Astra-Derby-Shark-Lord-Treet-Sharp 100 Quality Double Edge Razor Blades Sampler (18 different brands)

About a year ago I bought a Henson razor that takes an old style double edge razor blade. The razor itself is designed by engineers and is somewhat different than the clamshell razors of old. There are also several other brands that take the same blade as people are rediscovering that you don't need 5 blades to get a good shave.Shaving with this style of blade was new to me and I must admit to some ignorance. I had kind of assumed that the blades were a commodity, pretty much alike with the differences being in the hardness of the blade to maintain sharpness, whether it was prone to rust or not, and how sharp it was out of the package. Then I ran into several YouTube videos where they rated brands of blades by a whole lot of different features - like how aggressive it was, how comfortable it was, how it would react with your face, etc. They had different methods of getting this information across but the best was a chart that condensed it into rankings by features. They had weeded out the not so good ones and all the ones in the list were quality blades. I was thinking how am I going to get small quantities of these blades so that I would have enough to test but not so many that I would have mountains of blades left over that I didn't like. One of them mentioned sampler packs to solve this issue.Checking on Amazon I found many such packs for sale. The prices were very reasonable. One attraction of using these is the low blade cost, most run about $.10 each and are good for several shaves. You can barely buy a set of modern multi blade cartridges for the same money that will get you 100 blades! I compared the list of recommended brands and matched it up to the sample pack that had the most of those brands included. These blades are made all over the world - USA, Japan, Egypt, England, Turkey, and more.As the videos had stated, they have individual profiles. I like a close shave but it's always been a bit hard to get one that is really close. And I have been comparing the cartridge razors to the double edge ones by shaving different areas of my face with each. I'm just getting started in my evaluation and learning what works with my skin.The blades that came with the razor were good, and equaled the cartridge razor, but I kind of wanted closer. So the first one from the sample pack was a more aggressive one. It did give a closer shave but at the cost of some irritation and it mowed down a bump that the original blade skipped. After three uses, to make sure I was doing it properly, I concluded that this blade is too aggressive for me. And I was warned about this in the videos. So next time I'm going to select a less aggressive one. I ended up with 100 blades in the sample pack which gives me a lot of shaves and testing to do.If you are considering a razor that uses these blades the sample pack is an excellent way to find out what you like. I would advise to choose a modern re-design of the razor itself as the newer ones have learned from the deficiencies in the original clamshell razors and improved on them. Some put tension on the blades so that they remain stiffer. Others differ in the angle the blade contacts your face to maximize cutting and minimize irritation. I'm happy with my Henson but there are other brands also so do some research before making the leap.

Great grab bag. I'm no mathematician but 18, 5 packs isn't 100 razors. That being said it's well over a years worth of razor blades. My favorites are the super power carbon steel blades and the shark stainless. The superpower blades have a very thin edge and cut best on 1st and second shaves they are worn out in a few days. The shark have a thicker edge and really don't shave well until about the 3rd use. But they will last 2 weeks shaving everyday. All the blades are from India or Pakistan. Good way to find a blade you like. Very important to try a blade at least 3x before dismissing it. This is especially important with the stainless blades as they all require at least 1 break in shave. To be clear I mean use the same blade at least 3x they often come from the factory w a microscopic burr that takes time to remove. I also flip my blade after the first shave this helps to break that burr edge. Overall good grab bag. Great for a young person who dosent know what they like. Would make a good gift for a kid leaving home for 1st time. A good safety razor is the other half of a good shave. Quality ones are under $30. I prefer a non adjustable style. But apparently it's a thing to shave and look like you instantly have 5 o'clock shadow, which is where an adjustable can be helpful. Also good for very sensitive skin. The idea being you dial in the shave over 3 or 4 passes. Hope this helps.

Sample pack did its job. I had been using Personna blades in my Merkur 23C , but they seemed to be harsh on my skin while plucking at my coarser beard hairs so I decided to try to find a new blade. The first set I tried (Lord's) didn't seem to be anything special. The second was Big Ben, and it shaved so gently that at first I wasn't sure it was even doing anything. No nicks, no razor burn, just a smooth shave. Very nice. So I found my blade on the second try.