I just got my first DE, a merkur class 1904. The sample merkur blade that came with it worked fine, but when I put in a Lord brand blade for my next shave I felt like my face was on fire and like it was gonna be on sale in the ground beef section at the grocery store.Have you noticed that Lord blades are harsher than merkur? Whats the best DE blade for sensitive skin?
I’ve never tried a Lord blade myself, but the question does bring up an important point about blades. It’s important to try a number of different brands of blades. Unlike modern razor cartridges that are manufactured under license to a very rigid set of specifications, DE blades are made with a wide variety of edge grindings, tolerances, and coatings. You should try a variety to see what works best for YOU. Its practically impossible to suggest a specific blade for a specific condition because a blade that works well for me might be terrible for you.
Speaking of razor blades: re: AARP article this month suggests drying them with blow dryer, paper towel or just shaking off excess water to keep sharp and longer lasting. Water causes rusting and jagged surfaces. I thought they weren't supposed to be dried off. Anybody help here??
Hawkeyeted: just curious. How long did it take you to find that "sweet" combination? And how many razors and blades does one have to try before settling on the right one? Seems like it would be a lifetime to me.
mantic, let me know if you want to try the Lord blades. On the house.
I echo what Andrew said. I too have dived into a sampler pack from WCS, it's the best way to go. So far the least of the bunch is the BIC blades. It's a painful yet rewarding process.
Now you tell me. When I first went back to DE razor I purchased a two year supply of Shark blades from Amazon.com. I thought all were created equal at the time. The Sharks are fine but I haven't yet tried the others. Doesn't Lord make Shark? By the way, anyone else tried them?
To add:
Just as blades vary fro mmaker to maker, so do razors themselves. It is very important to find the right blade/razor combo that is "sweet" for you, personally.
I went through the sampler pack from Giovanni (Barbieria Italiana) and eventually settled on the British made, NOS Wilkinson Classic blades. I am curious about the Gillette "Swedes" and just ordered a pack. Feather's don't impress me at all. As a matter of fact, it's one of the worst blades I've tried, proving – once again – YMMV.
The blade sampler pack is a rite of passage in the wet-shaving world. There's no way to know what works best for you without trying a large number of different brands of blades.
As others have noted, the expression "Your Mileage May Vary" is rarely more true than when talking about different brands of blades.
Don't worry too much about which blades will last the longest. Its better to find a blade that will give you 1 great shave rather than go with a blade that will give you 7 poor ones.
My three favorites are Feather, Astra-SP and Derby, and I buy these in bulk. Each brand of blade is paired with a specific razor, and each razor is kept at hand for different beard conditions.
But even after 2 years of wet-shaving, I still like to try out different brands, to see what's out there.
Feather blades are definitely the wa to go. Sharp as ………… and a week's shave from just one blade.
I too am going through a sample of blades from West Coast Shaving. So far, I have been the happiest with Astras, followed by Crystal Israeli, followed by Personna Red
Andrew – Ha, and Derby's are one of my favorites. So "your mileage may vary" definitely applies to blades!
I've been making my way through a large sampler from West Coast Shaving, and the Lord blade I tried actually gave me a pretty good shave, especially considering how sensitive my neck is. The one I've been the least impressed with is probably the Derby Extra.