Hurricane Harvey Shave Gear

So what shaving gear would you grab if you were treading a couple of inches of rising water in your house? It will surprise you what you will think of.

I have lived in my home for twenty years and never saw water standing on our road. And never in the forty years our neighbourhood has been around has there been water on the roads.Hurricane Harvey changed all of that. It brought 60 inches of rain over three days and the Army Core of Engineers opened three dams above us and we saw the Neches river swell 8 miles out of it's banks and flood my home with 5 -1/2 feet of water. Not a pretty sight. Not at all. And it came up fast.

Anyway back to the evacuation shave gear.

Evacuation Shave Gear

As I was running through the house putting the last few things we missed as high as we could, my wife was quickly packing a few clothes into a duffle bag. I ran into the bathroom, grabbed my "Lord Maggard" razor, a Van der Hagen shave stick, My Maggard 22mm synthetic brush, and a small bottle of  Clubman Pinaud original aftershave,  and a small bag of blades that were in the drawer. I then made a quick last past through the house and noticed my box of shaving items on the floor. I thought if that gets wet I could have hundreds of blades all over the house. Not good during clean up. I grabbed the box and put it on the top shelf, and then hitch hiked out on a passing boat.

Well the rest is history. The house is dried out, the rebuilding is in progress and we wound up with a couple of new cars. Ironically, I did save most of my shave gear. I did loose all the creams, oils, most of the soaps and my Edwin Jagger DE89, but all my other razors, blades, aftershaves and a couple of soaps survived.

Life is good. I'll be retiring in a year or so, and we will be doing that with a new house, and two new cars. The clutter is all cleaned out, and we are making a few modifications to the house. And the evacuations shaves were pretty good even though I didn't have the pre shave oil, witch hazel, or balm. And did I mention It was with a Lord stainless blade?

"Lord Maggard"

When I started DE shaving a couple of years ago, It was fun researching razors and finally making a purchase. The anticipation of the arrival and then putting it through the motions to evaluate my purchase. Over the course of time, I made a few good purchases and also wasted money on something no better than a fishing line sinker.

It wasn't until I used the Lord L6 razor that I find one that was almost perfect for me. The head on this razor just seemed to work great with several blades, and had a nack of cutting my beard growth perfectly. What wasn't so great about the razor was the handle. It is a long aluminum handle that caused the razor to seem light and unresponsive on certain areas of my face.

It wasn't until I put the handle from my Maggard MR1 razor on the L6 head did I realize what a gem I had! The MR1 handle is shorter, but being made of stainless added just the right amount of weight to the razor as a whole. This has quickly become my favorite razor and one that I will continue to use while all my others gather dust in the closet.

Shark Super Chrome

Over the next few weeks I am going to keep a daily running experience of different blades. Mainly so that I can remember what they were like. Hopefully, you will find this interesting or helpful as you try different blades. Each blade will be used for 7 days unless they are a really bad blade.

 

Blade Name

Shark Super Chrome

Shaving conditions

Beard Type

Light beard growth, thicker on and under the chin, very sensitive on the neck. Susceptible to razor bumps on and under the chin area.

Preshave Prep:

• Shower
• Shave Secret - three drops (First day only.)
• VDH Pre Shave Oil (Second day only)
• The Well Groomed Guy Pre Shave Oil (Third day through fifth day)
• Proraso Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin.( First day only)
• VDH Luxury Shave Soap (Second through fifth day only)
• Lord L6 Razor head mounted on a Maggard M1 handle
• Soft water
• Maggard 22mm knot synthetic brush

Post Shave:

• Dickenson's Witch Hazel (Blue Bottle)
• Pinaud Clubman Original
• Nivea Balm for Sensitive Skin

The Shave Week

Day 1 Shave

• Smoothness: The blade felt kind of sharp and on some sensitive areas such as my neck I was afraid that I was going to get a few weepers, but I did not. By the end of the shave it seemed to be a little smoother than when I started. It was not as smooth as I like, but I think it will wear in on the next shave.
• Tugging: Slight tugging as I went against the grain on my neck area.
• Razor Burn: There was some burning as I applied the aftershave that seemed to slightly linger for an hour or so after the shave.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Very close shave. I think that is due to the Proraso branded shave cream. I have had several good close shaves with this product. But it does slightly irritate my skin, however the aftershave feel was very smooth and satisfying.

Day 2 Shave

• Smoothness: Thinking it may smooth out after the second shave. This blade continues to be slightly on the aggressive side. I was constantly on my guard not to get to careless.
• Tugging: There continued to be some tugging on my sensitive neck areas
• Razor Burn: There was razor burn again after this shave, but it seemed to last a little longer. I thing that this may be from skin damage from the previous nights shave. Burn lasted for a couple of hours.
• Nicks: I experienced three or four weepers that appeared sometime after the shave and post prep. Not really bad but noticeable.
• Closeness: The shave was close, but not as close as the night before. I think that this may be due to using Proraso cream on day one, and then VDH luxury on day two.

Day 3 Shave

• Smoothness: Still a little harsh on the skin. I did have a good smooth shave afterwards, but the skin did not feel comfortable.
• Tugging: Some tugging on my sensitive neck area.
• Razor Burn: Had enough razor burn to last me a good hour after the shave.
• Nicks: had three or four little weepers. Nothing major.
• Closeness: Had a close shave but the sides of my chin and the underside began to show signs of razor bumps.

Day 4 Shave

• Smoothness: Finally got the smoothness that I was looking for. It took four shaves to get the harsh edge off the blade.
• Tugging: Thee was a little tug on the neck area but nothing serious.
• Razor Burn: There was razor burn after the shave that lasted for about an hour. This could be left over from the previous shaves where the skin has not had time to recover.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Very close!

Day 5 Shave

• Smoothness: The blade took a quick downturn on the fifth shave. It was dull feeling and the blade seemed to produce more shave bumps under and around the chin area. The shave was not near as comfortable as the day before.
• Tugging: There was a noticeable amount of tugging that caused me to be extra careful to prevent weepers.
• Razor Burn: There was quite a bit of razor burn after this shave. I think that the additional amount of cleanup strokes that I had to do was the contributing factor. The burn lasted longer than an hour.
• Nicks: There was no nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Shave was not as close as the day before.

 Concluding Thoughts and Score

This particular blade is sharp and not smooth. For me and the tender skin that I am plagued with, the blade was more harsh than I would like to shave with. It produced weepers, razor burn and a few razor bumps. The shaves were not actually very comfortable. I think it might have done better in the Edwin Jagger DE89 but I will not be making that test. I just didn't like the blade. Overall I do not think that the Chrome coating has helped this blade. I think that the Shark Stainless to be smoother and gave a more comfortable shave. After five days, I gave up on the blade.

If I were to score this blade form 1 to 10 I would rate it an overall 6.2.

• Sharpness: 7
• Smoothness: 4
• Tugging: 7
• Razor Burn: 6
• Closeness: 7
• Overall: 6.2

Rethinking Lather

Just when you think that you have found the perfect combination something comes along that upsets your perfect world. I had pretty much settled on VDH Luxury soap with their shave oil as a great combination that gave me close shaves and a great feel during the shave and afterwards. I will admit that this was with a Gillette Silver Blue blade in a Lord razor.

Ladas Super Stainless

However this past week, I switched over to a Ladas super stainless blade in the Lord razor and the soap and oil combination bombed! After a three pass shave I could feel stubble and a lot of places that just didn't clean up right. Frustrated, I originally thought that the Ladas blades were junk and about to toss it out in favour of another blade. As I was showering before my shave I started thinking about the cushion that the VDH soap gives me. Just what if I were to try something different? Something with a little less cushion?

My first impression of the Ladas stainless blade was that it was not very sharp. More like a Derby but without the Teflon coating. What if I gave the blade a little less cushion, and more of on opportunity to "grab the pavement" a little? Well, it was the end of a nice hot day, and I decided to throw caution to the wind and pull out the C.O. Bigelow shave cream and my bottle of Shave Secret.  I'm not really a big fan of Menthol products, but the thought of using them that night sounded pretty good.

C.O.Bigelow

After the shower, I got everything out and proceeded to wet my face. I then rubbed the palms of my hands together to get them both slightly wet. I then added three drops of Shave Secret to the palm of one hand and then lightly rubbed them together. I then rubbed it in the stubble. Three drops was more than enough to get a nice menthol feel going. I wet my Maggard synthetic brush and put about 3/8" ribbon of C.O. Bigelow onto the end of the brush. Since I am a face lather guy, I took this and gently pressed the end of my brush all over my face and neck several times to get the cream applied to my skin. Then I started the face lather and added water as needed to get the lather built up.

I went for my traditional three pass shave trying not to do anything different in the way I shave. I could feel the menthol kick in. It felt pretty good after a hot day, and my skin was feeling refreshed. After I was finished and was washing off with hot then cold water I noticed that my skin felt slick and smooth. Much different than with the VDH soap. I then applied the Pinaud Clubman original aftershave and then the Nivea balm for sensitive skin and headed off to the living room. Within a half hour when the shave started to settle down, I was feeling a perfectly smooth shave that was as good as any I could have asked for. No irritation, no razor burn, just smooth, soft skin with a menthol coolness about it.

As I was sitting there, I was thinking that for my skin and beard conditions, I need to always match the blade with the soap that I use, For those blades that are sharp and not as smooth I need a lot of thick cushion to protect my skin from the sharpness. When I use blades that are not as sharp or have a lot of smoothness to them, then I need a soap (or cream) that does not have as much cushion so that the blade has better contact with the skin and doesn't "ride" over it because it can't cut through the cushion. Pre-shave oils are the same. If your oil is thick it just adds to the barrier that the blade must cut through whereas a thinner oil like Shave Secret adds the slickness needed, but without the licker barrier.

It's all about the blade! Having various soaps, creams and oils on hand is a good thing. Match them accordingly. A blade that doesn't shave good with one soap may be the perfect blade with another! And that's the beauty and fun of DE shaving!

A Comfortable and Pleasant Shave!

Shaving should always be a pleasant experience. Not only during, but one that last for hours afterward. This past weekend I put together a shave that could very well be my everyday shave!

I had opened a new puck of VDH Luxury soap and melted it into a new container that I had bought Maggard Razors.  Later that night when it had hardened back up, I added a little hot water to the top for about minute. As this was soaking I added about 6 drops of VDH shave oil to my face and let it set for a couple of minutes.

 

As the oil was penetrating my stubble, I poured the water off the puck and added about a pea size dab of Palmolive shave cream to the top of it. I then saturated my synthetic brush and squeezing out the excess water, I loaded the brush with the two. Afterwards I went straight to a face lather, adding water as needed until I had a pile of cream. The fragrance of the combination was nice and not overbearing.

A three pass shave was smooth and the razor refused to tug. It just glided through over the skin. The soap and cream combination gave me really good protection and the VDH shave oil seemed to add the lubrication into the skin that added that extra barrier of protection. It was a nice, very comfortable shave!

Finished up with Pinaud Clubman original aftershave and  Nivea balm for sensitive skin and I walked out of the bathroom feeling like a new man! A half hour later I was palming baby soft skin and not feeling a single stray whisker. It was a good close shave. As I write this ten hours later, the stubble is barely beginning to make it's presence known, but my skin is still as soft as ever. For me, this is a combination made in heaven! It was economical, did not add any additional time to the shave, and was a pleasure to be repeated!

If you have never tried shave oils and a mixture of soap and creams, give it a try. You never know. You may find a shave that beats the best that's out there!

Astra Superior Stainless

Over the next few weeks I am going to keep a daily running experience of different blades. Mainly so that I can remember what they were like. Hopefully, you will find this interesting or helpful as you try different blades. Each blade will be used for 7 days unless they are a really bad blade.

 

Blade Name

Astra Superior Stainless

Astra Superior Stainless

Shaving conditions

Beard Type

Light beard growth, thicker on and under the chin, very sensitive on the neck. Susceptible to razor bumps on and under the chin area.

Preshave Prep:

• Shower
• The Well Groomed Guy Pre Shave Oil (One drop)
• Van der Hagen Premium soap (Shave Stick)
• Lord L6 razor
• Soft water
• Maggard 22mm knot synthetic brush

Post Shave:

• Dickenson's Witch Hazel (Blue Bottle)
• Pinaud Clubman Original
• Nivea Balm for Sensitive Skin

The Shave Week

Day 1 Shave

• Smoothness: The blade seemed sharp but it seemed to scratch a little. Did not seem as smooth as other blades I have used, but is not uncomfortable and may smooth out on the next shave.
• Tugging: Didn't notice any tugging, but razor feedback was much louder than I have experienced in the past. On the tougher areas of the beard, it seemed to drag as it cut. Not a sharp feeling.
• Razor Burn: I experienced razorburn for a couple of minutes, but it was hard to tell if it was the result of the blade or not. A couple of days ago I tried a new razor and it shaved me very aggressive. I could have been recovering from that experience. However razor burn was minimal and did not last long.
• Nicks: One weeper and one self inflicted nick because I was not watching what I was doing. Nothing serious though.
• Closeness: Fairly close shave. Cheeks and neck were BBS but the chin area resulted in missed spots. Multiple touch ups did not help much. However, when completed, I was happy with the shave.

Day 2 Shave

• Smoothness: The blade was a little smoother on the second shave, but it seems to drag a little. After the shave my skin felt scratchy as if the blade had little ridges in it. Not uncomfortable, but not satisfying.
• Tugging: Slight tugging on the more dense areas of the beard growth, but none on the sensitive neck areas. This may indicate that it is sharp but not sharp enough to tackle the whole beard.
• Razor Burn: Razor burn again over the whole face area. Lasted for about a minute.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Very close shave but not quite BBS. The shave felt smooth, but the chin area was slightly rough right after the shave. An hour later, my skin had settled down and felt smooth. 10 hours later, the shave still feels pretty good with just a little roughness under the chin.

Day 3 Shave

• Smoothness: The blade is not providing a good smooth shave. It seems that the longer I use it the faster it breaks down. The shave was not sharp and smooth, but tugged and was scratchy.
• Tugging: Most of the tugging was from the more dense areas of the beard growth. The sensitive neck area did not suffer from tugging.
• Razor Burn: Razor burn was present mainly on the chin area. This is most likely due to my having to buff more to get a closer shave.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Shave was not really all that close. It did feel blotchy in spots. Overall it was passable, but not one of my best.

 Concluding Thoughts and Score

I stopped after three shaves because I really didn't think that it was going to improve on it's performance and I was getting painful shaves. I really don't think that this blade is best suited for a light razor. It may perform better in a heavier razor. I may try again in the future. With that said, I would not buy these in bulk and I will not be using them in my everyday shaves. Main reason is the lack of smoothness and sharpness, the amount of razor burn, more noticeable razor bumps  and overall quality of the shave.


If I were to score this blade form 1 to 10 I would rate it an overall 5.

• Sharpness: 5
• Smoothness: 5
• Tugging: 7
• Razor Burn: 4
• Closeness: 4
• Overall: 5

Derby Extra

 

 

Over the next few weeks I am going to keep a daily running experience of different blades. Mainly so that I can remember what they were like. Hopefully, you will find this interesting or helpful as you try different blades. Each blade will be used for 7 days unless they are a really bad blade.

 

Blade Name

Derby Extra

Derby Extra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shaving conditions

Beard Type

Light beard growth, thicker on and under the chin, very sensitive on the neck. Susceptible to razor bumps on and under the chin area.

Preshave Prep:

• Shower
• Shave Secret (four drops)
• Mason's Boutique Lillian Shave Soap (Days1-3)
• Van der Hagen Premium soap Shave Stick (Days 4-7)
• Lord LP1822L DE Razor
• Soft water
• Maggard 22mm knot synthetic brush

Post Shave:

• Dickenson's Witch Hazel (Blue Bottle)
• Pinaud Clubman Original
• Nivea Balm for Sensitive Skin

The Shave Week

Day 1 Shave

• Smoothness: Smooth, sharp shave 1st pass was fairly close, but not as close as other blades.
• Tugging: No tugging on the neck area
• Razor Burn: Slight razor burn that lasted on a couple of minutes.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Nice, and close shave that was comfortable.

Day 2 Shave

• Smoothness: Not quite as smooth as yesterday. the shave cream was not a thick and creamy as yesterday and that may have played a part.
• Tugging: Slight tugging on the chin area but the neck area where I am most sensitive, was problem free.
• Razor Burn: A little more razor burn than the day before. Seems like I had to buff more to get a closer shave and that irritated the skin.
• Nicks: No Nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Close in some areas but obvious misses that had to be touched up.

Day 3 Shave

• Smoothness: Slightly less smooth. I could feel some tugging on the cheeks which is unusual.
• Tugging: A little tugging on the chin area, but non on the neck area.
• Razor Burn: More razor burn than the day before. Had to do more buffing to get a closer shave. Buffing seems to irritate and damage the skin more.
• Nicks: One nick between the lower lip and chin.
• Closeness: Closeness seems to be diminishing with this blade. Tomorrow I am going to change back to the VDH Luxury soap and see if that improves the chave. 

Day 4 Shave

• Smoothness: Blade was still pretty smooth, but It did struggle in some places where the growth was a little thicker.
• Tugging: There was a little tugging on the neck area when I shaved against the grain.
• Razor Burn: More razor burn was detected than last night. Besides the chin area, there was some under the jaw line.
• Nicks: Two weepers and one nick that was due to my own carelessness.
• Closeness: it was a close shave but I had to work at it. Where some blades would get it this blade seemed to pass over it. It was a good shave but not as comfortable as when the blade was new.

Day 5 Shave

• Smoothness: Smoothness has dropped off significantly. This shave has felt rough and my skin has felt some soreness after the shave.
• Tugging: Tugging has increased especially on the neck area.
• Razor Burn: More razor burn has been felt after this shave. I has also noticed the skin to feel bumpy and slightly swollen along with some skin damage.
• Nicks: There were no nicks with this shave.
• Closeness: The shave felt close in some places and in others it felt like it missed the stubble all together.

Day 6 Shave

• Smoothness: The smoothness really dropped off with this shave. I could feel noticeable tugging all over and lots of stubble still visible and could be felt. The shave was patchy all over and there was a very low comfort level. After the shave, It felt like my skin was "grooved" and ragged feeling along with a dry tight feeling.
• Tugging: The tugging has increased some more and was very unpleasant on the sensitive areas.
• Razor Burn: Really bad razor burn all over my face. This lasted more than an hour and was uncomfortable. I had to go back and reapply a skin cream trying to get it to feel comfortable.
• Nicks: There were no nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Not close at all. The shave felt rough and patchy, and the skin felt bumpy and swollen.

 Concluding Thoughts and Score

This was an interesting blade. Loaded in the Lord L6 razor, it began with a nice shave, but quickly deteriorated over the next few days. It felt like the smooth coating pealed off and I was shaving on the stainless blade. What I disliked about the blade was the amount of razor burn and the bumpy feeling it left my face with. I really should have stopped after the fourth  shave, but I didn't and feel like I made a bad decision with that.

A very cheap blade that I would probably not use for more than two or three shaves. Considering this, I would opt out for a more expensive blade that wears down in a more smoother fashion that doesn't leave my skin feeling sore, burnt and patchy feeling. After this shave I am going to have to take a few days off with a good smooth blade and a sensitive cream to let my skin recover.

   

If I were to score this blade form 1 to 10 I would rate it an overall 4.4.

• Sharpness: 6
• Smoothness: 4
• Tugging: 5
• Razor Burn:3
• Closeness: 4
• Overall: 4.4

Shark Super Stainless

 

 

Over the next few weeks I am going to keep a daily running experience of different blades. Mainly so that I can remember what they were like. Hopefully, you will find this interesting or helpful as you try different blades. Each blade will be used for 7 days unless they are a really bad blade.

 

Blade Name

Shark Super Stainless Blade  

Shark Super Stainless Blade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shaving conditions

I changed things up a bit this week. Monday I had used the normal shave prep but changed the routine for the rest of the week. I received and started using Stirling "Barbershop" soap and changed to my Lord DE razor which is a little more aggressive. for the remainder of the week

Beard Type

Light beard growth, thicker on and under the chin, very sensitive on the neck. Susceptible to razor bumps on and under the chin area.

Preshave Prep:

 

• Shower
• Shave Secret (four drops) - Day 1 only
• The well Dressed Guy Pre-shave Oil - Days 2-7
• Van der Hagen Premium soap (Shave Stick) - Day 1 then day3 3-7
• Stirling Soaps - Barbershop - Day 2
• Merkur Classic razor - Day 1 only
• Lord LP1822L DE Razor - Days 2-7
• Soft water
• Maggard 22mm knot synthetic brush

Post Shave:

• Dickenson's Witch Hazel (Blue Bottle)
• Pinaud Clubman Original
• Nivea Balm for Sensitive Skin

 

The Shave Week

Day 1 Shave

• Smoothness: Blade exhibited the normal sharp feeling that new blades almost always do. The shave was relatively smooth and enjoyable.
• Tugging: No tugging was experienced on the sensitive neck areas.
• Razor Burn: Did not experience much razor burn. A little more than normal on the chin area as I normally have to do with the Merkur Classic razor. Aftershave burned a little but only for a few seconds. Nothing to make it uncomfortable.
• Nicks: There were no nicks or weepers from the shave.
• Closeness: Closeness was only achieved by excessive buffing on the chin areas and touch-ups on the neck area. I think that I will change razors due to the amount of buffing I am having to. It appears that this razor is just to mild.

 

Day 2 Shave

 

• Smoothness: Blade was very smooth and sharp. There was an enhanced performance using the Lord DE razor. It is a little more aggressive and seems to hit that sweet spot pretty good.
• Tugging: No tugging on the neck area where it is very sensitive.
• Razor Burn: A little razor burn do the razor being a little more aggressive, but felt normal as the aftershave stopped burning within a couple of minutes.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Very close shave! The Stirling shave soap provided a great deal of protection and aftershave comfort. However, having shaved at night, the next morning my face felt like leather. I'm not sure what I did wrong with the soap. I will have to investigate later. For the next few shave, I will go back to the Van Der Hagen Luxury soap.

 

Day 3 Shave

• Smoothness: Another smooth and close shave without much effort.
• Tugging: No tugging on the neck area.
• Razor Burn: A little when the aftershave was applied. Stopped after a couple of minutes.
• Nicks: No Nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Very close and comfortable shave

 

Day 4 Shave

• Smoothness: Another smooth shave! Today I went back to the VDH Luxury soap. Every shave  With this blade so far has been BBS. 
• Tugging: A little tugging on the neck but it was not very noticible.
• Razor Burn: A small amount of burn when thhe aftershave was applied. Again this is on the areas that I tend to buff more than usual.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Very close and smooth shave. This makes four BBS shave in a row.

 

Day 5 Shave

• Smoothness: It was a little difficult to determine if the smoothness was diminishing any today. I was in a hurry and did a two pass pass mainly against the grain. There were no glaring issues with the blade, but it was under a little heavier load than normal.
• Tugging: Slight tugging on the neck area, but then it was a two pass shave and it was to be expected.
• Razor Burn: Slight razor burn that went away after a minute or two.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Shave was close, but not BBS. Better than I was expecting.

 

Day 6 Shave

• Smoothness: Another smooth shave! The shave soap was a little drier than usual on the first pass but it cut nicely.
• Tugging: Not much tugging, but I could tell that the blade was loosing it's sharpness. I could feel some tugging on the cheeks but it was not uncomfortable at all.
• Razor Burn: No razor burn when the aftershave was applied.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Overall, the shave was close, but could feel where the blade just didn't get it all when rubbing my hand against the grain on the face. It was a close shave but not BBS. I was still happy with it and it was comfortable afterwards.

Day 7 Shave

• Smoothness: another smooth shave! I could tell that the blade was beginning to cut less close this time. It did not effect the smoothness or cause tugging.
• Tugging: Nice smooth on the neck area without any tugging.
• Razor Burn: No razor burn when the aftershave was applied.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers
• Closeness: The shave was close but not BBS. It was still acceptable and only felt a little rough when you rubbed against the grain in some places.

 Concluding Thoughts and Score

 

The Shark Stainless steal blade has given a weeks worth of smooth and comfortably close shaves. I believe I could have got a few more days out of it if I were to push it. This blade is one that I will keep in my rotation of blades. Smooth and comfortable with the Lord L6 razor and VDH Luxury soap.

 

If I were to score this blade form 1 to 10 I would rate it an overall 9.4.

• Sharpness: 9
• Smoothness: 10
• Tugging: 10
• Razor Burn: 10
• Closeness: 8
• Overall: 9.4

Lord Super Stainless

Over the next few weeks I am going to keep a daily running experience of different blades. Mainly so that I can remember what they were like. Hopefully, you will find this interesting or helpful as you try different blades. Each blade will be used for 7 days unless they are a really bad blade.

 

Blade Name

Lord Super Stainless

Lord Super Stainless

Shaving conditions

Beard Type

Light beard growth, thicker on and under the chin, very sensitive on the neck. Susceptible to razor bumps on and under the chin area.

Preshave Prep:

• Shower
• The Well Groomed Guy Pre-Shave Oil
• Van der Hagen Premium soap (Shave Stick)
• Merkur Classic razor
• Soft water
• Maggard 22mm knot synthetic brush

Post Shave:

• Dickenson's Witch Hazel (Blue Bottle)
• Pinaud Clubman Original
• Nivea Balm for Sensitive Skin

The Shave Week

Day 1 Shave

• Smoothness: Sharpness could be felt but was not uncomfortable. The cut from the blade was smooth and non irritating.
• Tugging; There was no tugging on the sensitive neck areas.
• Razor Burn: Just a slight razor burn on the areas where I did extra buffing.
• Nicks: There were no nicks or weepers
• Closeness: Shave was very close and the feel was smooth an hour later. after 10hrs, there was just a hint for growth coming back.

Day 2 Shave

• Smoothness: Sharpness seemed to diminish some. The edge could not be felt. This is common with all blades. The shave was smooth and non irritating from the blade cut.
• Tugging: There was no tugging on the sensitive neck areas.
• Razor Burn: Again there was just a slight razor burn on the areas where I did extra buffing. This was noticeable when the aftershave was applied. It lasted only a few seconds.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Another smooth shave that was close with very little irritation.

Day 3 Shave

• Smoothness: Blade seemed a little duller as it seemed to bounce on the chin area. Otherwise the shave was smooth and comfortable again for the third day.
• Tugging: Just a slight hint of tugging on the sensitive neck area.
• Razor Burn: Again there was just a slight razor burn on the areas where I did extra buffing. This was noticeable when the aftershave was applied. It lasted only a few seconds.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Another smooth shave that was close with very little irritation.

Day 4 Shave

• Smoothness: Blade didn't seem to have the bounce feel to it tonight. It cut smoothly and comfortably. The thicker growth areas did require a little buffing but it continued to be a comfortable shave.
• Tugging: Just a hint of tugging on one sensitive area of my neck. It seemed to be a little worse than the night before. However it did not create any skin related problems.
• Razor Burn: Again there was just a slight razor burn on the areas where I did extra buffing. This was noticeable when the aftershave was applied. It lasted only a few seconds.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Another smooth shave that was close with very little irritation.

Day 5 Shave

• Smoothness: Another smooth shave. Blade still seemed relatively sharp. I was in a hurry and did minor buffing on the chin area.
• Tugging: Again,  just a slight hint of tugging on the sensitive neck area. 
• Razor Burn: Again there was just a slight razor burn on the areas where I did extra buffing. This was noticeable when the aftershave was applied. It lasted only a few seconds.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness:  Another smooth shave that was close with very little irritation. Pretty much an identical shave as last night.

Day 6 Shave

• Smoothness: Again I was in a hurry but I still had a smooth shave. Blade still seemed relatively sharp but noticeable tugging is beginning. I was in a hurry and did minor buffing on the chin area.
• Tugging: Tugging was minimal. Instead of using a thin, watery lather for the final pass to get slickness, I opted for a thicker and more dense lather. I think this provided more protection for a closer less painful ATG shave.
• Razor Burn: Again there was just a slight razor burn on the areas where I did extra buffing. This was noticeable when the aftershave was applied. It lasted only a few seconds.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Considering I was in a hurry, I did get a close shave and almost a BBS. I could have achieved that if I took a little more time. I do think that thinker, denser lather on all passes works better than thinning it out. using a shave stick, I achieved the thickness by not wetting the face between lathers.

Day 7 Shave

• Smoothness: After seven days, the blade loosing it's smoothness. It became more difficult to cut the growth and bet a clean pass. The ATG pass was more difficult.
• Tugging: The tugging on the neck area was more noticible tonight. I think that this is this blades last day.
• Razor Burn: Again there was just a slight razor burn on the areas where I did extra buffing. This was noticeable when the aftershave was applied. It lasted only a few seconds.
• Nicks: Another day with no nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: I just didn't get a very close shave this evening. About an hour after the shave when the skin should have settled down,  It was not close. It appeared acceptable, but it did not feel close or comfortable.

 Concluding Thoughts and Score

This blade is a non coated stainless steel blade. It has proven to be a nice comfortable blade that Iwill most certainly be using over again. It is very smooth and gave me weeks worth of shaves without any problems. A sharp blade that is smooth but tends to have a little ATG tugging  on the sixth and seventh shave. This can be overcome by Soap density. This blade will definitely be in my rotation.

If I were to score this blade form 1 to 10 I would rate it an overall 9.

• Sharpness: 9
• Smoothness: 10
• Tugging: 9
• Razor Burn: 8
• Closeness: 9

• Overall: 9

Baili Super Blue Blades

Over the next few weeks I am going to keep a daily running experience of different blades. Mainly so that I can remember what they were like. Hopefully, you will find this interesting or helpful as you try different blades. Each blade will be used for 7 days unless they are a really bad blade.

 

Blade Name

Baili Super Blue Razors - High Quality Platinum Coated, Super Stainless Steel Blades.

Shaving conditions

Beard Type

Light beard growth, thicker on and under the chin, very sensitive on the neck. Susceptible to razor bumps on and under the chin area.

Preshave Prep:

• Shower
• Shave Secret (four drops)
• Van der Hagen Premium soap (Shave Stick)
• Merkur Classic razor
• Soft water
• Maggard 22mm knot synthetic brush

Post Shave:

• Dickenson's Witch Hazel (Blue Bottle)
• Pinaud Clubman Original
• Nivea Balm for Sensitive Skin

The Shave Week

Day 1 Shave

• Smoothness: Very smooth blade and not excessively sharp.
• Tugging: No noticeable tugging when going against the grin on the neck area.
• Razor Burn: Very little razor burn. lasted just a few seconds when the aftershave was applied..
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Shave felt good but lacked a total BBS. I could still feel some stubble when rubbing against the grain in the trouble areas. It was a very comfortable shave and felt very nice afterward. 

Day 2 Shave

• Smoothness: Smoothness was still good but the sharpness seemed to have dropped off just a little bit. However it still cut nicely.
• Tugging: There was no noticeable tugging when going against the grain on the neck area.
• Razor Burn: Again, very little razor burn when aftershave was applied. Skin showed no visible signs of razor bumps or redness.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Another very comfortable shave! Not quite a BBS but there was no soreness, and the feel was smooth. Again a little stubble when rubbed against the grain in the problem areas.

Day 3 Shave

• Smoothness: Blade continues to be very smooth although it is definitely showing signs of loosing it's sharpness. First pass does not remove as much stubble as it did on its first shave.
• Tugging: No tugging on my sensitive neck area.
• Razor Burn: Mild razor burn on and around the chin area where there is the heaviest growth.
• Nicks: One small weeper on the neck that closed off when the cold water was applied.
• Closeness: Not as close as the previous shaves, but still acceptable

Day 4 Shave

• Smoothness: Smoothness is still there, but I think this is due to the fact that the blade is becoming more dull.
• Tugging: No noticeable tugging, but I could detect that is beginning to do so on the neck area. I was having to stretch the skin to adjust to the blade wanting to tug a little.
• Razor Burn: More noticeable razor burn. I think this is due to excessive buffing on the chin area and under the chin to get the stubble off.
• Nicks: Again no nicks.
• Closeness: I have lost the closeness of the shave. It took a lot of buffing to get the stubble down to an acceptable level. After the shave I could still see places where the blade seemed to just roll over the stray growth and left it visible. The chin started to show signs of bumps from excessive buffing to get the strays. 10 hours later I could feel the growth coming back quickly and a little soreness setting in.

 Concluding Thoughts and Score

I decided to stop using this blade after the fourth shave. It was beginning to take to long in chasing the strays and the pickups were not doing well. A smooth blade but it lost its sharpness quickly. This blade might work a little better in a more aggressive razor, but I think there would have been more weepers towards the end of it's sharpness life. Those with a more course beard may find this blade inadequate for their needs. I would suggest this blade if you are experiencing bad razor burn or ingrown hair to allow your skin to recover. Not a great blade, but one that I would buy and use again, but not in large quantities.

If I were to score this blade form 1 to 10 I would rate it an overall 7.

• Sharpness: 5
• Smoothness: 10
• Tugging: 10
• Razor Burn: 8
• Closeness: 4
• Overall: 7

 

Dorco ST300

Over the next few weeks I am going to keep a daily running experience of different blades. Mainly so that I can remember what they were like. Hopefully, you will find this interesting or helpful as you try different blades. Each blade will be used for 7 days unless they are a really bad blade.

Dorco ST300



Dorco ST300

All Dorco blades are micro grinded and coated to provide a smooth, clean shave. This double-edged razor blade offers the most convenient shave at a reasonable price. Made in Vietnam.

Shaving conditions:

Beard Type

Light beard growth, thicker on and under the chin, very sensitive on the neck. Susceptible to razor bumps on and under the chin area.

Preshave Prep:

• Shower
• Shave Secret (four drops)
• Van der Hagen Premium soap or deluxe soap melted into a shave stick.
• Merkur Classic razor
• Soft water
• Maggard 22mm knot synthetic brush

Post Shave:

• Dickenson's Witch Hazel (Blue Bottle)
• Pinaud Clubman Original
• Nivea Balm for Sensitive Skin

The Shave Week

Day 1 Shave

• Smoothness: Average smoothness. The blade felt sharp at the start of the shave, but seemed to loose that sharp feeling toward the end of the shave.
• Tugging: A small amount of tugging on the neck area, but not enough to cause weepers or bumps.
• Razor Burn: Some razor burn on the chin and neck area but diminished after about an hour.
• Nicks: No nicks or weepers.
• Closeness: Shave was not BBS. I had to do quite a bit of buffing on the chin area to get a close shave. After the shave and the skin settled down, I could feel a slight noticeable amount of stubble on the cheeks and visible stubble on the chin. After ten hours, I noticed a shadow appearing and noticeable stubble all over the face and neck.

Day 2 Shave

Change the blade over to my Maggard MR1 razor for a little more aggressive shave for the rest of the week.

• Smoothness: Noticeably sharper blade exposure. Tugging on the neck area increase resulting in a couple of small weepers and more razor burn. Sharpness was still fairly good for the second shave but noticeably duller due to more buffing on the chin area.
• Tugging: More noticeable tugging on the neck area.
• Razor Burn: There was more razor burn present on the second shave compared to the first. I attribute this to the more aggressive razor.
• Nicks: Several small weepers that healed by themselves. A lot of tiny weepers on the front of the chin below the corners of the lips. This area is difficult to shave clean if the razor is dull and produces a lot of little weepers if buffed to much to get a close shave.
• Closeness: After about an hour, the skin felt smooth on the cheeks and neck area, but noticeable stubble could be felt. The chin area still showed stubble that did not cut cleanly and chin area at the lower corners of the mouth was still bumpy, sore and noticible razor bumps were beginning to form.

Day 3 Shave

• Smoothness: The blade felt sharp and ragged. Not smooth at all. My skin felt tender and trying to get a close shave was very painful.
• Tugging: A lot of tugging on the neck area that was painful and produced  several weepers.
• Razor Burn: The razor burn had increased a lot since the last shave
• Nicks: Several weepers on the nick and chin area.
• Closeness: Not close at all. After the shave noticeable stubble was left behind on the chin. The only smooth part of my face were my cheeks. Noticeable razor bumps were appearing on the jaw line by the chin.

 Concluding Thoughts and Score

I had to stop using this blade after three shaves. It was a matter of self preservation.  In my opinion it is not a good blade for tender skin and I could not obtain the closeness I like without damage to the skin. Lots of weepers, stubble and painful skin. I just do not like the way my skin hurt after just three shaves.I doubt very seriously if I will try the ST301 blades that I have.

After these three shaves, I am going to have to go back to the Merkur Classic with the Voskhad blade and eliminate the ATG passes for a while. At least until I heal up.

If I were to score this blade form 1 to 10 I would rate it an overall 4.

• Sharpness: 5
• Smoothness: 2
• Tugging: 3
• Razor Burn: 3
• Closeness: 3
• Overall: 4

A San Antonio Shave

This past week me and the wife went to the TMEA convention in San Antonio (Texas Music Educators Convention.) As always, the downtown area was beautiful and with the hotel on the river walk, well, who could ask for more. I really like these conventions because it gives me an opportunity to hear the All State bands and Orchestras practice and perform. It's really amazing what high school kids can do with music! We also attended several clinics, browsed the exhibits and enjoy great Mexican food.

Shaving, however, is a different story. San Antonio has nice hard water. My first shave told me that the water out of the tap does not lubricate as nicely as my soft water back home. It tends to cause the razor to drag and doesn't interact with the soap very well. I had packed Van Der Hagan Luxury soap for the trip and face lathering was a little more difficult. The lather produced was not well developed and did not offer much lubrication for the shave. I also think that the Merkur Classic razor with a Voskhod blade were not good choices. I think something a little more aggressive and sharper would have done a better job.



Well Groomed Guy

Packing a pre-shave oil was a good idea. I almost made a mistake when I first chose the Shave Secret oil.  Second guessing myself I packed my Pre Shave Oil For Gentlemen made by The Well Groomed Guy. This actually helped some with the lubrication problem. It absolutely helped with the after shave feel and razor burn.

I think next time I go back to San Antonio, I will need to do more research with hard water problems and be better prepared to pack for it.

Blade Review - Wilkinson Sword Classic

Over the next few weeks I am going to keep a daily running experience of different blades. Mainly so that I can remember what they were like. Hopefully, you will find this interesting or helpful as you try different blades. Each blade will be used for 7 days unless they are a really bad blade.

Wilkinson Sword Classic (Black Box)

Wilkinson Sword Classic

Wilkinson blades are stainless steel blades that are triple coated to produce a blade that is sharp, long lasting and smooth. Combinations that all DE shavers want out of their blades. The Manufacturer says:

"Wilkinson Sword Classic Double Edge Razor Blades has been improved by Wilkinson's famous triple coating process of chromium to resist corrosion, ceramic for added durability, and PTFE for less irritation"

Shaving conditions

Beard Type

Light beard growth, thicker on and under the chin, very sensitive on the neck. Susceptible to razor bumps on and under the chin area.

Preshave Prep:

• Shower
• Shave Secret (four drops)
• Van der Hagen Premium soap and Deluxe soap ( melted into a shave stick)
• Merkur Classic razor
• Soft water
• Maggard 22mm knot synthetic brush

Post Shave:

• Dickenson's Witch Hazel (Blue Bottle)
• Pinaud Clubman Original
• Nivea Balm for Sensitive Skin
• 
  

The Shave Week

Day 1 Shave

• Smoothness: Very smooth. Without the feeling of coarseness. Did not take away from the sharpness of the blade. Very good first use smoothness.
• Tugging: No tugging detected as I went against the grain on the neck area. This is my most tender part of the shave.
• Razor Burn: No noticeable razor burn when aftershave was applied.
• Nicks: Four little weepers. Two on the neck and two on the chin. Didn't realize I had them until after the shave was over. Very minor.
• Closeness: Very close shave in most areas. I went easy on the chin. Having just used a Voskhod for a week I was reluctant to do much buffing for a close shave. Two or three touch-up areas.
• 10 Hours Later: Still looks and feels good. What growth has come back is barely noticeable to the feel, however it was visibly noticeable on the chin area

Day 2 Shave

• Smoothness: Smoothness was still noticeable though the sharpness seemed to be diminished a bit.
• Tugging: Just a little bit of minor tugging on the neck area.
• Razor Burn: A little bit of razor burn on the jaw line and chin areas. I w
  as shaving pretty fast as I didn't have a lot of time.
• Nicks: A couple of weepers on the chin and one small cut on the jaw line. This cut was due to my own mistake by being hasty.
• Closeness: Tonights shave was not a close shave. I could see where the chin area was not close even though I buffed after three against the grain passes. About an hour after the shave, I could feel stubble in various places all over my face as well as a little skin soreness. I also noticed where the blade had chaffed areas of the skin causing roughness and discomfort. Not a good shave tonight. If I get similar results the next night, I will call it quits with this blade and give my skin time to heal before I try my next blade.

Day 3 Shave

• Smoothness: The blade seemed to be less sharp and a little smoother. It seems to shave with a little more comfort if the soap is thinner and not as thick.  With this in mind I will continue through the week with the blade.
• Tugging: Slight tugging on neck area. This may be due to the fact that my skin has been irritated some from the blade and it's tenderness is more aggravated by the sharp blade.
• Razor Burn: Some razor burn on the chin area. Hours after the shave, the skin feels slightly "raw" and not comfortable to the hand.
• Nicks: A couple of nicks on the chin and lower lip area.
• Closeness: Much closer than yesterday's shave. This blade likes the soap to be slicker for a smoother shave. However the blades does tend to irritate the skin where it feels sore.
• 10 Hours Later: Normal stubble regrowth, skin tenderness.

Day 4 Shave

• Smoothness: The blade continues to be smooth. Sharpness on the other hand is strangely yes and no. It is sharp enough the smooth both the cheeks, but I just can't get a close shave on the chin area.
• Tugging: The tugging on the neck area seems to have increased some. It is not uncomfortable but the feel of the blade reminds me to be careful. It just feels like a rough sharpness.
• Razor Burn: Got plenty of razor burn on the chin and upper neck area. More than likely it is caused by me trying to get the blade to produce a smooth cut.
• Nicks; No nicks or weepers this shave.
• Closeness: Not a close shave. It seems like this blade started off with promise, but continued to fail each day in delivering a smooth shave.

 Concluding Thoughts and Score

After four shaves, I have decided to call it quites. This particular blade just did not delivery a close shave. When it produced the best cut, it also produced a lot of weepers. Somewhat happy after the first shave. Close, no tugging and no razor burn. Exactly what I am looking for. However it just didn't seem to give them the feeling of comfort and satisfaction I look for in a shave. It may be that blade sharpness and my sensitive skin do not work well together.The blade likes a slicker maybe thinner soap. After four days and continued razor burn, I have decided to finish the week off with the Voskhod and let my skin heal and settle down before I try another blade.

If I were to score this blade form 1 to 10 I would give it:

•  Sharpness 8
• Smoothness 6
• Tugging 7
• Razor Burn: 4
• Closeness: 5
• Overall: 6