DE blade testing diary.

[joost]

I have skipped shaving yesterday.

Blade: Supermax super stainless(used two times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: Omega 49
Soap: Palmolive

The blade cut reasonably well through my stubble. I had noticeable tugging but not so much that it got stuck. I did two passes with some touching up which provided a clean shave but also irritation and two cuts in my neck.

 

[joost]

Blade: Astra superior platinum(used two times before this shave)
Razor: Aluminum Tech
Brush: New forest
Soap: Speick

While being used for the third time the Astra SP again cut smoothly through my stubble. While doing so I did notice some resistance but noting problematic, it was not tugging. I only did one pass which left me with a surprisingly close shave. In my experience I can only get away with a one pass shave if I did shave the day before.

 

[joost]

Yesterday I did not shave.


Blade: Gillette Goal(used two times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: Omega 49
Soap: Palmolive

I did not notice any significant deterioration with my previously favorite blade while using it for the third time today. It cut smoothly through my stubble. Two passes left me a close shave and minor irritation.

 

[joost]

Blade: Supermax blue diamond platinum(used two times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: New forest 2211
Soap: Speick

The blade cut reasonably smooth through my stubble. I did notice some resistance but it did not tug. Two passes and some touching up left me with a close shave without any cuts or irritation.

 

[joost]

Blade: Rapira super stainless(used two times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: Semogue LE 2010
Cream: Palmolive

I have skipped shaving two days. Partially because of this I decided to bowl lather for a change so I could be sure to have enough lather for three passes. Normally two passes plus touching up is all I do but today I wanted to reduce my beard that has been growing for three days gradually.

The blade was tugging a lot on the first pass. This is often the case with me when I have skipped shaving one or more days. But also on the second and third pass I had quite some tugging. The end result was a close shave and a small cut in my neck.

 

[joost]

Blade: Derby(used two times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: Semogue LE 2010
Soap: Speick

I did not shave yesterday.

The Derby blade has not ever treated me right. Today's shave was again a bad shave since I got a lot of irritation and two cuts. The thing with the Derby blade is that it has a tricky personality, so to speak. It is cutting smoothly for a while and suddenly I notice I have a cut. But not a the area where I am shaving but rather at another spot which I have shaved already. When it comes to irritation I also have this delayed awareness with Derbys. This is something I have experienced with previous Derbys and not with any other blade. So for me at least, Derbys are consistently "tricky" for lack of a better word.

On my first pass I decided that it would be my only pass because of the cuts and the irritation I already had. This gave me an acceptable shave.

 

[joost]

Blade: Gillette black(used two times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: Semogue LE 2010
Soap: Palmolive

The blade cut smoothly through my stubble on the first pass. Despite this I noticed I had stubble remaining that did not get cut of. Whether this it due to me not paying enough attention during this first pass or due to the blade I am not sure of. After a second pass and some touching up my face was smooth again which would indicate I did not pay enough attention during my first pass. I had a small cut and minor irritation.

 

[joost]

Blade: Racer(used three times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: Simpsons Commodore x1
Soap: Speick

As far as the Racer blade has been sharp it has lost its sharpness now. I did two passes as in that I lathered up two times. But on both passes I went over the same skin many times because the blade simply was not cutting well anymore. I often have found that blades that are not sharp anymore do not give me irritation even though I scrape my skin like a dog scratches itself. This time that also was the case. I got one small cut. The shave was not close.

 

[joost]

Blade: Astra SS(used three times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: Semogue LE 2010
Cream: Palmolive

I did not shave yesterday.

For me it is difficult to notice the individual blades deteriorating because of the way I have set up this testing round. In that I change blades every shave instead of using a blade shave after shave until it is no longer working properly. This shave was the first one where I found the Astra SS blade to be less sharp compared to its previous shaves. On the first pass it cut smoothly through my stubble but I did notice some resistance while doing so. After this pass I noticed some stubble was not cut of. My second pass took care of this. The end result was a close shave and minor irritation.

 

[joost]

Blade: Perma sharp super(used three times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: Semogue LE 2010
Cream: Dalan marine

I did not shave yesterday.

The blade cut through my stubble quite smoothly. Two passes and some touching up gave me a close shave and minor irritation.

 

[joost]

Blade: Shark super stainless(used three times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: Omega 49
Soap: Palmolive

On the three times I have used this blade before this shave I have experienced it as dull. I have to take into account though that two of those shaves it had to cut through beards that have been growing for multiple days. Today it had only stubble to cut of because I have shaved yesterday. While I still did not experience the blade as sharp it cut better through my stubble then expected. At least the blade has maintained a decent edge. Two passes and some touching up gave me an acceptable shave without any cuts or irritation.

 

[joost]

Blade: Bic chrome platinum(used three times before this shave)
Razor: Aluminum Tech
Brush: Semogue LE 2010
Soap: Speick

I did not shave yesterday.

While the Bic was on its fourth shave not as impressively sharp as it was on its first. It still was in fact sharp. It cut very smoothly through my stubble and gave me a nice close shave in two passes.

 

[Mick]

Very ambitious project you have started on here.

Good luck!!!

 

[joost]

Very ambitious project you have started on here.

Good luck!!!

Thanks. It is enlightening for me. Comparing blades this way and on this scale is the first time for me. Right now I am getting at the stage where I can be more sure about how blades perform for me.



Blade: Supermax super platinum(used three times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: Semogue LE 2010
Cream: Nivea

I have skipped shaving for three days.

Because I had so much beard to get rid of I decided to do it in three passes. Which in its turn made me decide to bowl lather so I was sure to have enough lather. I normally face lather but bowl lathering is always a nice change of pace. The shave itself went well exept for one cut in my neck that bled quite badly(I did not feel it though). After the three passes my face was smooth once again.

 

[joost]

Blade: HEMA(used three times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: New forest 2211
Soap: Speick

I did not shave yesterday.

On its fourth shave I got a decent shave from this blade again. Which is still kind of surprising to me because I previously experienced it as dull. While I felt it drag a bit while cutting through my stubble it did not tug. After two passes and some touching up at the regular touch up spots I noticed after the shave that I small patches in my neck that where not cut as short as the rest of my stubble. This could be an indication that it is not sharp anymore but it could also be me not focusing on the right angle. I also had irritation and cut myself.

 

[joost]

Blade: Acso super stainless(used three times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: New forest 2211
Soap: Speick

The last time I used the Asco SS I got a lot off irritation. But I contributed this to the "de vergulde hand'' shaving soap I was using. This shave confirmed that idea because I did not get any irritation today. The blade met some resistance when cutting through my stubble but nothing to bad. Two passes and some touching up resulted in a good shave.

 

[joost]

Blade: Supermax stainless(used three times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: Semogue LE 2010
Soap: Palmolive

The blade dragged a bit when cutting through my stubble. Two passes and some touching up got me acceptably smooth except for some patches under my jawline and around my Adam's aple that where not cut of as well. I also got a small cut and minor irritation.

 

[joost]

Blade: Astra superior platinum(used three times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: Semogue LE 2010
Cream: Dalan marine

Yesterday I did not shave.

I was curiously looking forward to this shave because the Astra SP is together with the Astra SS and the Bic chrome platinum one of the three blades that have worked very well for me so far. Today it still cut smoothly but I did notice some resistance while cutting through my stubble. Two passes without any touching up gave me a close shave together with a small cut in my neck and minor irritation around my chin.

It seems that after three shaves the Astra SP was over the hill(I realize that in most cases blades start on top of the hill anyway but you get what I mean right). And while it does not perform as well as it did before I think for me it performs about the same as another blade on its first shave that does not work as well for me. In other words, the blade was still perfectly usable on its fourth shave.

 

[joost]

In this post I will describe both yesterdays as todays shave.

Yesterdays shave:

Blade: Gillette goal(used three times before this shave)
Razor: aluminum Tech
Brush: New forest 2211
Soap: Irish moos

While cutting through my stubble I noticed considerable resistance. Nothing to bad, the blade still functions properly but is not comfortable to use at this point. Two passes without touching up gave me a good shave together with a small cut and irritation.

Todays shave:

Blade: Supermax blue diamond(used three times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech(used countless times before this shave)
Brush: New forest 2211
Soap: Irish moos

The blade cut smootly through my stubble. Two passes and some touching up gave me a close shave and minor irritation.

 

[joost]

Blade: Rapira super stainless(used three times before this shave)
Razor: Gillette aluminum Tech
Brush: Semogue LE 2010
Cream: Nivea

I did not shave for two days.

The Rapira super stainless has not ever been a sharp blade, but at this point in time I am sure it is dull. Because I had a three day beard to get rid of I did three passes. During every pass the blade tugged a lot, it even got stuck on my beard often. Also did I have to go over the same patches of skin many times during all three passes to remove the beard/stubble. The end result was a shave that was not close. On a positive note, I did not cut myself and only had minor irritation along my jawline.

My experience with blades that are not sharp or have become dull is that although I have to use many strokes to remove my beard, this does not result in cuts or irritation. If I had to choose between a sharp blade that cuts smoothly but gives irritation and/or cuts and a dull blade that does not damage my skin I would choose for the dull blade. The nicest thing about this testing round for me has been the discovery of sharp blades that do not damage my skin. These are both Astra blades, namely the superior stainless and superior platinum. To a lesser extend this also is the case for the Bic chrome platinum in that I find it very sharp while it only gives me minor irritation.