Need help deciding on the first blade(s) to use

[sylynce]

Hi all,
My chrome EJ89 just arrived, and my starter blade pack is going to be here on Friday (means I get to start my journey on the weekend).
I would like to solicit some advice on the 'best' blade in my starter pack to work with (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o01_s00_i00)

What would be the best order to start? I'm sure the recommendation will be to leave the Feathers for a little while, but for the others- the best way to go for the first little while?

All information most welcome, and thanks in advance for all the insight.


Jeff

[Cushingrw]

I'm fairly new to wet shaving but of the blades that come in your pack, I'd start with the Gillettes.

The feathers are super sharp. I found the bluebirds to not be very forgiving, either.

The derby's are great and relatively sharp.

I say to use the Gillette's based on the fact that I'm new and have used all but the feathers. Of these blades, the Gillette's gave me the closest shave with least
irritation initially.

Id rank the Gillette's as the "smoothest" of the blades.

As your technique improves I would recommend switching to the derby's.

[dpm802]

Derby - 7'Oclock - Bluebird ... use one blade from each brand for a week before you move on to the next one. Then repeat.

Save the Feathers until you think you're ready ... you'll know when you get there. Practice your technique with the others until you can get a consistent DFS with no cuts or nicks or weepers. Just be aware that Feathers are notoriously finicky blades. They work great in some razors, and lousy in others. I did not find Feather to be a good fit for my EJ 89L at all, but YMMV.

And you'll be wanting to try more than just these 4 brands ... get a larger sampler from WCS or BullGoose and just keep experimenting.

You'll also want to try Israeli Crystals and Red Personnas, AstraSP, Wilkinson Sword, and ASR blades, not necessarily in that order. There are plenty more brands to choose from, but these seem to be the major players.

[vitalMyth]

leave the feathers for at least 2 months. i know it sounds like a long time, but it takes a long time to get good at this. i also found the bluebirds to be extremely sharp when i first used them. derbys get mixed reviews...they're definitely not all that sharp but they tug and skip on some people's faces and seem to possibly suffer from poor manufacturing. i'd probably start with the 7o'clocks from this sampler, but i think you chose a sampler of extremely sharp blades + derbys, which doesn't seem to leave you a lot of good options for just starting out. wait for others to chime in, i have never tried the green 7o'clocks myself and i may have gotten the wrong impression from the bluebirds as well, hopefully somebody else can give some better input.

[sylynce]

Where is there a place to get a sampler pack of Israeli Crystals or Red Personnas? I have a some gift cards at Amazon, but otherwise, I need to stick to a budget. I saw some here, however, sold in batches of much larger size than I would use at this point.

Thanks- I will try to find some other blades as well- best place to get them at a good price?

[Smott]

West Coast Shaving has a DE choice pack with those two included for $10.

[OkieStubble]

The Israeli Red Personna or 'Red IP', 'Israeli Red' imo, is the 'quintessential' blade for beginners and should be the 'first blade' to not only be considered by new DE wetshavers but also referred by experienced wetshavers alike. The Israeli Red Personna while not the sharpest is sharp. And it is probably not the smoothest but it is very smooth. However, it is without question, the most forgiving blade on the market. This means it allows you the best opportunity to have a nick, cut and irritation free shave. The Red IP will "forgive" your mistakes and beginning technique more than any other blade.


While I'm sure there are a very few who would give a negative comment about their experience with this blade, it is by and far accepted by most shavers who have shaved with it to possess enough sharpness, smoothness and exceptional forgiveness that it surprises me that a sampler pack is what is suggested before this blade instead of 'with' this blade.


But as always, ymmv. :)

[sylynce]

While I'm sure there are a very few who would give a negative comment about their experience with this blade, it is by and far accepted by most shavers who have shaved with it to possess enough sharpness, smoothness and exceptional forgiveness that it surprises me that a sampler pack is what is suggested before this blade instead of 'with' this blade.

That is one heck of a compelling case. I will have to hunt these down at Amazon (I hope they are there). Thanks for the advice and stellar recommendation

[sylynce]

Are these the Personnas: http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Platin...5965092&sr=8-2

Thanks,

Jeff

[OkieStubble]

http://www.razorbladesandmore.com/co...ersonna-blades

[Acmemfg]

As long as you're talking Personna, I highly recommend the USA version. Easy to find, pretty cheap, durable and extremely smooth
http://www.sallybeauty.com/Personna-...l?cm_vc=SEARCH

[petr]

Are these the Personnas: http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Platin...5965092&sr=8-2

Thanks,

Jeff

This. These are very smooth. Highly recommended.

Just so we are clear guys, there is a HUGE difference between Crystal (personna plat plus) and other personnas, especially the redpacks which I think are horribly rough.

[Oblique Human]

What would be the best order to start?

Try alphabetical since they are all good blades. Just leave the Feathers for the last.

[sylynce]

This. These are very smooth. Highly recommended.

Just so we are clear guys, there is a HUGE difference between Crystal (personna plat plus) and other personnas, especially the redpacks which I think are horribly rough.

So these are the right ones to order? I will order a set based on the recommendations here. Will take a while to go through 100, but I can also get a sampler and mix-n-match between and use the Crystals as a reference point.

[echotron]

Gee, I'm going to jump ship and suggest ASTRA SP blades. Affordable and good all-around blades ...

[Champion of Capua]

I started wet shaving with a Red Tip and Feathers, wish I had started with an EJ89 !
With that said, Feathers in an EJ89 are wonderful.

[dpmtherrien]

Use the blades in whatever order you'd like. Just keep a record of how each works for you, and with any of them be sure to back off on any pressure.

[sylynce]

I will definitely keep a running log, will try to post my results here as well

[turtle]

Get a carton of 100 Astra SP for under $10 delivered to your door and start shaving.

http://www.amazon.com/Superior-Premi...5994029&sr=1-1

After a couple of months then you can dig into your sampler pack to see if you like any of those