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