17 Oct 20222: The Leon blade, with today’s razor, soap, brush, razor, soap, brush, and with a long soak-in prep, yielded another DFS+ quality shave. Moderate buffing required to finish today’s shave.
Carbon Forest of Treets: A deep dive into carbon steel double-edge blades
- Thread starter slimshavy
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- #282
Treet Dura Sharp (blue)
Shave Two
Oct. 17, 2022
Razor: Gillette Super Speed Red Tip
Aftershave: Ariana and Evans St. Barts
The second shave with the Dura Sharp drew less blood than the first, hurried, shave. I noticed my beard didn't seem as long after its usual two-day growth today, so perhaps the last shave got a little closer than I'm used to.
It's a strange thing with this razor-blade combo: I struggle to get close enough on the jawline and (today) under the chin, but then I feel a bit like I've overshaved elsewhere, such as around the mouth and mid-cheek. This would be consistent with my having less hair to shave today, but I can't imagine the mechanics. How can the same razor that doesn't get close enough to pick up stubble in some spots also cut closer than most razors in other spots?
Sometimes I suspect that my technique hasn't much improved since I started shaving, and this gives me echoes of learning DE shaving with a Merkur 34 and shaving myself raw in some spots and stubbly in others. This isn't to that level, to be sure. I got a good shave despite a few weepers I've come to expect (and don't think I can really avoid with this face and these blades).
It's possible that some lingering irritation or sensitivity comes from the different aftershave. Someone in my household has become irritated by my usual Leviathan so I switched it out, and I'm not sure there's isn't some small reaction to the St. Barts. I might try something else next time to try to take aftershave effects out of the equation.
Yes, I'll give the Dura Sharp a third shave. I think it's probably got enough sharpness to it, and maybe some smoothness will emerge as it dulls.
Shave Two
Oct. 17, 2022
Razor: Gillette Super Speed Red Tip
Aftershave: Ariana and Evans St. Barts
The second shave with the Dura Sharp drew less blood than the first, hurried, shave. I noticed my beard didn't seem as long after its usual two-day growth today, so perhaps the last shave got a little closer than I'm used to.
It's a strange thing with this razor-blade combo: I struggle to get close enough on the jawline and (today) under the chin, but then I feel a bit like I've overshaved elsewhere, such as around the mouth and mid-cheek. This would be consistent with my having less hair to shave today, but I can't imagine the mechanics. How can the same razor that doesn't get close enough to pick up stubble in some spots also cut closer than most razors in other spots?
Sometimes I suspect that my technique hasn't much improved since I started shaving, and this gives me echoes of learning DE shaving with a Merkur 34 and shaving myself raw in some spots and stubbly in others. This isn't to that level, to be sure. I got a good shave despite a few weepers I've come to expect (and don't think I can really avoid with this face and these blades).
It's possible that some lingering irritation or sensitivity comes from the different aftershave. Someone in my household has become irritated by my usual Leviathan so I switched it out, and I'm not sure there's isn't some small reaction to the St. Barts. I might try something else next time to try to take aftershave effects out of the equation.
Yes, I'll give the Dura Sharp a third shave. I think it's probably got enough sharpness to it, and maybe some smoothness will emerge as it dulls.
- Thread starter
- #283
Strangely, as I've forgotten and been reminded of, the Dura Sharps are the lone Teflon-coated blade in this carbon-steel bunch. Presumably, they should be smoother than the others from the first or second use, but its smoothness and sharpness have varied widely in previous razors. The irritation has been somewhat consistent, but the blade settled down on the third shave in both the Slim and the Old Type, and went four shaves in both, so I'm optimistic.
I have found blade exposure is more correlated with evenness of the shave than any blade characteristics. I have also found that closeness is more correlated with blade sharpness than any razor characteristics. Generally speaking, obviously there is some overlap.
18 Oct 2022: The Leon blade, with today’s razor, soap, brush, razor, soap, brush, and with a long soak-in prep, yielded a Basic Acceptable Shave (BAS). Lots of remaining stubble which required lots of buffing. As other forum members have commented, this blade is good for one or two shaves at best. Tomorrow, the Tatra will be the blade.
- Thread starter
- #286
Interesting. Do you find the relation to be that more exposure leads to more evenness or less evenness?
- Thread starter
- #287
Reminder: Check Your Halloween Treets This Year!
Some fool may try to sneak a candy bar in there!
Some fool may try to sneak a candy bar in there!
I should have been clearer, definitely more evenness. If you think about two extremes, a slight negative exposure and something like an r41, on the negative one you can only get the blade edge a certain distance from the base of the hair, even with pushing.
With a sufficient positive exposure, different for everybody, you have the flexibility to get as close as you need to while also being able pivot away slightly on other areas. What I have discovered is that on the flat lying hairs, there is a certain amount of slip happening before the blade catches and slices. The positive exposure can still grab these while the hair slips off on the negative razor.
As to pushing not completely fixing the problem with negative, more pushing causes more skin displacement by the safety bar and generally keeps the blade the same distance or more than with light pressure. I prefer very tight stretching and light buffing if I can't get a razor to pick up a spot of hairs, that way I am not roughing up my skin. It works on some razors, others are too negative and feel like they got it while shaving, but the hair pops back up after. The Hensons are the classic case of this and what have caused me the most trouble due to their fixed angle. The aggressive version solved this problem while the mild and medium are closer to each other, the medium being the one that I used to always over shave with because I couldn't get the angle to pick up jaw patches. I agree when some people say that certain people should use adjustables and change the setting for different parts of the face, if they are consistently having trouble with specific spots. If you simply use a sharper blade, it's likely just going to rough up the more sensitive areas. It's a balancing act really, one I probably think too much about. Eventually a person finds a nice combination of blade and razor and doesn't need a technical evaluation to tell them why it works!
- Thread starter
- #289
This makes sense. I ended up with all Gillettes, and I'm guessing they all have negative exposures, or else near zero. The smoother, but duller, blades will let me attack an area over and over without getting irritation. I end up with an approximation of a good shave, but it's tiresome and I wouldn't opt to do it outside of these trials (or the blade challenge PIFs). I've never shaved with the modern "aggressive" razors, and I imagine I would have to unlearn some habits that work with a mild razor/not-sharp blade combo, but I am curious.
10/19/2022: The Tatra blade, with MY KCG’s razor, Badger brush, Noble Otter, soap, and with a long soak-in prep, yielded nice 9.5 DFS+ quality shave. I started with a heavy beard so more buffing than normal was required. All in all, a good shave for today.
- Thread starter
- #291
Treet Dura Sharp (blue)
Shave Three
Oct. 19, 2022
Razor: Gillette Super Speed Red Tip
Aftershave: Ariana and Evans St. Barts
Shave three, as I suspected, was gentler than the previous two. Some decline in sharpness but also sharp enough to cut hair without cutting skin. Mostly.
This blade has done fairly well in the mustache but struggled in the chin. I needed multiple cleanup passes of the chin to get it pretty close. I also did quite a bit of extra hacking around the chin/jawline and got one side very close, but at the expense of a weeper that stayed weeping after the shave (actually, the aftershave reopened it).
That spot, on both sides, shaves down to a sort of chicken skin; the skin itself is bumpy and the bumps may catch the blade before the hairs do. I don't mind getting a few weepers, so I usually persist.
Very nice shave overall, BBS minus a few isolated spots, including part of left jawline. I think we'll go for a fourth shave with this blade.
Shave Three
Oct. 19, 2022
Razor: Gillette Super Speed Red Tip
Aftershave: Ariana and Evans St. Barts
Shave three, as I suspected, was gentler than the previous two. Some decline in sharpness but also sharp enough to cut hair without cutting skin. Mostly.
This blade has done fairly well in the mustache but struggled in the chin. I needed multiple cleanup passes of the chin to get it pretty close. I also did quite a bit of extra hacking around the chin/jawline and got one side very close, but at the expense of a weeper that stayed weeping after the shave (actually, the aftershave reopened it).
That spot, on both sides, shaves down to a sort of chicken skin; the skin itself is bumpy and the bumps may catch the blade before the hairs do. I don't mind getting a few weepers, so I usually persist.
Very nice shave overall, BBS minus a few isolated spots, including part of left jawline. I think we'll go for a fourth shave with this blade.
20 Oct 2022: The Tatra blade, with MY KCG’s razor, soap, Badger brush, Noble Otter, soap, and with a long soak-in prep, yielded at best, a Close Comfortable Shave (CCS). Despite being corked before Shave #1, this blade tugged and drag during this morning's shave. I had to do lots of buffing. If no improvement tomorrow, it will be replaced.
21 Oct 2022: The Tatra blade, with MY KCG’s razor, soap, Badger brush, Noble Otter, soap, and with a long soak-in prep, yielded a Basic Acceptable Shave (BAS) at best. Lots of stubble remained after the WTG and XTG passes. Extensive buffing eliminated some of the stubble, but not all. The Tatra blade has been 'banked'. Tomorrow, I start the Leon blade.
- Thread starter
- #294
Treet Dura Sharp (blue)
Shave Four
Oct. 21, 2022
Razor: Gillette Super Speed Red Tip
Aftershave: Ariana and Evans St. Barts
Four shaves is nothing to sneeze at, and this may be the most temperamental blade in the bunch, but that also speaks to its promise in other settings (with other razors, other shaving techniques, other beard types etc.). The shave was dragging a bit in early passes but whatever inconsistency seemed to have settled down, as it wasn't kicking up weepers in early passes.
That waited until the modified XTG/ATG mustache pass (which is pass 2 1/2, for those keeping track), when I got a couple in the mustache corners. Fleeting, as usual, and the true ATG didn't give any new weepers that I noted. Upper face, cheeks and under lip all BBS without incident.
Overall, I'm probably closest to overall BBS than I have been in any of the three previous shaves. Yet, the chin and underchin, plus right goatee-area jawline had some weepers from my cleanup passes that persisted past applying aftershave.
I feel like whatever "sweet spot" this blade may have had between sharp-but-rough and too dull has passed. I don't see any reason to give a fifth shave.
Shave Four
Oct. 21, 2022
Razor: Gillette Super Speed Red Tip
Aftershave: Ariana and Evans St. Barts
Four shaves is nothing to sneeze at, and this may be the most temperamental blade in the bunch, but that also speaks to its promise in other settings (with other razors, other shaving techniques, other beard types etc.). The shave was dragging a bit in early passes but whatever inconsistency seemed to have settled down, as it wasn't kicking up weepers in early passes.
That waited until the modified XTG/ATG mustache pass (which is pass 2 1/2, for those keeping track), when I got a couple in the mustache corners. Fleeting, as usual, and the true ATG didn't give any new weepers that I noted. Upper face, cheeks and under lip all BBS without incident.
Overall, I'm probably closest to overall BBS than I have been in any of the three previous shaves. Yet, the chin and underchin, plus right goatee-area jawline had some weepers from my cleanup passes that persisted past applying aftershave.
I feel like whatever "sweet spot" this blade may have had between sharp-but-rough and too dull has passed. I don't see any reason to give a fifth shave.
22 Oct 2022: The Tiger blade, with MY KCG’s razor, soap, Badger brush, Noble Otter, soap, and with a long soak-in prep, yielded a 9.5 DFS+ quality shave. Due to yesterday’s Tatra CAS shave, I started this morning with a heavy beard. The WTG pass was very tough, however the XTG and minor follow-up buffing posed no problems.
23 Oct 2022: Today’s Treet Tiger shave yielded a 9.0 DFS shave. I had to do a fair amount of buffing this morning. Perhaps the blade is dulling; tomorrow will tell.
- Thread starter
- #297
Treet Super Power
Shave One
Oct. 23, 2022
Razor: Gillette Super Speed Red Tip
Aftershave: Mixture of dregs
Not a great first outing for the Super Power. Some fleeting cuts in the mustache but then also weepers that continued to weep.
There wasn’t anything particularly good about this shave to offset the particularly bad. Got close but not any closer than any other Treet. Had some lasting irritation.
Now I’m wondering if it’s even earned a second shave. I’m also not liking how the Treets I’ve tested have done in the Red Tip so far. It’s like starting to shave all over again. Maybe that’s good and I’ll learn how to do it again, but it’s puzzling to have arrived here again.
Shave One
Oct. 23, 2022
Razor: Gillette Super Speed Red Tip
Aftershave: Mixture of dregs
Not a great first outing for the Super Power. Some fleeting cuts in the mustache but then also weepers that continued to weep.
There wasn’t anything particularly good about this shave to offset the particularly bad. Got close but not any closer than any other Treet. Had some lasting irritation.
Now I’m wondering if it’s even earned a second shave. I’m also not liking how the Treets I’ve tested have done in the Red Tip so far. It’s like starting to shave all over again. Maybe that’s good and I’ll learn how to do it again, but it’s puzzling to have arrived here again.
24 Oct 2022: Today’s last Treet Tiger shave yielded a 7.5 quality shave. This blade tugged and drug during the entire shave and post shave buffing. It was ‘banked’. Tomorrow, I begin using my one of my 58-blade inventory.
- Thread starter
- #299
I went back to see how the Super Power had done in the other razors, and it's all over the map. Interestingly, it was pretty mild in the Slim, set at 8, and didn't cut me. It's interesting how the Red Tip, with a similar geometry but a smaller blade gap, seems to be more aggressive. You could use both meanings of the word, as it cut me but also seemed to shave closely with less of a struggle than it did in the Slim.
I'm starting to think I should shave with this blade again, to settle a few things, even though I know that it won't result in a good shave.
- Thread starter
- #300
Treet Super Power
Shave Two
Oct. 25, 2022
Razor: Gillette Super Speed Red Tip
Aftershave: Mixture of dregs
Happy Post #300!
Yes, I gave the Super Power another shot and yes, it had enough left to give me a decent shave, much better than the first and any weepers I might have gotten closed pretty much instantly.
I decided not to do a full-on assault on the mustache sides/corners, where there was still some damage from the last shave. I settled for angles approaching against the grain but not dead-on. Elsewhere, I stayed cautious and gentle (until the cleanup pass, when I just roam around my face like I'm weed-whacking).
The blade felt much less sharp, thought it's hard to say with these. Maybe it was sharp but inconsistent before, maybe it was dull but inconsistent.
This is a silly thing, I know, but the Super Power is one U.S. Dollar per 100 more expensive than most other carbon-steel Treets, including the Dura Sharp and the Silver. It has lettered A and B sides and looks like Treet thinks it's a slightly better blade than others. I can't help wonder if they're on to something.
Maybe someone else will weather (or not experience) this break-in period and then go on to have a long series of great shaves with the Super Power. This second shave gives me at least a thought that it's possible. It's not for me to determine, though, and I'm moving on from this blade.
Shave Two
Oct. 25, 2022
Razor: Gillette Super Speed Red Tip
Aftershave: Mixture of dregs
Happy Post #300! Yes, I gave the Super Power another shot and yes, it had enough left to give me a decent shave, much better than the first and any weepers I might have gotten closed pretty much instantly.
I decided not to do a full-on assault on the mustache sides/corners, where there was still some damage from the last shave. I settled for angles approaching against the grain but not dead-on. Elsewhere, I stayed cautious and gentle (until the cleanup pass, when I just roam around my face like I'm weed-whacking).
The blade felt much less sharp, thought it's hard to say with these. Maybe it was sharp but inconsistent before, maybe it was dull but inconsistent.
This is a silly thing, I know, but the Super Power is one U.S. Dollar per 100 more expensive than most other carbon-steel Treets, including the Dura Sharp and the Silver. It has lettered A and B sides and looks like Treet thinks it's a slightly better blade than others. I can't help wonder if they're on to something.
Maybe someone else will weather (or not experience) this break-in period and then go on to have a long series of great shaves with the Super Power. This second shave gives me at least a thought that it's possible. It's not for me to determine, though, and I'm moving on from this blade.
