Newbie blade review

euro · Mar 2, 2015

sskim3 said:
So right now I would rank:
1. Astra SP
2. Shark
3. Bluebird (may move up to 2 on my 2nd go around)
4. Derby
5. Lord Premium
6. Personna Blue

I would like to add something. There is a site that offers 300 Shark blades for 26 USD which is super cheap.

http://www.bestshave.net/300-shark-super-stainless-de-blades-free-shipping-by-air-post-p-62.html

They also carry Astra SP's. I hope I have helped anyone.

sskim3 · Mar 3, 2015

euro said:
I would like to add something. There is a site that offers 300 Shark blades for 26 USD which is super cheap.

http://www.bestshave.net/300-shark-super-stainless-de-blades-free-shipping-by-air-post-p-62.html

They also carry Astra SP's. I hope I have helped anyone.

very tempting - that will last a VERY VERY long time. That also means I would be done exploring other blades..... the dilemmas of RBAD.....

sskim3 · Mar 6, 2015

Updating my list...

I finally tried the Voskhod this morning using my standard equipment (Lord L6 razor, VDH Deluxe Soap, VDH Boar Brush). Using a 2 pass with touch ups (WTG, ATG), I ended up with a DFS+ shave. No nicks, no irritations. The blade was pretty smooth, but it didn't feel as sharp as some of the other ones. I would put the blade in the same tier as Bluebird. For the time being, I am still ranking the Astra SP (for the sharpness and easy BBS) and Sharks (perfect blend of sharpness and smoothness for EASY shaves) above it. I will see how the 2nd shave goes. Maybe it'll grow on me more.

So right now I would rank:
1. Astra SP
2. Shark
3. Voskhod
3. Bluebird (may move up to 2 on my 2nd go around)
4. Derby
5. Lord Premium
6. Personna Blue

Next Blades to review:
Bolzano
Rapira

Mick · Mar 6, 2015

Get some of the black and green Indian blades.

Will change your list real fast :yesnod:

sskim3 · Mar 6, 2015

turtle said:
Get some of the black and green Indian blades.

Will change your list real fast

Are you referring to the Gillette 7 o'clock?

sskim3 · Jun 8, 2015

So I have tried to keep my routine and addictions to a minimum, which meant I didn't buy anything else for months. Y'all are right. Keep the set up with least amount of changes and over time the technique gets a better and easier. I kept my original set up razor and brush and minor changes to other items:

Razor: Lord L6 razor

- The razor is pretty mild and has held up very well. At some point, I would like to try a more aggressive razor, but I am not in the rush to do that now.

Brush: VDH Boar Brush

- For the first 3 months, this brush has held up very well and broke in very nicely. Unfortunately, within the past two weeks, the glue has gotten weak and larger chunks of hair have fallen out. Now with every shave, I lose 1 or 2 hairs. It has served me well but will be the first thing I need to replace. Most likely going to replace with an Omega.

Soap: VDH Deluxe Soap, L'Occitane Cade Soap, Williams Soap

- VDH Deluxe Soap was the first soap I tried. Very easy to use and melted nicely into a container. Lathers up really well and provides very consistent results with minimal efforts.
- L'Occitane Cade soap smells wonderfully, and performs well. I do feel like it takes a little bit more work to create a lather that I am satisfied with compared to VDH.
- Williams Soap, I tried this for the first time over the weekend and this is what prompted me to write another post. After reading forums, I let the puck soak in water overnight. It smells like Ivory soap to me (not good, not bad). It lathered very easily and worked very smoothly. Not a bad option for the cost conscious buyer.

After Shave: Aqua Velva Ice Blue, Aqua Vela Musk, Adidas, Kiehls, Nivea Cool Splash

- Aqua Velva AS were my post BB purchases and I have enjoyed them thoroughly
- The Adidas AS is strong and sporty and is a nice alternative
- Kiehls AS - I have used Kiehls products for awhile and decided to use this as well. It works well if my share is rougher than usual. Definitely not an everyday one for me.
- Nivea Cool Splash same as Kiehls but at a lesser price point.

Other products:

- Thai Crystal Stick Deodorant (alum block) at Whole Foods - Great shape and easy to work with. Did cost me $8 but lasts quite a while. I use it after after shave just for the feedback aspect and the once in awhile nicks.
- Thayer's Rose Pedal Witch Hazel - For $10, the bottle has lasted a lot longer than I expected. I put it on before AS and I use it daily as a toner. Once the bottle is done, I will venture out to other scents.

Blade Ranks:
1. Astra SP
2. Shark
3. Personna Blue
4. Voskhod
5. Bolzano
6. Bluebird
7. Derby
8. Rapira
9. Lord Premium

Some overall thoughts. Astra SP are the sharpest. Sharks give me the smoothest (least irritation). #3-#6 is interchangable in ranking. Please note when I first tried Personna Blue, I hated it. I revisited them this month and found them to give me DFS and a much better performance.

Random Observations:
- Shaving is always more pleasant with warm lather. I do a makeshift scuttle to keep my lather bowl warm.
- I always microwave water in the lather bowl for 1:30 and leave the brush in while I shower.
- 2 passes with touch ups are usually sufficient enough for DFS. I'll only do 3 if I have the time to do it
- If you are diligent, DE shaving can really save you money and makes shaving interesting

sskim3 said:
Updating my list...

I finally tried the Voskhod this morning using my standard equipment (Lord L6 razor, VDH Deluxe Soap, VDH Boar Brush). Using a 2 pass with touch ups (WTG, ATG), I ended up with a DFS+ shave. No nicks, no irritations. The blade was pretty smooth, but it didn't feel as sharp as some of the other ones. I would put the blade in the same tier as Bluebird. For the time being, I am still ranking the Astra SP (for the sharpness and easy BBS) and Sharks (perfect blend of sharpness and smoothness for EASY shaves) above it. I will see how the 2nd shave goes. Maybe it'll grow on me more.

So right now I would rank:
1. Astra SP
2. Shark
3. Voskhod
3. Bluebird (may move up to 2 on my 2nd go around)
4. Derby
5. Lord Premium
6. Personna Blue

Next Blades to review:
Bolzano
Rapira

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