Muhle 89 blade

[SirArthur]

I am trying to find a suitable blade for my new R89 but so far I can't seem to find one with both sharpness and smoothness. I tried the Derby but it just doesn't do well. What is your favorite blade that matches this great razor for you?

[fcdiscus]

Astra SP

[Den]

-Lord Platinum Class
-Shark Super Chrome
-SuperMax Super Stainless
-SuperMax Super Platinum
-Red IPs
-Super Iridiums

[mistercitizen]

I am trying to find a suitable blade for my new R89 but so far I can't seem to find one with both sharpness and smoothness. I tried the Derby but it just doesn't do well. What is your favorite blade that matches this great razor for you?

You read my mind. I was just about to post the exact same question..... and then I found you post. It'll be interesting to see what others have to say. I have an Edwin Jagger DE89, a Muhle R89 and a Merkur HD 34C. All three have pretty much the same head. I have only been using DE razors for a couple months, but I would say so far Astra SP and Gillette 7 o'clock Super Platinums (blue) have worked about the best for me in these razors. I have a sampler pack I'm working my way through but I just took the plunge and bought my first 100 pack of the Astra SP's for $10 on Amazon. The Astra SP's perform very well and are a very good value.... but as my technique improves I am guessing that a blade that is a little sharper might give me better shaves. I've found that the platinum coated blades work better for me for a given brand (for example, I got terrible shaves using the Astra Super Stainless and the Gillette 7 o'clock Super Stainless). I have relatively fine hair with a beard of moderate thickness and sensitive skin. I've tried Merkur Super Platinums and Personna Red Super Platinums and got decent shaves with those as well.... but not as good as the two I mentioned earlier. The Merkurs are pretty expensive too.

Well, I'll be keeping an eye on this thread to see what others recommend.

Ben

[brother cavefish]

Astra SP

just tried the Astra sp- sweet

[Predict]

Feather hi stainless is by far my favorite blade in the r89. Next is med prep then Gillette 7oclock black

[dpmtherrien]

Sir Art:

The best advice that one can give in regards to blades is to try them for yourself. It doesn't matter what anyone says about any brand of blade, because that same blade may or may not be good for you. Everyone is different, and one members piece of crap just might be an excellent one for you. The only way to be sure is to use the blade yourself. So get a good sampler pack from any of the vendors here on B&B, and find your own best ones. Good luck, and enjoy the trials.

[Mad Man]

R89/EJ89 are the same head but I'm with dpm on this; find what works for you.

I only use feathers now.

[Gordy2]

For my Muhle R89: Med Preps.

[Sledgehammer39]

Sharks
Any of the Gillette 7 o'clock blades
Red IP
Crystals
Lord SS or Plats

[kosby]

I would put Feather at the top of my list to try in the R89

[nav]

The sharper Gillette blades do very well, like the Gillette 7o'clock super platinum (black pack) or the Gillette 7o'clock PermaSharp stainless (green pack). Both are made in India and are sharp and smooth. The super platinum is sharper than the PermaSharp.

[takeshi]

I have an Edwin Jagger DE89, a Muhle R89 and a Merkur HD 34C. All three have pretty much the same head.

The DE89 and the R89 are literally the same head. The 34C is not.

Feather are what I use but blades are YMMV like anything else around here and it's up to each to try out the various options to see what works best for the individual. If you're looking for sharp then Derbies are generally regarded as the wrong choice.

If you want a list of suggestions, keep in mind that there are prior threads on pairing blades with the DE89/R89 as well.

[brother cavefish]

i have a DE89 coming i think i will try a derby, i have a few sitting around-----there is alot of conflcted comments about these, it time i found out

[Cochese2323]

I have pretty sensitive skin and I find Astra SP or Personna Med Preps to both perform great. Very smooth shave with no irritation. Astras are awesome because they are so cheap, don't feel bad using a new one every couple of shaves.