DE Blades

**guenron** · 08-21-2005, 06:39 PM

Greetings DE Fans,
While out shopping with the Missus, I hear an excited cry, "Oh look what I found!" That was SWMBO calling my attention to:
Exchange Select Platinum Chrome Double Edge Blades
Manufactured by: American Safety Razor Company of Verona Virginia.
After popping $5 to $7 for Merkurs and Feathers, I am too embarrassed to mention the price of these potential winners.

I shall report back after Monday's shave to let you know how the chips fell.
By the way, the blade dispenser is really upscale. It even has instructions for use:
"PUSH BUTTON DOWN DISPENSE IN DIRECTION OF ARROWS"
Please note it was SWMBO that was hunting for shaving kit for me! Wow, is that training or is that training?

**Austin** · 08-21-2005, 07:12 PM

Ron, I look forward to your review. What about that training?

**rtaylor61** · 08-21-2005, 07:22 PM

I'm thinking the training is not complete. SWMBO is "bargain hunting". I can see it now, Ron's SOTD will be including Vitalis, Chaps (of course, since it's Ron, he will have the Cologne, Body Wash, A/S and Cologne), Brut, etc.

Ron, the door was left open, had to throw that one out!

Randy

**guenron** · 09-03-2005, 11:00 AM

Gents,
Tomorrow will be the last day on this blade even though I believe that it definitely has additional mileage left.
But first, let's have a rousing round of applause for:

Exchange Select Platinum Chrome Double Edge Blades

Manufactured by American Safety Razor Company of Verona Virginia.

I started my test using a Gillette Adjustable vintage 1958, the chunky (HD-like) model. As this is a very common razor amongst the wetshaving community, why not give it a shot?
My first shave with this blade seemed that the blade was not quite as sharp as it should be. Well, guess what? (Did ya' guess Randy?

) I routinely use the Gillette set at "7" with both Merkur and Feather blades. (On the third or fourth shave I usually adjust to an "8" or "9" with the Merkur and finish out the week of shaves happily.) Well, I believe that this blade is somewhat thicker than the aforementioned blades. To get the same kind of feel from the shave, it takes a bit more blade exposure. It appears that I was correct. I cranked the Gillette open to "8" and have shaved almost two weeks with a variety of soaps and cream without any drag, irritation, or bad shaves. The blade was smooth and comfortable in use and gave me A and A+ shaves the entire time.
At less than 15 cents a blade, if you can get them, do try them. I believe anyone using a Gillette (HD) Adjustable will get extraordinay shaves.
Now, why am I using tomorrow as the blade cut-off date? Because on Monday I want to try a fresh one in a Merkur Slantbar HD and see how it does with the razor where I thought only a Feather would do.
So I am back from the testing labs, happy to answer any questions.

**guenron** · 09-13-2005, 12:29 PM

After a rather great performance in a Gillette Adjustable, I thought I would try the Merkur Slantbar and see how the:
Exchange Select Platinum Chrome Double Edge Blades
Manufactured by American Safety Razor Company of Verona Virginia.
faired in the fixed head of choice for the EXTRA close shave.
I can say I had a qualified success. In essence these value-priced blades did a fine job.

Performed as well as their Deutsche Brüdern, the Merkurs. Good smooth clean shaves. Only question is, when does the stubble begin to show again? My best time with the Exchange Select was 14 hours. My worst a little over 8 hours. With the Merkurs, my best thus far has been 12 hours (Monday), and worst today at 8 hours. So DE wet shavers, I would say another plus for the blades from Verona Virginia. Next week it's the Merkur Long Handle Classic testbed.

**rtaylor61** · 09-13-2005, 12:58 PM

Okay, Ron, maybe I missed it, but give up the information. Where did you get these sharp little monsters?

Randy

**Joe Lerch** · 09-13-2005, 03:39 PM

Are you doing the same shave each time? You seem to be getting an awful lot of variation with a given blade/razor combination. I have always had variations (on a given setup) measured in minutes not hours. Also, I don't get that much variation between setups. Feather equipped Slant, Vision, Progress, Futur and str8s are all within a 3 hour range (8-10 hours). plus it's quite repeatable. With Merkurs, Personna and Wilkinsons, the DEs drop to the 6-7 hour range.

You need to work on the quality control of your experiments!

Originally Posted by guenron

After a rather great performance in a Gillette Adjustable, I thought I would try the Merkur Slantbar and see how the:
Exchange Select Platinum Chrome Double Edge Blades
Manufactured by American Safety Razor Company of Verona Virginia.
faired in the fixed head of choice for the EXTRA close shave.
I can say I had a qualified success. In essence these value-priced blades did a fine job.

Performed as well as their Deutsche Brüdern, the Merkurs. Good smooth clean shaves. Only question is, when does the stubble begin to show again? My best time with the Exchange Select was 14 hours. My worst a little over 8 hours. With the Merkurs, my best thus far has been 12 hours (Monday), and worst today at 8 hours. So DE wet shavers, I would say another plus for the blades from Verona Virginia. Next week it's the Merkur Long Handle Classic testbed.

**guenron** · 09-26-2005, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by Joe Lerch

Are you doing the same shave each time? You seem to be getting an awful lot of variation with a given blade/razor combination. I have always had variations (on a given setup) measured in minutes not hours. Also, I don't get that much variation between setups. Feather equipped Slant, Vision, Progress, Futur and str8s are all within a 3 hour range (8-10 hours). plus it's quite repeatable. With Merkurs, Personna and Wilkinsons, the DEs drop to the 6-7 hour range.

You need to work on the quality control of your experiments!

That must be tongue in cheek.. You are kidding? Unless you eat the same thing, drink the same amounts of the same fluids, sleep the same time and work in the same environment, you are going to have metabolic variations that will account for significant deltas. Strange that you get almost the same results with such different razors. I think you need to verify your experiment design or your data recording Fred. Oh, it was you Joe. Hi Joe, what do you know?

**Joe Lerch** · 09-26-2005, 07:54 PM

What makes you believe that? I certainly notice changes in hair growth at different times of the year and in different kinds of weather, but nothing could
account for the kinds of differences you mention.

I notice big differences between people, but most guys seem to have fairly consistent results like me. If what you said was true, there would be no point in even trying to make comparisons, yet peole seem to be able to do it all the time. No, I think the kinds of variations you describe are the exception, if they're not in error.

Originally Posted by guenron

That must be tongue in cheek.. You are kidding? Unless you eat the same thing, drink the same amounts of the same fluids, sleep the same time and work in the same environment, you are going to have metabolic variations that will account for significant deltas. Strange that you get almost the same results with such different razors. I think you need to verify your experiment design or your data recording Fred. Oh, it was you Joe. Hi Joe, what do you know?

**Jeftichew** · 09-26-2005, 08:15 PM

sounds to me that we need to put together a double-blind placebo-controlled study.

**rtaylor61** · 09-26-2005, 09:13 PM

Ron...where did you get the blades?

Randy

**Joe Lerch** · 09-27-2005, 01:10 PM

For those that are interested in pursuing the issue raised by Ron and myself above, I have started a new thread in the method shaving forum on measuring closeness.

I put it there because I'm hoping to get input from people who use consistent shaving routines and/or equipment.

Originally Posted by Jeftichew

sounds to me that we need to put together a double-blind placebo-controlled study.

**Joe Lerch** · 09-27-2005, 01:18 PM

Who's Fred?

Is he the guy who told you how to test?

Originally Posted by guenron

I think you need to verify your experiment design or your data recording Fred. Oh, it was you Joe. Hi Joe, what do you know?

**guenron** · 09-27-2005, 01:44 PM

Greetings Joe,
In a forum where you have more that one individual participating in a thread it is standard form to start off with a salutation so that there is no mistake to whom you have addressed the message. It is also a polite practice.
I am sure the Method Shavers can provide further insight too.

**guenron** · 09-27-2005, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by rtaylor61

Ron...where did you get the blades?

Randy

At the Exchange in Midwest City. I sent a letter to ASRCO asking them to identify a retailer in the SLC area so I can give you a better answer. I was not ignoring you, I just do not have a good answer as yet.

**Joe Lerch** · 09-27-2005, 01:50 PM

Ron, I usually just copy what I'm responding to. It's much more effective, because, as here, you could have any number of posts.

Originally Posted by guenron

Greetings Joe,
In a forum where you have more that one individual participating in a thread it is standard form to start off with a salutation so that there is no mistake to whom you have addressed the message. It is also a polite practice.
I am sure the Method Shavers can provide further insight too.

**Joe Lerch** · 09-27-2005, 01:52 PM

Aha! No salutation.

Originally Posted by guenron

At the Exchange in Midwest City. I sent a letter to ASRCO asking them to identify a retailer in the SLC area so I can give you a better answer. I was not ignoring you, I just do not have a good answer as yet.

**guenron** · 09-27-2005, 01:56 PM

Joe,
You are missing the point. I started with his post, not ended. So Randy new immediately it was to him. If I had it at the end I would have started with a salutation. Anyway, Hi Joe.

**Joe Lerch** · 09-27-2005, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by guenron

Joe,
You are missing the point. I started with his post, not ended. So Randy new immediately it was to him. If I had it at the end I would have started with a salutation. Anyway, Hi Joe.

So, you're just saying i should do it this way instead of the other way?

I do it the other way for consistency, because I get most of my e-mail via Yahoo and that's the way they do it.

**JohnP** · 09-27-2005, 02:15 PM

Hi folks,
The exchange select brand is like the no-name brand sold on US bases worldwide.....I think I still have a few packs of them. Good knowing they compare well. They used to carry palmolive cream, as well, but now all they have (for us brush types anyway) seems to be Surrey soap rounds (good) and Surrey bristle brushes(not-so-good, unless you like cleaning brush bristles off your face after every shave...)
I'll have to break some of them out now. I had them relegated to the "well if there isn't anything else..." pile.
John P.