Double Edge Razor Blade Sample Pack (3x each)

I never thought I'd be the guy to write a review of a safety razor sampler pack. But here we are.I've been shaving with the same '60's Gillette Red Tip butterfly razor since my father gave it to me 25 years ago. (RIP Mountain Man)I was usually content with whatever Double-Edged Safety Razors the local shop / supermarket had.Right before the pandemic, I moved from a major city with no problem finding blades to a small college town. The frequency of my shaves had gone down over the years to once every three days or so, then COVID hit and I was down at once a week. So the fact that it was getting harder and harder to find blades was mitigated by having to find them less frequently.Finally, the local Kroger, the last hold-out, stopped carrying Double Edge blades entirely. I can't switch to disposables. I use them when I travel, and they are just so, so, so inferior. I see the amount of dead skin that comes off when I use my safety razor and I know I'm getting some free exfoliation out of the deal ;)As everything was opening back up from COVID restrictions, I thought I'd give daily shaving a try again. It's been a lot of fun getting back in to it.Wanting to find a good brand or two to use before I bought a large quantity, I found this sampler which seemed interesting - having a few brands I knew and many I didn't.I don't have any kind of special prep routine. In fact, for years I'd just use a nice lathery bar soap. I'm back to using Gillette shave creme out of a can. But I have started using a dash of skin lotion with some drops of cedar oil to lubricate my face a little extra beforehand, and a splash of Isopropyl Alcohol to see how much the shave abraded the skin in ways that I can't see afterward.The hair follicles on my face are spaced out, but each is quite thick. So with less sharp blades tugging is a huge problem and bumps and razor burn post-shave can be too. In other words, I need a sharp blade but can get decent life out of them.I'll go more or less in ascending order of quality.Vidyut Supermax: The single worst blade I have ever used. Don't use these. Just don't. Give these to a friend you want to lose. They even feel cheap coming out of the paper. They cut so pitifully that I have to buff a lot to get a decent cut, which means razor burn and bumps after.Derby Extra: The next sampler I purchased (review to come) had some Derby Premiums, which are marketed as a better blade. I found that this wasn't the case! The Derby Premiums suck. The Extras will get you through in a pinch. Not particularly sharp, and definitely not long-lasting but they didn't cause any problems. They weren't an impressive cut, and they only lasted a couple shaves. I wouldn't recommend them, but at least they can get you smooth a couple times.Shark Super Stainless: Shark was one of the brands I didn't know. The first blade I was super impressed. But the subsequent ones were just a little better than average. I don't know why, but first blade seemed super sharp. It was an outlier. These are a distinct step up from the Derbys, and I'd say I usually got 3 shaves from these, and they were still cutting okay when I trashed them. Nothing amazing, but decently sharp, decently durable. Not a particularly "smooth" blade if that's your thing. It's not mine, so I probably had more tolerance for their aggressiveness than most folks. This isn't everyone's blade, but there's probably someone out there who loves them, and that's fair.Dorco St301: I had heard of Dorco but never used them. Opposite of the Sharks, the first blade SUCKED, not much better than the Vidyut. But the 2nd and 3rd were a pleasant step back up from there! Similar durability as the Sharks - 3 shaves, 4 if you're lucky. But they're simultaneously "smoother" and a more efficient shave than the Sharks. In the end, I liked the Dorcos, and if this was all I was allowed to use, I wouldn't feel cheated. We're starting to get into "good shave" territory.Wilkinson Sword: I'd used these before, always liked them. Smooth shave. Like the Dorcos, doesn't seem aggressive, but does a similarly good job in the "sharpness" aspect - maybe two to three passes and some buffing required for a truly close shave. However, what sets the Swords apart is they are the single most durable blade in the bunch. I think I got 6 maybe 7 shaves out of the one I've used from this pack. They had some life left with no tug or burn after that week - and I swapped out as much because it was a known quantity and I wanted to try the others. If you want a better than average shave quality with an indestructible lifetime, this is your blade.Astra Platinum: Like the Dorcos, I'd heard of these but never used them. They came more highly recommended too. And they did not disappoint. To me these were the second sharpest blades in the bunch after the Feathers, and the shave experience was really great. They are quite smooth, yet sharp enough that most of the work is done in one pass. They were middle of the road in durability, I can reliably get 4 shaves out of a blade. But once they start to go, they'll let you know, and quick.Feather New Hi Stainless: Reputed as the sharpest commonly available blade in the world. And this is accurate. If you're not an experiences shaver, you can carve yourself up with these. There really is a big gap between the next sharpest blade in this pack and the Feather. For the more experienced shaver, the legend of the one-pass "BBS" shave is not far off. And that made the "shaving experience" more pleasant as well. Definitely were not as "smooth" as the Astras, you could feel the sharpness. For me, they lasted 4-5 shaves. I could have probably pushed this by 1 or 2 if I wanted, but they definitely didn't have the durability of the Wilkinson Swords.So there you go. I hope that helps someone find the right blade for them.

Each brand of razor results in a different shave. Get this pack and find which brand you like the most, then purchase a value pack of them to save money

(Review aimed at men) After thoughtlessly using disposable cartridges for many years, I've used a double-edge razor for a while. I defaulted to Feather blades at the outset because I'd used them previously in a straight razor with which I'd trimmed around a beard when I'd occasionally grow one. The Feather blades are known for their sharpness; you need to be somewhat conservative when you shave with them if you haven't used them before.During the pandemic the price of Feathers rose dramatically (I bought a 100 count pack for $22 in Feb 2020; a year later they were $40!) Anticipating that the price wouldn't fall by the time I needed to reorder blades in 2021, and having no experience with other brands, I thought I'd try this variety pack. So I put aside the Feather blades last winter and tried these. Am glad I did.Your experience will vary with the brand of blade according to the nature of your beard, the degree to which you prepare your skin, the soap you use, and your skill in shaving with a double-edge or straight razor.As I noted, I like the Feather blades because they're extremely sharp and I'm competent enough with the razor not to nick myself more than a couple times a month. However, I was surprised (and pleased) to find that of the seven brands in this variety pack, I'd be quite happy with five of them, including, of course, Feather. In fact, I didn't see a material difference in the quality of shave, or longevity of the blade, I got with the other four compared with Feather. I generally toss my Feather blades after four shaves, as I notice a drop-off in cutting quality after that. I found, however, that I could use the other four blades just as long or longer, and at roughly 1/3 the current price of Feather or less.I noted from other reviewers that they ranked the blades very differently from me. Accordingly, your mileage may vary. If you're just starting out shaving with a safety razor, or, like me, have limited experience with different brands, this variety pack will be well worth the investment. You'll be able to understand which blades are best for you and to have the flexibility to react to price changes if you care about that. Am glad I experimented with these during the past several months.

I'm new to safety razors. I read numerous reviews on several blade manufacturers, then bought this Sample Pack to help me pick one.The results varied from; wow! is there even a blade in the handle to, hell no!I started out with the Astra blade, I think it was on top, then went thru the others.With the Astra, there is no comparison. With my handle set at 1, my shave was the many times closer to any of the others (that even includes my 4 and 5 blade Schick Hydros)!So Astra it is, from now on.One extra caveat; the blades have numbers on them, 1 thru 4 for each edge (1 &2 on one side, 3 & 4 on the other). I plan on using the numbers to help me rotate thru the 4 edges as the blade wears. I thinking I MAY get an extra shave or two if I flip the blade over...we will see.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QY8QXM?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_1NMQ8EEYPS8QBYDWDJVEExtremely happy