Rate these blades in order of sharpness

[TheSC]

So I'm fairly new to DE shaving. I have a Edwin Jagger DE that I picked up on an Amazon deal a couple months ago. I've been using the Derby blades that came with it thus far. At first I liked them, but after I got to the third blade I noticed a lot of skipping and pulling like they just weren't cutting well any longer. I jumped on to look at sample packs as that is what everyone seems to recommend. I ended up buying a large sample pack, 261 blades.

Being new I have no idea which is sharper other than others, other than the couple of brands I've heard mentioned. If you would, someone take a moment to rate the blades in order of sharpness as I surely don't want to start with the sharpest. Thanks in advance.


The sample pack includes:
Asco Super Stainless (5)
Astra Superior Platinum (5)
BIG BEN Super Stainless (5)
BIC Chrome Platinum (5)
Bolzano Super Inox (5)
Crystal Platinum (10) - Israeli Personna’s, Super + Platinum
CROWN Super Stainless (5)
Derby Extra (5)
Dorco 300 Platinum (10)
Dorco 301 Platinum (10)
Feather New Hi-Stainless (10)
Gillette 7 o’clock Super Platinum (5)
Gillette 7 o’clock Super Stainless (6)
Gillette Super Thin ‘NEW IMPROVED’ Stainless (6)
LORD Cool Super Stainless (5)
LORD Extra Super Stainless (5)
LORD Super Stainless ‘Super’ (10)
LORD Platinum Class (5)
LORD Super Chrome (5)
Merkur Super Platinum (10)
Personna Double Edge (10)
Personna Platinum Chrome (10) - ‘Red Personna, Israeli Reds’
Personna Super Medical Prep Blades (10)
Personna Super (10) - ‘Lab Blues’
RACER Super Stainless (10)
Rainbow Super Stainless (5)
Shark Super Chrome (5)
Shark Super Stainless (5)
Silver Star Super Stainless (5)
Super-Max Platinum (5)
Super-Max Super Stainless (10)
Tiger Superior Stainless (5)
TIMOR (10)
Treet Platinum (5)
Treet Dura Sharp Carbon (10)
TRIG Silver Edge (10)
Wilkinson Sword Double Edge (5)

[ateace]

Welcome to B&B.

This is a long list to rank, and there will almost always be differences of opinion.

It is safe to say that the Feathers are the sharpest of the bunch.

Start with the Red Personnas and Crystals and read through the Razor Blades subforum to get a feel of where to go next.

Feel free to post your experinces with the different brands you try. Good luck!

[Ruston]

Wow, that's quite a list and I don't know that there's anyone who could order that list from least to most sharp. On the sharper end will be Feather, Astra, Crystal, Persona Blue, Persona Med Prep, Shark and 7 O'Clock. Pick one that gives a comfortable shave and stick with it while you work on technique. After your technique becomes more consistent you'll be better able to judge the difference between blades. Based on the number of blades you have you should be finished with your evaluation in about 2 years :001_tongu

The number of choices (razor, blade, brush, soap) can be overwhelming when you first start. It's fun to try new stuff but it can also be frustrating. Finding a combination that works and sticking with it will limit the variables and allow you to develop your technique. Once you are getting consistently good shaves experimenting with other options is much more rewarding.

Enjoy !!

[dpmtherrien]

Wow, that is quite the list. As to the sharpness of any of them, that's going to be different for each user. Of course the Feathers are most likely the sharpest of them all, but then keep in mind that that may not be true for you. You'll find post from other members who just plain don't care for the Feathers, but another brand that just gets so so mention from others might turn out to be that members #1.

The best thing you can do is to use each brand, keep a record of how each works for you, and rate them as to how they perform for you. Give each blade a good shot, not just one or two shaves, but at least 5 or 6 shaves. This is the best way for you to find your own personal best. Good luck.

[sylynce]

Where did you order a sampler like that! Was that on Amazon as well?

[TheSC]

Yeah I guess I went over board with the sample pack I bought haha. It came out to be around $55, but as long as the blades are decent I won't be buying any for several years. I just want a general idea as I of course don't want to grab something really sharp, I know Feathers are as I hear them brought up a lot, right off and slice myself up. I haven't cut myself once with the Derby's, so I don't want to start that trend right off the sample pack.

After seeing the amount of brands with it I knew it would take me forever to rank them by research. I guess if I have good starting point I will have time to research them more.

Thanks again guys

[strop]

That will last you a long time! Make sure you keep notes so you can remember and rank them for yourself, since other will have different rankings. The other factor to consider is smoothness. I have found some blades to feel sharp but not smooth. The other thing to remeber is that your definition of sharp will probably change as your technique improves. Many of us have gone back and had good results with a blade we previously thought very little of. Good luck on your new shaving routine.

[Krona Kruiser]

That will keep you entertained for a year or two!
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/280455-Are-these-the-sharpest-around-Is-my-blade-tour-over?highlight=

[HoosierTrooper]

I never quite understand why someone doesn't want to use a sharp blade to shave with.

[Oblique Human]

Welcome to B&B!

Why don't you spend some time searching the forum. Just read up on the hundreds of reviews available of literally every blade on that list. Its well and good that you're tentative about your new shave regimen but classic shaving is not just some new hobby one can jump in to. Its finely detailed personal grooming and you have to put in some work too.. we'll help where we can but I doubt anyone will rank a list of 37 blades in order. And as a minor fact, I received my worst cut ever by a Derby, it was more of an accident.. my wife elbowed me as I was working on my jawline, yes.. ha ha, but these blades are not very forgiving if not treated with due care.

[bkfist]

Make sure you save at least 2 of each blade for use in a few months. You will come across some blades that are going to be rough on your skin - nicks, weepers etc... especially at the sharper end of the spectrum.

Re-visit those extra-sharp blades after you have a few months under your belt, you will probably like them. (Feathers, Gillette 7 o clocks, personna lab & med prep ("blues"), Shark super chromes (not the stainless) )

Half of those blades you probably won't be able to tell a difference between, the ones above will likely stand out as being extra sharp, and also potentially extra irritating w/o proper technique)

Don't go blade hopping, though... stick to one and use up 60% of that blade before going on to the next, unless the first shave is horribly uncomfortable and tugging - (Derby comes immediately to mind)

[JeffOlson]

I'm new to DE shaving, too, but I don't like too many choices. I started with a Merkur 38C with Merkur blades and graduated a few weeks later to a Feather razor with Feather blades. The Feather razor and blades work so well together, I haven't any need for anything else.

I would not be afraid of the Feather blades. They are indeed sharp, but that just means they get the job done without a lot of fuss and skin irritation. After using them for a while, I can't imagine using blades that are not as sharp.

[bkfist]

I'm new to DE shaving, too, but I don't like too many choices. I started with a Merkur 38C with Merkur blades and graduated a few weeks later to a Feather razor with Feather blades. The Feather razor and blades work so well together, I haven't any need for anything else.

I would not be afraid of the Feather blades. They are indeed sharp, but that just means they get the job done without a lot of fuss and skin irritation. After using them for a while, I can't imagine using blades that are not as sharp.

Jeff, if you are using the Feather AS-D1 all stainless razor, Gillette Blacks from India are also a VERY nice match. Unfortunately, unless some more people start importing them into the US so the prices come down, they are about the same price as Feather blades, so why bother.

[garyg]

I never quite understand why someone doesn't want to use a sharp blade to shave with.


Me either, unless they want to look like a certain avatar Tom ..

I haven't used that many different blades since starting shaving, while Ike was in office

[tracman]

I hope you are young, as it might take many years to use all those blades, Feathers are scary sharp, I use them.

[HoosierTrooper]

Me either, unless they want to look like a certain avatar Tom ..

I haven't used that many different blades since starting shaving, while Ike was in office
:lol:

[GDCarrington]

There is far more than sharpness that makes the measure of a blade. To me Sharpness is #3 on the list of the results with #1 being Smoothness and #2 Closeness. You can have the sharpest blade, but if it does not develop a smooth close shave, what good is it.

To develop the information you wish, a single individual will have to spend a large amount of time swapping out blades.

You might want to try a different direction in your search. I call it the 30 day rule. Find a razor, then a blade that will not cause issues with your face (that may take a few different blades in a sampler to find a suitable choice or it maybe the first out of the gate) and select a soap or cream that is easy to generate good lather. Once you find those, spend 30 days using nothing else until you build up your technique. After 30 days, change one and only one variable and work for another week. At that point you should be able to make better decisions because your technique is now in place.

If you want to see what type of time and effort it takes to accomplish some of what you are asking for, take a look at this.

https://sites.google.com/site/gdcarrington1/home/de-blade-challenge-ii

Good fortune.

[iceman95]

I've not used most of the blades in this list, but I think it's safe to say that I would rank them all very, very sharp.... razor sharp, you might say. :001_rolle

[TheGRman]

First of all, welcome to B&B! Now, I'm going to step out on a limb here, and say that you've purchased way too many blades for just starting out. I know, many of those posting have mentioned that you have a great supply of blades, and yes, that is true. Sharpness is truly a matter of how your face/skin responds to a certain blade, and WILL change according your razor technique. Your face will need to get used to shaving with a single edged blade, and your technique will be mediocre at best. Don't worry in the beginning about finding the 'sharpest' blade (sharpest does not always mean best for you), but concentrate more on shaving comfortably. Astra SP's, for the most part, are great blades to get started with. Are they sharp... yes. Are they smooth... yes. Stick with those, until your technique is honed. After your technique is good, work your way through your sampler pack, and note which blades shave your face comfortably and smoothly. Those are the blades you should use, regardless of what other people use.

[stuart12dz]

Please come back in two or three years and let us know how that sample pack went.

[Vickers]

Oddly enough, those are already in order of sharpness.

[tech.addict]

There is far more than sharpness that makes the measure of a blade. To me Sharpness is #3 on the list of the results with #1 being Smoothness and #2 Closeness. You can have the sharpest blade, but if it does not develop a smooth close shave, what good is it.

To develop the information you wish, a single individual will have to spend a large amount of time swapping out blades.

You might want to try a different direction in your search. I call it the 30 day rule. Find a razor, then a blade that will not cause issues with your face (that may take a few different blades in a sampler to find a suitable choice or it maybe the first out of the gate) and select a soap or cream that is easy to generate good lather. Once you find those, spend 30 days using nothing else until you build up your technique. After 30 days, change one and only one variable and work for another week. At that point you should be able to make better decisions because your technique is now in place.

If you want to see what type of time and effort it takes to accomplish some of what you are asking for, take a look at this.

https://sites.google.com/site/gdcarrington1/home/de-blade-challenge-ii

Good fortune.

+1
As a newbie I'd start with Astra SP or Supermax SP. They offer the right balance of sharpness and smoothness. Stick to these until I get my technique perfect and then start to experiment.

[TheSC]

I got the pack from Connaught Shaving. It's the UK sampler pack which came out to about $55 US shipped.

I have been using EJ DE89 since about March. I was terrified to start using it after hearing so many horror stories. I didn't have any problems with it and the Derby blades seemed very smooth. I couldn't understand what anyone had against them. By the third shave I was already brave enough to start shaving my head with them as well and have been since. The third blade in the pack seemed that it just wasn't cutting it. I thought maybe I got a bad blade. Fourth blade has been just as bad. They hop and skip and leave irritation. About to use up the fifth blade while I'm waiting on the sampler to come in.

The blades just don't feel smooth at all with all the tugging and skipping. They don't seem sharp anymore either because I have to make multiple passes to cut even just a little bit of hair.

I think I'll just take about 3 of the blades form each pack and try them and keep a "score card" of my thoughts on them as I go along. The pack does seem huge, but I'm fairly sure my brother will be getting into DE shaving soon so he will have the same go around as well with the sampler.


Please come back in two or three years and let us know how that sample pack went.

Yeah I added it up and if I shaved every day and only got 3 shaves per blade it would last me just over two years. Now granted I don't shave every day and there are bound to just be some blades I don't like at all.


There is far more than sharpness that makes the measure of a blade. To me Sharpness is #3 on the list of the results with #1 being Smoothness and #2 Closeness. You can have the sharpest blade, but if it does not develop a smooth close shave, what good is it.


I guess I haven't been around the DE scene long enough to use the correct terminology. Smoothness definitely sounds more to what I am looking for. The Derby's just aren't smooth at all. They tug and skip around which is not a good feeling on your head.


I hope you are young, as it might take many years to use all those blades, Feathers are scary sharp, I use them.

27 so I got plenty of time

[GDCarrington]

I got the pack from Connaught Shaving. It's the UK sampler pack which came out to about $55 US shipped ... 27 so I got plenty of time

Take good readings and notes. They really come in handy later on when you are questioned, or questioning yourself, about a particular blade much later on.

[TheSC]

Take good readings and notes. They really come in handy later on when you are questioned, or questioning yourself, about a particular blade much later on.

I figured I would just make a nice spread sheet with notes and a ranking system. I will likely just use a different brand a week and see how it goes.

[GDCarrington]

I figured I would just make a nice spread sheet with notes and a ranking system. I will likely just use a different brand a week and see how it goes.

That is what I did to create what you saw in my linked article.

Good fortune on your testing.

[dieselfuel79]

Yeah no, that's way too many blades to rank.

[TheSC]

So I put in my last Derby blade while waiting for my sampler to come in. I was dreading the horrible skips and irritation only to find it cut perfect like the first two. I got a DFS without any effort. I think I got a bad batch or something. The first two blades were great. Second two were HORRIBLE; compared to my Fuzion cartridge that I have over used by a month. The last blade is great again. That kind of inconsistency doesn't make me want to stick with them nonetheless.

[bkfist]

So I put in my last Derby blade while waiting for my sampler to come in. I was dreading the horrible skips and irritation only to find it cut perfect like the first two. I got a DFS without any effort. I think I got a bad batch or something. The first two blades were great. Second two were HORRIBLE; compared to my Fuzion cartridge that I have over used by a month. The last blade is great again. That kind of inconsistency doesn't make me want to stick with them nonetheless.

Believe it or not, often differences like this are due to variations in prep, newbie inconsistencies... (I'm not defending Derby at all - I personally consider them horrible.) When I first tried DE Derby's seemed decent to me, used a few from a sample pack, went on to other blades, eventually came back round to Derby and decided there were many MANY other blades I'd rather use.

When I first used Derby, my one goal was no nicks. Comfort and closeness were FAR distant seconds on the radar... My goal at the time was to get through 2 shaves in a row without a weeper. Now that I can go months without one, comfort/closeness are my only concerns. (I did re-visit a Derby for *1* shave back in mid January - I switched razors after the first 3 or 4 strokes.)

[TheSC]

Believe it or not, often differences like this are due to variations in prep, newbie inconsistencies... (I'm not defending Derby at all - I personally consider them horrible.) When I first tried DE Derby's seemed decent to me, used a few from a sample pack, went on to other blades, eventually came back round to Derby and decided there were many MANY other blades I'd rather use.

When I first used Derby, my one goal was no nicks. Comfort and closeness were FAR distant seconds on the radar... My goal at the time was to get through 2 shaves in a row without a weeper. Now that I can go months without one, comfort/closeness are my only concerns. (I did re-visit a Derby for *1* shave back in mid January - I switched razors after the first 3 or 4 strokes.)

Yeah I would have considered this too but nothing changed. Same routine. I found out by my 2-3 shave what seemed to work well and stuck with it. I think I seriously just got a bad batch of blades. I could tell a big difference in the amount of passes too. With the bad feeling blades I was having to make 4 passes just to get an ok. With the blade that feels right again I can do 2 and be nice and smooth.

[gstarr1]

There is far more than sharpness that makes the measure of a blade. To me Sharpness is #3 on the list of the results with #1 being Smoothness and #2 Closeness. You can have the sharpest blade, but if it does not develop a smooth close shave, what good is it.

To develop the information you wish, a single individual will have to spend a large amount of time swapping out blades.

You might want to try a different direction in your search. I call it the 30 day rule. Find a razor, then a blade that will not cause issues with your face (that may take a few different blades in a sampler to find a suitable choice or it maybe the first out of the gate) and select a soap or cream that is easy to generate good lather. Once you find those, spend 30 days using nothing else until you build up your technique. After 30 days, change one and only one variable and work for another week. At that point you should be able to make better decisions because your technique is now in place.

If you want to see what type of time and effort it takes to accomplish some of what you are asking for, take a look at this.

https://sites.google.com/site/gdcarrington1/home/de-blade-challenge-ii

Good fortune.


WOW, :eek2:that is a fantastic resource. Thanks for that link!

[GDCarrington]

WOW, :eek2:that is a fantastic resource. Thanks for that link!

Thanks.

First I did it so I could remember what I used and my observations of each blade while minimizing the other variables. Then I added the information on each blade to make it a permanent reference for myself and others as well.

I appreciate your kind words.

[bungle]

Of the ones I have tried from sharpest to least sharp I would put it like this:

Astra
Lord Stainless
Shark
Derby
Dorco


Maybe someone else can fill in more blades though

[Teddyboy]

Is he kidding?