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

Finding Your Every Day Shave

Everybody should have an everyday shave. You know, the one that you can default to in a hurry and afterwards feel great. Finding that perfect shave takes a little time and patience but it pays off in the long run. In fact, with my hectic schedule I have been defaulting to the "old reliable" shave more and more.

Acquisition disorder

When I first started DE shaving, I was absorbing every bit of information I could find. Early on, I fell to the temptation of "Get Everything" and ended up with a closet full of things that I will never completely use. Actually there is nothing wrong with that. But after awhile you find yourself gravitating to certain things while others are left unused. With a box full of blades, razors, and creams, I often stare at them thinking What do I use now that will give me a good satisfying shave? Holding my head in my hand I often say "It doesn't matter, just grab something and let's go." But in all reality, if you own three or four creams, you have a years worth of shaves easy!

In the midst of all of this though, you can find your perfect shave if you are patient and willing to take some time working at it. After two years, it was just this past week that I hit upon my perfect shave.

The Razor

I own six razors. The range from mild to moderately aggressive. Two of these razors gives me

consistently good shaves with minimal weepers and low razor burn. My Edwin Jagger and my Merkur Classic. Of the two the Merkur classic has quickly become my preferred everyday razor. It's knurled handle is easy to grip. The weight of the razor is just right for me, and finally, less razor burns and nicks. Easy to handle, it's my go to razor!

The Soap

Van Der Hagen Luxury

One of the mistakes that I made in regards to soaps is not using one soap consistently for a long period of time. When I first started DE shaving, I went crazy and bought a drawer full of soaps and creams. Every day it was a different soap or cream. My thought was I wanted to enjoy the experience of them all. What I didn't realize is that it takes time to enjoy the full benefit of the soap and that benefit is the long lasting effect it has on the smoothness of your face after the shave. The shave lasts ten minutes. The after effect lasts for hours. When a particular soap conditions the skin over time, and the lasting effects is expected and enjoyed. That is what you want. High price is not necessary for a good shave and trying to like the urinal puck smell is not necessary for a good cheap soap.

After two years, I have found that the Van Der Hagen Luxury soap to be my go to soap. It has a pleasant aroma, it face lathers quickly, slickness is acceptable and the skin conditioning has no comparison. Being glycerine based, I microwave the puck and pour it into a twist up container. Doing this makes it portable, easy to use with less clean-up.If I were to have a second and third choice it would be the Van Der Hagen Deluxe followed by Palmolive Classic with Palm Oil. With all things considered, Van Der Hagen just shines through as a perennial winner for me!

The Blade

Find your razor and your soap first, then find your blade. With over a hundred different blades on the market today, finding one that has the right combination of sharpness and smoothness may take some time. Blades tend to be a little wild on the first shave, but settle down after the first couple of shaves. For me and my light beard, I prefer smoothness over sharpness. It's more important that I do not shave the skin and smooth blades works best. For this cause, I generally fall back on Voskad blades. These don't feel sharp but feel dull, but they cut close and smooth. It does take a little getting used to the "bounce" feel that I get from a light weight razor.

Aftershave and balm

Pinaud Clubman

Nivea Balm

Without doubt Pinaud Clubman original is the best out there. It is not

strong, it has that old barbershop fragrance , and when it dries it leaves a baby smooth powdery feel. Couple that feel with the softness left by VHD soaps and you have a winning combination that just can't be matched! Finishing up with Nivea for sensitive skin and you will find yourself rubbing your face ten hours after!

So find your everyday shave, and then as time permits, stray from it a little to try new things. You will always have the satisfaction of knowing that you have something to come back to when things start to get a little rough!