What are the expected qualities of each blade type? I realize it is probably most apt to compare within brands such as Astra Superior Stainless vs. Astra Superior Platinum, but what attributes would you expect to see if you were choosing by names?
Super Stainless vs. Platinum vs. Titanium vs. Carbon Steel
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Well, there hasn't been any discussion, so I'll make a general observation. The extra coatings applied to the cutting edges of razor blades are meant to improve qualities beyond the base blade. I would guess that platinum is supposed to add smoothness and increase the usable life of a cutting edge. Same with titanium.
This doesn't mean a "stainless" blade won't have a coating. Frequently they have teflon which also should improve glide or smoothness.
As for the advantages of a carbon steel razor blade over stainless steel... I can't say really. They are an older formulation before process improvements made high grade stainless steel mass-produced. Carbon steels are prone to rusting. The Treet Dura Sharp carbon steel razor blade seems to be the one with the best reviews here on B&B.
This doesn't mean a "stainless" blade won't have a coating. Frequently they have teflon which also should improve glide or smoothness.
As for the advantages of a carbon steel razor blade over stainless steel... I can't say really. They are an older formulation before process improvements made high grade stainless steel mass-produced. Carbon steels are prone to rusting. The Treet Dura Sharp carbon steel razor blade seems to be the one with the best reviews here on B&B.
I would ignore those labels. I doubt there are strong industry standards defining terms. And even if so, they don't seem to matter consistently across brands and countries of manufacture. So, try different ones and just see what you like. The same names pop up often, but as people's skin and perceptions are different, anyone's favorite might be meh to someone else. Plus, there's no way to test how any given blade with one coating works differently for YOU with the identical blade and a different coating.
I don't think there are any rules about labeling, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's no platinum coating on a "platinum" blade. It's good/better/best kind of "premium" signaling, though people here with the tools to investigate can suss out if there are honest actors out there.
Samah, which had written "Swiss quality," whatever that means, on its packs, now claims the blades are made from British steel. And that the Sharp "Titaniums" are coated in platinum. I used to like Samah's LOI Titanium blades, but I never thought for a moment they had any more titanium in them than my gold credit card has gold in it.
Samah, which had written "Swiss quality," whatever that means, on its packs, now claims the blades are made from British steel. And that the Sharp "Titaniums" are coated in platinum. I used to like Samah's LOI Titanium blades, but I never thought for a moment they had any more titanium in them than my gold credit card has gold in it.
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Oh, I definitely figure the base composition of the razor "blanks" for each machine line are the same. The difference has to be in the coating and sharpening angle. Probably also quality control - the cheaper brands might be not-up-to-spec first lines.
Like Astra SP...the same thing as Astra SS just with a bit of coating? I'm just speculating there - no real information.
Same, I just assume there's as likely to be platinum coating on the SS as the SP.
Not frequently. All stainless steel blades have at least PTFE coating. The huge majority will actually have chromium first applied and then PTFE.
Do not pay attention to the marketing labeling. Some blades that don't have the word Platinum in their name will have platinum coating. As is the case with the Silver Blue blades. Some will have it mentioned somewhere in a fine print on the package (could be in an unknown to you language) - Gillette Super Blue (actually has platinum coating).
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- #9
It's a shame then about the names not being more useful. I think brands like Treet or Lord or Durablade with many offerings should explain clearly what the customer base is for each of their products.
It is pretty obvious they don't think so.
You buy a blade, try it and decide for yourself. And if you like it, buy a huge quantity. I am not enabling you.
I’m not an expert. All I know is that carbon steel gives me the best post shave feel.
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- #12
Which ones did you use? I tried the Treet Falcon and I like it, but not as much as the Treet Platinum which isn't carbon steel.
These coatings are deposited in an extremely thin layer a few atoms thick. They do have some benefits, but you can't really go by what the package says, unfortunately, that is just Marketing. You have to go by your experience in trying the blades.
Falcon, classic, black beauty, dura sharp. All carbon and I find them great.
Platinum is also a wonderful blade, not carbon of course.
Same with stainless steel blades. Ever left a wet stainless steel blade in a DE for a couple of days? As the name says it, they do rust, just less than carbon steel.
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- #16
Indeed. Many years ago I threw my wife's expensive stainless steel kitchen knife into the dishwasher instead of handwashing. I learned my lesson about stainless being a relative term the hard way.
There are different stainless steel types. Some will rust more, some less. Problem is, DE blades are supposed to be cheap and will be replaced after a few uses, so of course, using the best steels will increase the manufacturing price and we all know it won’t sell well. So they use cheaper stainless steels.
Same with some kitchen knives. Some will rust in the dishwasher, some won’t. We have a knife from Ikea and although it is stamped as stainless steel, the rust is so severe that the pitting is 2mm deep, so it’s not just surface rust. In the same washing conditions, better (in terms of rust resistance) stainless steels are just fine, not even showing any visible surface rust.
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- #18
Too late. Razor blades are like cookies. You can't just eat one (figuratively of course). I struck on a near perfect for me razor blade with my first purchase, but I find I enjoy sampling different blade brands. I don't have extremely high performance requirements, so I have a weakness for having fun with the blades that are less coveted.You buy a blade, try it and decide for yourself. And if you like it, buy a huge quantity. I am not enabling you.
Many of the blades from the same factory are reissued under different names to different markets. One insider says GSBs are the same as the discontinued 7 O'clock Super Platinum from the same PPI Russian factory. They do what makes them their profits subject to internal constraints.
+1! No standards that I can see other than carbon vs stainless. Beyond that it is mostly marketing IMO.
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