Thread: Which blades to start with with my new DE razor

Hello everyone,

I recently purchased an Edwin Jagger de89l double edge razor and about 12 different packs of razors. Until now I have only used Merkur and 2 packs of Feathers (iin the black and silver packaging) when I was still a little inexperienced. I'm still not perfect, but I'm coming into my own I was hoping to get some advice on which blades to try first. Here is the list of what I bought. I am also wondering if there is any difference between the yellow packaging Feathers and the silver and black packaging in terms of sharpness, quality, etc. Anyway, here are the blades I got:

Astra Superior Platinum
Derby
Feather Hi-Stainless (Yellow Packaging)
Gillette 7 O'Clock (Yellow Packaging)
Gillette 7 O'Clock (Green Packaging)
Shark Super Stainless
Shark Super Chrome
Personna Platinum (Red Pack Personnas)
Treet Durasharp
Treet Platinum
Lord Platinum

I think that's all of them but I'm not sure. Bullgooseshaving didn't send me an email with what I purchased so I won't be sure until I get them. Any advice on which to try first with the Edwin Jagger would be appreciated.

Thanks,
KWood

Nice assortment of blades there. It may behoove you to start with a less aggressive blade to start with and progress from there. Derby and Red IP's are a good starting point.

I agree, Derby and Personna would be good for a beginner. Astra is a good brand too. I'm not sure about the Treets as I've never used them.

The feathers are all the same no matter the packaging. I agree the Darby are pretty well known as mild mannered blades with the feathers at the top of the heap for sharpness. However to tell you the truth I don't know if there really are such things as starter blades. It's just a matter of what combo works best with your DE and your skin so you just experiment.

I would opt for using the Gillette (Yellow package), Lord, Shark, Personna, and Treet razor blades first. I've used them all and they deliver good shaves.

I've heard good things about Derby blades too, but some people complain that the quality is not consistent--a dull blade or two in the package.

I would save the Feathers for last. They're exceptional razor blades, but rather expensive compared to other brands. If you're on a budget, the DE razor blades I mentioned first are probably the best buy.

So far, I've used Merkurs and Derbys with my my Merkur Classic 1904 and both have done well for me.

If I use a DE (sometimes) I only use the Red Personna for the Edwin Jagger and the Feather- blade for the Feather-DE, nothing else.

I started using merkur blades, then personnas and now use feathers. This particular progression worked well for me, I found it's a good idea to move up in sharpness as you become more skilled with a de. Also this way you don't waste money on more expensive blades when you don't have the skill to get all of the potential out of them as you can.

Originally Posted by KerryWood34

Astra Superior Platinum
Derby
Feather Hi-Stainless (Yellow Packaging)
Gillette 7 O'Clock (Yellow Packaging)
Gillette 7 O'Clock (Green Packaging)
Shark Super Stainless
Shark Super Chrome
Personna Platinum (Red Pack Personnas)
Treet Durasharp
Treet Platinum
Lord Platinum
KWood

Hello, KWood:

I would start in the following order:
Personna, Derby, Treat, Astra, Gillette green, Gillette yellow, Feather. Shark and Lord have a hit and miss reputation. I would use them for travel — one shave and out.

Regards,

Obie

Originally Posted by Obie

Hello, KWood:

I would start in the following order:
Personna, Derby, Treat, Astra, Gillette green, Gillette yellow, Feather. Shark and Lord have a hit and miss reputation. I would use them for travel — one shave and out.

Regards,

Obie

I couldn't agree more. I find the Personnas to be a forgiving blade and they have always been my go tofor trying any new razor.