Blade Discussion - Which order to try...

**BigBull** · 04-24-2012, 07:05 AM

It's been a few weeks w/ my DE...so far, Derby's are out and Shark's are my go to. My technique needs refinement, but I've been fairly successful with very little carnage (other than use of Derby's). I ordered a self-made sample pack from WCS that include:

Feather's
Astra's
Personna Lab Blue
Personna Red
Gillette Black's
Gillette Blue's
Shark's

I have a mole on the side of my head, the Derby's tore it up. The Shark's roll right over it no nicks. Having read the Feathers are ninja assassin's, I want to try them but feel I should work up to them. I'm not opposed to ultimately using two different...one type for head, one for face. I've scoured the site to find a simple, easy to understand "ranking" of where each blade stands in sharpness, forgiveness, etc...does this exist?

How would you go about trying to find the right blade? Any particular order here? Just jump in and enjoy? Thanks for the input.

**turtle** · 04-24-2012, 07:12 AM

Pick one (the Astra) and stick with it for the next 2 months until you can get a perfect shave every day.

Then dig into the others once you have your shave down to a repeatable event.

**Ruston** · 04-24-2012, 08:20 AM

+1 on the recommendation above. Sounds like you are having good results with Shark. If your shaves are not consistent then keep using the Sharks and focus strictly on technique. If you are consistently getting good shaves then use those as your standard. Rotate the different blades in but keep going back to a Shark from time to time as a reference.
Don't fear the Feather :) If your technique is sound and your touch is light they won't give you any problems as long as you are careful.

**celestino** · 04-24-2012, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by turtle

Pick one (the Astra) and stick with it for the next 2 months until you can get a perfect shave every day.

Then dig into the others once you have your shave down to a repeatable event.

+1 You got nothing but time, so take it slowly!

**warhawk** · 04-24-2012, 08:51 AM

I am a DE newbie as well and so far the Shark SC are my "go-to" blades (also) I am saving the Feathers for my last just 2 improve my technique. Good luck and enjoy your DE journey.

WARHAWK.

**BigBull** · 04-24-2012, 10:24 AM

Thanks guys...plan to do just that with the additional Shark's I ordered. Either of you aware of a "ranking" discussion or list? Recognizing its mostly subjective, In my mind it would be an extremely helpful tool for newbie's...

**Ruston** · 04-24-2012, 10:28 AM

In my searches I've not seen a 'ranking' only preferences. In the discussions there does seem to be general agreement on relative sharpness with Derby on the lower end of the scale and Feather at the top.

**jd1585** · 04-24-2012, 10:29 AM

I am in the same boat as you. The Derby's made me seriously doubt my confidence. I ditched the derbys and tried astra. Loved them. They are worth a shot. I want to try the Israeli blue next myself.

**lukeoke** · 04-24-2012, 03:05 PM

I am a newbie here as well and a discussion like this is just what I was after. I have a fairly low end/ entry level DE razor (Weishi) and am looking for what would be the best beginner blade.

Are the Astra's the best choice?

**BigBull** · 04-24-2012, 03:34 PM

I think most everyone would tell you to order a sampler pack and dig in. When I ordered my EJ89, I talked to the company about what blades their customers preferred. The Derby's were included, so I asked them to add the Shark's...for the most part the only two brands they sold. Significant difference between the two! I had done a ton of research, not only on this site but WCS, Lee's, BullGoose, SmallFlower, ClassicShaving.com, Amazon...you get the picture. In all that, I found the ones I've listed above as the most widely approved and positive reviews. Yes, some like the Personna Med Prep & others aren't on my list but the site I ordered from (WCS) didn't offer them so I just skipped em with hope to try some day.

This was one sample pack I found on www.thesuperiorshave.com: SAMPLER PACK: The minimum commitment of each brand; 1 pack each of Dorco ST-301, Derby, Feather, Merkur, & Astra Superior Platinum, for 40 blades in total. Were I starting all over in wet shaving, I'd start with the Dorco and Derby, then Merkur, and finally Astra and Feather.

I thought this was helpful in understanding where these 5 stacked up. He just simply didn't offer enough of the blades I wanted to try.

Point being, I would recommend what most here do. Get a sample pack. I'm thoroughly excited about trying them all...

My $.02 & experience which is very limited. Welcome and Enjoy!

**Mad Man** · 04-24-2012, 06:21 PM

Turtle's advice is probably the single best recommendation for newbies.

Don't go chopping/changing set-ups every day and then wonder why your shaves get worse...

**BigBull** · 04-25-2012, 12:53 PM

I saw a similar post today regarding the same topic, and it recieved similar answers. I'll be sticking with the Shark's for now, but unable to resist the temptation of trying others I've decided I'll throw in the Astra's on occasion. The rest, I'll hang onto until I've gone through all the Shark's.

Turtle, you've responded to a number of my questions and I just wanted you to know I appreciate you being so helpful. Everyone on this site seems to be.