Blade Samplers -- Order of Progression/Order of Battle

Is there a suggested O-O-P for the blade "sample" packs? Start with a Merk & proceed thru Feather or what?

Also, while working thru the pack should you use up a Manufacturer & then proceed to next Mfg? Or proceed from Mfg to Mfg one blade at a time, repeating till all the blades are gone?

Advise appreciated, don't wanna slice my gullet up too bad. BTW - SWMBO has been very "encouraging" in regard to DE which reminds me that I'm worth way way more to her dead than alive....hmmmmmmm ????? Why is she suggesting to "start with the SHARPEST" ??? Is that a new POOLBOY, I just spotted out on the lanai ??? Good Grief...

I was told to go Merkur, Israeli, Derby, Gillette, Wilkinson, Feather, using at least two blades from each for a few days (in case any single blade is rubbish).

If you start with a Merkur and get an awful shave from it, try another blade, and if it's still awful, go Israeli. If the shave is acceptable, keep at it for a few more days to see if practice improves things.

For the sharper blades (Derby, Wilks, Feather), some have recommended running them through a cork a few times, but I haven't tried that because intentionally dulling a blade seems silly to me.

Aaahhhh, my Garlick-Butter-Dipped L'il Friend....your excellent O-O-P/O-O-B makes me very suspicious of SWMBO advice to:

'START WITH THE SHARPEST" & "Don't be a wuss, USE WHAT THEM NINJA's USE" ....

These blade sampler packs include the instruction to try using them as listed, but from the bottom to the top.

As stated: if you get a terrible shave from the first blade of a given brand, try a second blade of that brand---you may have just gotten a bad blade. But if that second shave is terrible, move on to the next brand. I would stick with a given brand for 1-2 weeks, depending on your patience and the quality of the shaves: you want enough experience with the brand to really get a feel for it.

Save the unused blades, and after you've been shaving with the brand(s) that turned out to be best for you, go through the sampler again. Sometimes the better technique you've acquired makes some of the rejected blades seem much better.

The key is to try a broad range of brands. The blade that's best for you is apt to be a surprise---a brand not especially recommended by others who (naturally enough) recommend the blade that's best for THEM.

Yikes, does this mean I have to go thru multi-sampler paks to experience more blades????

Hopefully, LetterK has an Order-Of-Battle included (never thought about that) in the Sampler Pak.

BTW - How R the "Sputniks" ???? Gotta love that brandname even if u wouldn't wanna use'm...

Thanks for the pointer, Michael....

BTW - how do you get a "handcrafted descriptive link name" on your link. So far I just get the whole http://www smeal which usually isn't descriptive at all...TX

You don't HAVE to go through another sampler pack, but you'll probably be surprised at what you find. I certainly was pleased to find the German Wilkinsons, which I never suspected would be so good FOR ME.

The Sputnik isn't bad FOR ME---I get 4 good shaves from one. But again: blade response is highly individual.

So far as the name, no idea. It just happened.

LetterK has the OOB in the FAQ on his site.

Unfortunately it confirms my fears about SWMBO firmly suggesting that I start with the NINJA SHARP blades & work down. That is a sure tip off that a
rather substantial new Life Insurance Policy must have been taken out on me...

That & the good looking hunky young new Poolboy she's evidently "hired" !!!!

BTW - yer drivin' me nutz w/Jealously trying to post LINK real nice like yer doing instead of the crummy html tags I'm using. Your's look So Dang Professional . Mine look.......Garrrrrr Matey

hyperwarp said:

BTW - yer drivin' me nutz w/Jealously trying to post LINK real nice like yer doing instead of the crummy html tags I'm using. Your's look So Dang Professional . Mine look.......Garrrrrr Matey

Click to expand...

Hit the quote button on one of those posts to see what he's doing.

There's more info about that here.

The vBcode that this software uses is very similar to BBcode, used by phpBB, if you're familiar with that. Both are rather like a watered-down version of HTML (but easier to control).

What I do to post a link is pretty easy.

First I write the text.

Then I highlight the text and click B (to make it bold).

Then (the text is still highlighted) I click the icon that has the world behind a link of chain and paste (Ctrl-V) the link (I've previously copied with Ctrl-C) into the box.

And Bob's your uncle!

Omigosh, I never realized the meticuluos nature of those links...You guys are not only really smart but with that kind of focus I'm wagering you're great shavers to boot !!!

Thanks for the tips & the Order of Battle help !!

hyperwarp said:

Unfortunately it confirms my fears about SWMBO firmly suggesting that I start with the NINJA SHARP blades & work down. That is a sure tip off that a
rather substantial new Life Insurance Policy must have been taken out on me...
That & the good looking hunky young new Poolboy she's evidently "hired" !!!!

Click to expand...

I'd start to worry if she right outta the blue buys you a nice str8 razor....