Road Woes

I’ve been traveling this weekend and the shaves I’ve had on the road weren’t particularly satisfying.   My shaving setup was as follows:

• Shark Super Stainless blade
• Weishi razor
• Arko Shave Stick / Tom’s of Maine Calendula Shave Cream
• Aqua Velva Ice Sport AS

Two problems presented themselves during my first foray into DE shaving on the road:

The Shark/Weishi combination is not a good one.  The Weishi is too mild for this blade.  My shaves were smooth but not nearly close enough.  The Weishi stays home on the next trip and I’ll pack the more aggressive Feather Portable.  I will also audition some blade/razor combinations before setting out, although I already know the Crystal blade works well in the Portable.  I may also put my backup Gillette Fatboy into service as my travel razor since a Fatboy is my everyday razor and I already know which blades perform well in it.

I was very disappointed in the Arko Shave Stick.  The stick felt very hard and I wonder if mine had dried out before I received it.  I found it difficult to achieve a decent lather, even after face lathering with my boar travel brush.  Worse, as I shaved I found the Arko soap was clogging my razor to the point I had to remove the blade and manually remove the soap from the head before proceeding.

The TOM shave cream performed better than the Arko.  The lather was more generous and didn’t clog the razor.  The shave was comfortable but still not close enough.  The Calendula scent was too medicinal to be pleasant but was only a minor inconvenience.  I may find a container that will allow me to take my usual Van Der Hagen Select shave soap on the road with me.

The Weishi – Feather experience

Weishi polished gold razor

I do not like Feather razor blades.  My slight, unhappy experience with them is documented in an earlier post.  Still, I have nine blades remaining in the pack that came in a sampler I purchased and I am just too frugal to waste them.  To that end, I began to search for a razor that can tame the beast that is the Feather double edge blade.

My wife gave me a Weishi polished gold safety razor for Yuletide.  This is a beautiful, well-made razor and the only non-vintage razor in my collection.  With a reputation for being very mild and forgiving, I decided to try a Feather blade in Weishi and see if I could get a comfortable shave from the combination of the world’s most aggressive razor blade and the Weishi.

As is my custom with testing razor blades, I undertook three shaves with the Feather in the Weishi.  I used my usual preparation for each shave – a shower with a thorough soaking of the beard and a liberal application of shave soap (Ugly Mug Sandalwood amended with an additional ounce of glycerin).  After three days this is what I discovered.

The Weishi does a good job of taming the the Feather razor blade.  My shaves were much more comfortable than the ones I received using the more aggressive Gillette Fatboy (at any setting).  That is not to say that even with this combination I got the proverbial baby-butt shave.  Even with the mildness of the razor, the old problems I experienced with the Feather exist.  There is still very little “face feel” from the blade.  Maneuvering the blade around my face was like sliding on ice, not nimbly negotiating the curves and edges as happens with my usual blades (Astra Super Platinum, Crystal, Derby, Lords, Red Personna).  I escaped without injury but I did suffer some low grade irritation of my face and I found using an after shave balm to be advisable.

In summary, the Weishi makes my remaining Feather blades usable, if not enjoyable, and is probably a good choice for those who want to use these blades but find other razors insufficently mild.  As for me, once my small supply of Feathers is exhausted I will not reorder more.  The Weishi will be added to my rotation of razors and will be used to with other sharp blades (KAI, Sharp, Shark) to make them more comfortable to use.

Lord Super Stainless & Classic razor blades – a review

The Lord Super Stainless is a very nice blade. Even taking it out of its wrapper it felt like an unusually thin, light blade. The first shave with the Lord was smooth and nearly effortless, although I did pay special attention to my technique. The Lord is very sharp and I’m sure it could make you pay for any lack of attention. My second shave was also very good and I was thinking that the Lord may have more than the usual (for me and this test) 3 shaves in it. Unfortunately, the third shave with the Lord began to pull and drag. I finished with a good shave but I retired the blade with no misgivings. Nevertheless, the Lord is a top-notch blade that gave me two of the best shaves I’ve had to date.

I received a package of Lord Classic blades recently.  I was looking forward to using them since I had previously had a good experience with the Lord Super Stainless blades.  My disappointment was pronounced as I found the Classics to be harsh to my skin and they pulled and dragged throughout the shave.

The Lord Classics look exactly like the Supers out of their packaging, even down to their being printed with the term Super Stainless on the blade.  I can only surmise that the difference between them is the lack of some coating.

Gillette Platinum razor blade – a review

The Gillette Platinum blade commands a loyal following and I can see why. It proved to be a very sharp blade that gave a smooth and comfortable shave even with my ordinary preparation. Even on my third shave there was no pulling or dragging. Although not the cheapest blade in the test, the Gillette Platinums have the advantage in that they are generally available. I live in a small village but my local grocery has them in the Toiletries section. They are $7.00+ for a ten pack but it is good to know that, in a pinch, I can buy a quality blade and don’t have to settle for house brands.

Merkur razor blade – a review

The testing of the Merkur Platinum Stainless blade came to an abrupt halt. I tried to keep to the regimen I had established but I eventually decided it wasn’t worth the effort. The first shave with the Merkur was terrible with the blade pulling and dragging across my face. I adjusted my Fatboy but it didn’t help. By the end of the shave I felt as if I had shaved with an industrial blade made for paint scraping.

Now I was prepared to bravely press on and complete the obligatory 3 shave test, even though I was dreading remaining 2 shaves. And then I realized that the Merkur had already failed the test, at least to my mind.

I probably don’t do the world’s best prep before shaving. Usually I do a thorough wash with a hot, soapy wash cloth; a rinse with the same cloth; and then set about lathering. For the Merkur test I had taken a long, hot shower, and, knowing I would be shaving immediately after, soaped my face twice. Since I shave within 5 minutes of showering, this should have been ideal conditions for a fine shave. The Merkur delivered a terrible shave even under these conditions. That being the case, I declared the Merkur test complete.

Crystal Platinum razor blade – a review

I had read a lot about the Crystal blade and I knew they had a big following. After my 3 shave trial with the blade, I know why. This is a very nice blade, sharp but giving me the right amount of feedback so I can effectively control the razor. Also, my third shave with the Crystal felt as good as the first one. I found that 3 shaves was the maximum number for the Derby but when I retired the Crystal it was only to comply with my self-imposed testing regimen. I was certain that there was at least one more good shave left in that blade, perhaps more. I am looking forward to seeing how many shaves I can get from the Crystal but that will have to wait until I finish testing my current supply of blades. I am only on the third blade of the test, but I could certainly see the Crystal as being my everyday blade.

Derby Extra razor blades – a review

Blade two was the Derby Extra, selected because of all the comments, on the wet shaving message boards and elsewhere, about how this is a good blade for beginners. The Derby immediately solved the problem I had with the Feather, namely, lack of face feel. The first shave with the Derby was comfortable and, although obviously not as sharp as the Feather, effective. Even taking a third pass in some areas did not cause nicks or razor burn. The quality of shave did wane during the third shave. Three seems to be the maximum number of shaves I can expect from the Derby. Overall, this is a forgiving blade that gives a controllable and comfortable shave. It’s too early to tell if this will be my “go-to” blade, but it’s likely I will use this blade again.

Feather razor blades – a review

Feather razor blades come from Japan.  They have the reputation of being the sharpest double edge razor blade available.

My three day trial with the Feather blade left me wondering if the move to DE was a good idea. The Feather may well be the sharpest blade in the market but it presented me with a serious problem right from the beginning. I had absolutely no “face feel”, no feedback from the blade. Maybe some would like a shave so “smooth” that it feels like the razor is just removing the shave soap, but not me. I like to know what’s happening at the skin level when I shave. I played with the adjustment but it didn’t seem to matter.

With no feedback, the shaving experience was not good. Nicks and razor burn became the rule, not the exception. After three days my face looked like I just survived a car crash without a seat belt.

I may revisit Feathers some time in the future using the milder Gillette Slim adjustable razor, but right now, with so many options to choose from, I don’t think Feather blades figure large in my DE future.