This is the advice that I took to heart when I started out. I was finding it difficult at first to resist the temptation to keep switching blades in the search for the perfect blade for me. I found that staying with the same combo for a month was invaluable in developing my technique.
How will I know
- Thread starter vanhooglesnort
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This is the advice that I took to heart when I started out. I was finding it difficult at first to resist the temptation to keep switching blades in the search for the perfect blade for me. I found that staying with the same combo for a month was invaluable in developing my technique.
Great question. I've tried to answer this question in relation to my choice and how I got there. I started with Personnas because that's what Walmart was selling at the time. I actually liked them. I tried Wilkinson but they seemed to not be as smooth. So I stayed with the Personnas.
I kept hearing about the fearful Feather blades and did some researching into them. Some folks said they weren't for beginners. Some said they weren't the bleeders that they were made out to be. I couldn't resist the challenge and decided to try them.
It was love at first shave.
How did I know? It's kind of how you know that person you fell in love with (for me almost 40 years ago) is the person you're meant to marry. You just know. It feels right. None other will do. Sure, you had a few good experiences along the way but ... this one is special. Maybe not special to anyone else but, you know ...
I kept hearing about the fearful Feather blades and did some researching into them. Some folks said they weren't for beginners. Some said they weren't the bleeders that they were made out to be. I couldn't resist the challenge and decided to try them.
It was love at first shave.
How did I know? It's kind of how you know that person you fell in love with (for me almost 40 years ago) is the person you're meant to marry. You just know. It feels right. None other will do. Sure, you had a few good experiences along the way but ... this one is special. Maybe not special to anyone else but, you know ...
I would call your experience "normal". I have tried several blades, including Derby, Merkur, Astra, 7 O'Clock, Personna, PolSilver, Shark, Feather, and more. I've tried a middle-of-the-road razor, a cheap one, and a famously aggressive one. Getting the BBS result is the same routine with all of them. 3 passes at least and repeated touch-ups in the tough spots. While I am pleased with the joy of traditional shaving, and pleased with the difference it makes in my grooming, I have not found anything about any one DE blade product that makes it so much more exciting than the others. IMHO, DE is a century-old technology. It was improved and re-improved to the point where it would be difficult to appreciably improve it more. The different manufacturers all have same or nearly same ISO certifications. Enjoy the economy of traditional blades. Enjoy the variety. Just do not expect profoundly different results. That is this man's experience. The next one's may differ. YMMV.
Welcome to B&B. Looks like you have already gotten all the advice I could have given you. You gotta love the support system here!
I still don't think I've found my favorite, and I'm almost a year into DE shaving. The things that really stand out to me are how smooth the shave is, how efficiently it did the job (least number of passes/touchups to get smooth) and the post-shave feel. I've tried some blades that seemed terrific at first, but tended to leave my skin (particularly my neck) feeling raw afterwards, even when I pay extra attention to the process and going with a super light touch. As always, it's a tradeoff between many desirable qualities. I have a small list of blades that I have enjoyed more than others, so after this sample pack is used up I plan to order more of the favorites and then see if I can determine my go-to after that.
Just checking in.
I found this post very helpful. I have a sample pack coming in myself and was debating if I should try one of the new ones or continue with the blades I have on hand. Having been using my current blades daily for 2 weeks now (the entirety of my DE adventure thus far) I think I'll just keep using them and let my technique do it's thing. Perhaps after I've used 5 of these blades I'll try one of the new ones. Thanks to the community for all the great advice and to the OP for a great newbie question.
Adam12
I found this post very helpful. I have a sample pack coming in myself and was debating if I should try one of the new ones or continue with the blades I have on hand. Having been using my current blades daily for 2 weeks now (the entirety of my DE adventure thus far) I think I'll just keep using them and let my technique do it's thing. Perhaps after I've used 5 of these blades I'll try one of the new ones. Thanks to the community for all the great advice and to the OP for a great newbie question.
Adam12
+1 This is what I have done. I purchased a large quantity of blades and I focused on my technique. I can get a irritation free shave with the blades I now have. I then traveled and purchased just a generic 10 pack of blades while I was away. Turned out that the generic blades worked better than the ones I have here at home. I am going to begin my search for the right blades now.
Keep working on your technique, and play around a little from time to time, too. If you are the sort of fellow that enjoys working with the same thing for a month, then by all means do so. If not, so what it takes so that shaving does not become tedious.
Sooner or later, you will have a shave that just makes you say "wow!" Smooth and close, where your face feels like you could just go right back for another shave if you had any whiskers left. That's when you know you're on to something.
Sooner or later, you will have a shave that just makes you say "wow!" Smooth and close, where your face feels like you could just go right back for another shave if you had any whiskers left. That's when you know you're on to something.
I find the same thing... Most blades I've tried performed just fine. No big difference between them for me. Maybe I'm lucky but of the blades I've tried (Astra SS, Astra SP, Gillette Platinum and Gillette Silver Blue) they all gave a very nice shave. I think the two Gillette blades give just a slightly smoother shave, but not by a huge margin. So the Gillettes are what I've ordered in bulk and am using now.
Just pick a blade you get a nice shave from and don't fret over it. Too many other things to learn and worry about for now. Later on you can start experimenting with blades when you've got it all down.
love it
