Blade Recommendation for a Newbie?

OK, I'm new to this DE Safety Razor stuff. My father and grandfather both used them and I used to "shave" with them both when I was little using an empty safety razor.

I was recently feeling abused by the prices for Mach 3 replacement cartridges and started looking for alternatives.

I tried Harry's but found that their 6 blade system seemed to clog a lot compared to my old Mach 3. Plus the head size of their blades was very large in comparison making it difficult to shave more difficult areas like under my nose.

So I was at a new CVS store and saw a product called the Microtouch One razor. To me it looked just like the old butterfly style razor my father and grandfather used. The price was super cheap and it came with 10 blades. I know this is a cheap handle but it is doing the job for me. I'm a fan of the butterfly style because I understand how it works. At some point I will likely upgraded.

But now I'm approaching the end of the "included blades" from my kit. CVS and Walgreens seem to not carry any choices of DE blades - I think they carried "Studio 35" brand.

The included blades that came with my kit were Dorco New Platinum ST300. I don't know how this rates for sharpness, smoothness, etc.

What blade would you suggest as their next set of blades for a newbie? And since I cannot seem to find blades locally, where would you suggest buying them?

If there are Sally Beauty supply stores near you, they carry Personna blades the last time I checked. Dollar General also carries blades and I believe they are rebranded Dorcos.

Online there is a site tryablade.com that has a sampler pack you might be interested in.

Welcome to the Forum; enjoy your time here. Enter your data in the Hall of Fame Section if so inclined and check out the Shave Wiki Section for tips on getting started, gear, etc. Probably the best option would be to purchase a blade sampler in order to try various blades without having to purchase a large quantity only to discover you don't like a particular blade. Over in the Market Place Section you will find a list of vendors; buy with confidence from any of them. Good luck and ask questions as they arise; that is what the forum is for!

Welcome to the forum. I find Bolzano blades to be forgiving for newbies. PM me and I can drop a few in the mail for you to try. Otherwise tryte BB blade exchange.

Go go one of the vendors that support this site, such as West Coast Shaving or Italian Barber. Order a blade sampler pack. That will give you a good variety of blades to try.

Great to have you here!!

Part of the fun of DE shaving is the fact that there are so many variables you can try. Without doubt you should get a sample pack of different blades.

A sampler pack is a good idea.

Resist the urge to try different blades at the beginning. You could close your eyes and pick a blade, but use up all the blades before starting on another brand in the sampler.

It is a dangerous game recommending blades. Nothing is more YMMV. I am firmly in the camp of "No Sample Pack for New Shavers". Or at least follow aihpcfl's advice and don't experiment with brands until you have been shaving for several weeks or months and are getting consistently good shaves. Totally IMO based on my experience... Skip the rebranded dollar store blades and choose a highly regarded quality blade like Personna Super (blue/lab), Red Israeli Personna or Astra SP and shave with ONE brand for at least a month or two. Once you have your prep and shaving routine dialed in to where you have confidence and are getting great shaves with no problems then you may want to change blade brands.

BSAGuy said:

Go go one of the vendors that support this site, such as West Coast Shaving or Italian Barber. Order a blade sampler pack. That will give you a good variety of blades to try.

Great to have you here!!

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+1 Sampler packs are a great way to sort out the right blades for you.

+1 Blade samples packs is the best way to start, everybody have preference and you will find your.

as stated sampler but bic blades are great for starting out

Enjoy the learning experience it's 99% fun. All blades work, some are better (lots) than others. There's always styptic pencils.

TryABlade is a great place to buy from if you want to sample blades, which most people recommend. I think it's better than a conventional sample pack because you can choose which blades you want to try out and how many, IMO you really only need 2-3 blades of each kind and most sample packs have 5. And most sample packs have a few "stinkers", blades that don't work very well for most people.

But if you just want to buy a box of 100 and be done with it, very few people dislike Astra's or Personna blue's.

Another +1 for a blade sampler back. However, for me, I love the Personna Med Preps. Very sharp and very forgiving! YMMV though.

Good luck whatever one you pick and welcome to B&B!

Hey, bro. I'm new also. Personna Lab Blues are the only bladed I've used so far in my first full week of DE shaving and my skin cleared up already. Give them a shot.

Wow - thank you guys for all the help and suggestions!

I started with a sampler and regret the decision. Not that anything bad happened, it didn't, but that it confused the issue and delayed my focusing on relearning my technique. Pick up 2 tucks of any blade that strikes your fancy and use them up. Ten blades should last 20-30 days. During that time, focus on your pressure (none), blade angle (shallow) and lather. Since you have tried Dorco, you might try something different but my guess is that any blade will be sufficient to help you fine tune your technique. Astras, Polsilvers, Personnas are all highly regarded. My personal favorite is Voskhod.

The only thing guarenteed in selecting blades is that everyone chooses different blades for different reasons.

BTW. I think this philosophy also applies to soaps, creams, razors, brushes (especially brushes!) etc. Reading B&B, while a great resource, can also be the leading culprit is causing one to overthink every aspect of shaving.

Sampler Pack

http://www.amazon.com/FEATHER-Ocloc...07247960&sr=1-1&keywords=sampler+razor+blades

I would recommend Astra SP and Dorco 301 to try. Pm me a mailing address and I will send you a mini sampler pack if you have not purchased one yet.

Don't do the sample pack until you have shaved for a bit. Sample packs are nice but only after you have other things down to where you can actually tell the difference between blades.

Spend enough time around here and you'll find there's plenty of blades liked by just about everyone. My recommendation, buy one kind of blade from the cheap category and one from the expensive category. Astra SP and Gillette Silver Blue's would be my pick.