Best Blade for Tough Beards

[KFirth31]

Hey everyone, I have been wet shaving for a few months now and I love it. I am using a Merkur Hefty Classic with Merkur blades. I was looking through some posts and noticed someone had said Merkur blades are not very good for tough beards. So, I was just curious what type of blades you guys would recommend for tough beards? Also, on a side note how often should I replace each blade? I have been replacing them about once a week.

[Sfox7076]

Feathers are the best, but they can do some damage if you aren't careful. Israeli no names are great shavers too... But, in my opinion, get a sampler pack from LetterK. Try them all yourself.

Shawn

[JakAHearts]

I have a beard that would pop balloons. I have good luck with either Derbys or Feathers. Derbys are cheaper so I have mostly them. Once in a while Ill treat myself to a nice sharp feather.

Shane

[KFirth31]

Hey guys, thanks a lot for the quick replies. Three more questions to add to the list.

1. How does one go about getting a sampler pack from LetterK?
2. Where is the best place to buy blades (I live in the US).
3. Do some blades last longer than others, to add to the question in my original post.

Thanks

[northadams]

Don't forget those wonderful Gillette blades produced in Sweden. They cut a tough beard as well as a feather imo. I have forgotten at the moment but there is a pharmacy (web site) in the UK that ships them within 10 days or so.

Max

[Leisureguy]

You can get the sampler packet here.

Let me also direct you to this post, which discusses various options for tough beards beyond the blade---the Slant Bar, for example.

Here's where I get my Swedish Gillettes.

[Ouchmychin]

I assume you mean DE blades only. i also vote for feathers but I don't think my beard qualifies for tough----except I have a real hard time with the shortest stuff. I have posted here[/url]http://www.shavemyface.com/forum/viewto ... 4816[url]a reference to my experiences with DE blades. Yesterday I got a bbs shave from my fusion that I aready used maybe 10 times and set aside. I had to go through all the passes and polishes the same way I do wih a DE blade to get to bbs. So maybe you should give one of them a try.[/url]

[notthesharpest]

Also, on a side note how often should I replace each blade? I have been replacing them about once a week.

When to replace your blade depends on two things: comfort and effectiveness. A blade that is too old will pull your hair because it isn't cutting very well. A day or two before that, you may notice the shave is not so good and ditch the blade early. It's up to you.

[acoldspoon]

I have a somewhat sparse, yet tough as wire beard. I also have light skin and dark hair. The ONLY DE blade that gives me a decent shave is Feather. I get two shaves from each side, so four shaves from each blade. Sometimes I can get three shaves from each side, but never push it more than that. For a smooth shave of my upper lip area, I really can only rely on a Schick Injector with OEM Schick blades. It can be done with a Feather loaded DE, but is much harder to do without burn.

[StGeorge]

I have a tough beard also, my advice would be to ditch the Merkurs and try some of the other blades mentioned. I also only use a blade 3 times max and I also use a quality pre-shave oil such as T&H ( which seems to be a bone of contention to some but it works for me ). I also prefer an adjustable razor which I can crank up to get a closer shave, YMMV on this one.

Tony

[bernards66]

Evening, As you can see, there is no agreed upon 'best'. I have a pretty tough beard, and the 'Swedish Gillettes' cut the best for me ( these are Gillette branded DE blades sold in Britian, and probably in the Scandinavian countries, and also in Greece ).
Regards,
Gordon

[Sam]

Tough beard as well (grey hairs are coarser, lol). Feathers and Swedish Gillettes definitely. I can use Israeli Personnas, Merkurs (though the tend to pull) and Derbys. If I can continue to get good deals for the Feathers, say $3.00 or so for the 10 pack, Ill continue with them.

Sam

[sbacher]

You can get 100 Feathers for $25 here:

http://www.cottonblossomcrafts.com/shave_page_9.htm

Steve

[John Galt Austria]

Unfortunately they don't ship to Europe.

[2]

I have always felt my beard was quite tough and wiry.
I often keep a goatee or some sort of facial hair. So today I pulled a few hairs out and looked at them.

I am actually amazed how thick and hard they are.

Completely just a theoretical wish but, I wish there was a way to compare in a sense. I know a board member used high end microcalipers to measure all the DE blade thickness'. It would be nice to get a scientific stance on your beard type.

For my (IMO) tough wiry beard, Feathers & Derby's work well. I am still trying out many diff blades.

[jvan]

My wife has described my beard as being very much like a Brillo pad and I have had excellent results using the inexpensive U.S. made Personna blades.

[mparker762]

I've got a fairly tough beard, and prefer the US Personna. They're really cheap, so you can use a new blade every day if you want without feeling the pinch.