Choosing the Right Razor Blade - My Top 3
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2024
- In this video I share with you my top 3, or "go to" razor blades. Choosing a blade can be a time consuming business and there are no rules, regulations or laws. As with most things with traditional shaving, making decisions and preferences are totally subjective. As we say in our hobby YMMV, Your Mileage May Vary.
Obviously performance is critical when deciding what works for you, as is comfort and price.
It's for this reason that I have singled out 3 blades. I could just as easily have looked at 23 or more blades, but one needs to draw the line at some point.
I have used the criteria of cutting performance, comfort and price.
3. The Astra Astra Superior Platinum, for me, these blades are both sharp and smooth to my face and give a nice shave with little to no irritation. If you have sensitive skin as many men do, then these blades are well worth the time and effort. They are very reasonably priced and widely available.
2. The Polsilver Super Iridium. This blade is sharp and super smooth. I really enjoy these blades and can get about 5-6 shaves out of them. They are quite comfortable but are on the expensive side. These blades are made in Russia and distributed through Procter & Gamble, Poland.
1. The Feather Hi Stainless blade. These blades are thought to be the sharpest on the market and some men have stayed away from them because they have been know to produce the odd weeper or nick at times. You either love the Feather or give it a wide berth. These blades work for me and I really love them, however the price is quite prohibitive.
Shaving for most men is a daily occurrence and given that fact, these may not be the first choice for many men understandably due to price.
For that reason I would probably go for a Polsilver or Astra Superior IF you shave daily. Surprised? Don't be remember YMMV. Before I go, I'd like to mention 3 other blades that on any given day could and in my opinion should be given an honourable mention. I use these blades and really rate them
1. Wilkinson Sword blades from Germany offer an outstanding balance of edge quality and comfort. The Wilkinson blade is different from many other blades in that it is coated with a propriety process using chromium, ceramic, and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
2. The BIC Chrome Platinum which is well known for cutting smoothly while being rather forgiving. BIC blades are sharper than most of the blades in its price category, but do not have the extreme sharpness of Feathers. BIC blades are gentle on the skin and benefit many men who are still learning proper technique or who have irritation problems from blades that are too sharp. The BIC is also a good choice for more aggressive razors, such as the Merkur Slant Bar.
3. Gillette 7 O'clock Sharp Edge. These are produced in Russia and are definitely not the same as those that come from India. Very smooth, very sharp, very comfortable....
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When a man whose only visible hair on his head is his eyebrows, talks about shaving blades, you listen to him.
I can't agree more with the Astra SPs. It's my absolute go-to blade.
+katfish no Interesting how results from different blades vary so drastically from person to person. The Astra SP left may face a bloody, irritated mess. Just goes to show, the best way to discover which is best for you is to begin with a number of sample packs.
Mostly depends on the safety razor than the blade. R41 is fantastic & works insanely well with most blades. Closest shave ever!
Nice video, thanks for posting! PolSilvers & Astra SPs are my go-to blades. Also, I recently joined your group on Facebook, great stuff! I've been wet shaving for over a decade now and I love that it's making a comeback!
Great, straight and honest review. I agree with you on the Pol Silver and Feather. I'll try all the others...eventually. Keep up the great work.
The Gillette 7Oclocks Yellow, Black and Green are by far the best I have used.
I just found your channel last night and I like watching your videos so much now.
Thank you for the advice, Con! I got some PolSilvers and absolutely love them. I bought them off Amazon and am giving you a shout out in my review. 😄
Very well put together professional video! Subscribed
There's no straight rules when it comes to wet shaving. Some people will love what you hate and hate what you love. And it's because there's a ton of variables; beard thickness, growth, skill, experience, razor, soap, brush, water quality, even humidity of the room and many more.
Thank you dr. evil, very cool
Been DE shaving for about a year now and have even done a review of my own blades from a beginner point of view. After watching your video here there was one I haven't tried, the PolSilvers, so I got a pack and have to say great advice. Astra's have been my Go-To blades and these rank right up there and I have found some pricing varying as much as $10 for a pack of 100 so as low as $23 for 100. Thanks for the video!
Hi Con: Very informative review. Indeed blade preferences are a personal affair. My number 1 blade is Feather coupled with a Feather AS-D2 Razor. I also like the Astras and Wilkinson Sword blades. PolSilver Iridium look interesting. Good advice about sample packs, I found that approach very helpful in my blade research. Great approach for beginners.
As an aside I use a Feather Artist Club S-SERIES folding razor loaded with Feather Professional Blades in the barber shop.
Love all three, I like the Perma Sharp & Nacet too. That would round out my top 5, If I had to single one out it would be the Polsilver.
Great tips. I’ll have to try the Bic in my new X3.
What a top-notch video and worth viewing by any DE wet shaving enthusiast. I have had a fair bit of trial and error route to finding my own top go-to blades - especially because I’m not a daily shaver; I shave thrice a week. I’d say my top 3 favourite razor blades for quite a long while are:
Astra SP (shown in the video)
Perma-Sharp
Feather Hi-Stainless
Honourable mentions:
Gillette Silver Blue
Kai
Great video!
I love Polsilver blades - I live in Poland, so they are often available off-the-shelf, but they are surely the most expensive: 1 PLN (about $0.30) a piece! But if you like them so much I recommend to look for older batches actually made in Poland (packed in brown boxes). I know they might be hard to find, but I've been given one set by my friend and I must say - the best blades I ever tried! For me they were as sharp as Feather (or maybe even sharper), but smooth and gentle at the same time, without any loss of performance even after 6 shaves!
Keep up with the good work.
Just discovered your videos and REALLY enjoy them. Although I appreciate your shave knowledge and generally agree with your reviews, what I really want is a separate series on the editing (really impressive work) ;)
Thanks JL Kessler, I have had a few people ask for a series of "behind the scenes and how to edit" shave videos. I'm giving it some serious thought. I'll let you know when that happens, as I more than likely will not post those videos on the "Shave the Man" channel per se, (I may have to set up another channel).
Thanks for your feedback, it's much appreciated :)
Regards,
Con
Nicely put together video
Such a great video. Probably the best one I've seen. I am 4 weeks new to double edge shaving. My shaves are getting better every day. I purchased a sample blade bundle. And I like the Astra and Wilkinson sword Germany blades. Still have the Feather and Derby to try. Every online shave shop seems to sell a different blades. So many to try if one wishes. Have you ever used the nacet?
I am presently using the Feather blade mentioned in this video. I also like the Wilkinson Sword honourably mentioned. My handle is the Feather AS- D2
Great speaking voice and presentation!
I've used Feather for about 2 years and they just recently became very irritating to me. I switched to Astra platinum's and they are so much more comfortable and last much longer.
Great video, however I have found my best results with a timor blade, really sharp and ultra smooth. I have used many blades and my least favourite being the feather! it gave me a really harsh and irritated shave, super bad burn afterwards.
All the best, Euan
Love the feather....
Gillette 7 O'clock sharp edge blades have been my favorite blade since I used my first one.
I love the Gillette 7'OClock SE. They are definitely one of my go to blades. Thanks for sharing Joey :)
Hello There! Feather is a dream, in my adjustable Safety Razor. Gillete blue to, but they're not durable as Feather. Another Blade that Works for me it's Derby Premium, but they don't offer a close shave, but are Very confortable. Thanks for the video.
You mentioned the d89 jagger with Derby blades down the column You may have apoint I have had a shave with a cheap razor no nicks didn't seem sharp enough sometimes technique helps see I Did butchery in the past and I know knives which they are blunt can cut if you miss I am new to d e shaving and waiting for a sample pack to find a blade that suits its maybe I am aware of the dangers of sharp blades knives so I Take that into account.
Thanks, I was wondering how my choice of ordering Astra SP was. My second choice (guess) was going to be feather. I just started safety razor shaving, and I am addicted already. I can't stop touching my face, haha! Should I try some Feathers, or just stick with my Astras, which I seem to be enjoying. I am using a Merkur long handle. It actually came with a Merkur blade which I didnt know when ordering, but after 1 shave, I switched to the Astras. If I had 100 Merkur's, I think I would have been turned off of safety razors, but luckily I loaded an Astra in after that first shave.
very nice video!
My top blade is Gillette Platinum.Best blade i ever tried.
It`s got sharpness and smoothens.Recently i get the Gillette Fat Handled Tech.
It shaves incredible.
Feather works best for me. I have coarse hair and like the sharpness.
I have a love/hate relationship with Feather blades. For me, they require near-perfect technique (something I should have, but such is life) and they're particularly picky on a third pass. If I need a 1 or 2 pass shave, I use them sometimes; otherwise, I've had great luck with Personna blades. By the way, I use a Merkur 34C and a Feather SD
hello,
Love your videos. I started wet shaving recently and I try that derby, that came with my Edwin Jagger D89. Long story short ,they were horrible and i cut my self several times,never again i will used that blade. The quality is horible and they are not sharp at all. However I tried the astra SP platinum and I love it. great , sharp and very smooth blades. I order some feather so will se how that goes. My question is, if the pol silver better than that astra SP platinum? I heard good things about it , so i would like to try it , but i would like to know if they are better than astra SP platinum.
BiCs are my favourites!
Hey friend, really nice video. I will have to try these other blades. I just got some Feathers a couple of weeks ago. Haven't tried them yet, still testing out a few other razors first. I have pretty sensitive skin on my neck. I wrote you last week from my main channel Greysuit17. That's just my everyday channel to look up stuff. This one is going to be about shaving and other stuff. Learning a lot about compressing videos. Thanks for the link to music.
Hi Ricos, the Feathers are a fantastic blade. I'll make sure to check out your channel Greysuit17. Thanks for your feedback. Good luck with your razors!!
Shave the Man
Sorry, I think I wrote the info in a confusing way. Rico's Corner will be about shaving (this channel). Greysuit17 is another channel I just watch and subscribe with. I don't have any videos on it. I wrote to you from that channel last week. Sorry for the confusion. I'm waiting for my video to upload now. I looked up those Polsilver blades, WOW, $35.00 for 100 blades, pretty pricey. Still compared to cartridges it's a great deal.
They are pricey. At 35 cents per blade you're still ahead compared to cartridges. I'll subscribe to Rico's Corner now.... All the best!!
I use Shark and Wilkinson Swords as my go-to.
It is the best blades ( Voskhod and rapira platinum lux) i have ever used, and i will use it forever, i compared it with many blades nothing compared to it
My head is spinning so many soaps to smell and so many blades to try.I like my blades barely touching my skin to cut a hair.
So far out of what i tried my favourite are :
Astra (green box)
Feather
Personna blue
Personna Israeli
Lord Platinum
But i also like Shark Super Chrome, Dorco St301 and ST300
Really the only ones that seem rough on my skin are Derby, Murker, and Wilkinson Sword.
I want to try Pol Silver, Gillette Silver Blue, and Voshkod
Nice vids :)
pollsilvers are my favorites atm. after that Personna "Lab Blue" (not the israeli personna's) I shave most of the time with a Weber with bulldog handle, probably the cheapest high quality stainless steel razor available. The shaves are pretty much like a Muhle R89 (or Edwin Jagger who get the shaving heads from Muhle) I also use the Feather blades but only when I use the Feather ASD2 I havent dared trying them in my other razor :). The astra can be a bit rough for me not sure why. maybe hand stropping can smooth it, not sure but personna's are about the same price on ebay as the astra's so easy choice for me :). other than that i havent tried much yet apart from derby.. like shaving with butterknive keep clear of those.
Thanks Chev, the Polsilvers are probably my favourite currently. Thanks for sharing.
It is strange indeed *****! I really appreciate your comments :)
Thank you,
Con
I wanted to ask you how you like the dorco Platinums ? Very smooth for me and take more whisker than the Astra sp. The Astra seem to give me mild burn while taking off just most hair. Any recommendation of a middle ground blade between the aggressive Astra and the smooth dorcos? Maybe the shark chrome or personna Blues?
He had two of my favorites….Feather and Astra SP. My other two are Nacet and Voskhod. Bic blades are good but not as smooth as Nacet with comparable sharpness. The Wilkinson blades….whether German or Indian….have never worked well for me….not sharp enough and rough. My go to razor is a 6C on plate R3….medium beard.
I'm new to DE shaving and got myself a pack of Feathers to try in my Wilkinson sword classic I recently bought, it's made of plastic and probably not the best handle but I can get a decent one when my technique is top notch. Been wet shaving with cartridge razors for nearly a decade now but wanted to give DE shaving a try. I have really sensitive skin, so certain shave soaps, creams etc can cause irritation. So far I'm not getting on with the Palmolive classic cream, I find it stings when applying it for the 2nd and 3rd pass. I had very little irritation with Nivea men sensitive Gel though, it just doesn't a lather too well. The Feathers work out good value at 35p per blade. Would foam work well with a DE razor?
I get 3_5 shaves from every blade that i have used. Which one is similar sith gillet fusion for example?
Enjoying the video clips. Could you give a comparison of prices for the six blades you mentioned thanks.
Thanks for your comments Alan. Here is an estimate/average of prices in USD, from most expensive to least expensive:
1. Feather Double Edge Razor Blades (100 Blades) $40.00
2. Polsilver Super Iridium DE Razor Blades (100 Blades) $34.00
3. Wilkinson Sword Double Edge Razor Blades (100 Blades) $32.00
4. Gillette 7 O'clock SharpEdge Double Edge Blades (100 Blades) $26.00
5. BIC Double Edge Razor Blades (100 Blades) $19.75
6. Astra Superior Platinum Double Edge Razor Blades (100 Blades) $18.00
As you can see, the Astra Superior Platinum represent excellent value. All the best with your blade purchases!
Shave the Man
I live in Canada looking on Amazon the Wilkinson are about 50-70$ for 100 not one of the others is that expensive I just started using my Grandfathers safety razor and the only blades i can find around here are the Wilkinson blades at 15$ for 10 is there a better place to buy than Amazon
Interesting 🧐
Where do you live? Im in the USA and just purchased 50 feather blades from a seller on Ebay for $18.50, or the cost of four Gillett Atra cartridges. For someone like myself who's recently come over to DE from disposable cartridges i would find it hard to call blades that cost me 37 cents a piece expensive.
I started with wet shaving with feathers and I just can't seem to not cut myself alot on my neck. I've tried different techniques, creams and I just can't not cut myself lol.
I just ordered a sampler pack and hopefully I find a blade that doesn't cut and irritate my neck. I'm giving these safety razors a fair go at it as right now because it's looking like this kind of shaving is not for me. Hopefully I'm wrong :)
How'd it go?
@@KillerofGods well after trial and error I actually have to say that I my technique was to blame as well as not putting a thick enough coat of shaving cream.
I can now successfully shave with any blade, I still have to limit the number of swipes on my neck or else I will get a bad burn.
For myself I found that you can cut yourself with any blade and you will get small nicks but they heal so fast that it's not a big deal, but just don't take the chance of shaving those spots you missed without any form of protection and you'll be ok.
I ended up going with a pack of shark blades because I found them to be the best bang for the buck. Shaving soaps seem to dry my face and get alot more nicks and burns. Cream or shaving gels all the way!
Are you thinking about switching to DE shaving?
I've got some Wilkinson Swords coming to me, soon. Can't wait to try them. I have a feeling that I'll like them better than the Feathers I've been using. I'm a daily shaver and the Feathers are like meat grinders, when used daily.
I use Indian shaving blades
For 50 cents you get 100 Blades good quality
Link?
The Astras are A++++++
my 3top blades voskhod,feathers .dorcos if you have sensitive skin that is for me
1:15 where do those blades sell at I've been looking everywhere for them! Plz reply if anyone knows!
Amazon, maggards, west coast shaving,
Best to get blades online.
Hi I was wondering if you could help me out here. I just started using a de razor and my razor came with a pack of gillete Platinums. I really like them and they gave me such a nice shave but I've heard from multiple people that they are not making that type anymore. What is a blade you can recommend most similar to the gillete platinum
Which Color? The blue ones are from Russia, no longer made, but can be found for a price. The black 7'oclock platinum is made in India, and still in production. They are reputedly almost as good as the Russian platinums, and are one of the sharpest smoothest blades made.
Voskhod for me. Feather cost ridiculously €€€ and i only shave 2 times with one blade. Comfort is 2 shaves, one blade.
Buy a five count box. Find the one that gives you the best shave. So many people selling the blades and saying the same old song and dance.
1. Gillette 7o clock yellow
2. Personna blue
3. Perma Sharp
I used Astras Sp for the 1st 4 years and thought they were about as good as it got...then started sampling a number of blades until I found the Gillette Nacet Stainless and the Crystals. These 2 are *much* nicer to use than the Astras IMO. Far less resistance (sharper) and much gentler on the skin to boot. All this and they last a couple more shaves. Plus I can get Nacets for roughly the same money as Astras.
1. German Persona
2. Feather
3. Gillette Rubi
Con...please, I need your help. There is a bit of debate as to whether or not the Feather Black package Hi-stainless Feather blades are different from the one in this video that reads, "New-Hi Stainless" Are these the same blades with different packaging? There is a lot of confusion all over the place on this subject. Could you please shine some light on this matter? Thank you.
Tony Marinelli I have both, a package of the black from the purchase of a Feather AS-D2 razor and the yellow I bought online. The yellow packaged blades are "Platinum Coated" and the other is not. However the wrapping and marking of the blade itself is identical. I believe the black/gray packaged blades are older manufacture and are currently discontinued. I personally can't discern any differences between the 2 during use but maybe a seasoned pro can tell the subtle differences. Use em up, they work fine!
smarte861 Thank you very much, I appreciate it!!!!!
Voskhod for me 5 ct a blade
I would simply add the Gillette Silver Blue and/or Platinum blades instead of Feather. The Feather blades have too narrow a performance band for me. Their first shave is rough, second & third is ok, fourth is rough. Feather blades aren't worth the price imho.
Israeli Personna reds i don't think anything comes close to those perfect blades
+Shave The Man would you recommend these blades to beginner/novice ?
+shoutzero I would indeed. The issue to consider is the safety razor that a beginner should choose.
It's probably equally, if not more important, to choose a safety razor with a less "aggressive" blade gap and blade exposure than to merely consider the blade in isolation.
For example, it's a well know fact that Feather blades are one of the sharpest, if not the sharpest, on the market. Placed in a Feather AS-D2 safety razor, you would think that they are a mild razor blade.
I hope this helps answer your question.
Regards,
Con
+Shave The Man then this would lead me to my next question. what's your thoughts on beginner using the,RazoRock German 37 Slant Razor as their first Razor?
thank you for the amazing video's, and the wealth of knowledge you provide us so quickly and entertaingly.
Thank you +shoutzero
I haven't used that razor, but I can say that slant razors are probably not the first place I would recommend "new" or "beginners" to start their journey into DE safety razors.
Having said that, the German 37 Slant may well be a mild razor which would make it suitable.
Mastering your technique is probably a better route to take as opposed selecting one razor over another.
I'm a fan of slant razors. I think they are wonderful and quite efficient...BUT....I suspect that experience and user technique will ensure that you'll achieve a comfortable and efficient shave.
+Shave The Man Thank you
Do VAN Der Hagens cut you too much/ They have bad reviews
I shave with many kinds of DE blades. They got sent to me by means of PIF. I got them for FREE.
Where are Polsilvers less expensive than Feather? They seem to be the most expensive out there, save for Kai.
When is probably a better question.
This video was produced on the 30th of June 2014... alas, it's moments like these where I wish time travel was possible. I certainly would have acquired more Polsilvers!
All the best Patrick :)
Cheers,
Con
@@conkaza I read somewhere that Pol Silver super iridium are the same as Wizamet Super Iridium . You never know!
Personna did not make it for your podium ? Give it a try , you might be surprised .
How about Dorco made in Vietnam?
Trying Dorco now in my sample pack. Looked them up and the site said they are made in Korea. Maybe they also produce in VietNam
Feather blade takes 2 shaves to smoothen out ....first two shaves are irritating on face .... But it lasts long ...8 to 10 shaves
Where can these blades be bought?
S
Rex Brown on line check prices and compare prices eBay and Amazon eBay is the best price of the two
What about the Crystal Blades or Israel Perssonas?
I recently discovered and really like Harry's (from harrys.com)
+Fernando Abreu I bought around 8 sample packs and Crystals were by far the worst for me. But other people swear by them. Best thing to do is try a sample pack to determine how they work with your skin and your razor.
Have you ever tried the Israeli Personna's?
Digital tuner box
Polsilver are made in Poland only
The Vic's are terrible. Just used and tore my face to pieces. Used over ten different blades and these are by far, the roughest I've used. Never again...
I Can shave up to 25 shaves out of personna blades
Sir Cool Smartass 25 shaves, you crazy
Israeli quality right there
Polsilver made in Poland no in Russia.
Helpful, thanks. btw, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilkinson_Sword - is from the UK not Germany
The ones he is using are from Germany. They also made in the UK also in China and India.
...and they all put the Feather as “the sharpest” of all, so that their review has some sort of credibility... since the Feather appears to have that top spot in most of these reviews.
A more measurable, engineering review review should be made ( like cutting a certain number of pretensioned hairs or calibrated strings, etc) before making a classification like this
Thats not a great metric, often times the sharper the blade the thinner it is and the faster it dulls/gets microscopically jagged.
There was someone who did a good study and feather was the sharpest iirc or very close to it. It also found the blades get sharper after the first shave before getting dull as it wears away the protective coating.
My proverbial mileage varies greatly...