Newbie's Quest For the Perfect Blade

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 07:52 PM

This thread is meant to be my personal quest to find a handful of blades that work well for me as a new DE shaver. I've been at DE shaving for a little over 2 weeks now. My technique is still evolving, but I've already found that I can tell the basic differences between blades and whether they work well for me or not with my current technique. This is going to be a newbie's version of "Feather, measure of all blades", but will have a distinct learning element to it as well.

I'm starting my testing today, using the Gillette 7 o'Clock SharpEdge (Yellow, Russia) as my benchmark "Good" blade and the Derby Extra (Vertical) as my benchmark "Bad" blade. Even with those two as baselines, I'm going to re-test them as they come up in alphabetical order, mainly to confirm my initial thoughts and see if my technique is changing enough to invalidate my results.

Razor will be Gillette Super Adjustable set to 3. Pre will be a hot shower. Creme will be bowl-lathered Proraso (C. O. Bigelow). Post will be WH, Proraso AS Splash, and Nivea Sensitive Balm. The only thing likely to change will be the brush... starting today will be a Shaving Factory XS Boar (Jaguar 236) but Tuesday or Wednesday will be a Parker Deluxe Handle 24mm Pure (untrimmed tips, closer to Best).

Each blade type will get a 2 shaves. I will make a single post outlining my thoughts on each shave and of the blade in general, along with packaging details, package price, and bulk price. Package price will come from the better of West Coast Shaving, Razor Blades and More, and Amazon. Bulk price will come from the best of the preceding, plus eBay. I don't want to put a number rating to different properties as that would infer a level of precision and accuracy I'm probably not capable of obtaining. Instead, I'm going to stick with ratings of "Bad", "Mediocre", "Average", and "Good". The top 4 or 5 blades at the end of testing will then be re-tested for durability, pushing each razor to its limit before it becomes uncomfortable or otherwise deteriorates in performance beyond acceptable limits.

Again, this is intended for me to find the blades that work for me. As such, I'm not going to try too hard to make the results digestible or applicable to others, but I'm sharing them any way. Take them for what they are and, as with every thing else around here, YMMV.

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 07:55 PM

Blades to be sampled are, in sampling (alphabetical order), listed below:

- Astra Platinum (Green)
- Astra Stainless (Blue)
- Blue Bird
- Crystal
- Derby
- Dorco ST300
- Dorco ST301
- Feather
- Gillette 7 o'Clock SharpEdge (Yellow, Russia)
- KAI
- Kroger (ASR)
- Lord Super Stainless
- Merkur Super Platinum
- Personna (Israeli)
- Personna Lab Prep
- Personna Red (Israeli)
- SuperMax Super Platinum
- Wilkinson Sword (German, Wal-Mart)

More blades will likely be added as I go along... specifically, I plan on adding the following:

- Gillette 365
- Gillette 7 o'Clock Permashap Stainless (Green, India)
- Gillette 7 o'Clock Super Platinum (Green, Russia)
- Gillette 7 o'Clock Super Stainless (Black, India)
- Gillette Goal (India)
- Gillette Wilkinson Sword (Blue, India)

I'll also add about anything to the test that someone is willing to PIF my way (2 blades would be enough to cover both rounds, if it makes it through the first).

If you see any errors in my product info (place holder) threads, please let me know. I have a feeling there are some blades that DO have glue that I've listed incorrectly, but that should be corrected as they come up in the test rotation. There's a fine line between what constitutes "Wax" vs. "Paper", but I'm just making judgment calls here. There are also a few blades that I don't have original packaging for since they came in a mixed bag from BST (mainly the Crystals and KAI). Sorry for these incomplete entries, but I'm going based on what I have on hand and info from trusted vendors.

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:01 PM

Astra Superior Platinum

Qty/pack - 5
Box - Cardboard
Wrapper - Paper + Wax
Glue - Yes

Pack Price - $2
Bulk Price - $15/100

Shave 1: Fairly smooth WTG passes and ATG pass. Growth reduction was fairly quick as well. ATG touch-up, however, was still fairly smooth be had a louder scraping sound. This lead me to expect some irritation. Final result was SAS + but not quite DFS. Could already feel some stinging with the WH which was built upon with the AS splash, but the balm calmed it down. Irritation was spotty, but mostly upper lip and lingered for about 1.5 hours post-shave. Felt similar to the 5th shave on the 7 o'Clock SharpEdge.

Shave 2: Smoothness, growth reduction, and comfort all got worse from shave one. It seemed 1/2 of the shave was spent just on touch-up. This lead to a close shave but even more irritation than shave one. Upper lip was again the most irritated, but most irritation did dissipate within 2 hours.

Summary: What seemed like an Average blade on the first shave turned Mediocre by the second shave. Nothing was overtly Bad, but it didn't excel in any category either.

Smoothness - Average
Sharpness - Mediocre
Closeness - Average
Comfort - Mediocre

Overall - Mediocre

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:08 PM

Astra Superior Stainless

Qty/pack - 5
Box - Cardboard
Wrapper - Paper + Wax
Glue - Yes

Pack Price - $1.60
Bulk Price - $15/100

Shave 1: Smoother than expected... completely different blade than the Superior Platinum. Smoothness wasn't the highest I've experienced, but acceptable with no overt dragging, though I could still somewhat slightly feel the hair being cut in conjunction with hearing it. Stubble reduction wasn't the fastest, but very acceptable and I didn't feel the need to make extra passes. Comfort was average as well with a minor amount of neck irritation but, surprisingly, no upper-lip irritation. Closeness came out pretty close to DFS in 2 passes + touch-up. Also, less touch-up was required compared to the Astra Superior Platinum. Not the best blade I've used, but could be a daily shaver if it lasts.

Shave 2: I was somewhat surprised that the overall shave improved compared to yesterday. Smoother, more comfortable, closer, and even faster reduction (though my gut tells me the latter should not be true). A solid DFS in 2 passes with less touch-up required and minimal irritation. Even my chin ridge is completely smooth, which is usually a trouble spot for me. I would take this shave any day of the week.

Summary: Comparing Shave 1 and Shave 2, there was definitely improvement, enough to bump Comfort from Average to Good. It's too early to start making predictions, but this very well may be a Top 5 finalist, especially if bulk price is considered (even though I'm not considering it at this point in the game).

Smoothness - Good
Sharpness - Average
Closeness - Good
Comfort - Good

Overall - Good

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:10 PM

Blue Bird

Qty/pack - 5
Box - Plastic
Wrapper - Wax
Glue - Yes

Pack Price - $3.00
Bulk Price - $15/100

Shave 1: Average smoothness with some scraping sound. Mediocre to average beard reduction... took 3 passes to approach DFS. I could already feel my face getting soar during the third pass, so I didn't get overly aggressive with touch-ups, though not a ton were needed. Irritation wasn't really an issue, at least not in terms of redness or patches I normally see on my upper lip or neck if a blade is irritating me. That said, soreness was apparent near the end of the shave and there was strong amount of sting from my AS splash that's not present with better blades. Post shave, however, everything was near DFS close and skin was tight and un-irritated. If the ends justify the means, this is a pretty decent blade, but getting there can be more enjoyable.

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness - Average
Sharpness - Average
Closeness -Good
Comfort -Mediocre

Overall -Average

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:10 PM

Crystal

Qty/pack - 10
Box - Cardboard
Wrapper - Paper
Glue - No

Pack Price - $2.00
Bulk Price - $12/100

Shave 1:

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness -
Sharpness -
Closeness -
Comfort -

Overall -

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:11 PM

Derby Extra

Qty/pack - 5
Box - Plastic
Wrapper - Wax
Glue - No

Pack Price - $2.00
Bulk Price - $9/100

Shave 1:

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness -
Sharpness -
Closeness -
Comfort -

Overall -

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:11 PM

Dorco ST300

Qty/pack - 10
Box - Cardboard
Wrapper - Paper
Glue - No

Pack Price - $1.00
Bulk Price - $8/100

Shave 1:

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness -
Sharpness -
Closeness -
Comfort -

Overall -

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:12 PM

Dorco ST301

Qty/pack - 10
Box - Plastic
Wrapper - Paper
Glue - No

Pack Price - $2.00
Bulk Price - $11/100

Shave 1:

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness -
Sharpness -
Closeness -
Comfort -

Overall -

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:13 PM

Feather

Qty/pack - 5
Box - Plastic
Wrapper - Wax
Glue - Yes

Pack Price - $2.50
Bulk Price - $40/100

Shave 1:

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness -
Sharpness -
Closeness -
Comfort -

Overall -

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:13 PM

Gillette 7 o'Clock SharpEdge (Yellow, Russia)

Qty/pack - 6
Box - Cardboard
Wrapper - Paper + Wax
Glue - Yes

Pack Price - $2.25
Bulk Price - $60/240

Shave 1:

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness -
Sharpness -
Closeness -
Comfort -

Overall -

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:14 PM

KAI

Qty/pack - 10
Box - N/A
Wrapper - Wax
Glue - No

Pack Price - $7.00
Bulk Price - $47/100

Shave 1:

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness -
Sharpness -
Closeness -
Comfort -

Overall -

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:15 PM

Kroger (ASR)

Qty/pack - 10
Box - Plastic/Metal
Wrapper - N/A
Glue - No

Pack Price - $2.79
Bulk Price - N/A

Shave 1:

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness -
Sharpness -
Closeness -
Comfort -

Overall -

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:15 PM

Lord Super Stainless

Qty/pack - 10
Box - Cardboard
Wrapper - Paper
Glue - Yes

Pack Price - $2.00
Bulk Price - $12/100

Shave 1:

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness -
Sharpness -
Closeness -
Comfort -

Overall -

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:16 PM

Merkur Super Platinum

Qty/pack - 10
Box - Plastic
Wrapper - Wax
Glue - Yes

Pack Price - $5.30
Bulk Price - $45/100

Shave 1:

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness -
Sharpness -
Closeness -
Comfort -

Overall -

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:18 PM

Personna (Israeli)

Qty/pack - 5
Box - N/A
Wrapper - Paper
Glue - No

Pack Price - $1.00
Bulk Price - $15/100

Shave 1:

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness -
Sharpness -
Closeness -
Comfort -

Overall -

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:20 PM

Personna Lab Prep

Qty/pack - 10
Box - N/A
Wrapper - Paper
Glue - No

Pack Price - $3.75
Bulk Price - $30/100

Shave 1:

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness -
Sharpness -
Closeness -
Comfort -

Overall -

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:20 PM

Personna Red (Israeli)

Qty/pack - 5
Box - Cardboard
Wrapper - Wax
Glue - No

Pack Price - $1.75
Bulk Price - $17/100

Shave 1:

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness -
Sharpness -
Closeness -
Comfort -

Overall -

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:21 PM

SuperMax Super Platinum

Qty/pack - 5
Box - Cardboard
Wrapper - Paper + Wax
Glue - Yes

Pack Price - $1.75
Bulk Price - $12/100

Shave 1:

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness -
Sharpness -
Closeness -
Comfort -

Overall -

**nehpets4627** · 01-23-2011, 08:22 PM

Wilkinson Sword (German, Wal-Mart)

Qty/pack - 10
Box - Plastic
Wrapper - Wax
Glue - No

Pack Price - $1.76
Bulk Price - N/A

Shave 1:

Shave 2:

Summary:

Smoothness -
Sharpness -
Closeness -
Comfort -

Overall -