Looking forward to my first shave!

**Captainv04** · 01-21-2010, 08:55 PM

Does this sound like a good combo?

1) Merkur HD 34C
2) Tabac Original Shaving Soap with Bowl
3) Shavemac #25 21mm Finest Badger Shaving Brush

I got a DE Blade Sampler Pack from WestCoastShaving.com. What would be the best/most forgiving blade to start out with for ultra-sensitive skin for the first shave?
-Feather New Hi-Stainless Platinum
-Crystal or "Israeli"
-Derby Extra
-Red Israeli Personna
-Astra Superior Platinum

Thanks for all the help guys!

**mblakele** · 01-21-2010, 08:58 PM

That sounds excellent. Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

West Coast Shaving has a faq, which covers blade order: http://westcoastshaving.com/index.ph...page=page&id=1

Q. In which order should I try the razor blades?
A. The general recommendation is to try the blades in the following order:

Dorco
Merkur
Derby/Crystal
Red Pack Israeli
Swedish Gillette/Wilkinson Sword (UK)
Feather

Edit: I see that there isn't a lot of overlap. Keep the feather last, certainly. I'd go with red, then crystal, then derby, astra, feather. But you will probably hear other opinions too.

**Captainv04** · 01-21-2010, 09:02 PM

Originally Posted by mblakele

That sounds excellent. Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

West Coast Shaving has a faq, which covers blade order: http://westcoastshaving.com/index.ph...page=page&id=1

Edit: I see that there isn't a lot of overlap. Keep the feather last, certainly. I'd go with red, then crystal, then derby, astra, feather. But you will probably hear other opinions too.

Okay great! Thanks for the help! This forum is simply amazing for newbie help!

**Defend Tacoma** · 01-21-2010, 09:06 PM

From one newbie to another, welcome! Come on in, the water's fine!

-J

**SiBurning** · 01-22-2010, 03:32 AM

Welcome to B&B.

Looks like a great setup. There really isn't any order to try blades. A lot of people with sensitive skin find the feathers easiest, but not all. Give em all a try for a couple of shaves. At first you won't know whether it's the blade or you, but once you get a feel, if you find one setting you back, put it aside for a few months.

If I were to suggest a plan, it'd be to use one blade from each pack and shave with it once or twice, going through them all. If one's really really bad, just skip it. When you're done with the rotation, pick one and stick with it for a while. At that point you can worry about how many shaves you can get from each blade.