What Is The Best Double Edge Safety Razor Blade To Use?
During my time at Executive Shaving I don’t think a day passed when I wasn’t asked ‘which safety razor blade is best for me’?
The answer to that question is dependent on several factors:
1. What is your skin type?
2. How dense and tough are your beard bristles?
3. Which razor will you be using?
4. How often will you shave?
5. How old are you?
These were the main considerations I needed to recommend the most appropriate blade. Let’s consider why these questions are important.
Skin Type
Someone with sensitive skin that’s prone to cuts, razor burn, and post-shave irritation will be best served with a mild blade such as a Personna razor blade while someone with no skin problems can choose a sharper blade such as a Feather razor blade.
Denseness and Toughness of Beard Bristles
If you have a light growth and soft bristles once again a mild blade such as Personna should be your starter blade, conversely if your bristles are dense or tough a sharper blade is recommended for you.
Which razor will you be using?
The razor you use is critical, a razor that has a large blade gap will shave you very close, razors such as the Executive Shaving Outlaw, Muhle Rocca and R41 razors and adjustable razors when dialled up to a high number, all fall into this category.
Mild shaving razors such as the Merkur 34C, the Muhle R89 and Giesen & Forsthoff Timor razors, all have lower blade gaps and therefore deliver a milder shave.
It is down to the user whether to twin a close shaving razor with a close shaving blade. The thought of using a Muhle R41 with a Feather blade terrifies me. Personally, a Feather blade with a close shaving razor is just too much for me. Conversely, a Merkur 34C twinned with a Personna blade would need too many passes to give me a close shave.
Many users I know prefer a mild shaving razor with a sharp blade, the Merkur 34C and a Feather blade is one of my favourite combinations.
How often will you shave?
How often you shave is important; I now typically shave three times a week and the combination that works best for me is my Executive Shaving Outlaw razor and Tiger blades.
If you shave daily, a mild razor with a mid-sharp blade such as Tiger should be considered.
If you shave weekly or so, an Outlaw with a Feather blade will do a great job in two passes.
How old are you?
Your age is a factor, as the older you get, the thinner your skin becomes and trust me, a sharp blade and a close shaving razor on thin skin is a combination that needs your full concentration and a light touch. As your skin thins, it loses fat and shaving nicks will take longer to heal. Safety razor users over the age of 60 should consider mild shaving razors and blades.
Experimentation Is Key To Finding the Right Blade
There are many similar blades to choose from, so how do you choose which is best for you? The best answer to that question is to experiment; through trial and error you will find the best razor and blade combination for you.
If you’re a newbie start off with Personna or Tiger, Personna are the mildest, Tiger is marginally sharper, finish the packs, don’t rush into choosing a favourite.
As your experience grows, step up to closer shaving blades such as Gillette Silver Blue, Astra and Super Shave X.
Eventually you’ll find the blade that meets your personal requirements.
My top five Double Edge Safety Razor Blades
- Personna - consistently high quality, inexpensive, mild on the skin yet very efficient.
- Tiger - highly efficient, no post shave irritation. I manage to get six shaves per blade from Tiger compared to four from Personna.
- Feather - best for users with tough and dense bristles, treat with respect their Ninja nickname is well deserved.
- Super Shave X - platinum coated, very smooth on the skin, mid range in terms of sharpness.
- Astra - very popular worldwide and rightly so. Efficient, fuss-free, and consistently good quality over many years.
Russian Made Blades
Before the war in Ukraine it was easy to source Russian made Gillette razor blades including Gilette Silver Blue, 7 o’clock Green and Yellow, Voskhod and Perma-Sharp, these blades were much loved by many, sadly they’re no longer readily available. Any stock of Russian made blades that are available will be old stock.
Beware Cheap Fake Blades Online
Be wary about offers that seem too good to be true! I once bought five sleeves of Feather blades online from Turkey on eBay, they were counterfeit, the packaging looked good but there was no printing on the blades. Thankfully eBay refunded me. There are many lesser known, very inexpensive blades available online, I avoid them. Where are they made? What hygiene standards are they manufactured to? If you have any doubts - don’t buy them.
You can buy all your blades from Executive Shaving in full confidence of both quality and provenance.
Traveling with Blades
You cannot take double edge blades as air travel hand luggage. You can take the razor onboard, provided it is not loaded with a blade. I enjoy my regular trips to Spain, and I have bought blades in larger Mercadona and Eroski supermarkets. Many Spanish barbers also sell double edge blades. I have also seen barbers in Dublin and Cyprus selling blades.
So that’s my guidance to you about choosing the right razor blade for your razor. Remember to experiment with different brands of blades, as the difference each blade makes in your razor will be quite surprising.
Enjoy.
Regards, Brian.