-2008, 05:02 PM

I bought 20 packs of 5 blades made in China. They are platinum coated and individually wrapped in a wax paper. I paid about $13 delivered. I'm not a connoisseur of blades but they are SHARP. Four shaves and you toss it. Maybe thats why I like my open razor so much. The way it treats my skin is great.

Blade Wielder · 05-16-2008, 07:37 PM

I've recently run out of DE blades for the first time. I've been using my last blade for a very long time. Where's the best, cheapest place to get the MOST razor blades?

De Layne · 05-16-2008, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

What is your preferred DE blade and what source do you use to acquire it.

I've been using the Feathers and I bought them through Cotton something I think. As you can imagine the blades last a long time for me. I usually use the razor about twice a week.

I've been thinking about dropping down to the Merkurs which seem smoother, which is why I ask.

Hi Alan,
I use a few different blades.....feathers being one of em. I also don't switch razors, and use the fatboy exclusively. I tried feather blades in other razors I used in the past, but they work best in the fatboy. Some blades work better or worse in different razors, in other words. Pretty crazy eh?
I've used those Merkur blades when I first starting DE shaving....tried em for about 10 shaves in a row. Then I switched to another brand (derby or crystal maybe), and right then my shaves improved dramatically! Some people do like those, but not many. To me, they were obnoxious......hehe.
I'd echo others here who recommend the Swedes as an excellent choice. Very smooth and sharp, but more forgiving than the feathers and a hell of a lot less pull than those Merkurs. Really a nice blade, as most reviews in other shaving forums will show. Unfortunately, they're also the most expensive, running 80-90 cents each. The good news is that they tend to last longer while providing a very close and effortless shave.
I've never ordered from West Coast, but they get a lot of positive comments. It's run by someone with ties to B&B I believe, but I may be mistaken. I've looked at the site and they have a nice selection.
The other place to try would be www.razorandbrush.com. I usually order blades from there, and also other things Giovanni (the owner) stocks. Wonderful selection of unusual shaving soaps and creams, plus his own house brand (which I like). Hehe, I'm waiting for an order now, with some blades and Cella shaving soap. I think you'll find the prices on the two sites to be very close (and reasonable).
Anyway Alan, your best bet would be to try 4-5 different blades. Read the reviews about who likes what the most, and you'll see a pattern emerge pretty quickly. To me, there's certainly no reason for you to get a large sampler pack with 15-20 different blades to work through. I think you'll be surprised at the way each blade performs, and 4-5 different ones should be plenty to start with and hopefully find the perfect blade for your face.
Hope that helps a bit,
Martin

man0427 · 05-16-2008, 10:05 PM

I would pick up a sample pack from west coast shaving. From what I've experienced all blades shave different in different razors.

Good luck,
Evan

Blade Wielder · 05-17-2008, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by De Layne

Hi Alan,

The other place to try would be www.razorandbrush.com. I usually order blades from there, and also other things Giovanni (the owner) stocks. Wonderful selection of unusual shaving soaps and creams, plus his own house brand (which I like). Hehe, I'm waiting for an order now, with some blades and Cella shaving soap. I think you'll find the prices on the two sites to be very close (and reasonable).
Anyway Alan, your best bet would be to try 4-5 different blades. Read the reviews about who likes what the most, and you'll see a pattern emerge pretty quickly. To me, there's certainly no reason for you to get a large sampler pack with 15-20 different blades to work through. I think you'll be surprised at the way each blade performs, and 4-5 different ones should be plenty to start with and hopefully find the perfect blade for your face.
Hope that helps a bit,
Martin

Hey, I checked out that razorandbrush.com site. It looks like they've got a huge inventory or stuff.

Seeing as how I'm out of DE blades, I think I'm going to get a sampler pack:

Feather Hi-Stainless (10)
Astra Superior Platinum (5)
Gillette 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge (5)
Wilkinson Sword Classic (5)
Sputnik Platinum Chrome (5)
Crystal Platinum Chrome (Israeli Personnas) (10)
DORCO Platinum Chrome (10)
TREET Platinum Chrome (5)
DuraSharp Classic Stainless (10)
Sharp Stainless (5)
7AM Platinum Hi Stainless (5)
Tiger Superior Stainless (5)
Dura Sharp Carbon (10)

$18.50. Sounds good to me.

Man... the last time I bought some blades, I got two x10 packets of Merkurs. That was around this time last year. So if I get this sampler, I'll be set for the next five years or so. So $3.70 per year on blades at that price. And maybe less, depending on how frequently I'm using my straights.

I consider myself a straight razor shaver above all, and I use them regularly - my 7/8 TI did a good job a couple of hours ago, in fact. But for those mornings when you're in a hurry to get out the door (or you're just being lazy on any given day), I love my DE. I first started DE shaving about a year after I started straight razor shaving, which was an odd progression... but I like them both.

AFDavis11 · 05-17-2008, 12:14 PM

That does look like a neat deal. My only gripe with my current set up is that I get nicked a lot. Like 6 times in a shave if I'm not careful, 2-3 times if I am. They are really small nicks but, I need something a little less sharp I think.

mparker762 · 05-17-2008, 02:05 PM

US Personnas. Something like $1.50 for a 10-pack dispenser from Wal-Mart. I haven't shaved with a DE in years, but I used these loaded into an adjustable razor (I preferred the Gillettes but also used a Merkur Vision, blech piece-o-cr*p). If you don't have an adjustable then you have to pick a blade that works with your razor to give you the shave you want, but if you can adjust the razor to match the characteristics of the blade then all the blades work about equally well.

De Layne · 05-17-2008, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

That does look like a neat deal. My only gripe with my current set up is that I get nicked a lot. Like 6 times in a shave if I'm not careful, 2-3 times if I am. They are really small nicks but, I need something a little less sharp I think.

Hi Alan,
Let me say I'm far from an expert on DE shaving, but I do have some personal experiences to draw on, as well as the DE forum members posts I've read in the past. And please, just take this as trying to help, rather than anything critical. Hehe, I know that the right tone of the post doesn't always come through correctly.
That thing about the nicks you mentioned? I'm not positive the blades will help that a lot. You're talking about nicks right? Not little weepers that quickly heal up after the shave's over? It would help if I knew how many other types of blades (if any) you've tried so far. I also don't know what razor you have. Those things can make a difference. If the feather is your only experience with a DE blade, then nicks are certainly very possible. If you've tried the milder blades and still got those cuts, then you could have a problem.
Let's go with the answer for the feather being the only blade you've tried. I'd think there's an excellent chance that a different blade will help your problem. The feather blades actually have a different grind to em, and makes them an anomoly of sorts. I've only tried 15-18 different blades myself, and no others felt the same as a feather. Plus..........I didn't think much of em until I found the right razor to put em in.....the perfect marriage...heh. I even stopped using those blades initially because they were only 'ok' in the other razors I'd been using.
You will have to do your own trial and error on what blade works, but try each type for a week or so. Get to know how each blade performs, unless it feels horrible from the get go. Nicks are often caused by technique, rather than blades. That's why I asked about your history..........feather blades being an exception. Experienced DE shavers will rarely ever nick themselves with most blades, but a feather can leave those tiny weepers that disappear right away. And yes, it's easy to get nicked in a hurry with those as well. That's my take on it anyway. although I'm certainly open to other ideas.
Alan? I'm optimistic that some other blades will help a LOT. You'll know after trying a few other blades what you want to feel when using a DE. There should be NO feeling of any 'pull', if all things come together perfectly.
Hope that helps in some small way,
Martin

AFDavis11 · 05-18-2008, 11:42 AM

I have used the Feathers which I like a lot and I have used the Merkur blades a few times, but not much. Those are the only ones I've ever tried. I have both a Gillette and a Progress adjustable (as well as an HD, the Long Classic, and a few other DE razors from Gillette's golden age, I even have one made from aluminum).

I'll try the Feather with a less aggresive position.

I'm really cavalier when I shave with a DE and most/some of my nicks come from just being careless.

I'm also in the habit of using it like my straight without cream and that seems to cause a lot of problems. I just hate reapply lather for every pass.

De Layne · 05-19-2008, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I have used the Feathers which I like a lot and I have used the Merkur blades a few times, but not much. Those are the only ones I've ever tried. I have both a Gillette and a Progress adjustable (as well as an HD, the Long Classic, and a few other DE razors from Gillette's golden age, I even have one made from aluminum).

I'll try the Feather with a less aggresive position.

I'm really cavalier when I shave with a DE and most/some of my nicks come from just being careless.

I'm also in the habit of using it like my straight without cream and that seems to cause a lot of problems. I just hate reapply lather for every pass.

Hi Alan,
Well, that post helps explain things a lot better. You have a great choice of razors to choose from, but remember that even the adjustables will shave differently from each other, not to mention the other types you have. You seemed to be using an adjustable type, so I'd stay with that for now. Using the feather, maybe dial it down to 2 or so, which is the middle of the 'light shave' adjustment. Other blades you might try setting on 3-4.
Hehe, you think maybe your healthy disregard for extremely sharp objects may be helping to cause those nicks? The "cavalier attitude" you mentioned made me smile when I realized you weren't overly worried about your technique, and the nicks were a result that you're willing to put up with. You will have better results with a more forgiving blade, but those nicks will still happen. A BBS and nick free DE shave really can't be rushed all that much, and having an offhand approach can be brutal.
What was that about using the DE as you would the straights? You don't reapply the lather between passes? What do you use............anything at all? Just rinse between passes or not even that? Am I missing something here? Hehe, I'm not being sarcastic.......just a new point of view to me. Wow...........that's something I'd never even considered trying. I'd be curious as to why you dislike the re lather thing so much. In any case Alan, the lather would definitely help the 'slip' or 'glide' or whatever you wanna call it when using a DE. Maybe give that a shot as well as dialing down the adjustment.
Thanks for the additional information about your shaving habits and tools. That DID help explain some possible areas besides the blades that could be causing your problem. Actually, it sounds like you had a pretty good idea as well...hehe.
I could suggest trying a new razor or setting or blade, or applying lather after every pass, but that DOES take a certain degree of motivation. It's up to each one of us to determine what kind of shave we're looking to achieve. Lots of DE shavers don't aim for BBS shaves, for whatever the reason. We all have our own expectations or goal in what we want in a shave.
Hope that helps in some way Alan,
Martin

Alan? You really don't lather after the first pass?