I have very wirey facial hair with medium thickness and it causes many of the popular blades to drag. Feathers were a tiny bit too sharp but mowed right through the hairs. I recently tired Polsilvers and I'm with you.... Best so far. They are sharp but not overly so and smooth as silk. My second favorite is Voskhod but they don't last as long for me. If I had to choose one blade forever, it would certainly be Polsilvers so far.
Polsilver Siper Iridium, now i am a believer
- Thread starter fasa
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- #22
I don't think it's worth going out of your way to try the Chinese blades. I just happen to travel there often. I am drifting a bit on the chinese hardware, weishi is a decent razor if you can buy it in china at the chinese retail price which about 5 USD. Same for the chine blades.
I really to put those GSB and Gillette black on my testing list ... But i have decided not buy any more blades until i have clean up my stash from my sampler packs.... that will take a while!
Edit: I also thought it would be worth adding that all of the 20ish blades that I've sampled were equipped in my Merkur 34C HD. I just had a 1904/1906 open comb come in two weeks ago and am already noticing that blades perform differently in it. The Personna Reds are actually quite poor in it and the Lab Blues are much better. Change one variable and the fun restarts. I'm keeping a log now with my 1904 to document how each of the blades performs although I won't be sampling as many blades, since many of the blades I disliked are now gone from my arsenal.
That's one of the thing i am quite skeptical about. I guess it's another YMMV thing, so far i haven't found a blade i liked that i didn't like in another razor.
PSI blade tend to last quite longer for me but i am far from being on the hairy side and having a medium beard thickness. I.e. most blade last me 6-7 shaves. a PSI last for me about 8 shaves.
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- #23
I just gave a try to the Rapira platinum lux. They are pretty nice blade, smooth and forgiving. Not as sharp as a PSI / 7Oclock yellow or permasharp. Hence, they are not going to replace my beloved PSI but they are good quality blade IMHO. Considering how much they are selling on ebay right now (5$ / 100) I d recommend giving them a try as long as you have tried PSI first . I do remember them selling for twice that price not long ago.
. I do remember them selling for twice that price not long ago.
Fasa, can you compare the Rapira Platinum Lux to the Personna Lab Blue? I was thinking about ordering some Platinum Lux blades, but then I saw that the Labs were available on Amazon for $11.50 with Prime 2 day delivery.
Polisilver left me underwhelmed. Tugged quite a bit. GSB for the price point for me. Israeli Red Personna better and cheaper. Better than GSB for me. YMMV.
I used a vintage Polish Polsilver today. Liked it a lot. Not sure if it's better than GSB or not, but it's in the same ballpark. For me the Rapira Plat Lux are a bit worse but a good everyday razor given the low current price. Don't find the Red Personnas especially noteworthy and prefer the Rapira Swedish Supersteel or Blue Labs to them for the price.
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- #27
i don't have a lab right now but keller kindly piffed me some. i ll report back when once they have landed in my mailbox !
11.5$ delivered seems like a sweet deal.
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- #28
Right, i am at my 4th shave with my rapira platinum lux. They are good blade but not in the same league as my PSI. I found the sharpness to be lacking at this point although the smoothness is still there. I could probably get a couple of comfortable shave with this one but i am going to get back to a fresh PSI.
I think this is blade people would enjoy if they like blades in the medium range of sharpness, they are comfortable and forgiving. Considering what the price they are being sold on ebay they are a great bargain.
I definitively look forward to give the Lab a try to compare it to the RPL.
I think this is blade people would enjoy if they like blades in the medium range of sharpness, they are comfortable and forgiving. Considering what the price they are being sold on ebay they are a great bargain.
I definitively look forward to give the Lab a try to compare it to the RPL.
Had my second shave with the Super Iridiums today. Got it from tryablade.com as a sample....I've only tried Sharks (my gotos since 2011), Merkurs (yuk), Dorco 300s (Ok), and some no-name blades I got in a Dollar Store in Florida (sharp, but rough) and so far the Iridiums are ahead of the pack by a large margin. Once that blade loses it luster, I'm gonna try the Rapira Supersteels. I hope its just as smooth and sharp as the Iridums since the Supersteels are less than half the cost of the Iridiums.
I finally got to try psi for my last 2 shaves, and they live up to the hype so far. Smooth and sharp, they may bump gillette 7 o'clock black from #1 on my list.
Ok, I'll bite. Ordered a few POL's to try..
There is so much I agree with on this thread:
--Polsilver SI are my favorite go-to blade. I go to them following a disappointing shave from others and it brings back the joy
--Gillette 7 o"clock Blacks are up there too
--Personna Reds are an underappreciate blade, especially for beginners and to tame an aggressive open comb razor
--Astra's are sharp but are nick-masters and not very forgiving. YMMV
--Polsilver SI are my favorite go-to blade. I go to them following a disappointing shave from others and it brings back the joy
--Gillette 7 o"clock Blacks are up there too
--Personna Reds are an underappreciate blade, especially for beginners and to tame an aggressive open comb razor
--Astra's are sharp but are nick-masters and not very forgiving. YMMV
Polsilver SI is one of the best blade in current razor blade production, by my feeling and opinion. Very sharp, smooth and long lasting.
If compare PSI with Feathers, I found PSI are much more smoother and around double longevity than Feathers, while Feathers are just a little bit sharper.
If compare PSI with Feathers, I found PSI are much more smoother and around double longevity than Feathers, while Feathers are just a little bit sharper.
Polsilvers are $22 for 100 shipped. Are the astras 7 cents each shipped?
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- #36
+1 definitly the same for me
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- #37
I don't think they are 3 times the price of astra but they are certainly on the high end price range. As i said in my initial post i got a great deal that allowed me to build a huge stockpile. At the current uk price (20 pound / 100 ) i would still find them worth it.
Are they twice better then astra ? Probably not (Although i haven't try astra) it's a very personal matter where you draw the line, value is a very individual matter. I personally won't spend 20$ on a puck of soap, when i can get a stick of palmolive for less then a dollar and i am very happy with semogue 830 boar brush but i am ready to pay a premium for my PSI.
Inspired by this thread I decided to break open my sample pack of Polsilver this morning and load one into my red tip. I'd been using Personna blues in it, and my first impression from one shave is that the Polsilver for me isn't as smooth and comfortable as the Personna (and I'd probably say as Astra SPs). I'll give it another few shaves of course, but I'm a bit surprised these didn't feel as good as I expected. I suppose it goes to show that blades are very much YMMV.
I find that i get a good shave first go , then 2 and 3 r great. 4 th is good then toss it regardless, shaving every other or 3 day.
