Balin's Blade Bonanza

[lasta]

Third Sputnik launch.

This is a good blade, balanced sharpness and adequate smoothness. Above average in the razor blade totem for sure.

But coming off GSB perfection, these are just a bit lacking. Sharpness is half a point lower and smoothness easily a full point.

They are hard to come by these days, that and Rubies being decidedly better (IMO), I don't think Sputniks are worth tracking down.

BBS-, no lasting irritation. But aftershave sting was VERY bracing (amplified by my very high alcohol content Rectified Bijan DIY splash). So much so in fact that if I were Bishop @Jay21 I'd write in my journal about giving up shaving for a week!

 

[Guido75]

BBS-, no lasting irritation. But aftershave sting was VERY bracing

I had the same experience this morning. No fun! I can still feel my skin tingling.

I don't think Sputniks are worth tracking down.

I second that. Nice to have them to try, but not worth stocking up on.

Above average in the razor blade totem for sure.

I tend to differ. Sharpness and effectiveness yes. Comfort for me not really.

 

[lasta]

I had the same experience this morning. No fun! I can still feel my skin tingling.

I second that. Nice to have them to try, but not worth stocking up on.

I tend to differ. Sharpness and effectiveness yes. Comfort for me not really.

Thank you got your contribution to the cult blade list!

I'll downgrade my initial smoothness rating. I'd say, they are similar to the 7 O'clock yellows and Minoras. Not exactly top shelf in the Gillette lineup.

 

[Guido75]

I'd say, they are similar to the 7 O'clock yellows and Minoras. Not quite top shelf in the Gillette lineup.

That sounds like fair assessment. Yellows are harsher in my skin as well. Minora I still have to try (included in the blade bonanza bunch).

 

[Balin]

Shave 2 with the Sputnik. It was a DFS result as I didn't push for BBS today to give my under the chin area a rest!

I may bin this after tomorrow's shave. I am not as learned in the ways of the blade as you guys, but I would agree that this feels like a 7 O'clock yellow. Its sharp and does the job but I do not like it enough to push it past 3 shaves.

 

[Jay21]

Shave 2 with the Sputnik. It was a DFS result as I didn't push for BBS today to give my under the chin area a rest!

View attachment 1809617

I may bin this after tomorrow's shave. I am not as learned in the ways of the blade as you guys, but I would agree that this feels like a 7 O'clock yellow. Its sharp and does the job but I do not like it enough to push it past 3 shaves.

The new badger is blooming very nicely.

 

[Balin]

The new badger is blooming very nicely.

Thanks man! I think it might be the standard 2 band hair instead of the Unique 2 band hair. We will see over time if it starts to resemble my 2 band Unique brush.

 

[lasta]

Fourth Sputnik test flight, another success.

The blade seems to have settled down, still sharp, and perceivably smoother than yesterday. 2.5 pass solid BBS was achieved, very happy.

But I'm not sure if it's because I jumped from sporadic February straight to daily baby chasing March, aftershave sting is recurrently more than I am used to. Not painful mind you, and nothing to remind me of a rough shave later on in the day.

Curious, what will you guys be moving onto next? I scrubbed my bowl and even resilvered some of my razors, eager to start loading fresh blades!

 

[Balin]

Curious, what will you guys be moving onto next? I scrubbed my bowl and even resilvered some of my razors, eager to start loading fresh blades!

I am just doing what Guido says!!

Then complaining after

 

[Guido75]

Date	10.03.2024
366 daily shaves	070/366

Razor	Blade	Brush
Gillette SA 109	Sputnik (3)	Omega 33167
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash	Mike’s Natural Soaps Barbershop (51)	Cold splash Proraso Green Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Consistency (details here)	Quality / My process
9.75/10 (Significantly Consistent)	10/10 (Clean)
Effectiveness	Comfort / Blade condition
6.5/10 (DFS-)	7/10 (Comfortable)

Notes:

For extended shave notes click here.

The blade is gone after this shave. Three feels like the max for me. I have stropped it on my Twinplex after yesterday’s shave. This blade will end below GSB in my ranking. Sharpness is in the same ballpark, but comfort isn’t. A nice blade for occasional use.

Enjoy your shave!

 

[Guido75]

I am just doing what Guido says!!

Then complaining after

I will load a Racer for my next shave with the Mühle Rocca.

 

[Guido75]

We might want to start thinking about a rating system too. @lasta - have you documented your scoring explaining scores 1-5 somewhere? I would like to add potential Excalibur qualities. So maybe a three dimensional chart with an average in the end. Something like that?

 

[Balin]

I will load a Racer for my next shave with the Mühle Rocca.

I am in!! Its another blade I haven't tried!! I am hoping its like the Lord Cool though !!!

 

[cranewarrior]

Gillette Silver Blues rule!

I had the very unusual occurence of having 4 shaves in 3 days due to a combination of work, social events, and a baptism. I'm an every other day guy normally, but I needed to look my best. I was a bit worried about aggravating my skin - it is a bit dry right now and I have had some lingering razor burn from my time testing the Chinese London Bridge razor blade.

I'm happy to say the Gillette Silver Blue didn't let me down at all. I used it in a Gillette Tech and in an Edwin Jagger DE89 with no trouble, getting a PFS shave with a short single pass. I frankly didn't have to do much other than going slow and making sure to be gentle but sure-handed. The single Gillette Silver Blue passed with flying colors on all 4 shaves. I'm not going to jinx it or press my luck, so this razor is going into my blade bank, and I'm going to exit these 3 days with a superlative opinion of the GSB. Off to hoard some more? LOL.

I'm going to move onto another blade (the Racer you gents say?), but I'm a little crest-fallen because I know it can't be the same.

 

[Balin]

Third shave with the Sputnik!

The shave went fine but I think it is just an average blade for me. On to the Racer tomorrow, woo hoo

@cranewarrior send me a PM with your address and which blades you are missing from Guido's list on the first post and I will send what I can. The only ones I don't think I have spares of are the Vintage Minora and Rubie Platinum pluses.

 

[lasta]

We might want to start thinking about a rating system too. @lasta - have you documented your scoring explaining scores 1-5 somewhere? I would like to add potential Excalibur qualities. So maybe a three dimensional chart with an average in the end. Something like that?

Hi Guido,

Maybe we can set up a Google sheets for these blade tracking. Would be very nice to have multiple contributors rather than just "my impressions" which I am finding more and more inaccurate!

As for ratings criteria, not as scientific as I would like. When I first made the list, I bench-marked everything against Derby Extra, which was once considered THE middle of the road blade. Gave that 2.5 sharp and 2.5 smooth, then compared other blades to it when I first started.

But, having tried about 100 different varieties, that scale was no longer reliable. There are decidedly more good blades than bad. Sharpness was easier to come by than smoothness, and while Derby was nothing special, if it remained at 2.5 smooth, there are very little blades that can be considered "twice as smooth" as a Derby. So since then, I upgraded Derby to 3.5 smooth and used 3.5 as the "smooth enough, but nothing special" milestone.

Everything else is just a relative impression vs very familiar blades or blades I used just before it.

This is what the list looks like right now. If anyone bothered to flip through my journal, there are definitely variations and ratings changes throughout:

No	Blade	Sharpness/Efficiency	Smoothness	Overall
1	GSB (Old)	4.5	5	4.75	Top Shelf
2	Gillette Rubie	4.5	4.5	4.5
3	Perma Sharp (2021)	4.5	4.5	4.5
4	Gillette Super Stainless (FR) L1 (1991)	4.5	4.5	4.5
5	Feather	5	4	4.5
6	Schick Super Stainless (NL)	5	4	4.5
7	Personna 74	4.8	4	4.4
8	Israeli Personna	3.5	5	4.25	Great Blades
9	Schick Plus Platinum	3.5	5	4.25
10	Brazilian Wilkinson Y2 (2003)	3.5	5	4.25
11	Wizamet	4	4.5	4.25
12	Gillette Super Silver (Fr) U4 (1974)	4	4.5	4.25
13	Gillette Super Silver (Fr) A3 (1980)	4	4.5	4.25
14	Vintage Nacet (ENG) B2 (1981)	4	4.5	4.25
15	Rotbart Rosfrei	4	4.5	4.25
16	Rotbart Extra Dunn	4	4.5	4.25
17	GSB (2018)	4	4.5	4.25
18	Gillette Rubie Platinum Plus	4	4.5	4.25
19	Treet Dura Sharp	4	4.5	4.25
20	Nacet	4.5	4	4.25
21	Bic Chrome Platinum	4.5	4	4.25
22	Dorco Titan	3.5	4.5	4	Good Blades
23	Israeli Perma Sharp	4	4	4
24	Gillette Bleue Extra V4 (2000)	4	4	4
25	Gillette Bleue Extra (RU)	4	4	4
26	Gillette Super Stainless (FR) I1 (1988)	4	4	4
27	Super Silver (ENG) C1 (1982)	4	4	4
28	Super Silver (ENG) F4 (1985)	4	4	4
29	Dorco Prime	4	4	4
30	Gillette Platinum Swedes (1998)	4	4	4
31	Kai	4	4	4
32	Treet 7 Days	4	4	4
33	Suneko Amorphous Diamond	4	4	4
34	Gillette Vector	4	4	4
35	Gillette Super Stainless (CAN) G3 (1986)	4.5	3.5	4
36	7 O'clock Black	4.5	3.5	4
37	Bic Astor	4.5	3.5	4
38	Astra SS	4.5	3.5	4
39	Minora Platinum	3.5	4	3.75	Middle of the road
40	Gillette Platinum (Light Blue)	3.5	4	3.75
41	Gillette Platinum (Dark Blue)	3.5	4	3.75
42	Astra SP	3.5	4	3.75
43	Gillette Spoiler R2 (1971)	3.5	4	3.75
44	Vintage Astra Stainless	3.5	4	3.75
45	Silver Star	3.5	4	3.75
46	Lord Platinum	3.5	4	3.75
47	7 O'clock Super Stainless	3.5	4	3.75
48	Baili Platinum+	3.5	4	3.75
49	Sputnik	4	3.5	3.75
50	Personna Lab Blue	4	3.5	3.75
51	Gillette Minora	4	3.5	3.75
52	Gillette 365	4	3.5	3.75
53	7 O'Clock SharpEdge	4	3.5	3.75
54	Rapira Platinum Lux	4	3.5	3.75
55	Schick Double Edge (90s)	3	4	3.5	OK Blades
56	Super Max Platinum	3	4	3.5
57	Super Max Diamond Edge	3	4	3.5
58	Euromax	3	4	3.5
59	Gillette Wilkinson Sword	3.5	3.5	3.5
60	London Bridge (CN)	3.5	3.5	3.5
61	Super Gillette Blue (VN/Indonesia)	3.5	3.5	3.5
62	Super Gillette Blue (CN)	3.5	3.5	3.5
63	Silver Gillette Bleue K2	3.5	3.5	3.5
64	Rhino	3.5	3.5	3.5
65	Polsilver Stainless	3.5	3.5	3.5
66	Gillette Super Silver (Ger) P3	3.5	3.5	3.5
67	Wilkinson Sword (Ger)	4	3	3.5
68	Personna (Ger)	4	3	3.5
69	Wilkinson Sword SSE (ENG)	4	3	3.5
70	80's Personna (Eckerd/Kare)	4	3	3.5
71	Flying Eagle SS	4	3	3.5
72	Eddison (Ger)	4	3	3.5
73	Wilkinson Sword Diagonal (ENG)	2.5	4	3.25	Not a fan
74	Turkish Perma-Sharp	3.5	3	3.25
75	Treet Carbon	3.5	3	3.25
76	Gillette Super Thin (CN)	3.5	3	3.25
77	Vintage London Bridge (ENG)	2	4	3
78	Gillette Stainless Blue (Fr/Thai)	2	4	3
79	Flying Eagle Platinum	2.5	3.5	3
80	Derby	2.5	3.5	3
81	Wilkinson Sword Vintage (Ger)	3	3	3
82	Voskhod	3	3	3
83	Swordfish	3	3	3
84	Dorco ST-300 (Korean)	3	3	3
85	Personna GEM PTFE	4	2	3
86	Sharp Titanium	2.5	3	2.75	Only if you want to challenge yourself
87	MingShi	2	3	2.5
88	Supernova	2.5	2.5	2.5
89	Tiger Stainless	3	2	2.5
90	Shark SS	3	2	2.5
91	Rapira Super Stainless	3	2	2.5
92	Gvcmlle Blades Super	2	2	2
93	Flying Eagle Carbon Steel	1.5	1.5	1.5
94	Neva Leningrad	1	1	1
95	Triton R3
96	Israeli Diplomat
97	Nacet (Carbon)
98	Gillette Bleue Extra (Carbon)
99	Wilkinson Sword (Late English)
100	Vintage Astra Platinum
101	Treet New Steel
102	Tennessee
103	Super Max Blue Diamond
104	Sharp 7AM Platinum
105	Shark Chrome
106	Lord Racer
107	Mem
108	Lord Cool
109	Gillette Super Silver Mikro Chrom
110	Figaro
111	Damocles
112	Tatra
113	Lord Super
114	Rapira Swedish Super Steel
115	Treet Platinum
116	Schick Platinum
117	Personna (UK)
118	Wilkinson Sword Edge

I had thought about adding longevity to the list, but, being YMMV (I'm sure you can relate haha), maybe better to use a more qualitative observation such as low, medium, high, Excalibur! etc.

 

[lasta]

BTW, because of time zone differences, I had an earlier start with the Lord Racer.

I had a good shave with something I consider medium sharp and relatively smooth, but I'll avoid attaching any subjective numbers to it before you guys give it a go.

Relatively, I would call it slightly not as sharp as Sputnik and a hint smoother. Yet, because of the mediumish-only sharpness (I like sharp sharp!), "exceptional" level smoothness was not quite as achievable. Sharpness/smoothness is not a balancing act IMO.

Still, a capable blade and more than able to do it's job.

 

[Guido75]

Thanks @lasta - that gives us a reference point to start our definitions from. I’ll try to put something together the next few days so you guys can review and critique it.

And yes Excalibur would be just that: the potential to be Excalibur so not the number of shaves, but just an assessment that if we were to go for it would you use the blade in question yes or no.

 

[Guido75]

11.03.2024

• Guido75
• Mar 10, 2024

Mühle Rocca R94 • Racer (1) • Mühle Rocca Silver Tip • Mike’s Natural Barbershop

Date	11.03.2024
366 daily shaves	071/366

Razor	Blade	Brush
Mühle Rocca R94	Racer (1)	Mühle Rocca Silver Tip
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash	Mike’s Natural Soaps Barbershop (52)	Cold splash Proraso Green Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Consistency (details here)	Quality / My process
9.75/10 (Significantly Consistent)	10/10 (Clean)
Effectiveness	Comfort / Blade condition
8.5/10 (DFS++)	9/10 (Butterysmooth)

Notes:

Summary. Kickstarting the week with one of my favourite combos. My Rocca’s never disappoint and always deliver.

For extended shave notes click here.

First shave with the Racer blade and I was very curious in trying this one. So far Lord blades have been good to my face. This blade is no different. Good blade. Smooth and very comfortable. Less sharp than the GSB, but almost as comfortable. Not sure about longevity. I had the idea the blade was already decreasing in sharpness during this first shave.

Enjoy your shave!

 

[Guido75]

Ok, first assessment category is sharpness. Did some searching and there is actually a blade sharpness chart made by a company called Knife Grinders from Australia. Using their chart and descriptions I came up with the following classification:

1. Dull
2. Working Edge
3. Sharp
4. Very sharp
5. Wickedly sharp

Is that something we could work with? I am keeping it to 5 so that @lasta has a way of recalculating / reassessing his lists easier.

Guido