Choosing the right blade
22 October 2019
This article will not compare the razor blades on the market nor suggest a brand. Because, as you know, everyone has a different skin and beard structure, a blade that suits one person may not be the best match for another. It is not only the skin and beard type; but also your choice of razor, your hand pressure, your face preparation, your water and even your psychology has a role on your blade preference. So you need to find your favorite blade with trial.
Then why are we writing this article? Because some people, especially beginners, may have some prejudices or standfast ideas about razor blades mostly from various internet or social media readings which create a tendancy to buy the blades in packs of 100 or more without even trying the blade. This creates a big risk of dissapointment. The basic rule to prevent this, is not to rush, to try different products and not to be prejudiced. In this article, we tried to explain the razor blades without referring to any brand to prevent any kind of misguidance.
What prejudice?Let's put quality aside and look, what makes a blade good?
Our priority in traditional shaving is a comfortable and pleasant shave as close as possible. Therefore, a good blade is a pleasant blade that offers close shaving with maximum comfort. It should glide over on your face smoothly, cut the whiskers without any tugging, clean the beard well without any need to shave same area over and over and should not cause any razor burn or irritation after the shave. So, our expectations are quite high.
The sharpness of razor blade
When using a less sharp blade, these risks are reduced and the comfort is increased. Also, it’s easier to get comfortable shaves for beginners and the skin is generally less tired. Therefore, we can say that the moderately sharp blades are generally more comfortable for regular daily shaving. But if the sharpness is too low then the blade may not shave well. It may tug, won’t glide on the skin, will require more passes over the same area which may cause an unpleasant and perhaps uncomfortable shave and will ultimately give a shave that is not very close. Below, we briefly summarize the effects of sharpness:
Razor blades with lower sharpness
Low nick and irritation risk
Generally, more comfortable shaves
Allow faster shaves
More suitable for beginners
Better suitable for regular daily shaves
Tugging, the need to shave the same area over and over, uncomfortable shaves if the sharpness is TOO low
Razor blades with higher sharpness
Closer, comfortable and smooth shaves
No need to shave the same area over and over for close results
Need for a slower, more careful shave
Less suitable for beginners
May tire the skin more
The risk of cuts, nicks, irritation, razor burns and uncomfortable shaves especially in beginners' hands if the sharpness is TOO high
So far, we've only touched on the sharpness. Moreover, remember that sharpness will have different effects on every skin and beard. If you have a medium or less beard, a moderately sharp blade can work for you better, but if you have a dense or coarse beard, then it may be inadequate. In such a case, you may need a sharper blade. Or let's say you have a very sparse beard. Instead of a mild blade, you can be done with a very sharp blade in just one pass.
Are you someone who has to shave daily? A very sharp blade may cause skin fatigue in the short term. Is your skin very sensitive, but your beard is dense? There is a risk of irritating your skin if you use a very sharp blade in such a difficult situation, but also if you use a mild blade, there is still a risk of skin fatigue as you won’t be able to shave your beard clean enough and will have to shave the same area many times. So, you have to try something in between; a good shaving, moderately sharp blade.
Coatings
Durability
How many shaves you can get from a blade is mostly depends on you. Some people use a blade only once, then throw it away. But the truth is that almost every blade can be used more than once. The average figure is 2 to 4 shaves. But remember, this figure will vary greatly depending on the blade, the beard and the experience of the person, the razor, the soap or cream used and how the face is prepared. The same blade can give 5 to 10 good shaves to a person while becoming unpleasant in the third shave for another person. Of course, people with less dense beards are luckier to easily get more shaves from the same blade. Some blades significantly last longer than others but we won’t give you a brand name to avoid any misguidance. As we said, you should try them yourself and find the right blades. Don’t forget though; double edge razor blades are relatively cheap and you don’t need to get so many shaves out of a blade. Avoid turning it to a competition for your shaving comfort and health.
