Double Edged Razor Blades

[Briar Lee]

What a coincidence: I used Feathers for the first time yesterday: When it started it was beautiful like someone tickling my cheeks. What a nice feeling.

However it lost sharpness at the end,
but was still good.

I am still trying blades, and I have others which have an average sharpness higher than Feather . Having said that, the WTG shave with the Feather out of the pack was sublime.

So far a mild razor (Merkur 34C) is working for me well with a sharp/aggressive blade.

Some of the sharpest blades I have found (Other than Feather)

BIC Chrome Platinum
Gillette Nacet
Gillette Perma Sharp

The classic double edge seems to be the shaving enthusiast choice by far and away.

There is a wide choice of modern, brand new double edge razors and even more choice of blades.

I think this is likely because a new single edged blade is going to have to be made to cut cardboard. Double edged blades are much thinner, made only for shaving. And there are two sharp edges for the price of one.


The modern plastic cartridge blades, when you study them, are exactly the same gadget in principle as Gillette patented. One to five razor blades, with a guard to align them and keep the shaver from slicing himself.

The modern cartridge blades trade extreme closeness for safety and comfort. With a Bic disposable it’s hard to nick your face, even dry shaving.


The variables are how thick the blades, the angle of the edge, angle of the guard, weight of the razor, the amount of blade exposed, blade coatings, sharpness, and keenness, plus the new ones have aloe strips.

Gillette had to work out the same problems in 1904 using machines of his era to mass produce a profitable product. It’s amazing he did so well.

 

[wernerat]

Snowflake jokes aside it is decently not easy to shave with the feather. Mostly you get burns as you use way to much force and pressure while shaving. Also probably your skin is not used to.
If you have a quality double edge razer like mühle let just the razor and his weight do the work. I would try it again.bit takes some practice but if you figure the technique out you will love it.
Also shave after a hot shower and soap your beard for minimum 3 minutes. Hope it helps and to your skin: get well soon!

My Feather blades came and I tried them.

Think the sharpest blade you can imagine and then imagine something twice that sharp.

That was by far the closest shave I’ve ever had, but it burned. I used my alum bar and it felt better.

There is a reason whoever invented Harry’s razor blades are billionaires.

Modern plastic cartridge blades don’t shave as close as Feather blades, but you don’t need an alum bar to use them

 

[cshubhra]

When I re-started shaving with a DE razor, I found the silver tip brush (On the left) to be excellent. Having said that, the cheap pure badger brush (On the right) was also reasonable.

So I ordered the rest to get a feel of the different types (Black Badger , Best Badger and Boar)

 

[Briar Lee]

After a couple of weeks using the single edge Bic I tried using my 1912 Gem.

It just wasn’t comfortable.

But my father’s 1954 standard Gillette with Feather blades shaved much closer than the Bic with similar comfort.

My 1964 Slim set at 5, was about the same.

Do not judge a razor until you’ve used it for a week or two.

 

[dog_park_piper]

I've tried many, and now use only Feather blades. They're not for everyone (they seem to be impossibly sharp), but if you can get used to them they're great. For me, at least, they also last longer than others I've tried.

(Regarding soaps and creams: My collection of those is reminiscent of my collection of pipe tobaccos. But if I had to choose one, it'd be Avocado shaving cream from Taylor of Old Bond Street.)

Agreed. Feather is the way to go, but they will cut you if your technique makes any mistake.

 

[cshubhra]

Another item in my DE shaving kit arrived.

It is a Henson AL13-M which is a controversial recent entry to DE shaving. While it uses a standard DE blade, it flexes it at an angle which is very similar to a Cartridge Razor.

In many places in the internet it stated both AL13 and AL13-M are extremely mild. I trusted them, which may be a mistake.

First Impressions:

Since I thought it would be very mild, I used a fairly aggressive blade (Gillette Nacet). Wrong decision as it was much more aggressive than I was used to in Merkur 34C. I got nicked in a couple of places. However WTG was still not good enough, and I needed three passes. However after 3 passes, although I got nicked, I still had the smoothest shave in years.

I need to try it with a milder blade.

 

[Jbrewer2002]

Another item in my DE shaving kit arrived.

It is a Henson AL13-M which is a controversial recent entry to DE shaving. While it uses a standard DE blade, it flexes it at an angle which is very similar to a Cartridge Razor.

In many places in the internet it stated both AL13 and AL13-M are extremely mild. I trusted them, which may be a mistake.

First Impressions:

Since I thought it would be very mild, I used a fairly aggressive blade (Gillette Nacet). Wrong decision as it was much more aggressive than I was used to in Merkur 34C. I got nicked in a couple of places. However WTG was still not good enough, and I needed three passes. However after 3 passes, although I got nicked, I still had the smoothest shave in years.

I need to try it with a milder blade.View attachment 270375

I have thought about picking one of these up.

 

[cshubhra]

I have thought about picking one of these up.

As per my first impression I need a milder blade to start with. However with an aggressive blade, even though I nicked myself the shave was wonderful

 

[jttnk]

I like Feather and Akai blades for my light growth. I ve used the PAA Symmetry and a vintage 50’s or 60’s Gillette Speedking. However, I recently purchased a Rockwell Game Changer, it is way smoother and more user friendly than the other two. The Gillette is smooth and easy, but notation as close or refined. I love PAA scents and have a lot of fun with trying different stuff.

 

[WhiteCrown]

As many have stated, feather makes a fine blade and beautifully sharp too. I would like to add that in addition to sharpness, smoothness is also an enjoyable quality in a DE blade, which is why I prefer Dorco Titans. I am on my 186th Titan blade and while not as sharp as a feather, they are even more comfortable.

Be careful though, my last work trip I was packing for, my wife looked at my shave bag and very excitedly asked why the hell I was bringing condoms...

 

[Birddog66]

My father always used a straight razor and taught me how to use one at a early age. I’ve had this Sheffield made Sam Osborne for about thirty years and it’s saved me hundreds of pounds that would have gone on disposable blades, money better spent on wood and tobacco. I use a French L’ Occitaine Verbena soap just because I love the smell and and it provides a good thick lather.
As a footnote to anyone considering using a straight, don’t get a Damascus blade, they look good but the folds in the steel will drag on your hair and cause irritation.

 

[wernerat]

My father always used a straight razor and taught me how to use one at a early age. I’ve had this Sheffield made Sam Osborne for about thirty years and it’s saved me hundreds of pounds that would have gone on disposable blades, money better spent on wood and tobacco. I use a French L’ Occitaine Verbena soap just because I love the smell and and it provides a good thick lather.
As a footnote to anyone considering using a straight, don’t get a Damascus blade, they look good but the folds in the steel will drag on your hair and cause irritation. View attachment 283020

Looks beautiful!

 

[Birddog66]

Looks beautiful!

Thank you, I really recommend them and you can get a good quality vintage razor online which are usually far better quality than modern ones, just make sure there’s no chips in the edge and it has light scales. The price of disposable razors is insane nowadays and you’ll make a return on your investment in a couple of months. The best are made in Sheffield or Solingen. You’ll also need a good strop.

 

[Birddog66]

When I re-started shaving with a DE razor, I found the silver tip brush (On the left) to be excellent. Having said that, the cheap pure badger brush (On the right) was also reasonable.

So I ordered the rest to get a feel of the different types (Black Badger , Best Badger and Boar)

View attachment 269004

I need a new brush but I’ve always had Badger, how is the Boar brushes working for you?

 

[Grangerous]

These Russian Blades have been my go-to for at least 10 years. Quality blades.

 

[Birddog66]

All of these posts have been fascinating, I used a double edge when I was first shaving a few times before going to the straight and as my shaving habit hasn’t changed in decades I had no reason to investigate the many different types of DE razors and blades. I wasn’t even aware that so many different types were still available as Gillette and Wilkinson have pretty much cornered the market with their 4/5 blade disposable’s. I did try a BIC once while on holiday in the 80’s and would never do so again, each to their own though.

Here’s a example of what not to use in a straight, my nephew brought me this a few years ago for Christmas bless him and although I knew immediately it would make for a terrible shave I did hone it my liking and give it a try. The scales are ridiculously heavy and the weight is all off, something you really don’t want with a straight razor and the machine made Damascus is poorly forged and after one very irritating stroke I pulled out my Osborne to finish the job. It does however make a great play at cutting plugs which is all it’s used for now.
One more thing, I’ve yet to see a movie or tv show where even the best Method actors have used a straight correctly, some even using the blade at a 90* angle. Unless you want to look like Al Capone and get the nickname Scareface I wouldn’t recommend it.
Excellent thread, I’ve learned a lot.

 

[Birddog66]

Looks beautiful!

I’ve used several different straight’s over the years but this is the best by a fair margin. Certainly the last razor I’ll ever need, unless I get too wrinkly to use it I suppose.

 

[cshubhra]

I need a new brush but I’ve always had Badger, how is the Boar brushes working for you?

A boar brush is excellent to bloom a hard soap like Proraso. It does not soak a lot of water, so during lathering you will have to add water to the brush a few times.

It also feels quite different. Very hard bristles but at the same time, very smooth.

Being new, I am enjoying different experiences from different brushes. However, since you have been using badger, you may not like it.

 

[Birddog66]

A boar brush is excellent to bloom a hard soap like Proraso. It does not soak a lot of water, so during lathering you will have to add water to the brush a few times.

It also feels quite different. Very hard bristles but at the same time, very smooth.

Being new, I am enjoying different experiences from different brushes. However, since you have been using badger, you may not like it.

Thank you, that’s very interesting but you are probably correct in that I should stick to what I know and like

 

[LongIslandPiper]

Great thread especially about the straight razors and appreciate the information on them. I use a Viking DE with astra blades and a Parker beaver brush but always wanted to go back to straight like i was taught to use many moons ago