SMF

But seriously folks . . . Today I shaved with my 1970 black-handled Super Adjustable set at "1" with a fresh (day #1) Personna Hospital Use blade. With a single lathering, and one-pass plus touchups and blade-buffs, I would say I got an almost perfectly close shave. Like 9.8/10 or somethin...

Smooth and shallow will always be the way to go for me personally

Hmm, smooth and shallow. I think my ex-girlfriend once described me using just those words!

At the very last minute, more or less on a whim, I reached for my Valobra stick today, which I haven't used in quite some time. Oh my, my. I'd sort of forgotten what a superb performer this little gem is. Unusually (for me), I face-lathered with it, after rubbing the stick all over my face and beard...

Pleased indeed to see you again, and thanks for that great story (well told, I might add) of your "shave travels." I certainly understand the syndrome of constantly chasing after something better. Not necessarily a bad thing - after all it led you to wet shaving (and - more importantly - B...

FWIW, I find that part of my technique for getting a great shave at a low setting involves more skin-stretching than is typical for me. Just today, I used my Super Adjustable at "1" and got a truly outstanding shave. (Great prep, of course, is also key.) But in one pass plus touch up, usin...

ROFL!! And here I pictured this HIGHLY structured process, involving custom-written computer software for DE blade selection, using algorithms based on past razor and blade pairings, spreadsheets about blade-longevity, a humidity-controlled storage unit, possibly a computer-operated automat-type of ...

Ok, so, this may be as good a time as any to start off by re-stating what most of us already know: probably nobody alive knows more about DE blades than Squire. The testing, reviews, examination, etc. over many years of all those blades puts him in a class by himself. He is our very own DE blade ora...

My main point of reference is my Gillette Red Tip compared to my black-handled Super Adjustable. Just had a great shave - close, very comfortable, DFS - with my adjustable set on "2". So, no doubt, mild razors can get the job done beautifully. OTOH ... my Red Tip can achieve similar or (ju...

I would add NOS Gillette Platinum Plus to the vintage blade Hall of Fame. Superb, IMO. But I tend to agree that some current production blades are right up there. For me, I'd rate the Polsilver Super Iridium and the Personna Hospital Use as being fully competitive with anything ever produced. But th...

Too bad, but at least you tried. If you've only used one blade in the pack, you might try a second, just to be sure you didn't accidentally hit a dud blade on your first try. Also, I would've said that the blades might have deteriorated over the years, but that seems pretty unlikely with a NOS, seal...

Ahem . . . moving on! I love my Red Tip, and use it as one of my primary "go to" razors. It's does a superb job for me. Shaved with it today with a new hospital use blade. About as close to perfect as it gets! For me, the Red Tip just nails the sweet spot on the closeness/comfort continuum...

As ever, this is a "YMMV" thing . . . for some of us, re-lathering over and over causes problems. For others, it's an enjoyment thing of doing multiple passes for a closer shave. My point is that a one-pass (or one-pass + touchup, but no additional lather), can be a very viable option. Int...

There is, IMO, much to be said for this elderly gentleman's one-pass method. I've posted before that I can't get on with the 4pass SMF Gold-standard shave. Especially the idea of multiple re-latherings of a just-shaved face -- my skin doesn't respond at all favorably. A great prep for me consists of...

I started shaving just as Gillette Trac II was hitting the market. My dad naturally taught me to use a DE, but the Trac II was all the rage and so I more or less started out using both a Gillette DE (a black handled SS) and a Trac II. Fairly quickly I noted that the Trac II caused problems for me wi...

While I certainly can't endorse paying $115 (or probably even $85) for a vintage Gillette, I would go on record as strongly PRO as regards the "Red Tip." It's my best DE. I've written about this razor a number of times on here. For me, it is a preternatural match for my beard and skin. I'v...

Can anyone explain the implications of this news for the Personna Hospital Use blades? Is it time for a 1000 blade stockpile?

I'm sure they're widely available, Amazon, etc. I get mine from West Coast Shaving. Just received an order of 100 of these -- I'm a satisfied customer.

Hahahaha!! On another forum a Gillette employee dropped some fascinating hints & info regarding this. Unfortunately, many did not like what he said. Personally, I like some of the old blades as well, with the Schick Plus Patinum & Super Chromium being superb. However, sputtering, coatings &...

A secret inside source.

Just what SMF has always needed -- our very own DE "Deep Throat" !!

The Silver Blue & Gillette Platinum are =< as well. The metallurgy of today is light years ahead of 1970's blades as well as coatings. I have no idea if that is true or not, but I can say that it is certainly surprising and runs counter to the day-to-day experiences of many SMF members who have...