So I went a little nuts on a DE Blade purhase...

I've found it seems to be uses and not mileage because during the winter I grow a beard and I am only shaving a small portion of my face (i.e. neck line and cheeks). Usually the fourth shave would be perfect, but as I spend more on a newspaper every morning just for the crossword, the cost of a new blade after the third shave is well worth the comfort. As far as storage, the razor gets cleaned and stored hanging up after every use. So, ya, who knows. I was curious to other people experiences with Feathers more than anything else.
 
gadgetgeek said:
I think it has a lot to do with the storage conditions. if I clean and store any of my DE blades they last much longer than sitting in the razor on the counter. technique comes into play a lot. I find that I have no real need to do more than one pass with a feather, some multi-pass with a Bic, so is it "uses" or "mileage"? the feathers seem to last longer for me (if taken care of) Who knows.
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Do you mean you take the blades out after each shave and put them back in the paper wrapper then? I would've thought the less handling the better but this could be interesting. I once 'rested' a blade ,4th shave was borderline, then a week or two later I tried it again, I could swear it had improved but this can't be!:D:eek:

Feathers give me three flawless shaves, 4th is good, after that it's rough and pointless.
 
For the last several weeks I've been using some mystery blade or other, and I'd find myself getting nicked more often. My neck looked like rodents were nibbling at me in my sleep. I thought I was losing my touch with the ol' DE.

Today I discovered that my Futur somehow got twisted close to the "5" position, whereas I usually shave on "3". :eek:

It's back to 3 now, and things are going a LOT smoother, unknown no-name blade and all.

Also sprang on some fancy-schmancy shave soap sold at the city market (fancy compared to the Williams Mug I've always bought prior). It's got a few peculiar ingredients... kelp, olive oil. An odd aroma to the stuff also. But it DOES seem to be a little easier on the skin. About 5x more expensive than your typical Williams puck, but this one was roughly 3x the size and seemingly of better overall quality, so what the heck! I may have to pick up some more someday when I have a few extra dollars. Can't hurt to stock up. Never can tell how long specialty vendors like that will be in business around here!
 
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I cringed when I saw all those Merkur blades... :D Merkur makes wonderful razors. My personal user is a Merkur Futur. But you can pass on their blades; they are universally regarded as inferior to almost any other offering (even ones costing a fraction of what they cost). If I were you, I would just get rid of them; no joke.

EDIT: Of course, if they work for you, then God bless you. To each his own, and obviously some people must like Merkur blades because they still sell them. Just letting you know what the consensus is.

Feathers are good, and I personally recommend them for learning wet shaving because they are so sharp. They will force you to learn good technique. As much as I love Feathers and learned wet-shaving on Feathers, I've moved on to Astra Superiors (green/Russian type); they are vastly cheaper than Feathers, and I like the way they shave.

You didn't mention your experience level, but if you are a beginner (or near beginner), I highly, highly recommend that you choose one blade and stick with it for a month or two, at least. That way, you can focus on your technique. In my opinion, the single biggest mistake that new wet-shavers make is buying a bunch of different razors, blades, creams, soaps, after-shaves, etc., and then trying a million different combinations in the hopes of getting a perfect shave. NO! :D It is most important at the beginning stage of the wet-shaving journey to stick to one product (make sure it's a quality product, obviously) and hone the technique down: beard prep, lathering, shaving. Once you know your face and beard and know what areas of your beard are the "problem areas" (sensitivity, proneness to nicks, difficulty to shave close, etc.), and once you can get a BBS shave, only then do you branch out into new products.

Just my 2 pesos.
 
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Another product you might want to try is Shave Secret oil. I get mine at Walmart for like 3 bucks a bottle. I much prefer this cheap product to the last Art of Shaving pre oil I used.

http://www.amazon.com/SHAVE-SECRET-SHAVING-OIL-18-75ML/dp/B0023XF60Q

I use it as a pre shave oil i spread on my face while I am preparing the lather. Today's combo was an Edwin Jagger DE, Derby extra blade, Shave secret, Col. Conk bay rum, three pass shave, Witch Hazel splash, and Lubriderm Men's 3 in 1 as an aftershave.

Very smooth, healing, moisturizing combination. Razor burn is becoming a thing of the past with the Witch Hazel and I haven't had a cut or weeper in sometime.
 
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Maybe I need to give it a try. i shave 5-6 times a week. i use cheap Gillette disposable good news razors and will use it 2-3 months before i change to a new one. Never get nicks and only change when it feels like I am pulling my hairs out instead of cutting them. Have been using Noxzema since high school and a can will last me a year.
 
Richardtractorguy said:
Maybe I need to give it a try. i shave 5-6 times a week. i use cheap Gillette disposable good news razors and will use it 2-3 months before i change to a new one. Never get nicks and only change when it feels like I am pulling my hairs out instead of cutting them. Have been using Noxzema since high school and a can will last me a year.
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Wet shaving is more time consuming so you need to be prepared for that.

I used the bottom of the barrel disposables and canned Barbasol. Took about 2.5 minutes, in the shower, sans mirror, and just scraped away. The shave was never close at all for me.

Going back to the DE (I had one in high school), I have to get up earlier in the morning and devote more time for it. But it is like a good cup of freshly ground coffee. The ends justify the means.

My wife has raved about how smooth my face is now. It's one of my favorite daily activities now and look forward to whipping up a good lather.

Most of what I have read puts a lot of emphasis on pre shaving and post shaving. That stuff is true...or at least is for this face. The combo up above is the best that I have found so far. I do plan on trying the Astra blades and Thayer's witch hazel.

Other than that, I am sticking to what I have come up with so far.
 
Well, just found 100 Astra Superior blades for 10 bucks and change.....shipped. I have 100 Derby's coming in today's mail but just couldn't resist the deal on the Astras.

Figure I will start changing them out every couple of shaves....just to splurge.
 
Gollnick said:
Astras are good.
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That is what I hear/read. Folks seem to rave about them.

I am getting very good results from the Derby blades. The Merkurs? Had to toss them. Pretty poor and not very sharp....or at least were for me. Lots of tugging.

The Derby's don't get the best of reviews but so far I seem to do well with them. BBS shave after three passes.

I'm hoping I like the Astras.......I got 100 of them on the way. Incidentally, I paid nearly 8 dollars locally for 10 Merkurs.
 
I like Derby. I used one today and have even using them for a couple of weeks now as part or testing the Taylor of Old Bond Street soap. I get perfectly-good shaves from Derby blades. They are the most consistent blades I've tried.
 
Magnaminous_G said:
I cringed when I saw all those Merkur blades... :D Merkur makes wonderful razors. My personal user is a Merkur Futur. But you can pass on their blades; they are universally regarded as inferior to almost any other offering (even ones costing a fraction of what they cost). If I were you, I would just get rid of them; no joke.

[...]

You didn't mention your experience level, but if you are a beginner (or near beginner), I highly, highly recommend that you choose one blade and stick with it for a month or two, at least. That way, you can focus on your technique. In my opinion, the single biggest mistake that new wet-shavers make is buying a bunch of different razors, blades, creams, soaps, after-shaves, etc., and then trying a million different combinations in the hopes of getting a perfect shave. NO! :D It is most important at the beginning stage of the wet-shaving journey to stick to one product (make sure it's a quality product, obviously) and hone the technique down: beard prep, lathering, shaving. Once you know your face and beard and know what areas of your beard are the "problem areas" (sensitivity, proneness to nicks, difficulty to shave close, etc.), and once you can get a BBS shave, only then do you branch out into new products.
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Too bad about the Merkur blades' reputation being as it is... since I had used one that came with my Futur with no real complaints I figured I'd pick up some more, if only for the sake of adding diversity to the blade brands. Since I hadn't much or any experience with some of the brands I bought, I didn't know which ones might come out on top, so I just figured I'd buy a boatload of several kinds. Hedged my bets as it were.

Per my experience, not exactly sure how long I've been using a DE almost exclusively (aside from occasional flirtation and regret with antique straights). I'd guess about 9 years, maybe 10... at least for shaving scalp AND face. As to whether I shaved the face with DE's before then? Can't remember!

lwt210 said:
Another product you might want to try is Shave Secret oil. I get mine at Walmart for like 3 bucks a bottle. I much prefer this cheap product to the last Art of Shaving pre oil I used.
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I've read about Shave Secret, but later was recommended to Lectric Shave for use as a shave oil. Just as well, the local stores don't seem to carry Shave Secret! :( I used to use Lectric Shave and a splash of hot water for shaving the face when I didn't have time to lather up the soap. Problem is, the stuff has a strong odour, and my workplace is something or a scent-free environment, at least on paper. Worked well enough for the time I used it though.

I think I could stand to give the witch hazel a try if I can locate some locally. Currently my aftershave routine is usually "rinse and dry", or once in a while "rinse, dry, and moisturizer". Probably not dermatologist recommended. :D
 
My opinion of Merkur blades is that they are a middle-of-the-road blade at a premium price, not a bad blade, but not a good value.
 
C.S. Graves said:
I've read about Shave Secret, but later was recommended to Lectric Shave for use as a shave oil. Just as well, the local stores don't seem to carry Shave Secret! :( I used to use Lectric Shave and a splash of hot water for shaving the face when I didn't have time to lather up the soap. Problem is, the stuff has a strong odour, and my workplace is something or a scent-free environment, at least on paper. Worked well enough for the time I used it though.

:D
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Let me know if you would like me to send you a bottle. The cost to me would be around five to six bucks. You could send me a pack of those Feathers to pay me back. :thumbup: Been wanting to try them to see if I can get away from ATG finishing to get BBS. I hear the Feathers are sharp enough to take care of things WTG.

PM me if interested. The Shave Secret does have a scent to it but it is mild and seems to dissipate pretty quick. It has a tingly feel to it.

Or you can get it here. Reviews as well.

http://www.amazon.com/SHAVE-SECRET-...F60Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333039420&sr=8-1
 
Gollnick said:
Astras are good.
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I agree...
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:thumbup:
 
i too find that feathers drop off after a few shaves, from a good shave to terrible in one shot. can't beat them on the first shave or two though. they're amazing
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My experience almost exactly. I get four wonderful shaves from a Feather... but don't try for a fifth as it seldom works and often goes poorly.


i started with merkurs and they give an OK shave, they're just not super sharp, i found they were pretty gentle on my skin though
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As much as I like and highly-recommend Merkur razors, their blades -- which are usually the among, if not the, most expensive in the store -- are mediocre at best.

i shave monday wednesday and friday. i always go all out with a big shave on mondays, wednesday and fridays though my skin is still a little sensitive from the last shave making me a little more cautious and only hitting one pass. i try not to judge a blade by it's friday shave, my face has been beat up all week and is a little sensitive to make judgments. i find just about anything works well on a monday after a weekend of growth and skin healing.
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You might want to try a lighter, faster, daily shave. I shave every day and have no issues with "sensitivity" or any sense of my face being "beaten up" or needing to "heal." Of course, everyone's face is different and what works perfectly for one guy often is wrong for another.
 
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