Blade sharpness order

[Warlockdlx69]

I was wondering if some of you could give me your input on labeling a list of blades from dullest to sharpest? If possible, next to the name of the blade, if there are any inherent issues with using (history of skin irritation, lots of bad blades per batch, etc...) would be much appreciated :) not just for me, but for other newbies as well :D i mean if you think about it, every one of these blades will rip through a piece of paper with nothing more than its own weight behind it... so, for a newbie, its hard to tell which is going to get the job done most efficiently... im looking for something in between a merkur and a feather... so would like to know a few brands that are in that area...

heres the list: (and thank you in advance to all who take the time to complete this... your information will be put to good use)

Merkur
Derby
Feather
Swedish Gillette
Wilkenson Sword
Treet blues
Treet black beauties
Sharp stainless
American personna
Israeli personna

thanks guys :)

[Labarum]

I would not so rank blades.

Here is my ranking. I rank in groups rather than by individual blade - sometimes I find blades so close in sharpness it's impossible to make a judgement.

Sharpest

Feather
Swede
Treet Platinum

Middle Ranking

Derby
Boots/Tesco
Gillette Silver Blue
Nacet
Trig

Dullest

Treet Dura Sharp
Wilkinson
Merkur

Source for most

http://connaughtshaving.com/

I guess opinions will vary widely!

Edit:

Reference what Boz says below about sharpness versus smoothness.

I have a tough beard with lots of white hairs, so any blade must first be sharp enough to be considered. Then smoothness becomes a factor. So far I have only found Feathers, Swedes and Treet Platinums sharp enough.

The Feather is, I think, the sharpest and the Swede the smoothest (whilst being plenty sharp enough). The Treet Platinum seems to be moderately sharp and moderately smooth within my demanding parameters. Blade life and cost then become an issue. I can use a Swede five times and still think it usable, the Feather seems less satisfactory after three shaves and the Treet Platinum after four. The Swede is by far the most expensive blade, but lasts the longest. But hey, we are not taking about squandering a fortune on any blade!

The investigation continues, and of course the goal posts move as technique improves.

I am presently restricting myself to a Slant with European (Green Tube) Palmolive Cream. Afterwards I apply Florena Intensive Care Cream. When I settle on a blade (or two blades) I will explore the higher priced creams; but I am very happy with Palmolive. I am guessing the premium creams might be nicer to use but display no greater technical competence. So also with after shave balms and creams.

[Warlockdlx69]

are merkurs really that dull? lol seems so far that the merks are the only ones i can get a smooth shave out of without obliterating my face... BUT, ive found they arent quite as sharp as they should be... mainly for the heavier parts of my face... where, sometimes, it takes a lot of pressure and/or more passes... are they really that dull?

[boz27606]

Here's my newbie breakdown of blade experience. I think "smoothness" is more important than "sharpness". If I have to turn up my Progress to a 5 and I still get a smooth shave I'm happy

Merkurs are balanced between smooth and sharp. I'm still playing around with the adjustment.

Wilkinsons are sharp and produce weepers easily at 1.5 but aren't smooth. I'm getting razor bumps.

Derby's seemed dull out of the pack with the feel of dragging. (Did I get a bad batch?) I went up to 4 with these then set them aside to revisit later.

That's were I'm at now.

bpz

[Labarum]

Reference what Boz says below about sharpness versus smoothness.
(Also edited into my first post in this thread.)

I have a tough beard with lots of white hairs, so any blade must first be sharp enough to be considered. Then smoothness becomes a factor. So far I have only found Feathers, Swedes and Treet Platinums sharp enough.

The Feather is, I think, the sharpest and the Swede the smoothest (whilst being plenty sharp enough). The Treet Platinum seems to be moderately sharp and moderately smooth within my demanding parameters. Blade life and cost then become an issue. I can use a Swede five times and still think it usable, the Feather seems less satisfactory after three shaves and the Treet Platinum after four. The Swede is by far the most expensive blade, but lasts the longest. But hey, we are not taking about squandering a fortune on any blade!

The investigation continues, and of course the goal posts move as technique improves.

I am presently restricting myself to a Slant with European (Green Tube) Palmolive Cream. Afterwards I apply Florena Intensive Care Cream. When I settle on a blade (or two blades) I will explore the higher priced creams; but I am very happy with Palmolive. I am guessing the premium creams might be nicer to use but display no greater technical competence. So also with after shave balms and creams.

[Warlockdlx69]

i guess this is just a matter of controversy, because for instance... boz says the derbys arent sharp at all... but some people say they are in the middle of all sharpness/smoothness measurements... and say they are a little less sharp than a feather, but much smoother providing (basically) the best shave possible for a daily routine... on the other hand, most people say the merkurs are the dullest in the bunch, and yet (minus the rough rough parts of my face) i can hack my fur off with 2 swipes...

guess im just going to have to wait till the samplers get here, and spend the next year of my life testing blades LOL :)

[farace]

As I understand it, the rule of thumb and mnemonic for the sharpness scale that was more or less accepted (before John added other brands to his sampler) was MIDGE: Merkur, Israeli, Derby, Gillette, FEather. (MIDGF didn't make a very good mnemonic, I guess.)

[Furex]

I rank in groups rather than by individual blade - sometimes I find blades so close in sharpness it's impossible to make a judgement.

This gets a +1 from me. However I would not put Feathers in the same group with the other two, they really stand in a group of their own.

[fritz]

Reference what Boz says below about sharpness versus smoothness.
(Also edited into my first post in this thread.)

I have a tough beard with lots of white hairs, so any blade must first be sharp enough to be considered. Then smoothness becomes a factor. So far I have only found Feathers, Swedes and Treet Platinums sharp enough.

The Feather is, I think, the sharpest and the Swede the smoothest (whilst being plenty sharp enough). The Treet Platinum seems to be moderately sharp and moderately smooth within my demanding parameters. Blade life and cost then become an issue. I can use a Swede five times and still think it usable, the Feather seems less satisfactory after three shaves and the Treet Platinum after four. The Swede is by far the most expensive blade, but lasts the longest. But hey, we are not taking about squandering a fortune on any blade!

I found the Treet Super Blues to be as sharp as a Feather, but much smoother. And the Treet Platinums I tried did not seem to be nearly as good as the Super Blues. Might give them a try.

[MonkeyBiz]

I am new to DE shaving for the most part, but I am already compiling my list. By the end of september I should have around 15-20 types on here. Here is what I have so far! I am basically hitting up 1 blade per week trying to find what works the best.

Key:

++: Excellent
+: Above Average
=: Meh (Average)
-: Not So Good
--: Avoid Like the Plague

Feather Hi-Stainless: ++
Merkur Super: -
Treet Black: +

[htownmmm]

are merkurs really that dull? lol seems so far that the merks are the only ones i can get a smooth shave out of without obliterating my face... BUT, ive found they arent quite as sharp as they should be... mainly for the heavier parts of my face... where, sometimes, it takes a lot of pressure and/or more passes... are they really that dull?

YEP! or at least for those of us with wiry tough facial hair and sensitive skin.


Marty

[Warlockdlx69]

so what do you use marty?

[Slant-Fan]

Of the blades that i have used since my return to DE shaving four months ago Gillette Swedes are the sharpest/smoothest. Feathers are close behind and less expensive. I rate Merkurs and Wilkinson about even and they work fine for me. For me Derby and Dorco are in the dull category and are worthless IMHO. These are the only blades I have tried. I don't doubt that Derby and Dorco perform well for some people and I don't mean to offend but I am giving my honest assessment based on my own experience of course YMMV,

[Warlockdlx69]

interesting... many people say debys are relatively sharp.. a few steps below feathers... i guess its just going to be plain old personal preference im going to have to toy with... cant wait till my samplers get here :)

[Furex]

Gillette Swedes are the sharpest/smoothest.

Do you mean they offer the best ratio of sharpness vs smoothness, or simply that they are the sharpest and the smoothest?

I rate Merkurs and Wilkinson about even and they work fine for me. For me Derby and Dorco are in the dull category and are worthless IMHO.

Do I detect a pattern here? I liked Merkurs and Wilkinsons more than Derby, too.

[lobo]

I second the finding of the Swedish Gillettes as representing the best combination of smoothness and sharpness. I found the Feather's a notch sharper, but the Swedes are the best all-rounders for me.

[Warlockdlx69]

so many differences in opinion... its rediculous lol blades are probably the biggest controversy in this forum (or any other) other than politics... and the endless debate of cream vs soap... but still, blades are far more controversial... seems like each individual has his own set of favorites, until i try them (spending 6 months or more, to the point of forgetting what the 1st one felt like) for myself... i guess that is what this is all about... trying to get a few good interpretations of a few blades to start out with, so im not spending half my shaving life trying to figure it out... and finally, the other half enjoying it lol

[patrisVII]

are merkurs really that dull? lol seems so far that the merks are the only ones i can get a smooth shave out of without obliterating my face... BUT, ive found they arent quite as sharp as they should be... mainly for the heavier parts of my face... where, sometimes, it takes a lot of pressure and/or more passes... are they really that dull?

Strictly speaking they are among the duller blades. BUT...they're probably the highest production quality blade made. They are absolutely identical one blade to the next.

I found them to be worthless as shavers in my Merkur razors - the Feather and Derby's do worlds better. But I just recently tried them in my Gillette Red Tip and I have to say that I prefer them to the other two in this shaver. I can get BBS without loosing as much skin and the post shave shadow is actually LESS pronounced than with the Feather (probably because it leaves enough skin to camouflage the dark hair where the Feather does not.)

The upshot is that they are a superbly crafted product with limitations that can, at least for me, be overcome.

[Fig Newton]

I second the finding of the Swedish Gillettes as representing the best combination of smoothness and sharpness. I found the Feather's a notch sharper, but the Swedes are the best all-rounders for me.

+1.

[Warlockdlx69]

Strictly speaking they are among the duller blades. BUT...they're probably the highest production quality blade made. They are absolutely identical one blade to the next.

I found them to be worthless as shavers in my Merkur razors - the Feather and Derby's do worlds better. But I just recently tried them in my Gillette Red Tip and I have to say that I prefer them to the other two in this shaver. I can get BBS without loosing as much skin and the post shave shadow is actually LESS pronounced than with the Feather (probably because it leaves enough skin to camouflage the dark hair where the Feather does not.)

The upshot is that they are a superbly crafted product with limitations that can, at least for me, be overcome.

and yet another monkey wrench thrown in the gears lol blades that differ from razor to razor... christ... lol i could be at this long after im dead