What do you do when a new blade gives a bad shave?

Well, I thought I'd give GSB's a try since they generally get good reviews here. My normal set up is ATT S1 with an Astra SP, getting solid near BBS shaves with zero problems daily. First shave with GSB was rough. Nicks under the nose and bottom of chin. Bad shave.

Should I give it another go and be careful or just go back to what works and chalk it up to experience? Thoughts?

May just be 1 bad blade. Try a few more.

I'd toss it and try a new GSB if you have one. Rough doesn't sound right for these, but IMO they are sharper than Astra. This is a blade like a Feather where it is normally so sharp and smooth that I could open a wound and not even know I was cut until I see blood.

Agree.

frstplce said:

I'd toss it and try a new GSB if you have one. Rough doesn't sound right for these, but IMO they are sharper than Astra. This is a blade like a Feather where it is normally so sharp and smooth that I could open a wound and not even know I was cut until I see blood.

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frstplce said:

I'd toss it and try a new GSB if you have one. Rough doesn't sound right for these, but IMO they are sharper than Astra. This is a blade like a Feather where it is normally so sharp and smooth that I could open a wound and not even know I was cut until I see blood.

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I agree as well.

Thanks for the input. I'll put in a new blade and give it another try this weekend when I'm not in a rush. Astra's work well so was hoping for a minor step up with these.

I had the same experience with my first GSB, bought 2 blades to try from tryablade mainly based on reviews and comments. I was unimpressed and have been gun shy to try again. It was a rough shave for me, admittedly though I'm still working on technique so I may come back to the GSB.

i had a similar experiance, my first shave was good but the second left a lot to be desired, i bought another pack to try, i always hear good things about them, could also be my lather, ill save for a little bit and then revisit.

Take a break from it then try it again. If it's still bad, take another break and then try again with a different razor.

I used to hate Astra SP when I was using it with the Parker 24c, but now I love it with the ATT S1. It's fantastic.

They should be quite a step up from Astra indeed, hopefully blade two works out!

frstplce said:

I'd toss it and try a new GSB if you have one. Rough doesn't sound right for these, but IMO they are sharper than Astra. This is a blade like a Feather where it is normally so sharp and smooth that I could open a wound and not even know I was cut until I see blood.

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Absolutely. It's my favorite blade.

For me, sometimes when trying a new blade, it takes a bit of learning to re-adjust the angle and pressure to the new blade to get back into the groove. Like others, I would recommend trying another blade and just be extra careful about your technique and see how it goes.

I toss it immediately. Sometimes before I even finish the shave. Sometimes a bad one gets through, but they're cheap enough that it doesn't matter. Heck, even the most expensive blades are no more than about 35 cents each.

I wouldn't judge the GSB based on only one blade. I would at least try another as this may have been a one-off.

I always give a blade a second chance before tossing. Sometimes I will put the blade in another razor and see how that works Other times I put it in the same razor and monitor my technique. If on the next pass the results are the same, then I toss.

What do you mean by rough? Rough as in the blade was not smooth, or rough as in the shave was arduous? I've found GSBs to be quite smooth, so if it wasn't smooth it might actually be defective. For me, weepers and abrasion might be from too much pressure or a bad blade, but nicks and cuts are my own fault.

I think I'd blame a duff blade or a laps in technique. Try a fresh blade and just shave as you would normally. I find GSBs to be extremely comfortable and sharp enough to get the job done.

Toss it! Then try another, ideally from a different package. Sometimes you get a dud.

I'd throw it out and try a new blade. But they didn't work for me, so don't be surprised if you're not one of the faithful.

For what it's worth, my normal blade is either PolSilver or Med Prep.

As others have said, I'd throw it out immediately and try again later. Whenever I've had a bad blade when trying a new brand/model, I'll usually switch back to my normal blade for about a week or two before trying it again, just so that I'm kind of starting with a clean slate.