​ Blades: Which Ones?

Alrighty then, now you have a nice DE razor but you can’t use it until you have some blades. As with everything else, everyone has an opinion and you can read review after review and probably still be confused about what blade you should use as when you started. Hopefully, I can help point you in the right direction. When it comes to reading the reviews, let’s first discuss the types of people who may be writing the reviews.

There are the Thrifty People that will always just use the least expensive blades (even though most all DE blades are pretty cheap in the grand scheme of things) or whatever is available. These people aren’t concerned about such things as brand loyalty or is this one better than that one discussions, “It’s just a razor blade, they are all pretty much the same, right?”

Then there are the Practical Folk, these are the ones that will spend a few weeks or months and seek out a compatible set of blades. Once they find something that works well for them they will pretty much stick to it and become fairly loyal to those brands or even just a single brand.

The next bunch I like to call the Zealots. They are religious about the blades they use, the shaving ritual they have, and will often preach their beliefs to others as if it’s their duty to convert the uninformed masses. Their brand is the only brand that’s any good, of course. You will find these guys on the forums or in the groups from time to time, you’ll be able to spot them pretty quickly.

There’s one last group of people that I like to call the Grail Seekers. These are the ones that will always try the latest and greatest products to hit the market in hopes of finding the Holy Grail of Razor & Blade combination. Of course it’s a myth, it doesn’t exist, but don’t spoil the fun by telling them that. Don’t get me wrong, you certainly can improve your shave by finding a better combination, but I’m talking about the people that take it to an absurd level with more gear than Imelda Marcos has shoes.

So, by now you are probably getting the idea that personality plays a role in the whole “which blade” debate so keep that in mind when reading the reviews. But that’s only part of the story. The other has to do with one's actual physical characteristics. There are many different skin types from soft and supple to straight up leather. Everyone’s beard is different as well. Some have thick, coarse beards while others have thin, fine beards. Different blades will perform differently under different circumstances. Some people will get a great shave with a Derby and not with a Feather. Others will get a great shave from a Feather but not from a Derby. Don’t let the “average” ratings either influence or dissuade you from one brand or the other, you might not fit the average. The only thing that matters is how it works for YOU. We’ve put together a sampler pack of razor blades to help kick-start your personal journey of discovery. We believe, of the brands included, it is likely you’ll find one or more compatible. 

Good luck and happy shaving!