Rockwell Blades

Are these blades good blades? I am new to DE shaving and would say I have used the Rockwell blades that came with the razor and they seem to work just fine . What blades are you using and why?

The Rockwell Swedish Stainless Steels have not been great blades in my limited experience. However, I’ve never used them in a Rockwell razor. Perhaps they perform better in razors of the same brand.

The first one I ever used was horrendous, the second one was actually quite good. I recently decided to revisit the blade in my Blackbird, and the third Rockwell blade was once again not good. A lot of skipping on two-day stubble, one side of the blade felt different than the other, the shave felt rough…

My favorite blades are Kai Stainless Steel, Gillette Silver Blue, Personna Super (Lab Blue) and a few others. They seem to consistently do what I’m looking for: provide great sharpness without unnecessary harshness.

They're serviceable. Not as sharp as, say, the ones Matsilainen mentioned above. I would just change them a little more frequently.

I haven't gone down the blades rabbit hole. Feather blades work well for me. Depending on the razor, the first shave can bit a little dangerous, but I find they are very smooth the second shave onward.

Hey, if they are working for you that is glorious! For my grey beard though something sharper is in order (I understand grey hair is more resistant to cutting). Polsilver, Permasharp, Personna comfort coated (lab blue) are my go to blades. Feather is plenty sharp, perhaps the sharpest but I get fewer shaves from them. 2 or 3 vs a week with the afore mentioned blades. Rockwell did not treat me very good.

If you want to read some reviews of various DE blades, try the Refined Shave web site:
https://www.refinedshave.com/razor-blade...s-testing/

The author of the site, tested a lot of different blades on a sharpness tester and also shaved with the blades, giving his subjective review.

Rockwell blades are on the lower end of the sharpness spectrum. These blades, along with Merkur, Derby Extra, and Shark Super Stainless. are often provided with DE razors, especially those that might be considered entry level razors for new shavers like you. When you are just starting, your shaving technique is not ideal. If you tried using blades at the sharp end of the sharpness spectrum, there would be a good chance that you would cut yourself, become discouraged and give up on wet shaving. Thus, it makes sense for the razor manufacturers to include less sharp blades. Do not kid yourself, however, even the "dullest" razor blades are still sharp enough to cut you. The sharpest blades (Feather BIC Chrome, Nacet, PermaSharp Super, 7 O'Clock Super Premium Black, and Personna Platinum Israeli reds) are just that much sharper.

Everyone has their own preference for razor blades depending upon their beard type (coarse vs fine, dense vs thin) and skin type (sensitive vs less so) and also their razor type (aggressive, mild). I have a coarse, dense beard and can't use less sharp blades like Rockwell, Merkur, Derby Extra, and Sharp Super Stainless. Even Astra SP are not quite sharp enough for me. I love super sharp blades, but many people hate them. Since you seem to be able to shave with Rockwell blades, I suggest you try to pick up some Astra SP blades. Although they do not work well for me, they are one of the most popular blades in wet shaving. They are sharper than the Rockwell blades, but not so sharp that you should have difficulty using them. They are also one of the least expensive blades.

One thing you might want to do is pick up a sampler pack consisting of a dozen or more different blades ranging from less sharp like Derby Extra up to super sharp like Feather. Some sampler packs come with just one or two blades of each type. That might not be sufficient for you to tell whether you like the blade. It is better to get a five-blade tuck of each blade. This one below from West Coast Shaving has a good range of blades, but there are plenty of other options, including Amazon Good luck in finding the best blade for you..

https://www.westcoastshaving.com/product...gLhEPD_BwE

Yes I have thought about getting a sampler pack that is why I wanted to see what people are using. I too noticed that the first shave with the rockwell was not as good as the second The blade does seem to last ok I think I have 5 or 6 shaves and it still shaves close. I use #3 on the rockwell 6C. I have not tried the middle plate for the supply razor yet and those blades are great and last 2 weeks I shave every other day.

Yes I have thought about getting a sampler pack that is why I wanted to see what people are using. I too noticed that the first shave with the rockwell was not as good as the second The blade does seem to last ok I think I have 5 or 6 shaves and it still shaves close. I use #3 on the rockwell 6C. I have not tried the middle plate for the supply razor yet and those blades are great and last 2 weeks I shave every other day.

Your observation with the Rockwell blades is quite common with many blades. Many blades do not start to hit their stride until the 2nd or 3rd shave. Generally, these are coated blades that become sharper as the coating wears off. The Refined Shave data shows improvement in sharpness for most blades after the first shave. With a few blades like Personna Lab Blues, the change in sharpness is dramatic, so much so that you might need to change your shaving technique between shaves. However, there are a few blades that defy this "rule". Feather blades are the sharpest blades out of the wrapper, but the edge deteriorates quickly. I have sensitive skin and find that Feather blades become too rough on my face during the third shave. Quite a few shavers consider Feathers to be a two shave and out blades, but they are rather expensive when used in this manner. However, you may be one who can use a Feather blade for many more shaves.

The R3 plate on the Rockwell 6C has a 0.48mm blade gap which is on the mild-moderate side. Thus, you should be able to use sharper blades without too much concern. As your technique improves, you might want to try some of the more aggressive plates. Even the R6 plate is not all that aggressive. I have sensitive skin and love my Karve razor that has a D plate with blade gap of 0.98mm, even larger than the 0.79mm blade gap of the R6 plate. Blade gap, however, is only one of the factors in the efficiency/aggressiveness of a razor. Another primary factor is the blade exposure, or how far out the blade pushes out beyond the blade guard..Mild razors usually have a negative blade exposure and aggressive razors have a positive blade exposure.  However, blade exposure is difficult to measure, so most razor manufacturers only list the blade gap without listing the blade exposure. Thus, two razors with identical blade gaps might have a significantly different level of aggression due to the design of the head.

Your choice of blade in a razor also affects how it feels on your face. I love using the very sharpest blades in a mild razor, but find using those same blades in an aggressive razor will give me an uncomfortable shave. However, I can use a less sharp blade in an aggressive razor with discomfort.

Yes so it would make sense to start off with a new blade and shave 2 times with the blade than move up to the next plate 6. I will be checking out different blades as well as new razors. I did not think about the coating of the blades but now that you said that it makes total sense. What I am liking about wet shaving is more Zen than just running a razor over your face as quickly as possible which is the way I used to shave. So listening to the blade and proper lather makes for a much better shave .....slow down and enjoy.