Blade insight

Hey guys long time follower, first time poster. I'm looking for some insight to what I'm noticing during my shaves. My go to razor Merkur 34c. My go to blade personna blue. On a new blade I notice it has what I call a break-in period (the first 2 shaves) irritate my face by the 3rd pass. I can't get real close on pass 3. The 4rd to the 5th shaves are silky smooth...no hurt or burn on the 3rd pass. Question, have I been using the wrong blades or is this "break-in period" normal.

I have used feather with similar results.
Dorco and derby burn.
Wilkinson don't feel smooth.
I have some 7 o'clock yellows but haven't tried them yet.

All opinion and questions welcome

Typical 3 pass shaves out of the shower wtg, xtg, atg. Shave soap mwf.

Some blades have a break in period. I would have tossed it after 2 shaves, so well done for keeping on trying? Perhaps 'blade corking' is an option? You basically break it in like this. Otherwise it might be time to start trying other blades.

Some guys report that it takes 1-2 shaves to smooth a blade out. I have never noticed this. Common remedy is noted above, just draw a new blade lightly through a cork before use. Supposedly takes off the burrs.

Good luck.

Interesting, think it may be time to pickup sample packs. Just worried I'm going to get stuck with a lot junk blades....I try the cork thing too... I wouldn't thing a quality blade like personna blade would have burrs.

The adventure is part of the appeal.

I'll try and keep you guys posted.

Thanks for the reply

I think you may want to find a different blade. I have noticed no such two day break in period for Labs (if that's what Blues are - if not, get some Labs).

Some blades feel better on the second day, but the blades I use are not significantly different.

The right combination for you includes the blade, razor and face. Since you can't change the face I'd try a few different blades.

On the other hand, from Feather to Derby you've covered the sharpness scale pretty well. You're sure you're using good prep, razor angle and no pressure? But I suspect you are or the 4th + 5th shaves would not be fine.

Blades are cheap - try a few.

Use this forum for research. Look up older threads on blades, and especially comparison threads. I recommend Oscroft's double-blind comparison threads between all the popular blades per the requests of readers. Read the comments on those threads as they're most informative.
I would suggest that a lot of people have the same experience as you on the blades you mention, especially the Feather. Look for blades that everyone calls "smooth". I recommend Gillette Blacks and Personna Med Preps with very honorable mention to Polsilver SI's as the best combination of sharp, smooth, and longevity, but that's because I have sensitive skin and a tough, coarse beard, a bad combination. Its noteworthy, that on Oscroft's double-blind comparisons, the Gillette Black were favored against every blade they were compared to, as were the Personna Med Preps and the Polsilvers. My suggestion is that you try those blades first. People with fine beards may have a different experience.

I had a similar experience with Polsilvers the first few times I used them. First 2 or 3 shaves were harsh (althought results were great). After that it seemed to work great. I just chalked it up to the blade being too sharp for my technique at the time. Turns out I was probably right. I set the Polsilvers aside for about 6 months and later picked them back up when I had transitioned to the R41. No issues at all. I suspect my problem with them those first few shaves was pressure. Once they had a few shaves on them, the pressure wasn't as much of an issue.

Ive been de shave for 2 years...I use no pressure...but now that you mentioned it ...I don't give too much thought to the angle. I'll keep at it and look to try the med prep and g blacks.

I identify with your experiences with the Personna blue, and that Dorcos and Wilkies aren't the smoothest blades around. At this point, experiencing a range of good blades will dramatically improve your luck.

Try out these reasonable blades and see if you find something that works for you:
Rapira Platinum Plus
Personna Red
Lord Super Platinum

As a reference, try these blades:
Gillette Rubie
Gillette Silver Blue

I don't know what razor you're using, but these blades should be compatible.

gwsmallwood said:

I had a similar experience with Polsilvers the first few times I used them. First 2 or 3 shaves were harsh (althought results were great). After that it seemed to work great. I just chalked it up to the blade being too sharp for my technique at the time. Turns out I was probably right. I set the Polsilvers aside for about 6 months and later picked them back up when I had transitioned to the R41. No issues at all. I suspect my problem with them those first few shaves was pressure. Once they had a few shaves on them, the pressure wasn't as much of an issue.

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+1. Usually the problem is me. NO PRESSURE is the key. But YMMV. These days I get a good shave with most any blade I try.

mcolli1978 said:

Interesting, think it may be time to pickup sample packs. Just worried I'm going to get stuck with a lot junk blades....I try the cork thing too... I wouldn't thing a quality blade like personna blade would have burrs.

Click to expand...

I'm starting to wonder if I should get some kind of marketing kickback from Try-a-blade, but seriously, give them a shot if you don't want to buy full packs. It's hard to get stuck with blades that don't work for you if you're only buying 1-2 of each blade.

I'd say it is definitely a case of finding the right blade. I can't see the point in having a couple of rough shaves to get to the good ones. Perhaps a fan favorite like the Gillette Silver Blue? I also like Rapira Platinum Lux as a blade that seems to start out sharp and smooth.

I have used many blades and have found some that were very smooth, from the start.

Try
Personna Blues
Gillette 7 o'clock Yellows
Voskhods

Just a few to think about