What is the best blades for a newbie to start with .
What is the best blades for a newbie
- Thread starter plumcrazy74
- Start date
I would suggest making a trial pack at Try A Blade from this list.
Personally I started out with Derby Extras and got my technique dialed in before I moved on to any other blade. I wasn't trying to get a BBS just wanted to get a good shave and not butcher my face. I found that the Derby did that just fine for me. Not the sharpest blade out there, but one of the more "forgiving". Keep in mind any balD will cut you.
You will probably get many different suggestions on this topic. Blades are a huge YMMV.
What ever blade you choose to start with, stick with it until you get your technique down. Then you can test different blades. Don't change anything but the blade when you are in a blade trial. That way you know if it is the blade or not.
Personally I started out with Derby Extras and got my technique dialed in before I moved on to any other blade. I wasn't trying to get a BBS just wanted to get a good shave and not butcher my face. I found that the Derby did that just fine for me. Not the sharpest blade out there, but one of the more "forgiving". Keep in mind any balD will cut you.
You will probably get many different suggestions on this topic. Blades are a huge YMMV.
What ever blade you choose to start with, stick with it until you get your technique down. Then you can test different blades. Don't change anything but the blade when you are in a blade trial. That way you know if it is the blade or not.
I recommend the astra blades.
A blade sampler is a good idea. If you want to jump right in, Astra SP work well for me, so do Polsilver SI (very sharp though), Dorco Prime, Dorco ST 301 (much less sharp, but also easier on the face).
Derbys have a mixed response, may work well for you, may not. I didn't care for them, gave up at six shaves on the first blade vs 22 on an Astra SP and 23 so far on a Dorco ST 301. German Wilkinsons are good, don't know about the Indian ones (made by Gillette, not the old Schick company). Any of the 7 O'clock blades by Gillette are good.
All commercially available double edged blades will give you a decent shave (this does not include some "prep" blades that appear to be horrible) but they do feel different. Just starting out, a nice middle of the road blade is a good idea, and stick with whatever you choose for a while. You WILL need to learn to shave with a DE, and swapping blades and razors all the time won't make than happen any faster. After a month or so, you will be getting good shaves, and then you can start looking for better razors and blades with confidence that any differences are the blade or razor and not your technique.
Peter
Derbys have a mixed response, may work well for you, may not. I didn't care for them, gave up at six shaves on the first blade vs 22 on an Astra SP and 23 so far on a Dorco ST 301. German Wilkinsons are good, don't know about the Indian ones (made by Gillette, not the old Schick company). Any of the 7 O'clock blades by Gillette are good.
All commercially available double edged blades will give you a decent shave (this does not include some "prep" blades that appear to be horrible) but they do feel different. Just starting out, a nice middle of the road blade is a good idea, and stick with whatever you choose for a while. You WILL need to learn to shave with a DE, and swapping blades and razors all the time won't make than happen any faster. After a month or so, you will be getting good shaves, and then you can start looking for better razors and blades with confidence that any differences are the blade or razor and not your technique.
Peter
I'm with Alexis. They may not be your favorite blade, but very few folks don't like them. If you get a sampler I'd also recommend Personna, Feather, and GSB.
RJ - Chicago
Posted from my phone, please forgive typos.
RJ - Chicago
Posted from my phone, please forgive typos.
Personna is my recommendation.
Plumcrazy is a very good name for here.
Plumcrazy is a very good name for here.
Welcome. Try Astra SP's.
Difficult question to answer, but one of my favourite blades is the Astra SP
I bought some Gillette silver blues. they are very smooth and sharp. I have a pretty tough beard and a lot of other blades pull. I would wait to try a sample kit till you develop your technique first. Adding different blades just makes it harder to know what is a blade problem and what is a technique problem.
I vote for Astra Superior Platinum, they come in a green box.
I won't recommend a sampler but choosing either Derby or Astra SP as recognized milder, more comfortable bladex.
Why, I hear you ask?
Because early on one of the biggest mistakes newbies make is changing up things every shave; diffo blade, diffo soap, diffo prep....
So....when you get a "bad" shave it's hard to dial in exactly WHY (hint, it's usually your technique). What comes next is acquisition disorder where you start buying your way out of "bad" shavex by thinking there's a shaving unicorn out there (well, there kinda is...but we can discuss that later; there's some supercool stuff to spend a months salary on....but it can wait).
My advice; choose one of the blades almost EVERYONE agrees are milder and newbie-proof...and STICK TO IT. At least until your technique is good enough to start experimenting. Good technique is the foundation for being able to then play with variables.
Hope that makes sense.
Why, I hear you ask?
Because early on one of the biggest mistakes newbies make is changing up things every shave; diffo blade, diffo soap, diffo prep....
So....when you get a "bad" shave it's hard to dial in exactly WHY (hint, it's usually your technique). What comes next is acquisition disorder where you start buying your way out of "bad" shavex by thinking there's a shaving unicorn out there (well, there kinda is...but we can discuss that later; there's some supercool stuff to spend a months salary on....but it can wait).
My advice; choose one of the blades almost EVERYONE agrees are milder and newbie-proof...and STICK TO IT. At least until your technique is good enough to start experimenting. Good technique is the foundation for being able to then play with variables.
Hope that makes sense.
Welcome aboard!
In the area of 'traditional shaving' I don't think there is a 'best' anything. As we say YMMV (your mileage may vary). This is especially true with blades in my opinion. I suggest you purchase one or two blade sampler packs to get some idea of what you like.
In the area of 'traditional shaving' I don't think there is a 'best' anything. As we say YMMV (your mileage may vary). This is especially true with blades in my opinion. I suggest you purchase one or two blade sampler packs to get some idea of what you like.
As said above, blades are a subjective thing. There is no best - only what is best for you. As an example, some of the folks above like Astras. For me, there are just OK. My favorites are the Personna Medical Prep and Lab blades. I also recommend a sample pack - but revisit those blades in six months because it is likely that your opinions will change as you develop your technique.
As a newbie myself, I have settled in on Astra SPs. I have coarse hair and these shave very close with any cuts. I have tried feathers, and a couple others, but Astras are great for starting out. I still have plenty to try.
I'm going to go against popular opinion here and recommend Feathers. Keep you honest straight off the bat.
+ 1 for a sampler. I'd get a Gillette sample pack because i reckon pretty much all of them are good and you will get Astras in the bundle that others are suggesting. You'll also get things like Nacets, GSBs and 7'Oclocks, all of which i'd put above Astra.
Re Astra. I don't know why people here go on about the green specifically. I have 100 of each and cannot tell the difference between the green and the blue.
I'd also recommend anything from the St Petersberg factory, in fact most blades from a Gillette sample pack would be from there.
Lots of other good Russian blades too. I particularly like Rapira Lux myself.
Tip. Don't bulk buy until you've had a good chance to try lots of blades a few times. In my view, part of the fun of DE shaving is the variation and even though i have several 100 packs i still buy new 5 packs from time to time for the change. I currently have enough blades for many years but there are still a few out there i want to try.
It is the same story with soaps/creams, in fact if you're like me you'll end up spending far more on this than you did on disposables, LOL. But this is a fun hobby rather than a chore.
Re Astra. I don't know why people here go on about the green specifically. I have 100 of each and cannot tell the difference between the green and the blue.
I'd also recommend anything from the St Petersberg factory, in fact most blades from a Gillette sample pack would be from there.
Lots of other good Russian blades too. I particularly like Rapira Lux myself.
Tip. Don't bulk buy until you've had a good chance to try lots of blades a few times. In my view, part of the fun of DE shaving is the variation and even though i have several 100 packs i still buy new 5 packs from time to time for the change. I currently have enough blades for many years but there are still a few out there i want to try.
It is the same story with soaps/creams, in fact if you're like me you'll end up spending far more on this than you did on disposables, LOL. But this is a fun hobby rather than a chore.
"Best" can really mean "favorite". The quickest way to find out is to try a blade sampler that carries 5-blade tucks. Using one blade, and then trying a different one isn't wise, IMO. It can take more than one blade to truly learn how best to use it. That's why I always suggest that when trying a new blade, it is better to use all five in the tuck before switching. I went through three or four blade samplers of significant variety before settling on my favorites. That's part of the fun. 
Just to add to what others have said. I agree with stick to a blade whilst starting out and experiment later when you've begun to master technique. However if a blade really isn't working for you then change it. I'm a Newbie too and started out with the Wilkinson Sword blades that came with my razor. After 4 consecutive shaves of them really flaring my face up I switched to the 100 pack of Dorco's I bought (doh classic rookie mistake. Do not bulk buy yet). I got a lovely comfortable shave 1st time but the 3 shaves that followed also caused some irritation, though not as bad as the WS's. I've since got a sample pack and the first blade out was the Derby's. Not the closest of shaves but comfortable at least, and at this stage that is what you need. I will try the WS's and Dorco's again in the future + other brands. But for now find a blade that is comfortable and stick with it.
When i lived in Thailand blades were really cheap. Astra, Feather, Gillette Thins. I bulk bought them all after a few shaves and have not looked back. Dorcos were almost free but a 5 pack was enough to warn me off. I think there are still 4 left in the pack.
Yeah I think I was attracted by the price combined with wanting to buy everything I see and these were the first blades that popped up when I searched for a cheap bulk buy. Even then I think I was ripped off as I've now come to realise Derby's and Astra's are just as cheap as yet alot more highly regarded in general.
