How will I know

vanhooglesnort · May 22, 2015

My blade search has me wondering. I've been using my DE for about five weeks now, and I still haven't found "THE" blade. I've gotten several samplers, tried about 9 different blades out of the variety and so far I've only identified a couple "no's", but the "maybe" blades all seem the same. I mean, they feel different, but not appreciably better or worse. Obviously I'm still developing technique, but will one blade just click and be obviously THE blade for me, or should I just stick with one of the candidates for a few weeks? The ones I don't like are obvious to my face almost immediately, but I guess I need to know if you guys all had the same obvious realization when you found your favorite.

Thanks!

djh · May 22, 2015

vanhooglesnort said:
My blade search has me wondering. I've been using my DE for about five weeks now, and I still haven't found "THE" blade. I've gotten several samplers, tried about 9 different blades out of the variety and so far I've only identified a couple "no's", but the "maybe" blades all seem the same. I mean, they feel different, but not appreciably better or worse. Obviously I'm still developing technique, but will one blade just click and be obviously THE blade for me, or should I just stick with one of the candidates for a few weeks? The ones I don't like are obvious to my face almost immediately, but I guess I need to know if you guys all had the same obvious realization when you found your favorite.

Thanks!

Don't stress about finding the most suitable blade for YOU. Improving your technique and consistency is much more important. I would even suggest that you choose a blade and use the same brand for the next month whilst you work on technique.

ThomasR · May 23, 2015

djh said:
Don't stress about finding the most suitable blade for YOU. Improving your technique and consistency is much more important. I would even suggest that you choose a blade and use the same brand for the next month whilst you work on technique.

+1 Pick the blade you feel is the smoothest from your "maybe" list and use it. Then when your technique is better try some different blades (even revisit some of the others you've tried).

Also, keep track of your shaves so that you can track your improvements. I do this with a journal and make notes on new items that I try.

vanhooglesnort · May 23, 2015

Thanks for the opinions...guess I'll work on what I'm doing for a while and then focus on what I'm using.

The coolest thing about the blade search is that my head is impervious (like my wife always said). Once I found the courage to use a safety razor on my dome I discovered that while my face is sensitive to the blade I use, my head really doesn't seem to care. All the blades my face hates are working on my skull quite well.

Calabash · May 23, 2015

vanhooglesnort said:
Thanks for the opinions...guess I'll work on what I'm doing for a while and then focus on what I'm using.

The coolest thing about the blade search is that my head is impervious (like my wife always said). Once I found the courage to use a safety razor on my dome I discovered that while my face is sensitive to the blade I use, my head really doesn't seem to care. All the blades my face hates are working on my skull quite well.

Welcome to the B&B....sounds like a perfect combo for blade use :thumbup1:

Cash_Stronomer · May 23, 2015

One day you'll finish up and splash on some aftershave, and when you feel how smooth it is and that there is no burn or it hardly feels like you even shaved, you will know!

Orville · May 23, 2015

vanhooglesnort said:
Thanks for the opinions...guess I'll work on what I'm doing for a while and then focus on what I'm using.

The coolest thing about the blade search is that my head is impervious (like my wife always said). Once I found the courage to use a safety razor on my dome I discovered that while my face is sensitive to the blade I use, my head really doesn't seem to care. All the blades my face hates are working on my skull quite well.

Laughing emoji is because I am finding the opposite. now that I have switched to Straights, I find my previously impervious dome is getting cut quite easily when I shave it with the Safety Razor. Guess I am losing my "touch".

I agree with the others about your blade search. What I did was use at least 3-5 blades from each type. That gave me a good sampling of how each blade performed. Then I picked the best of the "same" blades and went through a full tuck or two with it. After that you will start to discern the differences between the blade you used, and the new one you are starting with more readily, and can better rank them.

musicman1951 · May 23, 2015

I also suggest you purchase a quantity (maybe 100) of your smoothest blade to date. When you've had several weeks of perfect (or at least bloodless, near-perfect) shaves you can resume your ideal blade search - firm in the knowledge that the blade is now the only variable.

BSAGuy · May 23, 2015

Don't obsess about blades. I think some guys here overstate their ability to tell one blade from another. Very few, if any, could do that in a blind test where the blade markings were removed.

Just find 2-3 that work well and use them while you develop technique.

Good luck.

hrfdez · May 23, 2015

BSAGuy said:
Don't obsess about blades. I think some guys here overstate their ability to tell one blade from another. Very few, if any, could do that in a blind test where the blade markings were removed.

Just find 2-3 that work well and use them while you develop technique.

Good luck.

^^^^^^^^^^This :thumbup1:

ackvil · May 23, 2015

BSAGuy said:
Don't obsess about blades. I think some guys here overstate their ability to tell one blade from another. Very few, if any, could do that in a blind test where the blade markings were removed.

Just find 2-3 that work well and use them while you develop technique.

Good luck.

+1. It's usually a question of technique.

alex2363 · May 24, 2015

vanhooglesnort said:
My blade search has me wondering. I've been using my DE for about five weeks now, and I still haven't found "THE" blade. I've gotten several samplers, tried about 9 different blades out of the variety and so far I've only identified a couple "no's", but the "maybe" blades all seem the same. I mean, they feel different, but not appreciably better or worse. Obviously I'm still developing technique, but will one blade just click and be obviously THE blade for me, or should I just stick with one of the candidates for a few weeks? The ones I don't like are obvious to my face almost immediately, but I guess I need to know if you guys all had the same obvious realization when you found your favorite.

Thanks!

As everyone's has suggested, try one blade brand and if it doesn't feel right after 7 shaves then switch. Also, let your skin heal for better feedback, shaving with 9 blades within short time frame may not be beneficial.

vanhooglesnort · May 25, 2015

I only get 3-4 shaves before I notice a lot of tugging, hence the seemingly rapid turnover. Also, two of the nine were instantly identified as ungood. My beard is pretty tough and the second and fourth blades I tried pulled more hair than they cut so I completed that shave with each, confirmed their incompatibility by the amount of redness and irritation on my face, and then changed 'em. Right now I'm sticking with the best of the "maybes " until my technique gets better.

Is it worth a future revisit to a blade I've identified as too dull for my face? Will a newby technique cause a sharp blade to pull rather than cut?

djh · May 25, 2015

vanhooglesnort said:
I only get 3-4 shaves before I notice a lot of tugging, hence the seemingly rapid turnover. Also, two of the nine were instantly identified as ungood. My beard is pretty tough and the second and fourth blades I tried pulled more hair than they cut so I completed that shave with each, confirmed their incompatibility by the amount of redness and irritation on my face, and then changed 'em. Right now I'm sticking with the best of the "maybes " until my technique gets better.

Is it worth a future revisit to a blade I've identified as too dull for my face? Will a newby technique cause a sharp blade to pull rather than cut?

In my experience, technique will always beat kit. Simply put, don't believe that anything which you experience as a newb is set in stone. It is very possible that you can re-visit one of the blades which you have dismissed and find that it does a great job for you. Don't forget also that the performance of a blade greatly depends upon which razor it is used in.

tromboneliness · May 25, 2015

djh said:
In my experience, technique will always beat kit. Simply put, don't believe that anything which you experience as a newb is set in stone. It is very possible that you can re-visit one of the blades which you have dismissed and find that it does a great job for you. Don't forget also that the performance of a blade greatly depends upon which razor it is used in.

Great point, David. In fact, I think it's true for most things in traditional shaving. When you're a newb, don't throw anything away from your starter stuff for a while: this includes soaps, creams, razors, blades, brushes, what-have-you. I can't tell you how many times I've revisited stuff that I had previously dismissed and found that they had all improved remarkably once I had my technique down. :lol:

jwde2009 · May 25, 2015

tryablade.com is great if you want to try tons of different razors but I'm with everyone else - keep practicing and try avoid making too many changes at the beginning. Consistency will give you an idea of what is going well and what is not.

Steve in Shalimar · May 25, 2015

When I was first starting DE shaving and working through an extensive blade sampler pack, I threw away several blades due to weepers. Then later I learned that it was my technique that was poor, because I went back to some of the brands that I thought were bad and found that they were just fine. Fortunately, I had reached a point where I could use just about any blade. It's good to keep an open mind.

vanhooglesnort · May 25, 2015

tryablade.com is awesome, and I have a dozen flavors to try from that great resource...once I'm more consistent. Thanks for everyone's input.

keller · May 25, 2015

vanhooglesnort said:
I only get 3-4 shaves before I notice a lot of tugging, hence the seemingly rapid turnover. Also, two of the nine were instantly identified as ungood. My beard is pretty tough and the second and fourth blades I tried pulled more hair than they cut so I completed that shave with each, confirmed their incompatibility by the amount of redness and irritation on my face, and then changed 'em. Right now I'm sticking with the best of the "maybes " until my technique gets better.

Is it worth a future revisit to a blade I've identified as too dull for my face? Will a newby technique cause a sharp blade to pull rather than cut?

I would say it's worth revisiting down the road, for sure. You may have just gotten a bad/dud blade. Exact thing happened to me with Voskhod blades. The first one I tried gave me irritation like no other. I revisited a new blade about 2 months later and it was ultra smooth; not efficient enough for my whiskers (and I ended up concluding it's not for me anyway) but it did give a comfortable shave.

FWIW, also, I found my go to blade when I learned how to properly make a superb lather. All blades will tug on a lather that's too dry and that was my problem for a while when I got started. Good luck!

PMT · May 25, 2015

vanhooglesnort said:
tryablade.com is awesome, and I have a dozen flavors to try from that great resource...once I'm more consistent. Thanks for everyone's input.

+1

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How will I know

vanhooglesnort

djh

ThomasR

vanhooglesnort

Calabash

Cash_Stronomer

Orville

musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu

BSAGuy

hrfdez

ackvil

alex2363

vanhooglesnort

djh

tromboneliness

jwde2009

Steve in Shalimar

vanhooglesnort

keller

PMT

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