lasta
Blade Biter
I think an antisemitic sect is forming in the heretic ranks.
@BigAlVista , I need you to dig deep and bring out the toughest Inquisitor Al you can find for this.
Dignity and the Wet shave
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@BigAlVista , I need you to dig deep and bring out the toughest Inquisitor Al you can find for this.
I was sitting here... while our granddaughter is taking a nap.... wondering if your choice of blades has a huge effect on which razors work for you.... In my limited experience... the Personna Comfort Coated blades are less sharp than both the Perma-Sharp and Nacets are for me.... I find those two blades cut my whiskers more easily.... but as you know, I'm using razors that tend to be less efficient/more mild than the ones you love....
I think those differences might likely because our skins are all so different... not to mention the whiskers... but perhaps, the skin is more important.... I mean, I have copper wire whiskers.... but don't care for the more blade forward, more efficient razors... I don't find them comfortable....... My skin has no problem with the ATG pass... in fact, no problem with 2 XTG passes.... Why is that? Pre-shave prep? Old man, leather skin? You'd think the R41 would be a perfect razor for me, given my whiskers.... but I didn't like anything about it other than how is looks... I love the design, visually...
I find it interesting.... The people here who need those higher efficiency razors..... It would be nice to be able to pinpoint the reasons... It might just help people find razors that work for them more easily.... As most of you know, I had a guide.... Richard / @Mr. Shavington was incredibly nice enough to buy a Claymore Evolution so we could compare notes. We started discussing DE razors on July 22, 2022... It's been an interesting ride, that's for sure... <eg>
According to @helicopter (Dans) analysis, the Lab Blues are sharper than the Perma-Sharp's and Nacet's.
They're the 4th. sharpest on the list (assuming I've read it correctly).
I'm in agreement with skin/hair differences but sharp vs. not very sharp is not the most defining factor for me (I think!)
Reason I say this: Because I use both types!
Right now my favorites are Lab Blue's (top of the sharpness list) & Astra SP (middle of the sharpness list).
It just seems that one works better over the other depending on what razor it goes into.
So I think blade/razor compatibility is what determines most of how my shave will turn out.
Of course other things as well can make it or break it i.e., How my skin is today, whether I did a proper prep. etc..
Or it can be a combination of everything and quite possibly I might not have any idea as to what I'm conveying!
lasta
Blade Biter
I think the tests also revealed that there are quite large variations in production runs.According to @helicopter (Dans) analysis, the Lab Blues are sharper than the Perma-Sharp's and Nacet's.
They're the 4th. sharpest on the list (assuming I've read it correctly).
I'm in agreement with skin/hair differences but sharp vs. not very sharp is not the most defining factor for me (I think!)
Reason I say this: Because I use both types!
Right now my favorites are Lab Blue's (top of the sharpness list) & Astra SP (middle of the sharpness list).
It just seems that one works better over the other depending on what razor it goes into.
So I think blade/razor compatibility is what determines most of how my shave will turn out.
Of course other things as well can make it or break it i.e., How my skin is today, whether I did a proper prep. etc..
Or it can be a combination of everything and quite possibly I might not have any idea as to what I'm conveying!
I'm not as impressed with Lab Blues. But mine are the old blob printed Personnas from the 2000s/early 2010s. They are not even close to as sharp as Perma Sharp/Nacet.
I tried to change my mind about them many times over the years, because almost everyone likes them, but I just can't.
Maybe they are better nowadays than before, but given the whole tariff thing, I can get 200 old stock GSBs or 300 Feathers for the same price. I'll need a lot of convincing that there are better blades than those two.
Feather are generally the sharpest and your preferred vintage of GSBs are apparently sharp and smooth enough to start a cult over, but do they have a misshapen tiger on their tucks’ artwork?
Mr. Shavington
Knows Hot Turkish Toilets
As far as I can figure out there are two reasons why someone would prefer higher blade exposure:
1. They like a stronger feeling of the blade scratching their face. Like how nice it feels to scratch an itch or just to get stronger feedback to tell exactly where the blade edge is. If your skin is tough enough it might be preferable.
2. Lapses in technique and losing the optimal shaving angle in areas of your face. More blade exposure increases the range of angles where the razor will cut effectively. So, if your technique isn’t ideal you’ll find it easier to get a uniformly close shave with more blade exposure. If your skin is tough enough then you might be perfectly happy with that. If your skin is less tough then it’ll cause irritation and red spots, but perhaps it’s still less damaging than repeatedly going over your face with a milder razor and still failing to shave close because your angle is wrong - until your ability to maintain a consistent shaving angle improves.
So I don’t consider that a razor with higher blade exposure is any more efficient than a razor with less (or zero) exposure. What increases efficiency is technique. But higher exposure can partially offset inefficient shaving technique - at the cost of losing some comfort. And since none of us is perfect, we’re all looking for some kind of balance, either higher or lower on the scale.
Even though I have really soft, delicate skin, I still like to feel some sensation of blade when I shave. I don’t really enjoy a completely mild shave, though I do have that option. Like the Paradigm Diamondback - really easy to shave close with even though you hardly feel the blade - it’s very impressive, and great for my skin, but I prefer the way other razors feel even though the closeness of my shave isn’t going to be better than with the Diamondback. But that’s me and where I sit in terms of point 1 and point 2, today. Others will have a different ideal.
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Mr. Shavington
Knows Hot Turkish Toilets
By the way, I’ve never been interested in razor blades and I have only very rarely tried a different one. I pick one that I find to be good, and then I use only that. It’s nice to have one part of this shaving game that is not a variable, and is always exactly the same. For me the blade is no more interesting than what brand of fuel I put in my car.
I’ve really only ever used three blades in the last twelve years since I took up DE shaving. I used Personna “Israeli Reds” for years, then I switched to Kais for years, and now I use Perma-Sharps. I don’t care if someone thinks another blade is a bit better - I’m happy with the one I have and it’s always good.
I’ve really only ever used three blades in the last twelve years since I took up DE shaving. I used Personna “Israeli Reds” for years, then I switched to Kais for years, and now I use Perma-Sharps. I don’t care if someone thinks another blade is a bit better - I’m happy with the one I have and it’s always good.
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Wait until the GSB cult reads this!
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- #1,769
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I’ve decided to spend a few days catching up on BIC shaves with razors I did not have with me during my trip to Poland. Today I paired fresh BIC CPs with an Overlander and a Legacy. The BIC was an excellent fit for the Overlander. FIS of 3 and a BBS- shave. The legacy proved to be a bit less efficient in that it took longer to get a similar result. That extra time translated to some post-Shave irritation.
Today was also the first outing with my 32mm Wald. What an outstanding brush. It is definitely my favorite synthetic brush…better than the 29mm Walds, the Delphi, my G5As and G5Cs, better than my Boti and Goldin Nib knots, and better than my Oumo ST-2. If you like Wald’s, and Jannik makes these a regular offering, I highly recommend getting one.
I am a big fan of Amber and Oud fragrances, and the MontBlanc Meisterstück did not disappoint. I find myself alternating between it, Andreoli Eterno, Amouage Interlude, Amouage Enclave and Amouage Silver Oud almost without preference. They are all great. Slight nod to the Silver Oud. For me, that would be my desert island fragrance. @Rudy Vey pointed me to some EDPs from Montale. I particularly liked their Red Vetiver and Dark Oud; the Dark Oud reminded me of Creed’s Royal Oud, but at a lower cost. Thank you, Rudy!
Over the past couple of weeks, I tried Polo Red and YSL L’Homme and La Nuit de L’Homme. More importantly, I tried them liesurely at home, without the craziness of a department store. My lovely girl liked the Red and L’Homme very much, once I got her to evaluate them in a more controlled environment. Thank you Larry and Lee!
For soap, I went with the salvaged SV Dolomite
Today was also the first outing with my 32mm Wald. What an outstanding brush. It is definitely my favorite synthetic brush…better than the 29mm Walds, the Delphi, my G5As and G5Cs, better than my Boti and Goldin Nib knots, and better than my Oumo ST-2. If you like Wald’s, and Jannik makes these a regular offering, I highly recommend getting one.
I am a big fan of Amber and Oud fragrances, and the MontBlanc Meisterstück did not disappoint. I find myself alternating between it, Andreoli Eterno, Amouage Interlude, Amouage Enclave and Amouage Silver Oud almost without preference. They are all great. Slight nod to the Silver Oud. For me, that would be my desert island fragrance. @Rudy Vey pointed me to some EDPs from Montale. I particularly liked their Red Vetiver and Dark Oud; the Dark Oud reminded me of Creed’s Royal Oud, but at a lower cost. Thank you, Rudy!
Over the past couple of weeks, I tried Polo Red and YSL L’Homme and La Nuit de L’Homme. More importantly, I tried them liesurely at home, without the craziness of a department store. My lovely girl liked the Red and L’Homme very much, once I got her to evaluate them in a more controlled environment. Thank you Larry and Lee!
For soap, I went with the salvaged SV Dolomite
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Made me think of my 146. Lovely pen... Then I realized that you were not talking about fountain pens.
I have a Rudy Vey pen. I'm guessing several of us do.
I use my Rudy pen every day when I'm working.... I dislike using pens supplied by the restaurants for signing stuff... I prefer to carry my own...I have a Rudy Vey pen. I'm guessing several of us do.
So glad to hear the LOTH approved. I love those scents. For Polo Red, I like the HC&C Back It & Jack It soap and Stirling Sandpiper for YSL La Nuit de l’Homme.
Love the handle you chose for your Overlander! Very pretty.
I picked up this from Stando. WestMan - O!Polskie - miękkie mydło do golenia o zapachu kolońskim - https://www.standoshop.pl/pl/p/WestMan-OPolskie-miekkie-mydlo-do-golenia-o-zapachu-kolonskim/1720
It’s pretty unique. Haven’t actually worn it yet. Hopefully will pass the LOTH test.
- Thread starter
- #1,775
I hope she likes it.
Talking about waxing philosophically Mark! Excellent post and what a great display of razors. The Legacy looks amazing with that Industrial handle.
Enjoy!!
Enjoy!!
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- #1,777
Thank you, Guido. The polished Ti industrial handle is / was particularly nice. Too bad he stopped making them.
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Mark, your Rogue IV is up to bat for tomorrow's shave. I'm looking forward to using it again.
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- #1,779
Hope you get a wonderful shave!
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- #1,780
Just ordered a nice little stash 3-packs) of double-wrapped GSBs from IB. I’m psyched!
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