Blade suggestions needed

S

Sandalwoody

Joined
Tuesday April 30, 2024
I bought a MÜHLE R89 razor on the back of forum feedback on a separate thread. I bought 50 MÜHLE blades to match, thinking matching blades should work well

I thought the blades were good until a forum member (read enabler), sent me down another rabbit hole saying there are better blades out there to consider. Special thanks to @Rapid

Suggestions on what would work well? I see Connaught Shaving are forum sponsors so was thinking of buying a few from them….
 
Since you're not starting from any kind of basline, a sample pack really is the only way to start ... but how to navigate the blades in the pack?

Very broadly speaking, Russian blades have a very different kind of feel to Indian blades. These are probably the two biggest producers (and markets) while Chinese made seem to be a new(er) thing. There are many folks who would happily use either but there are also many who would side with one or the other and rate the other poorly. Then, there's the other big two producers: Lord and Derby. Again, very broadly speaking, folks who like Indian blades seem to enjoy Lord also.

So, there's a good chance you'll get a bunch of Russian Gillettes, maybe Indian Gillettes maybe other Indian, probably one or two Lord and almost certainly Derby in any sample pack. Almost all blades nowadays are stainless steel, but Treet (Pakistan) give us a smattering of non-stainless carbon steel blades. There's another difference and you might well get such a blade in a sample pack. Finally, pay little heed to blade coatings or edge treatments like platinum or chrome, because not all blades list everything they've got and some list every coating under the sun! Derby.

Use the same razor and run through the pack - three shaves per blade and don't form an opinion off the first shave as quite often the second can be markedly different when you're looking at the subtleties. That, and your opinion of earlier trials will change as you go through more blades.

Have fun, chill out and enjoy.

Bounce back with any questions about what you end up trying out.
 
Some options to get you started:

Connaught DE Sample Packs

Connaught Shaving is supplier of quality, traditional shaving products including Wickham 1912 shaving soaps, REX, Merkur & Edwin Jagger safety razors & many brands double edge razor blades. UK Supplier of Feather New Hi-stainless razor blades, Feather Artist Club Razors & Blades & Feather Safety...
connaughtshaving.com

labarbiera.co.uk

50 Double Edge Blade Sample Pack

Supplied in tucks of 5 or 10 blades Includes: 5 x Astra 'Green' Superior Platinum 5 x Astra 'Blue' Superior Stainless 5 x Perma-Sharp 5 x Derby Extra 5 x Derby Premium 5 x EuroMax 5 x Shark Stainless 5 x Bluebird Platinum 10 x Dorco Prime Platinum 20 x Styptic Matches
labarbiera.co.uk
 
PS - I've never heard anything good about Muhle blades, despite the quality of their razors.

Because of this I don't think I've ever used any that came with my Muhles...
 
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