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best blades for coarse/thick hair

Hello,

I am interested in DE shaving and have a few questions. I typically use a proglide razor and dull a cartridge in under 5 shaves because my hair is thick/coarse (blade starts pulling hair rather than cutting) I want to know if DE shaving is a good option for someone with hair like mine and what types of blades you would suggest trying for my situation.

Thanks
 
Welcome to B&B!

I haven't tried the proglide myself, but from what I hear five shaves is pretty good. We have many members here with tough, wiry hair. I am one of them, but I can't claim the crown. Anyway my best advice is to try a blade sampler. Many of the Supporting Vendors here sell good ones. The FAQ may help too.
 
Even if you used one per shave compared to the 5 shaves your getting now, it will still workout cheaper.
I have wire stubble too and i get a good few shaves from most of the main stream blades that are available, as to recommending just one blade?? I can't, so snag a sampler and experiment to find what works out best for you.
 
Blade samplers will be your standard answer here. (You will get 100 "+1"s.) With a few occasional "just use a Feather and forget the sampler pack".

HTH,
 
Even if you used one per shave compared to the 5 shaves your getting now, it will still workout cheaper.

This idea is just as important as the blade choice. I use a blade twice, then replace it - at less than 25c a blade, I would also be happy using them just once.
We can't know for sure if DE shaving will work for you, but it can be fun to try either way. The blade sampler pack is a good idea. Some specific suggestions, Feather (they are the sharpest), Gillette 7 o'clocks popular for tough beards, Astra are the go to blade for many users because they are both sharp and smooth.
 
Blade samplers will be your standard answer here. (You will get 100 "+1"s.) With a few occasional "just use a Feather and forget the sampler pack".

HTH,

See feather is the one blade I would NOT suggest he try. Althought they may be generally agreed to be the sharpest, most folks report getting 2 good shaves from a feather tops, which makes them the least good at holding an edge. On a particularly tough beard I imagine they might not make it through a whole shave. I don't have a prticularly tough beard, but I shave my head and I've found a couple of blades that only perform well for about half a shave. I have found Personna Med/Labs to hold an edge longer than anything else I've tried.
 
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See feather is the one blade I would NOT suggest he try. Althought they may be generally agreed to be the sharpest, most folks report getting 2 good shaves from a feather tops, which makes them the least good at holding an edge. On a particularly tough beard I imagine they might not make it through a whole shave. I don't have a prticularly tough beard, but I shave my head and I've found a couple of blades that only perform well for about half a shave. I have found Personna Med/Labs to hold an edge longer than anything else I've tried.

Disagree. I would recommend the Feather. Nothing cuts through the tough stubble like a Feather. I can use it for three shaves, as long as I strop it between the second and third. I've tried pretty much every type of blade and keep coming back to Feather and Kai.
 
I would recommend a sampler pack, personally. I do agree that Feathers are great for thick beards (like mine), but they can be quite rough, and not that great on suitable skin (again, like mine). Try different blades, see what works...I've had great luck with Gillette Yellows, the late and lamented Iridiums (no, you can't have my NOS stash :lol:), and, in a pinch, Big Bens. I also recall that Vokshods work pretty well, though I haven't laid in a supply yet.
 
A GEM 1912 type razor and the Ted Pella stainless blades are a good bet for a heavy beard. Just do a search on them and you'll find lots of info. I think there may be some GEM razors in the BST right now as a matter of fact!

Don't forget the Kyle's prep either. Prep is important.
 
A GEM 1912 type razor and the Ted Pella stainless blades are a good bet for a heavy beard. Just do a search on them and you'll find lots of info. I think there may be some GEM razors in the BST right now as a matter of fact!

Don't forget the Kyle's prep either. Prep is important.

Good advice, although I would try Treet blades with the 1912....you'll never turn back
 
You'll get as many different responses as there are blades... :) Everyone has a favorite blade/razor combo for their own shaving style and skin/beard combination.

Medical Pre or Lab Personna's are nearly as sharp as Feathers and for *me* last 2 or 3X as long. On the other hand, my favorite blade for my personal shaving style happens to be Shark Super Chrome at the moment, however I placed an order recently with Razor Blades and More (vendor here) and he included a pack of Treet carbon steel blades. I've got 2 shaves on one blade, and surprisingly they are pretty darn sharp too. Being carbon steel, it will be prone to rust, and I doubt I'll be purchasing any myself, but if you are going to only go 1 or 2 shaves per blade, those would be a cost-effective solution for a very sharp blade.
 
I think it is less about the blade and more about how aggressive the razor is. You can stick a ritz cracker in my slant and get a one pass DFS. Seriously, first you read, then you buy, practice, and eventually it'll all make sense. There is BIG upside to wet shaving so hopefully you'll give it a go.
 
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