Advice Sought - DE Blade Choice Methodology?

[DrBob]

Hi All, especially those with lots more experience than me.

I have now 10 different DE blades to try. I wondered what people's methodology has been in deciding which blades work best for them. I currently (only) have an EJ DE89.

I am simply choosing a blade, shaving until I think it is worn enough (starts to pull), then choosing a different brand to try. Rinse and repeat.....

Any better way?

Do you end up having a favourite that works across more than one razor or can one blade be great in one razor and be crap in another?

Thanks,

 

[alfredus]

Yes and no to your last question...

Let's start with this: if everything else is up to scratch (technique, lather, etc.) I'd say that you can get a decent shave from ~85% of blades. Please note the words 'decent' and '~85%'!

The problem is I don't know if everything else is up to scratch and what blades you have. So I assume you don't have too much experience...

At first forget about the extremes (Feather, Kai - both super sharp; Derby, Merkur - not so sharp).

Pick one that is well regarded as a good medium one...Astra, or go up q bit to PolSilver or down to Voskhod?

Use it for 2-3 shave and then use 2 of them in a row - that's your baseline.

Now go either up or down - use 2 new ones. Then use 1 of the first. Now which one you like better? That's the new baseline...and so on.

In 6-12 months revisit the ones you didn't like and see what has changed.

In 2 years by a couple 1000 Vodkhods and be done - OK I admit that last one is biased

 

[filobiblic]

I have now 10 different DE blades to try. I wondered what people's methodology has been in deciding which blades work best for them. I currently (only) have an EJ DE89.

Take everyone's opinions with a grain of salt. What works for one person won't work for another.

That being said, there's some general things that work for most. For example, as your technique improves so will your shave. That means, a blade you test and write off when you're just starting out, may one day become a favourite blade once your technique has improved. There's also some blades that tend to not work for most people and so generally ought to be avoided when starting out.

I am simply choosing a blade, shaving until I think it is worn enough (starts to pull), then choosing a different brand to try. Rinse and repeat.....

Any better way?

Yes. I would try three different blades and then choose your favourite. Stick with that single brand of blades for a couple of weeks. Then you'll have a yardstick by which you can measure other blades.

After you're regularly comfortable with a single brand of blade as you've used it for a few weeks, then choose another brand and use that for a few shaves. Assess it against your "yardstick" brand as either "better" or "worse".

If it's a keeper, then use it a couple of weeks so it becomes your new yardstick... This way you have something to compare against. There's no point just whirling through the blades too quickly without being able to compare them against a standard. You need to create a standard for yourself.

Most of the blokes here, I say, would have a brand or two that are their "yardstick" blade in which they compare all new blades against.

Do you end up having a favourite that works across more than one razor or can one blade be great in one razor and be crap in another?

Yes and no.

Yes, you will probably end up with a favourite blade.

But no, it won't work across all razors equally well.

I'm with @Mark1966 on this when he says that different blades work in different razors. It could be a mild (comfortable and low efficiency) razor with a very sharp blade combo. Or simply that one particular blade works far better in a particular razor than any other.

(Although @Mark1966 has a much clearer way of stating this point...)

 

[DrBob]

Yes and no to your last question...

Let's start with this: if everything else is up to scratch (technique, lather, etc.) I'd say that you can get a decent shave from ~85% of blades. Please note the words 'decent' and '~85%'!

The problem is I don't know if everything else is up to scratch and what blades you have. So I assume you don't have too much experience...

4 weeks. So, yes, not much.

At first forget about the extremes (Feather, Kai - both super sharp; Derby, Merkur - not so sharp).

Pick one that is well regarded as a good medium one...Astra, or go up q bit to PolSilver or down to Voskhod?

Use it for 2-3 shave and then use 2 of them in a row - that's your baseline.

OK, good idea.

Now go either up or down - use 2 new ones. Then use 1 of the first. Now which one you like better? That's the new baseline...and so on.

In 6-12 months revisit the ones you didn't like and see what has changed.

Makes sense.

In 2 years by a couple 1000 Vodkhods and be done - OK I admit that last one is biased

<grin> That's OK, I could see that one coming......

Thanks for your advice.

 

[DrBob]

Take everyone's opinions with a grain of salt. What works for one person won't work for another.

That being said, there's some general things that work for most. For example, as your technique improves so will your shave. That means, a blade you test and write off when you're just starting out, may one day become a favourite blade once your technique has improved. There's also some blades that tend to not work for most people and so generally ought to be avoided when starting out.

Thanks. That's good advice. And nary a Vodkhod mentioned.......

 

[Drubbing]

Wot he said. About the only consensus with blades, and there's virtually none otherwise, is Merkur's suck.

You have to find out for yourslef, but the big brands are big sellers for a reason. And none of them have an advertsing budget to make thart happen with.

Feathers, Astra, Gillette's, Super Iridium, Perma Sharps, Personna etc

 

[borked]

Out of the blades you've tried thus far, does one stand out above the others?
If yes, use that until your technique is at a place you're happy with.
That is the most important thing at this stage, as it will affect everything.

 

[DrBob]

Out of the blades you've tried thus far, does one stand out above the others?
If yes, use that until your technique is at a place you're happy with.
That is the most important thing at this stage, as it will affect everything.

Now that makes sense!

It does mean I have to resist the urge to try the NEW SHINY blades over there.......

 

[borked]

Now that makes sense!

It does mean I have to resist the urge to try the NEW SHINY blades over there.......

Don't think of it as restraint, yet as a reward for persistence, indeed a token of your efforts at this level
Do you deserve them at this stage of the game?
Will you actually appreciate their individual idiosyncrasies?

 

[DrBob]

Don't think of it as restraint, yet as a reward for persistence, indeed a token of your efforts at this level
Do you deserve them at this stage of the game?
Will you actually appreciate their individual idiosyncrasies?

Ha! I can barely deal with my own idiosyncrasies!