Blade recommendation please help

How many shaves are you using each blade for? Many blades get a little smoother after the first use before eventually degrading in performance.

The often repeated advice is to stick to one brand or make of blade for a few shaves to get a real feel for it. Although the reality is that it's too much fun not to hop around and try as many different blades in as short a time as possible. I've been DE shaving for a good while and I've still got that kid in a sweet shop approach when it comes to picking gear for the SOTD!

And just to confuse matters a blade can seem completely different, for better or worse, in a different razor.

How many shaves are you using each blade for? Many blades get a little smoother after the first use before eventually degrading in performance.

The often repeated advice is to stick to one brand or make of blade for a few shaves to get a real feel for it. Although the reality is that it's too much fun not to hop around and try as many different blades in as short a time as possible. I've been DE shaving for a good while and I've still got that kid in a sweet shop approach when it comes to picking gear for the SOTD!

And just to confuse matters a blade can seem completely different, for better or worse, in a different razor.

Thanks for your input Lee.  I am using each blade for two shaves on the first round just to get a feel for the blades.  My plan is then to make another round of the blades I felt worked well for me.  At that point I will attempt to assess the longevity of each blade and make decisions on which blades I enjoy and which are worth purchasing in larger quantities.  Prior to doing this my only experience was 4 months of derby usage.  My main goal is just to experiment with different blades and note their different qualities for future reference.

At the moment my only razor is the EJDE89, which to my understanding is a very mild razor.  I plan to revisit blades in the future when I purchase other razors with this experiment primarily as my guide.  

The way I have selected the order of the blades is pretty much as you described it, "kid in a candy shop." .

Gilette Silver Blue

Sharpness=7.5, I found these blades to be adequately sharp; a nice sweet spot in the middle.

Smoothness= 8, The silver blues worked really well for me. I found them to be extremely easy to use, and they provided a very nice shave with out any difficulties, irritation, or any other mentionable problems. For me, I did not find it to be a "stand out," but I believe them to be a very nice medium aggressive blade. I would not buy them in huge bulk, but I definitely would not shy away from using them again, definitely a blade everyone should use in the search for their own favorites.

gilette 7 o clock super platinum (black)

Sharpness=8.5, Out of the blades I have used, this one ranks the third sharpest for me, right behind the pol silver and the feather. It glides effortlessly through even my toughest hair.

Smoothness=7.5, Overall I really enjoyed the past two days shaving with this blade. I was able to achieve very close shaves with out much irritation. I did notice a couple of places around the jaw line that was a little irritated and burned pretty badly upon adding in some alcohol containing AS. The irritation was not noticeable to the eye, but the blade did not leave my face the most comfortable. I would definitely use this blade again, but would probably reach for the pol silver first.

cool list you're compiling here.

I should really look into doing a blind blade test where we get say 10-15 interested parties, send them maybe 10 different blades and have someone other than the shaver load the blade so the opinion won't be biased.

cool list you're compiling here.  

I should really look into doing a blind blade test where we get say 10-15 interested parties, send them maybe 10 different blades and have someone other than the shaver load the blade so the opinion won't be biased.

Thanks Andrew.  I am really enjoying the process of comparing the different blades and discovering each ones' characteristics.  


I think that sounds like a great idea.  It certainly would eliminate some bias out of the equation.  I personally feel, even though I know which blade I am using, that I am about as unbiased as you could be.  I knew practically nothing about any of these blades before trying them.  The only preconception I had was that feathers are the sharpest.  Let me know if you get a blind test going, I would love to participate.

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Trig Silver

Sharpness= 5, I did not find this blade to be particularly sharp at all by comparison. I had some trouble getting through the thick hair around my chin.
Smoothness=6, From the first stroke, this blade simply did not agree with me. I do not mind a blade that is not overly sharp as long as it is very smooth, but this was not the case with the trig. It did not seem to glide very well, and frankly, I did not like the way it felt on my face.

Rapira Platinum

Sharpness=6, While slightly sharper than the trig, I did not find the Rapira to be particularly sharp either. I still had trouble getting through the hairs in the chin area.
Smoothness=6, The smoothness of the rapira was quite similar to the trig. It felt quite rough around the jaw line and did not leave my face feeling particularly good or smooth.

I hate to end my blade hunt on a bad note, but these were my final two blades I had to try. I only used each blade once and did not feel the need to revisit them. Had they been sharper, I would have given them another shave to see if they smoothed out a bit, but because I felt they were quite dull in comparison, I did not deem it necessary to give them another shot. I do have a couple of each left that I intend to save for the next razor I purchase. Perhaps it is the EJDE89 that they do not agree with.

My next step in the hunt is to go back and revisit blades that stood out to me during my exploration and see how many shaves I can achieve before it is time to pitch it. This will give me better insight into the value of the blades as I further hone in on the blades that are best for me.

Thank you everyone for your input into my journey. I will continue to post and let you know how many shaves I am achieving from each blade. I may also pick up some more blades that I have heard about and I want to try. Also, quite frankly, I really enjoyed this process and hate to see it come to an end.

Thank you! You have added immeasurably to DFS and it has been fun vicariously taking this journey with you.

You can always just keep buying and testing blades. There's nothing that says you need to stop. Nor am I suggesting that you do as I did. By the time I got done testing I had tested close to 40 blades and I didn't want to see another new blade to test. I was burnt out with the testing. After the 1 1/2 - 2 years I had had enough of testing protocol that I has set up and I just wanted to enjoy my shaves in a relaxed manner. I've pretty much been able to do that. Every once in awhile someone will send me blades to test, but I no longer do a testing protocol, I just test and it's either pass or fail.

BTW, I'm not looking for more blades to test, so no one send me any.

Thank you! You have added immeasurably to DFS and it has been fun vicariously taking this journey with you.

Thanks Freddy.  I have enjoyed and appreciated your thoughts.

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You can always just keep buying and testing blades. There's nothing that says you need to stop. Nor am I suggesting that you do as I did. By the time I got done testing I had tested close to 40 blades and I didn't want to see another new blade to test. I was burnt out with the testing. After the 1 1/2 - 2 years I had had enough of testing protocol that I has set up and I just wanted to enjoy my shaves in a relaxed manner. I've pretty much been able to do that. Every once in awhile someone will send me blades to test, but I no longer do a testing protocol, I just test and it's either pass or fail.

BTW, I'm not looking for more blades to test, so no one send me any.

Thanks Brian.  I can imagine the point you are at and could for see myself one day reaching that point where I simply want to enjoy my shaves and no longer assess every detail, but for now, let the journey continue.

I do intend to pick some more samples up.  I am particularly interested in the kai blades, as they have seemed to gain some popularity on here recently.  I am always open to more suggestions from other wet shavers if anyone has noticed a blade that I have left out that you are fond of.

Before you get all invested in DE gear I'm going to suggest something else for you to try. (I can hear all the moaning coming from the gallery!)

Lots of folks who have already loaded up on DE gear have later found that they actually prefer SE (single edge) safety razors. Many have found that the shave is far more comfortable. That is my suggestion.

If I wanted to try SE I would find a GEM Featherweight, G-Bar, or Clik (I think that's what it's called) and just ask for blades. The best of the bunch in lots of folks minds are the GEM SS ptfe blades. There isn't the assortment of blades as there is with DE, but the blades that do exist are extremely good. A GEM FW might cost as much as $10, but I've gotten most of mine for under $5. If I had any I'd send you one. I have never seen a FW that didn't clean up nicely no matter the price. Their plating is very heavy.

If you like the mild SE razors that I suggested above there are quite a few others that you can branch out to if you wish. Bear in mind that a mild SE razor would be low mid aggressive to mid aggressive if it was a DE razor.

If you do try this let me know and I'll send you some blades if you can wait for the mail to deliver them, or you can buy some locally. Rite-Aid has the GEM SS ptfe blades, but that's not the place to buy them if you plan to use a SE razor every day. You get there and we'll clue you in to the best places to buy. Rite-Aid is just the easiest for one pack. The cheapest is to wait for the mail to deliver a few.