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.

Great kit to let you try different blades. Below is my review/opinion of the different razors. I had used Feather razors in the past, but after trying all the brands in this kit, I ended up liking the Dorco's the most. It's great to try out the different blades before you go out and and order a 50-100 pack! Feather: sharp but Nicks a lot Shark: doesn't last long, Nicks after a few uses and doesn't shave close Astra superior platinum: good smooth shaved, lasts awhile - try again 2nd try - a number of small cuts, not good. Cutlass: good smooth shave, no nicks, try again Dorco: great smooth shave. Not as close, but blade lasts a long time. Few/no knicks. Compare to Cutlass. 2nd use - great smooth shave, Zero cuts after a few days use. Derby Extra - super smooth, no nicks. Maybe not closet shave ever? Lasts a long time. A favorite for sure. Vidyut Super-Max - not super close shave, not super smooth either. Skip. Good shave after a few uses. No nicks, smooth close shave. Wilkinson sword - very close shave, but lots of knicks on chin.

Great overall value but the blades should not just be placed together in a plastic bag for shipping. The blades are delicate pieces of metal that can bend/break/chip easily during shipping.

This sampler was the perfect combination of brands, quantity, and price. Enough blades of each brand to make sure performance of one blade isn't a fluke but not too many so you're stuck with a lot of blades you don't like. It has all the major brands (Feather, Astra, Wilkinson, Derby, Shark, et. al.) and a good mix of aggressive and smoother blades. Best of all, the price is very reasonable for what you get without the need to invest as much as the razor itself. The vendor was overseas but shipping was prompt and follow-up communications were made to make sure all was satisfactory. This is great for those new to DE shaving or those just looking to switch things up a bit and maybe find a new favorite. Happy Shaving! BTW - have tried 3 brands and like Astra best, so far.

A good selection of blades ranging from very mild to very sharp. I started with the mildest blade and worked my way up in sharpness until I found the balance of closeness and comfort I was looking for. If a blade doesn't shave well for you, it's not that you got a bad blade, it's that you used the wrong blade for your skin/beard type. If you don't find what you're looking for in this sampler, just try another sampler with a different selection...There's probably over a hundred different blades on the market.

I have returned to DE shaving and had purchased this to try different blades to find one that I really like. So far I have tried, three different blades. I will report back once that I have gone through one of each blade. As a side note, I am finding that I really like the close shave that I came getting. I used DE blades long ago, but was never really shown how to shave properly. I always ended up looking like my face was a battlefield. I have checked out some YouTube videos on the way to shave and have been impressed with the clean shave and soft face after shaving. It really feels great after shaving when I rinse my face with cold water to close the pores. If you do not know about or how to shave with Double Edge blades, I would suggest you try this.

Get this if you are starting out with safety razors so you can find a blade you like.

they are razor blades and work fine what more can i say .. If new to wet (De) Shaving then pick up this or another sample pack. You may find the blades or brands for you

A decent selection of blades to try out and 3 of each blade is enough to get a good feel for each one. As with all samplers, some suit me better than others... but that is the whole point. The initial order arrived missing the blades from 2 of the manufacturers listed. I contacted the seller and after some e-mail back and fore, a complete new order was dispatched with a whole new set of all blades and I was told to keep the original order as a courtesy - excellent customer service.

Wish4blades has excellent customer service and resolved my questions/confusion beyond my expectations. Would buy from them again!

It wasn't the best sample pack that I bought, but it was good to try different blades. The description when I bought it said it comes with a feather, but it didn't come with one. The best suited for me were Astra and Dorco.