I've been dabbling in new blades for a while now. I got a few samplers to try - Bolzanos, Souplex and Timors, plus some various Russian packs from monsta.
I've been looking for something sharper than Astras, but as smooth, haven't found it yet, and maybe I won't. Most have been resigned to occasional use or swapped, pretty quickly. Timors are about the only regulars. None of them stand out for sharpness, and all seem much the same to me.
So after all that, I went back to one of my old regulars this week, Personna Reds. These are a massively popular blade, and my return this week reminded me why. I haven't used these for a few months, but I always saw them as very comfortable, but not very sharp. However, the shaves with these have been better than I've had in a good while.
They're still not particularly sharp, but they are massively forgiving, and that's different from smooth, but they are that too. Astras are smooth, but if I take the piss with them, they'll bite; I'll nick myself with them if I don't respect the sharpness, or extra passes can irritate.
I break a lot of the 'rules' with the Reds and they let me. I use more pressure, often way more than I usually do. Course, the standard advice to new DE shavers is No Pressure, but I think that's only to stop them making face burgers - I add pressure, but it varys with the razor and blade used. Once you have good feel, you find your own touch. Reds for me are the sort of blade you can feel really safe with, like you're doing a Mick Doohan, and sliding the back end out on every corner - you might feel you're always on the edge of disaster, but it just doesn't happen.
They also lets me go ATG (during my 2nd XTG pass) in the spots I find sensitive, and manages to catch the spots right under the chin where no Astra buffing will shift the last bits of stubble smooth. I can do a 3 or 4 pass shave with them, without issues. And it does all this without a single nick, scratch or touch of irritation. I could have forgone the AS this week and just thrown some water on have done with, but I like AS too much to skip it.
Course, using just one blade can get a bit boring too, so I'll still keep a few on hand I like.
So I think that having the sharpest blade isn't always better. Feathers proved that in my situation, albeit at the other extreme. It's worth trying some blades that are known for smoothness or being forgiving, and with good technique, see what you can get out of them.
I've been looking for something sharper than Astras, but as smooth, haven't found it yet, and maybe I won't. Most have been resigned to occasional use or swapped, pretty quickly. Timors are about the only regulars. None of them stand out for sharpness, and all seem much the same to me.
So after all that, I went back to one of my old regulars this week, Personna Reds. These are a massively popular blade, and my return this week reminded me why. I haven't used these for a few months, but I always saw them as very comfortable, but not very sharp. However, the shaves with these have been better than I've had in a good while.
They're still not particularly sharp, but they are massively forgiving, and that's different from smooth, but they are that too. Astras are smooth, but if I take the piss with them, they'll bite; I'll nick myself with them if I don't respect the sharpness, or extra passes can irritate.
I break a lot of the 'rules' with the Reds and they let me. I use more pressure, often way more than I usually do. Course, the standard advice to new DE shavers is No Pressure, but I think that's only to stop them making face burgers - I add pressure, but it varys with the razor and blade used. Once you have good feel, you find your own touch. Reds for me are the sort of blade you can feel really safe with, like you're doing a Mick Doohan, and sliding the back end out on every corner - you might feel you're always on the edge of disaster, but it just doesn't happen.
They also lets me go ATG (during my 2nd XTG pass) in the spots I find sensitive, and manages to catch the spots right under the chin where no Astra buffing will shift the last bits of stubble smooth. I can do a 3 or 4 pass shave with them, without issues. And it does all this without a single nick, scratch or touch of irritation. I could have forgone the AS this week and just thrown some water on have done with, but I like AS too much to skip it.
Course, using just one blade can get a bit boring too, so I'll still keep a few on hand I like.
So I think that having the sharpest blade isn't always better. Feathers proved that in my situation, albeit at the other extreme. It's worth trying some blades that are known for smoothness or being forgiving, and with good technique, see what you can get out of them.
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