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Monday is New Blade Day, so out with the old Merkur Platinum DE blade in my safety razor and in with a new one (the last one of a pack of ten! Why this makes me happy escapes me, but for some reason, it always does).

Unlike so many other DE blades, I find the Merkur Platinums give great shave right out of the wrapper, and stay sharp for at least a week's worth of shaving. Other blades I've used, even the ones I like and keep using like the Israeli Personnas and the Wilkinsons, have a little too much bite on the first shave, then things are great for the rest of the week. Not the Merkurs -- they're nice and smooth right from the start.

Some shavegeeks claim the Merkur blades only work well in Merkur's own DE razors, and are too "mild" for a "milder" razor like the old Gillette adjustables and fixed-head DEs. I think that's just dogma that's been batted around long enough to become a truism. The Merkur blades are the best I've ever used in my Gillette DEs, both fixed and adjustable. There's no blade I've tried that's more consistently excellent.

Today's shave was with my current money-in-the-bank rig -- Merkur HD razor, fresh Merkur Platinum blade, Vulfix #2235 brush, brushed-lathered Cremo Cream, and Trumper's Skin Food for the post-shave. As always, it was pure pleasure. My skin hasn't felt this good in years -- it must like being scrubbed with badger bristles, treated with the aloe in the Cremo, exfoliated with the Merkur blade, and moisturized with the glycerin and rosewater in the Skin Food. That, or the pork fat in the spareribs I ate last night is making its way out of my pores as we speak.