DE blades for a beginner?

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Diggy87

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Good evening gents, I'm new to DE shaving. I very rarely wet shave due to razor burn and ingrown hairs on my neck. After a lot of research and reading I've come to the conclusion this is likely down to the amount of blades and horrible having foam in a can. I've had cut throat shaves at the barbers in the past and never had a problem.

Anyway I've just taken delivery of my first DE an Edwin Jagger De89l, it came with 3 packs of blades - Derby premium, feather hi stainless and personna platiunum and I was wondering if any of these would be suitible for a newbie? Or would anyone recommend me trying some others first? I didn't realise there was so many different ones!!
 
I would try the Personna first, then the Derby Premium and a leave the Feathers until you are shaving happily with either the Personna or the Derby.

My first DE blade was the Derby (not the premium) and I would have said it was a bad blade for me based on my first shaves, I pretty soon moved on to other blades including the Personna reds and also thought these were a bit rough for me. However once I got the knack of DE shaving it turned out these blades are actually OK and they are both very smooth if not the sharpest, it was my technique that was wrong.

Feathers are sharp, but for me they just don't suit me, I find them too rough in most razors, but they may work for you. I would also agree with the Astra SP recommendation from @MrK1 , these blades are well priced and are now in my top five blades.

If you want PM me and I will send you a selection of blades to try, I have been going through many different blades and would be happy to pass on some of these for you to sample.
 
Bizzyberry said:
I would try the Personna first, then the Derby Premium and a leave the Feathers until you are shaving happily with either the Personna or the Derby.

My first DE blade was the Derby (not the premium) and I would have said it was a bad blade for me based on my first shaves, I pretty soon moved on to other blades including the Personna reds and also thought these were a bit rough for me. However once I got the knack of DE shaving it turned out these blades are actually OK and they are both very smooth if not the sharpest, it was my technique that was wrong.

Feathers are sharp, but for me they just don't suit me, I find them too rough in most razors, but they may work for you. I would also agree with the Astra SP recommendation from @MrK1 , these blades are well priced and are now in my top five blades.

If you want PM me and I will send you a selection of blades to try, I have been going through many different blades and would be happy to pass on some of these for you to sample.
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Thank you that Is a very kind offer that I'd like to take you up on please. I will PM you

I guess you're right about just trying the blades I'm just a bit cautious as I've read so many mixed reports about the derbys mainly bad. I wouldn't mind trying them but I know how badly I react to cartridge razors so I'm just being a bit OTT with that in mind plus with being new to DE shaving.
 
I have tried loads of blades and found the ones I like, the ones that suit the razors I have and the ones that I find too rough or simply not effective for me. My favourites are, in no particular order, Personna, Feathers, and PolSilver SIs. As my technique improves, I am sure that I will get more from other razors
 
Your skin and hair is different from mine. I prefer smoothness over sharpness. I like Derbys, I avoid Feathers. One thing I learned is not to judge a blade after one shave. It's better to start with smoother blades and use them until you map your hair growth and improve your technique, Rome wasn't built in a day, you have the rest of your life to find your favourite setup :)
 
I've started with Gillette 7 oclock green as they are a mid range blade. I thought if I started with something too smooth then I would propably end up going over the same spot too many times and cause a rash, but if I start with something too sharpe the I'd end up cutting myself.
 
Excellent advice above. And excellent offer of a selection.

Of course, there's a world in every face, but in general it is "better" to use not too sharp blades until you master your technique a minimum.

I would toss the Derby, but that's me. Personna, Astra green are nice starting points. And... Feathers... well, fear them not, just respect them, as with any blade. I used them as my daily blade for years in my EJ DE89. But do not try them right now, wait a bit until you're comfortable with your shaves.
 
there is no such thing as a universal razor blade that will magically work for everyone.

We will all require different amounts of smoothness, sharpness, and so on. Sticking with the first random package of blades you grab off the shelf with your first razor purchase is a laughable event, even suicidal as the variation of blades is greater then the variation of razors.
 
Agree that the Personnas will be the best blade to start with.

Blade choice is such a personal thing, so it's important to take the time to get it right. I'd say it took me six months, working through 15+ packs of blades in rotation, and keeping a shave log so I could check how a particular blade performed the previous time I'd used it, some weeks previously. Its amazing how your view of a blade can change as your technique improves.

I eventually settled on four regular blades for my rotation: Gillette 7 O'clock Yellow; PolSilver SI; Astra SP; and the Personna Red. All of those deserve a try. I recently discovered the Nacet, and they are a fine blade, too. Enjoy the ride!
 
however it may be hard to tell the difference between blades, and how well they work for you. Its rather easy to tell if a blade itself is crap, and if a particular brand of blades is bad.

its like me and german Wilkinson sword, pure crap. of the rough 1-120 ive used in the last year and a half, 35% were not able to go through a single pass without needing to be tossed. depending on razor of the week, 25% were barely able to get through two shaves before tossing. and the rest were able to typically give 3 decent to good shaves before tossing.
 
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