Rapira DE blades- I think I've found my go-to blade

[mr626]

Hi all,

Have been shaving with Rapira blades recently, and for me they seem to be ticking all the boxes. Sharp, cheap, reasonable lifespan and no irritation. I find them fairly similar to Astras actually.

I'm yet to try them in an adjustable razor- will give them a go in a Slim and Fatboy to confirm they are just as good there too.

At 100 for $6.45 via bestshave, they are pretty damn good value too!

100 Rapira Double edge razor blades [100RapiraDe] - $6.45 : Bestshave.net, International supplier of shaving equipment

Just happy to have found a blade that suits me (and is cheap!).

Anyone else enjoy using this blade?

 

[Johnus]

Agree. They are a nice blade and a great value at the price. I'm not sure how they can sell then at that price!

 

[garethm]

It's horses for courses as I detest these blades!

 

[JugV2]

I like the Rapiras. That's a freakishly good price.

2

 

[Mong.]

I should wait to see how my skin pulls up tomorrow before commenting, but I tried these for the first time last night and I was sadly disappointed. Compared to both the Personna lab blues and the Israeli reds which I've been testing out lately (I really like them both), I found them quite harsh on the skin and not sharp enough for my liking. Quite a pronounced sense of drag, and a few times, it felt like the blade was just tugging on the hair rather than cutting it. This was the first time I didn't really enjoy my shave, but that said, there are a few things that I did like about them:

1. Blade angle made a huge difference with these, so as a learning tool, it was a good reminder about blade angle because it forced me more than usual to keep my technique spot on.
2. My face was damn smooth afterwards, so as far as the result goes, the Rapira was fantastic. I think they're a great blade, but the feeling of them makes it wrong for me.
3. Except for one small patch, no neck irritation so far. I've still been getting a little bit, but it usually starts to appear on the second day after shaving.

As far as getting a close and comfortable shave goes, this blade is clearly a winner. The results are great, but the physical characteristics of the blade kinda ruined the whole experience for me. It's a shame, but I'll see if my skin flares up today and if it doesn't, I'll definitely give them another run and see if I can do anything to sort out the roughness.

 

[Nick the Knife]

From memory I only tested these in a SuperSpeed but whilst they were ok they weren't anything special. But I could imagine they'd qualify as an excellent value for money blade choice.

That said and with DE blades getting atleast 3 shaves from them and costing SO much less than cart's I do tend to think it's a little counter-intuitive to go chasing 'value' blades (something I've been guilty of myself) as you can buy almost the best blades available and still come out many, many times better than the fool hardy sheep that make up the blind masses. I'm not saying everyone look out for Personna 74's but I think folks owe themselves the best they can source.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not slating the Rapiras.....as they've been tagged as a go to blade and I respect that 100% and also know a lot of folks just like to try different products etc.

 

[JugV2]

I've had no problems with the Rapiras. I found them to be a mild, forgiving blade. Certainly not the worst I have ever tried by a long shot.
My technique has greatly improved since first using them so maybe its time to crack open a pack and try them in the r41 and see what happens.


2

 

[Mong.]

I feel I should clarify my thoughts here, especially with the benefit of another days growth. I think the Rapira is a great blade, and at this point, I can't fault the result. This is the least amount of irritation I've had so far while wet shaving, and it's more or less contained to a few spots that I 'ran over' while shaving again and opened them up again. I absolutely recommend them for someone in my position, because as you guys have said, they are mild and forgiving. They're just not right for my circumstance.

My beard growth is sparse, but the hair itself seems quite thick. As such, I get away with shaving usually twice a week (three if I'm working a lot, I don't go to work looking like a bum) and I could probably do myself a favor by mowing it down more frequently so it stays short. I expect that this is the reason the Rapira felt 'draggy' and rough against my skin, but I expect the fact of the matter is that it's just not as sharp as the Personna's to which I've become accustomed. The main problem for me is that the harsher feel of the blade ruined the peace of my shaving experience, which might sound a bit lame, but I really do love the ritual of a shave. It's intensely relaxing for me, a moment of absolute solitude in which I clear my mind and refocus before doing something important. A smooth shave has become somewhat essential for my experience, which in my opinion is something the Personna Red's do well. I just lost my rhythm somewhat with the Rapira (I can only compare it with the Merkur blade really, but the Rap is significantly better), so that's why it's disappointing.

I just wanted to chip in and clarify, I absolutely encourage any newbies to try this blade because I think it's a winner, especially for the price. It's just become more clear for me as a result of shaving with this that I have a new requirement of my blades; conformity to my routine, not just performance and result. I'm going to start keeping a notepad in my bathroom drawer to keep track of things like this, so that I can keep a few notes on my thoughts on different blades as I progress in skill and try different stuff. I'm going to try a Merkur blade again next, then I'll have another go with the Rapira as a comparison. Hopefully it'll be a good comparison to put them both in perspective for me.