New more blades

[Mong.]

The title should say "Need more blades", I'm tired.

So I've tried everything in my sample pack except for the Feather, plus the Personna Lab Blue, Shark and the Rapira. I've this far favoured the Personna Lab, Rapira, Astra SP, Personna Red more or less in that order. I don't really like the Merkur, Derby or Shark. I've still got a Voskhod to try, and a Wilkinson Sword. After that, I'm going to be wanting to try something new while I trial the Rapira and Astra to see which I'll buy more of. I've been having a read around previous threads here and a bit at YKW as well to see what around that I haven't heard of yet. It's a shame that I didn't pick this up a year ago when there seemed to be a lot more NOS stuff available. I've narrowed down three choices that seem interesting. I'd like you guys to tell me if they're crap.

1. Perma-Sharps from bestshave.net. I read a bit of the thread here, and RM seemed fairly positive on them. I can buy an Arko stick to try too.

2. Polsilver Super Iridiums also from bestshave

3. Bolzano's from G&C, they're cheap and I might pick up a Vie-Long horsey while I'm at it.

The other thing is that it seems kinda silly that I haven't tried a Gillette blade yet. What's available from them that's good? I've seen both good and bad comments expressed about the Green and Yellows.

Are there any other contenders that I should be considering?

 

[Drubbing]

Vosks are pretty good, not that sharp though, but that's not a bad thing.

Perma sharps meh for me, yum cha blade, like so many others. Same with Bolzanos, Souplex, Timors and swags of others.

I think Yellows and Blues (plats) are worth a try. FWIW, beyond the big brands still selling, there's just so much middle of the road stuff that you wouldn't pick in a blind test, unless it was a blade that carves you up. There's a reason the Reds, Astras and Gillettes and Feathers are still selling. As for NOS, it seems stuff is that much better when it's not available anymore.

Beyond what you've tried, well, you'll have to see if RM has anything spare, but he's down to his last 200 years worth of blades...

 

[Monsta_AU]

If you like the Personna Reds and Labs, you will like the Polsilvers.

Bolzanos are good for me. I find them expensive though, and prefer the PermaSharps in the cardboard box. I still think they are the best performance/value calculation on any currently produced blade.

7OC Yellows are so similar to Astra SP for me that I barely see a difference. The Astra's are like $9/100 delivered from BestShave, but the 7OC Yellows are about $32/100 before postage.

I would have a look at the 7OC Blacks. You might want to try some of the Maltese/Dark Platinums also. While they are hard to get in bulk now, Nick and myself have a few tucks to go around.

 

[Pjotr]

..........you will like the Polsilvers...........

At nearly $.50/blade I'd almost consider going back to disposables. To date I haven't really been grabbed by any blade. The Feather is dangerously sharp and the rest I've found to be much of a muchness. A lousy lather has infinitely more impact on the resulting shave in my opinion. But at the same time it's nice to have a bit of variety. Different colour wrappers and boxes. It's the same with a lot of soaps and brushes.

I'm hoping the Gillette Dark Plats I've got in the post (from a Nick the Knife gear swap) will be revolutionary. I live in hope.

 

[Mong.]

I think Yellows and Blues (plats) are worth a try.

Just to clarify, the Blues are the Super Plats that Mensbiz sell?

If you like the Personna Reds and Labs, you will like the Polsilvers.

Cool, I'll pick some up to try if I can find a good price.

Bolzanos are good for me. I find them expensive though, and prefer the PermaSharps in the cardboard box.

Are the Bolzano's and PermaSharp's similar? I don't mind paying a few bucks to try them out, and I can pick up 10 Bolzano's for about 2 bucks. Also, are the cardboard box Perma's the ones from bestshave or Connaught?

You might want to try some of the Maltese/Dark Platinums also. While they are hard to get in bulk now, Nick and myself have a few tucks to go around.

I'll happily take some off either of your hands if you wanted to sell a few.

At nearly $.50/blade I'd almost consider going back to disposables.

I'm searching for my ultimate blade, so I don't mind spending a few extra bucks to see if it's the one. If I think they're epic, I can always do a bulk buy and hoard them to save a little bit of coin. It's more about the quality of the shave and the enjoyment factor for me.

Does anyone have any standout opinions on Lord or Super-Max blades?

 

[Nick the Knife]

Blades are kinda tricky as IMHO anyway I tend to find whilst some blades are undoubtably superior to others there is also a variation in the perceived quality of the shave dependant on the actual razor they're in. For example I find Shark blades very so-so in my Merkur Slant but in a 40's Superspeed they're actually noticeably better. Is very common to hear a blade one person swears by not working well at all for another. But generally as the price goes up there tends to be more concensus that it's a good-usable-quality blade by a higher % of folks....from what I've seen anyway (Feathers are an exception as they kinda polarise folks).

So it can get tricky if you're changing razors regularly. I'd stick with your preferred razor until you get a lil clearer on your blade solution.

Folks will disagree but I'd steer clear of Lord/Super-Max blades they're relative cheapies and generally the saying 'You get what you pay for' does still roughly apply to shaving gear albeit with exceptions which tend to be due to regional/country pricing affordability advantages/disadvantages. Generally these brands I've always heard referred to as 'value' blades......which IMHO given that DE blades are so cheap shouldn't be a huge priority, unless you're trying to accrue your bodyweight in blades like some of the forum members here.

Its hard to 'miss' with Gillette branded blades......Feather's are prolly the best current made blades BUT their performance is only good for 2-3 shaves for me then they become unusable - they're also kinda pricey.

It also kinda depends on what you're after.....some folks genuinely love trying different blades, which I get but its just not so much me. I like to know whats my 'sure thing/slam dunk' blade so I can get a guaranteed certain result. I'll try something different every now and then but generally that doesn't interest me too much.

My go-to blade is the aforementioned Gillette Platinum (Plat Blues, Maltese Blues, Silver Blues).....are they the best blade ever? Absolutely not, but they perform at a really good level for 4-5 shaves.....as with quite a few blades the 2nd shave will generally be 'smoother' than the first......work really well in all my active rotation razors. This is all very lucky for me as I bought 5,000 of them without even trying one. :amazed:

 

[Mark1966]

I'm a big believer in the razor/blade combo theory - ie some blades work better in some razors. In fact when it comes to some of the older vintage razors there can be a variation between razors as well - but that is marginal and relatively rare.

I also find a lot of confusion around blades. The same but different packaging or different country of manufacture etc etc. Just read back through some of the posts here to see what I mean. So I went through a period of trying every blade I could find but was also swapping around razors so the differences could have been a factor of either.

To me blades are just too much like hard work to be concerned about too much once you find a decent one or two. I think I have about 400 Personna Labs and 200 Astra SPs. Other varieties come and go but these remain the core.

 

[Drubbing]

I'm a big believer in the razor/blade combo theory - ie some blades work better in some razors. In fact when it comes to some of the older vintage razors there can be a variation between razors as well - but that is marginal and relatively rare....

To me blades are just too much like hard work to be concerned about too much once you find a decent one or two. I think I have about 400 Personna Labs and 200 Astra SPs. Other varieties come and go but these remain the core.

I'm sure the razor/blade thing is true - as my most comfy blades, Reds, are completely unusable in the Vintage razors you sent. But if you have 4 or more razors and a dozen blades, that's way too much wasted time and potential face grief, for me.

I get that some like to do this to keep things interesting, especially in the early days, when technique is sorted, but I don't need or want interesting, I want it to give me the results I expect, every time. I still mess up occasionally, sometimes for unexplained reasons, but I know that's user error and not the tools. With variable combos, you can never really know, unless you persevere through some shocking shaves to find out if it's you or them.

 

[Mark1966]

... I get that some like to do this to keep things interesting, especially in the early days, when technique is sorted, but I don't need or want interesting, I want it to give me the results I expect, every time. I still mess up occasionally, sometimes for unexplained reasons, but I know that's user error and not the tools. With variable combos, you can never really know, unless you persevere through some shocking shaves to find out if it's you or them.

Yep, been there and done that!

Nowadays I've 'settled' on six or so soap/creams in my drawer with a similar number of aftershaves/colognes. I occasionally lash out to try something new and will rotate out stuff from time to time.

Razor wise having shaved with a LOT of different razors I now tend to stick with one until I get bored and then move on to another. I'd been using my EJ89 for a while before breaking out the Slim to try the vintage blades. Really glad I did and will stick with it for a while probably until I want a change.

 

[Pjotr]

...........So I went through a period of trying every blade I could find but was also swapping around razors so the differences could have been a factor of either...........

We've all done it, but that's a classic case of changing too many variables. Don't wish to burst your bubble here but until you've got your technique, razor and lathering consistently under control, changing blades every shave is not going to make much difference. On the other hand it's fun trying all the different gear you can get hold of rather than just having the choice between a five or seven blade cartridge or a red or blue can of foam.

I use a different soap/cream and brush every day and with DE, the same blade in the same razor for three shaves and then swich to another combo. With SE I'll use two or three different razors with the same blade for three or four shaves. I started doing that early on and ended up with an irritated face every other shave (way too many variables!). Now I get a mildly irritated face once in a blue moon and that's usually due to a bad lather. With face lathering it's sometimes hard to judge how much soap to rub in to your face. Too much and you end up with gobs of it dripping down your brush, too little and the second pass becomes a bit thin. Sometimes I don't use enough.

 

[Mong.]

Okay, I've settled on the Perma-Sharps from bestshave because I want a stick of Arko to take on my holiday to Vietnam and the Bolzano's from Gifts & Care because I'm gunna get a Vie-Long horsey and TOBS Jermyn St from there. I'm only gunna get a few of each to try them out, it'll give me some perspective on how other things stack up against the few I've tried. If I'm not particularly taken with either of them, I'll try some of the Polsilvers and compare them to the Labs.

 

[Nick the Knife]

Okay, I've settled on the Perma-Sharps from bestshave because I want a stick of Arko to take on my holiday to Vietnam

Vietnam is great....can't wait to go back.

IMHO maybe try and source some local stuff - in particular the quite well regarded Gillette Super Thins - I have a feeling they're either made or primarily sold in Vietnam. Buying at local prices would be insanely cheap. You should be able to get some decent stuff at exceptional prices.

 

[Ybbor]

The super thins are made in Thailand. It's Thai writing on the box anyway so am assuming made in VN. There is a DE shave guy in Singapore that ship loads of blade types and Simpson brushes. I have got a chubby, 200 feathers and a 10 pack of everything else he sells. Takes a couple of weeks to get here but a very good price!

 

[Ybbor]

http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/gillette-super-thin-thai.14757/

Ok there must be a number of super thins

 

[Mong.]

I was reading a thread about them YKW, and it seems there are both Thai and Vietnamese ones. I figured if I see them in Vietnam, I'll just flash some US bucks and see if I can get a stack for real cheap so I have a few to send around to you blokes here. Have you tried them yourself mate?

 

[Mong.]

In addition to the Maltese Plat's from Nick that are on the way and the Polsilver/SI's that should arrive on Monday, I now have samples of the following in the post to me:

Rapira Super Stainless and Perma-Sharp Super's from bestshave, and then a sample pack from eBay of Rapira Platinum Lux, Rapira Sweedish Supersteel, Schick Premium, Ladas Stainless, Gillette Rubie Platinum Plus, Sputnik and Voskhod's.

Should keep me set for blades for a little while.

 

[Nick the Knife]

In addition to the Maltese Plat's from Nick that are on the way and the Polsilver/SI's that should arrive on Monday, I now have samples of the following in the post to me:

Rapira Super Stainless and Perma-Sharp Super's from bestshave, and then a sample pack from eBay of Rapira Platinum Lux, Rapira Sweedish Supersteel, Schick Premium, Ladas Stainless, Gillette Rubie Platinum Plus, Sputnik and Voskhod's.

Should keep me set for blades for a little while.

Ah someone went for the 'Russian sampler pack'...I spotted that. WIll be interested to hear your thoughts on them. From what I've read the Lux and Super Steels are the best of the bunch but mixed reviews (as with all blades!) on them...the others seemed to get so-so feedback.

The regular Rapira's are solid performers....nothing spesh but quite good value. RM is a big fan of the PSS's, so you'll be in good company there. And I do here very good things about the Polsilvers as well. You've some nice options when you next load your razor up.

 

[Mong.]

Well spotted mate, that's exactly what I got. It was a little more expensive than I hoped, but the convenience of getting a bunch of blades on my list to try was too appealing to pass up. I enjoyed the regular Rapira when I tried it last week, so I think I'll get some good mileage out of these. I'm hoping they'll be attractive to trade around for a few other blades too, but I still don't know much about which blades have reasonable trade value yet.

 

[Pjotr]

You're getting sucked in to the blade vortex Mong.

 

[Johnus]

Tend to agree with Mark1966 razor/blade idea. But I also feel that the soap that's used is important. A 'may be' Lather will negate a good razor/blade combo.