Consistency in testing - my gear.

I suppose if I'm going to review different blades and compare one to another, the razor and soap should really be the same throughout. I may well over the course of the coming months and years decide to review a soap on its own, but I'll always make it clear if I'm ever using any other eqiuipment.

The Test Razor

The lovely Muhle R89. 

The thing with a lot of razors out there is that they are very similar and can be very confusing for the newcomer. Not only to look at, but some are actually identical. The head of the Muhle shown above is actually the very same as the head on the Edwin Jagger DE89. They just have different handles. Now I, like a lot of people I suppose, do a lot of research before I buy a new consumer item. This wasn't possible for me in this instance because I got the Muhle as a gift. As luck would have it though, this is the one I would have boight for myself anyway. It's widely regarded as a good beginner razor because it's not too aggressive and isn't a huge investment really. One can be had from Amazon for around £25.

My R89 is my daily shaver and will be used as the datum for all of my tests. If I buy or receive any other razors in future I will be sure to mention them here, but they won't be used for blade testing. 

The Test Soap

Cheap and cheerful - in a good way

Again, I'm sure I will come to test and love some other soaps or creams, but for testing purposes the Palmolive Classic Shave Stick will be the go to guy. It's cheap (49p from Asda, 50p from Tesco if you're feeling flush), lathers well, smells nice, and is generally just a lovely thing to use. I settled onto this over my previous Arran Arromatics Bay Citrus soap (£15 I might add...) because it's just nice. 

It quickly works up a lovely lather and without much work at all will give great slickness and protection. This alone would be a good enough reason to purchase, but given the phenomenal value for money, it's a no brainer. I mean... if one stick lasts me two years (more than likely given my usage), I could buy SIXTY YEARS worth of sticks for the same price as ONE Arran Arromatics soap. Aye, exactly. I don't mean to appear to be a tight Scotsman, but come on...

So these will be the standard issue blade blog test equipments... I hope to use them for many a review to come,

Cheers.