Treet Durasharp synergy

the ascent of the Rockets is still progressing... I'm hopeful that once the HD arrives I will have acquired enough English SS variants to have slaked my thirst for these excellent razors. Today the shave was a fresh DS in my newly arrived flare tip Rocket, it shaves like all the rest of the II marked heads I have gotten so far: smooth and close, with that little extra margin of weight/solidity over the US version.

...now all I need is a perfect "basic" 40s style Rocket in nickel. uh-oh, I guess that means the addiction hasn't been beat yet

Quick update on the Durasharps...

Very good experience in a Schick Krona this weekend. Maybe two of my smoothest shaves ever - close shave with absolutely no irritation. Up until this point a Feather was my favorite choice for the Krona, but the DS is a serious contender.

Shave 1 today in my Progress@5 didn't go as well. Not real close. For some reason a pattern is developing where the DS isn't working too well for me in my adjustables - Fatboy, Slim, now Progress.

bharvey60 said:

For some reason a pattern is developing where the DS isn't working too well for me in my adjustables - Fatboy, Slim, now Progress.

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What settings have you tried with the Gillette adjustables? I have found the slim to shave quite a bit like a Super Speed when set to the 5 through 7 range...

awa54 said:

What settings have you tried with the Gillette adjustables? I have found the slim to shave quite a bit like a Super Speed when set to the 5 through 7 range...

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I shave at 9 with the Gillette adjustables and 5 with the Progess. I've got a pretty heavy beard and get great shaves with sharper blades such as Feather and SIs at these settings. For me the DS seems to provide the best results in my more aggressive razors. Krona being the notable, positive exception. however, tomorrow I will dial the Progress down a bit and see what happens.

Dialed the Progress back to 7 for the ATG pass this AM and avoided the irritation I got with the previous day's shave. Overall the Progress DS pairing was just OK. On to another razor...

bharvey60 said:

Quick update on the Durasharps...

Very good experience in a Schick Krona this weekend. Maybe two of my smoothest shaves ever - close shave with absolutely no irritation. Up until this point a Feather was my favorite choice for the Krona, but the DS is a serious contender.

Shave 1 today in my Progress@5 didn't go as well. Not real close. For some reason a pattern is developing where the DS isn't working too well for me in my adjustables - Fatboy, Slim, now Progress.

Click to expand...

I haven't really liked the Krona much with other blades, I guess I'll have to try a DS in it soon.

After reading your post I decided to use a DS in the slim to see how it works on my face... no surprises, the slim set to 6 with a Durasharp on board gave a very close and extremely smooth shave. As I expected this fits with my usual preference for mild razors and sharp blades... I can't try the Progress since mine was semi-traded for a Vision a while back, the Progress never worked well for me anyway, since only the *perfect* angle would produce a decent shave without major irritation.

bharvey60 said:

Quick update on the Durasharps...

Very good experience in a Schick Krona this weekend. Maybe two of my smoothest shaves ever - close shave with absolutely no irritation. Up until this point a Feather was my favorite choice for the Krona, but the DS is a serious contender.

Shave 1 today in my Progress@5 didn't go as well. Not real close. For some reason a pattern is developing where the DS isn't working too well for me in my adjustables - Fatboy, Slim, now Progress.

Click to expand...

Actually, that was my combo this morning. I'd previously used the Krona with the Astra SP and the Polsilver to good effect. Got as good or better this morning with the Dura Sharp. Based on price, the DS may become my "go to" blade.

I'm a believer now. Had a couple of shaves with the DuraSharp and they were very smooth and close shaves. Surprised me actually.
I like smooth, forgiving blades. Might buy more.

After a successful trial of the DuraSharp Supers care of the Great Blade Exchange, I went ahead and ordered 200 from Connaught. At $20 delivered to the USA - that would be 10 cents/blade - if my initial impressions hold, they might be the greatest blade bargain in the known universe. I received the blades last week and I am glad to report that my initial impressions from the sample blades hold true. The Durasharp is not as sharp as my Feather blade. It is not as smooth as my Polsilver. I do get a bit of tugging on my chin where my gray, thick beard is its toughest. Yet, it delivers a very comfortable, smooth, irritation-free shave. The fact that it has been irritation-free is no small thing. I shave daily, and the super-sharp Feather or Polsilver will irritate my skin if I don't mix it up with a less aggressive blade every now and again. I had been using the Voskhod for that purpose, but the Durasharp is a much better blade at a much lower price. It is hard to imagine a better budget blade. In fact, if need be, I could make this blade my daily driver. Come the Shavepocylpse, will Pakistan still manufacture blades?

By the way, I have been removing the blade in between shaves and drying it off. No big deal really. Just adds an extra second to the routine.

I leave my beloved ATT R1 at home when I travel. I don't want to take the chance of an airline doing away with my favorite, expensive razor. I travel with an EJ 89, a fine razor that is almost comically mild after the ATT. With the EJ I can race around my face with reckless abandon as if it were impossible to get a nick or a cut.

I love the DuraSharp in my ATT. In a few weeks I am heading to India/Nepal/Bhutan for an extended vacation. Today I tried the DuraSharp in the EJ89 as a test run to determine if I wanted to travel with the DuraSharps. The results were OK. Not Great. On my face, the ATT R1 with a quality blade like a Feather or Polsilver - and even the DuraSharp - allows for a great single pass shave with a bit of buffing here and there. In the EJ 89 the DuraSharp was not up to the task of mowing down my beard in a single pass. The shave itself was smooth with minimal tugging, but I needed a second pass in several areas to get a complete shave. I guess this is what happens when you pair a mild razor with a smooth, forgiving blade.

Tomorrow I will pair the ATT R1 with a Polsilver to see how it compares to the DuraSharp. I will keep everyone posted.

rodmonster said:

Tomorrow I will pair the ATT R1 with a Polsilver to see how it compares to the DuraSharp. I will keep everyone posted.

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Thanks for the updates. I have about 200 Durasharps waiting for me at my CONUS address and I am following this thread with lot of interest. Keep them coming.

Curious about your trip to India/Nepal/Bhutan - are you planning on any treks in the Himalayas?

@Roopesh,

Thanks for your interest in our trip to India, Nepal and Bhutan. Both my wife and I turn 60 this year and rather than give each other a gift, we decided to take a wonderful trip to a part of the world that we had never seen. In answer to your question, unfortunately I have chronic back problems that will not allow me to do any trekking. We will do the usual sight-seeing, and I understand that it is possible to circle Mt. Everest in a small plane on Buddha Airlines(no kidding). That would be something special.

I decided to give the DuraSharp one more shave this morning in the EJ89. I got a fine shave, but I needed 2 passes to get it. I think that is more a function of the razor than the blade. In my ATT R1, the DuraSharp gave me a quality 1 pass shave - not like a Feather or Polsilver, but a very respectable shave nonetheless.

Cheers

rodmonster said:

@Roopesh,

Thanks for your interest in our trip to India, Nepal and Bhutan. Both my wife and I turn 60 this year and rather than give each other a gift, we decided to take a wonderful trip to a part of the world that we had never seen. In answer to your question, unfortunately I have chronic back problems that will not allow me to do any trekking. We will do the usual sight-seeing, and I understand that it is possible to circle Mt. Everest in a small plane on Buddha Airlines(no kidding). That would be something special.

I decided to give the DuraSharp one more shave this morning in the EJ89. I got a fine shave, but I needed 2 passes to get it. I think that is more a function of the razor than the blade. In my ATT R1, the DuraSharp gave me a quality 1 pass shave - not like a Feather or Polsilver, but a very respectable shave nonetheless.

Cheers

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Wow, I am excited for both of you. I have never been to Nepal/Bhutan or anywhere close, but heard from many about the life changing vistas those parts offer. I had no idea (but often wondered) that you can commercially fly around Mt. Everest. Hmm, Buddha Airlines is a very interesting name and most re-assuring to take you up there. Have a memorable trip (and I am sure a great gift for each other) and do let us know about it.

Ah, coming back to the original thread topic.

I've no experience with Treet blades. I gather Durasharps and Black Beauty blades are not the same. If this is correct, which of the two would you recommend in a Tech? I've been using Astra SP blades after trying many other brands, except for Treet. Thank you.

DEGuy said:

I've no experience with Treet blades. I gather Durasharps and Black Beauty blades are not the same. If this is correct, which of the two would you recommend in a Tech? I've been using Astra SP blades after trying many other brands, except for Treet. Thank you.

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The DuraSharp, unlike the Black Beauty, has a PTFE(teflon) coating. I don't know if they are the same blade underneath the PTFE. In any case, on my face the DuraSharp is a much smoother blade than the Black Beauty. I have a tough, wiry beard and the pulling was significant with the BB.

The DuraSharp works very well in my ATT R1. It did not do as well in my EJ89. My 60 year-old beard compares to steel wool. In a mild razor like the EJ, I need a killer blade like the Polsilver or Feather. I don't know how the DuraSharp will work in your Tech. Shoot me a PM and I will be happy to send you a few DuraSharp to sample.

Cheers

rodmonster said:

The DuraSharp, unlike the Black Beauty, has a PTFE(teflon) coating. I don't know if they are the same blade underneath the PTFE. In any case, on my face the DuraSharp is a much smoother blade than the Black Beauty. I have a tough, wiry beard and the pulling was significant with the BB.

The DuraSharp works very well in my ATT R1. It did not do as well in my EJ89. My 60 year-old beard compares to steel wool. In a mild razor like the EJ, I need a killer blade like the Polsilver or Feather. I don't know how the DuraSharp will work in your Tech. Shoot me a PM and I will be happy to send you a few DuraSharp to sample.

Cheers

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Thank you so much for the offer. I've sent a PM to you.

Updates... Durasharp in the Rocket HD is pretty much identical to other rockets, but the fatter handle is not really to my taste. Also went back and ran a Treet Silver in the Flare Rocket, thus confirming my opinion that the Silver is the closest in feel and capability to the Durasharp, if the DS became unavailable I could definitely live with Silvers, but for about $1/100 more to get the DS, why would I use Silvers?? (maybe because I have 220 of them?) The Silver however falls down and starts to tug too much after about three shaves, while the DS always delivers four and often five shaves for me, making the Durasharp cheaper on a per-shave basis, despite being slightly more expensive per-blade.

Have I mentioned how much I like these blades?? ...wait, I started this thread

Anybody wanting to check out Treet Silvers can PM me, I will be glad to PIF a few for you to try.