Bad, Worse, and Worst!

I know everyone loves to talk about their favorite blades, but I'm in more of a horror story mood, and I want to hear some bad/worse/worst tales!

• Bad - What blades would you only reluctantly use if you got 'em free?
• Worse - What blades would you just give away?
• Worst - What blades would you not wish upon your worst enemy, and rather see melted down and thrown into the abyss?

Background to the experience would be nice! Prep, razor, post-shave...

By coincidence I'm currently 6 blades into a field test of 10 different blades in a 100 blade sampler from India. I use brushes, soaps, creams and razors that are tried, tested and proven.
I try the blades in a different razor for every shave - the way I see it, I expect to be able to get a good shave in any of my razors using any of my blades, if I can't, then the blade is only fit for cleaning a fish tank !!

In chronological order I've tested : Laser Stainless, Laser Ultra, Topaz Stainless, Vijay Stainless, Topaz Platinum, Kleen Shave Premium
I've still got : Dorco ST300, Super-Max Stainless, Gillette 7 O'Clock Green, Gillette Wilkinson Sword

I'll be posting results and a full review in due course, but so far some of the ones I've tested were fairly good, most were average or mediocre, and one blade was abysmal, but so far nothing I've ever used has been worse than a Derby !!

Bad : Topaz Stainless - Only got 1 mediocre shave before I gave up on it - I used "Blue's Soap Goat Milk And Animal Fats From New Zealand" (tried, tested and works) and my Windrose SP-4 with a Merkur style head
(One of my best razors) - based on the fact it was with a soap and razor I've never had a problem with, I didn't even want to waste my time bothering with a 2nd shave !!

Worse : Unbranded blades that come with cheap Chinese razors, I've never been brave enough to try one !!

Worst : Derby - I got 3 good shaves from every blade, but I think I'm allergic to the chemicals in the coating, my face was always hot, red, puffy and unbelievably itchy after every shave !!
Common sense tells me that these blades are best left well alone due to the fact that my face only ever felt good during the shave, but always felt bad afterwards !!

Bad: Dorco 300 - While I can get a decent shave from these, Not something I would seek out.
Worse: Shark SS - just not that great for me...
Worst: Graham Field Med Prep - Terrible blade. Would not cut whiskers. Barely cut arm hair. My pocket knife is much sharper than these...

Absolute worst blade I ever used was an old Pontiac blade, it was as if I were using
a handsaw to shave with. I still got plenty left from that deal gone bad.

I hated the merkur blade that came with my 34C. I'll never understand why a company would make bad blades to give/sell with their razors. I think it would make a lot more sense to give away a blade that will make the razor more attractive rather than one that could make the razor appear to be awful...

Bad-Dorco platinum or Derby extra
Worse-Shark super stainless
Worst- Any no name/Chinese branded blades

Derby & Sharks work for me. Normal medium beard. My son loves Dorco blades with his light beard X30 shaves per blade.

Bad = Ladas
Worse = Treet New Steel
Worst = Indian Wilinson Swords

Bad = Dorco
Worse = Dollar Store blades made in Vietnam
Worst = Tiger-3H (though there is apparently a Chinese knockoff, the Quick Tiger, that may be even worse)

Bad=Astra
The just don't work well for me...

Worst=Crystal
Most people seem to like Crystal blades but for me they are the worst.

My prep and shave have been mostly the same, same razor, mostly the same soap maker. Heavy, thick beard that I need to shave everyday. I see that blades are really YMMV - some of the ones I really like have ended up on others naughty lists (Ladas SS are in my top 5, and Shark SS treat me well, too). I'm not too well traveled with blades yet, but here's my list:

Bad = Dorco, Gillette Goals
Worse = VDH Ice Tempered, Derbys, Vidyut Super-max
Worst = Graham Fields TBFH, nothing else even close to this bad

Grundi said:

My prep and shave have been mostly the same, same razor, mostly the same soap maker. Heavy, thick beard that I need to shave everyday. I see that blades are really YMMV - some of the ones I really like have ended up on others naughty lists (Ladas SS are in my top 5, and Shark SS treat me well, too). I'm not too well traveled with blades yet, but here's my list:

Bad = Dorco, Gillette Goals
Worse = VDH Ice Tempered, Derbys, Vidyut Super-max
Worst = Graham Fields TBFH, nothing else even close to this bad

Click to expand...

+1, same order Dorco 300, VDH Ice Tempered, Graham Fields.

I've only tried a few blades. The worst so far have been Van der Hagen, and I'd rate them below average, but not awful.

Bad - Astras (SS and SP). I just can't them to work for me.

Worse - Shark SS. This is the only blade I've chucked before even finishing a shave. I may as well have been shaving with this:

emwolf said:

+1, same order Dorco 300, VDH Ice Tempered, Graham Fields.

Click to expand...

What makes this worse is that my local Walmart keeps a ready stock of the VHD Ice Tempered...uh, hmmm, maybe there's a reason that they're never out of stock...

My experience exactly! Both were terrible, but Crystal even more so.

sbogill said:

Bad=Astra
The just don't work well for me...

Worst=Crystal
Most people seem to like Crystal blades but for me they are the worst.

Click to expand...

Worse - Super-Max Platinum. Overall, a pretty dismal blade.

I have got 6 smooth shaves from the Gillette Vietnam blades & no razor burn on my neck. YMMV

Bad - Derby
Worse - Crystal
Worst - without a doubt Graham-Field med preps. Unsharp, unsmooth, unusable

Bad: Bic Chrome Platinum
Worse: Polsilver super iridium
Worst: Treet Platinum Super Stainless