I Get a Safer! Smoother! More Comfortable Close! Shave: Is It the Razor or is it the Blade?

[Psychtec]

I would attribute things to technique, blade, and razor. It's very difficult to say that one variable is what makes or breaks a shave. It's the sum of the parts.

Good points

Experience and technique both bring everything together.

They help us grow on our shaving journey. They both help us make educated choices about what razors and blades we choose to use.

Both move us closer and closer to our ultimate goal. Good consistent quality shaves, using the highest quality tools within a budget. Unless RAD creeps in.

 

[Psychtec]

Interesting. I think that depends on whether the razor is mild or aggressive. A sharp blade makes a mild razor enjoyable. An aggressive razor brings out the best or worst qualities of a blade.

You are correct.

Do most fit razors to a blade or do most fit blades to a razor?

Do we buy the blade first and then buy a razor to fit that blade?

Do we buy the razor first and then buy a blade to fit the razor?

Let me rephrase what I said.

1. The blades used will bring out the qualities of the razors we enjoy the most.

2. The blades used will bring out the qualities we enjoy the least.

This is process of elimination.

Maybe the blades are the variable?

With more experience and improving technique using blades of choice, we get closer and closer to razors of choice.

This will eventually equal consistent high quality, comfortable shaves we look forward too.

 

[musicman1951]

Wolfman WR1/PolSilver SI - daily.

It's the combination of all the things. Technique would be first in my book, but you need a good marriage of razor and blade for consistent great shaves. You can manipulate your technique to alter the shave of a razor that's not a perfect fit for your face/beard - but that's the hard way, and difficult to do daily.

It would be difficult to experience consistently great shaves with poor prep and poor lather, but some things need to be assumed or the discussion goes on forever with so many possibilities.

If your razor is too mild for your beard you're going to have a heck of a time getting consistently good results (unless you don't really want a BBS). If it's too aggressive you can learn the technique that requires, but it seems like a lot of work compared to getting a better razor fit.

If the blade isn't sharp enough for your beard you're in the same boat as with a too mild razor.

I'm sorry it's not the answer you wanted to read, but it's the marriage of razor and blade (after technique).

Razor and blade choices are made through experience. That's an expensive way to go for razors, but I don't know any other way to find out if a razor will work better for me than my current favorite. The same for blades, but at least they're cheap. I don't consider price of purchase, but I do consider longevity - which is kind of the same thing. But if I needed to use a Feather blade every day (expensive and two good shaves for me) I would buy them happily and be glad they were available.

 

[PintoPlain]

I have to agree with @Quaznoid above. It is technique more than hardware. I tried a few DEs that I couldn't get a decent shave with and then fell (dived) into the straight rabbit hole. After honing (pun intended) my skills with straights, I can get decent shaves with just about any razor I pick up.

There is only one way to improve technique. Unfortunately it is not reading posts or watching videos. You have to practice and learn what works for you. You then apply what you have learned works to other razors/blades and adapt as necessary.

 

[Psychtec]

Wolfman WR1/PolSilver SI - daily.

It's the combination of all the things. Technique would be first in my book, but you need a good marriage of razor and blade for consistent great shaves. You can manipulate your technique to alter the shave of a razor that's not a perfect fit for your face/beard - but that's the hard way, and difficult to do daily.

It would be difficult to experience consistently great shaves with poor prep and poor lather, but some things need to be assumed or the discussion goes on forever with so many possibilities.

If your razor is too mild for your beard you're going to have a heck of a time getting consistently good results (unless you don't really want a BBS). If it's too aggressive you can learn the technique that requires, but it seems like a lot of work compared to getting a better razor fit.

If the blade isn't sharp enough for your beard you're in the same boat as with a too mild razor.

I'm sorry it's not the answer you wanted to read, but it's the marriage of razor and blade (after technique).

Razor and blade choices are made through experience. That's an expensive way to go for razors, but I don't know any other way to find out if a razor will work better for me than my current favorite. The same for blades, but at least they're cheap. I don't consider price of purchase, but I do consider longevity - which is kind of the same thing. But if I needed to use a Feather blade every day (expensive and two good shaves for me) I would buy them happily and be glad they were available.

Well said Musicman1951.

When I started this thread I should have included technique as a choice. At the time I was only focused on the tools of the trade. I thought technique was a given first choice. A shave, good or not do good can not happen without some sort of technique.
After technique I put my money on the the, blade. How the blade is used comes with experience. The more the experience the better razor choice, the better shave.

 

[Psychtec]

Wolfman WR1/PolSilver SI - daily.

It's the combination of all the things. Technique would be first in my book, but you need a good marriage of razor and blade for consistent great shaves. You can manipulate your technique to alter the shave of a razor that's not a perfect fit for your face/beard - but that's the hard way, and difficult to do daily.

It would be difficult to experience consistently great shaves with poor prep and poor lather, but some things need to be assumed or the discussion goes on forever with so many possibilities.

If your razor is too mild for your beard you're going to have a heck of a time getting consistently good results (unless you don't really want a BBS). If it's too aggressive you can learn the technique that requires, but it seems like a lot of work compared to getting a better razor fit.

If the blade isn't sharp enough for your beard you're in the same boat as with a too mild razor.

I'm sorry it's not the answer you wanted to read, but it's the marriage of razor and blade (after technique).

Razor and blade choices are made through experience. That's an expensive way to go for razors, but I don't know any other way to find out if a razor will work better for me than my current favorite. The same for blades, but at least they're cheap. I don't consider price of purchase, but I do consider longevity - which is kind of the same thing. But if I needed to use a Feather blade every day (expensive and two good shaves for me) I would buy them happily and be glad they were available.

musicman1951

Your response makes lots of sense.
Your threads make excellent points.
I could not have make better points.

You pointed out, in the future I need to ask better questions.

 

[railer489]

The article via the following link lays claim that pre-shave preparation is more important than anything else.

Razor Blade Evolution - Gillette Adjustable Razors

Gillette Razor Blades in the Adjustable Era UPDATE Research on why razor blades dull from Massachusetts Institute of Technology Aug 6, 2020. Patents have been applied for which will allow for the manufacture of blades which provide more homogeneity by compressing the steel at the blade edge...

gilletteadjustable.com

Enjoy!

 

[gdawg55]

Both....

All kidding aside, I do think it's a combination of razor design, blade choice, and technique. If the razor is designed to have positive blade exposure, then I believe the blade and technique make the most difference. If the razor is designed to have a more neutral blade exposure, then the razor and technique make the most difference. At least that's how I see it.

 

[Cino]

Good technique won't correct a dull or bitey blade. Neither will a good razor. But in the world of DEs, it seems that blades are less important than for ACs. Since the DE blade is so flexible, and there are so many great blades in that category, I think the razor becomes more important to lock the blade in place. For ACs though, I think the blade is 90% of the equation. The blade is ridgid and only needs a decent guard. Even then, the blade is designed to be used without a guard as a straight razor.

Regardless, the lather can make or break any shave, no matter the equipment.

GEMs are great for scraping stickers of of glass

 

[fengcs]

I think the razor becomes more important to lock the blade in place.

razor 90%，blade 10%，Technical=100%

 

[Psychtec]

razor 90%，blade 10%，Technical=100%

Fengcs

Locks the razor in place. Good point.