#21
(06-29-2015, 07:24 PM)gwsmallwood Wrote: I highly recommend www.tryablade.com because you can make your own sampler.  I suggest getting at least two blades of the following types.  Use each blade for two shaves, so you get a total of 4 consecutive shaves from each blade type.

Based on some research I did a few months ago across multiple forums, these are the 10 most popular blades.  There are certainly others out there that may work great for you.  A couple of my favorites aren't in that list.  But with these 10 you are sure to find at least a couple that work very well for you.

Astra Superior Platinum
Feather
Polsilver Super Iridium
Gillette Silver Blue
Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum (Black)
Personna Lab (Lab Blues)
Personna Platinum (Reds)
Personna Med Prep
Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdge (Yellow)
Voskhod

Thanks for the idea. I will combine yours with another idea of taking notes on each blade and keep you guys posted. Here is what I have coming. Tracking says it will arrive Thursday. 
[Image: 51qXICI.jpg]

EMTLocksmith and gwsmallwood like this post
#22

Member
Paramount, Ca
As with most thing in our hobby its going to be your mileage may vary but if I had to recommend one good all around blade would have to be Personna Lab Blues. Great balance of sharpness and smoothness.

Dslack3 likes this post
I don't care for BBS shaves. I'm just in love with the process.
#23
Hey everyone, I wanted to update you guys on my blade exploration. I decided to kick the search off this morning with the personna lab blue, due to the popularity. I have to say I really enjoyed the shave. I could tell it was sharper than both the derby and the astra sp by the way it glided through my tough chin hair. I really appreciated this step up in sharpness combined with the fact that it retained alot of the smoothness that I enjoyed with the derby. I did acquire one weeper during my shave, and one side of my neck became a little red. It was not painful, and it subsided about 5 min post shave. Overall, I would have to say that the personna is a a winner, and I can see why it is so popular. The increase in sharpness gave me the extra glide I was searching for without sacrificing too much on smoothness. I am going to continue to shave with the lab blues for the next few days and will update if my opinion changes. If not, I will inform yall of my thoughts on my next blade venture. Thanks again for all your kind advice and input into my blade voyage.

ShadowsDad and EMTLocksmith like this post
#24

Super Moderator
San Diego, Cal., USA
Excellent! The Personna blues are definitely one of my favorites. I'll look forward to your thoughts on other blades.

EMTLocksmith likes this post
#25
Hey everyone.  Next up for review is the Gilette 7 oclock sharp edge (yellow).  While shaving this morning I was trying to decide how to describe it and there are only so many different ways to describe sharpness and smoothness.  In an attempt to better quantify the performance of these blades I have decided to go with a numerical scale of 1-10.  For sharpness I will simply be trying to measure the degree to which the blade cuts through the hair.  Smoothness, however, is a lot more encompassing.  It will include how easy the blade was for me to use, the degree of confidence it inspires, and inversely the amount of irritation experienced.  I hope this system will better convey my impressions of the blades, as well as potentially helping someone else who is trying to make a blade decision.  Lets get to it.

First I would like to go back and rate the blades I have tried thus far.

Derby
Sharpness=5..It is still a razor blade after all.  For the most part this blade cuts nicely, but when I get to the thick course hair around my chin, the derby struggles.
Smoothness=10.. This razor inspires alot of confidence and I am able to shave in nearly any direction without a hint of irritation

Astra SP 
Sharpness=5..Most people consider the astra a step up in sharpness to the Derby, however, for me it feels identical around the chin.
Smoothness=9..  The astra is a very smooth blade that is very easy to shave with.  I only knocked it down a point from 10 because my first shave with an astra left me pretty chewed up.

Personna Lab Blue
Sharpness= 8..  This blade was a significant step up in sharpness over both the derby and the astra.  It sliced through my course hair very easily.
Smoothness= 8..  While I did get a good shave in with out really any irritation, my neck was red for 5 min post shave, and I could tell during the shave that I had to be very careful or I would end up irritated.  It simply did not inspire as much confidence as the previous two.

Gilette 7 oclock sharp edge (yellow)
Sharpness=7..  I was very impressed with the degree of sharpness.  To me this blade felt like the perfect spot for daily shaving.  Yes it might take 3 passes to get BBS, and you might want to go with something sharper for special occasions when you really have to have the BBS, but with my usual 2 I was able to get it very close.
Smoothness=10..  For me, this is where this blade shined.  It was every bit as easy on my neck as the derby.  I executed a pass WTG and one XTG with out a single red spot or weeper.  

The combined sharpness and smoothness of the gilette today made it the front runner in the blade hunt as of now, but stay tuned as I continue the search.  Again I appreciate everyone's advice and thoughts that are helping guide me along this excursion.

EMTLocksmith likes this post
#26

Super Moderator
San Diego, Cal., USA
These reviews are very interesting and, for me, really prove that YMMV! Wink

EMTLocksmith likes this post
#27

Noob
Wisconsin
I used crystal blades in my EJ, and that set up works really well for me. Highly recommend those blades for that head.
#28
(07-05-2015, 09:49 PM)meyerjv87 Wrote: I used crystal blades in my EJ, and that set up works really well for me. Highly recommend those blades for that head.

Thanks Meyer. I don't have those in my sampler but I will grab some next order I put in.
#29

Member
Virginia
Sounds like your dialing in what you like. Bulk purchase is on the horizon!!

EMTLocksmith likes this post
Bob from Virginia
#30
The blade for today was the Gilette 7 o'clock super stainless (green). When I got my package from try a blade I actually received someone else's order, and in that order were a few more Gilette 7 o'clocks than I had ordered. I had such a good experience with the sharp edge that I assumed the rest of the line up was great as well, WRONG!  

Gilette 7 o'clock super stainless
Sharpness= 4..I experienced a lot of pulling with this blade mostly around the chin but also some on the cheeks.
Smoothness=6..I should have discarded the blade after the first stroke, because for some reason this blade just didn't agree with me. I never felt comfortable with this one, and it felt very rough to me. I acquired one weeper and some painless red bumps on my neck that have yet to subside. This simply isn't the blade for me.

**these are simply my personal opinions of the blades I am using during my "blade expedition". Blades are the most ymmv product in the wet shaving world. A blade that I loathe could be someone else's favorite. So take everything with a grain of salt. Thanks again for joining in on this journey.

EMTLocksmith likes this post


Users browsing this thread: