What does blade smoothness mean?

NewShaveMan · May 20, 2015

I am new here to the world of wetshaving and I don't know what everything means yet. All I currently have is Shark Blades and they seem to be rather sharp (from personal experience and reading others thoughts) but I do not know what smoothness is. Is this referring to no irritation? The glide across the face? The end product of your shave? How does smoothness relate to sharpness/

Lots of questions, I am sorry about that.

nuclearblast · May 20, 2015

That's a good question, and I'm sure you'll get many different answers and most likely they're all correct, we all have different faces, skin, type oh hair, technique, etc ...

IMHO, smoothness is more important than sharpness. All blades are sharp enough to shave with, otherwise they wouldn't be razor blades. I find that a super sharp blade is not what I need, and probably that's because I prefer razors on the aggressive side, razors that offer more blade exposure, which in my opinion increases efficiency. This means the guards of the razor won't protect your skin from the edge of the blade as much as a milder razor does.

So if I already have that extra efficiency offered by the increased blade exposure, I need a smoother blade to help balancing things.
Smoothness is probably related with a different grind for example, perhaps a different coating, I'm really not an expert so I'm not really sure.

What I know, is that a smooth blade (like my favorite - Gillette Platinum) cuts just as easily as a Feather, but is a lot more gentle to my skin. IMHO blades like the Gillette Platinum and Polsilver SI have the perfect balance between sharpness and smoothness.

I'm not sure if I answered your questions or not, it's just my opinion anyway.

NewShaveMan · May 20, 2015

nuclearblast said:
That's a good question, and I'm sure you'll get many different answers and most likely they're all correct, we all have different faces, skin, type oh hair, technique, etc ...

IMHO, smoothness is more important than sharpness. All blades are sharp enough to shave with, otherwise they wouldn't be razor blades. I find that a super sharp blade is not what I need, and probably that's because I prefer razors on the aggressive side, razors that offer more blade exposure, which in my opinion increases efficiency. This means the guards of the razor won't protect your skin from the edge of the blade as much as a milder razor does.

So if I already have that extra efficiency offered by the increased blade exposure, I need a smoother blade to help balancing things.
Smoothness is probably related with a different grind for example, perhaps a different coating, I'm really not an expert so I'm not really sure.

What I know, is that a smooth blade (like my favorite - Gillette Platinum) cuts just as easily as a Feather, but is a lot more gentle to my skin. IMHO blades like the Gillette Platinum and Polsilver SI have the perfect balance between sharpness and smoothness.

I'm not sure if I answered your questions or not, it's just my opinion anyway.

Yes you did help me understand what this could be referring to. I think you explained it well. I appreciate your response.

ackvil · May 20, 2015

I agree with Edgar's comments. For me smoothness is the ability to cut ad remove all of the stubble without any discomfort, irritation, or tugging. Some blades seem to work better in certain razors. For example, I am not a big fan of Feather blades because for me after the second shave it no gives me a comfortable shave. However, when I put that same blade in a Feather AS-D2 razor it works wonders.

For me the best blades are the Personna Med Prep blades and lab blades which although sharp also are smooth.

franz · May 20, 2015

I think people use "smoothness" to mean at least a couple of different things about edges. Sometimes they mean the opposite of sharpness (e.g. "I don't want something as sharp as a Feather, I want a smoother blade"). Other times they treat smoothness as a separate property of an edge, i.e. the opposite of roughness ("Med Preps are terrific because they are both sharp and smooth"). I have experienced blades that seemed sharp but also felt rough on my skin, and vice versa. So I am inclined to think of it as a separate characteristic.

It's hard to be objective with these things. Blades will feel differently depending on your skin and beard, the razor you are using that day, the quality of your lather, and your technique. You may find that as you become more proficient in your technique blades that once were unforgiving now work well for you.

NewShaveMan · May 20, 2015

I am thinking of Going with Gillette blades or the lab blue ones because many have said they might be more smoother. The responses above have been great, thanks so much.

DEGuy · May 20, 2015

I agree with Edgar's description. Yes, this is subjective. I have sensitive skin, and a smooth blade is one that is efficient, shaves stubble with the fewest number of passes; and one that doesn't irritate my skin.

For example: Feather blades are efficient, but the blade wrecks havoc with my skin, delivering a lot of irritation. Astra SP blades are not as efficient for me, but don't irritate my skin; however, Gillette Rubie Stainless Steel blades are my #1 blade because they're exceptionally smooth and they shave stubble efficiently or with the fewest number of passes. Just one guy's take on smoothness.

GoneRetroInOH · May 20, 2015

I believe "smoothness" means dragging a hazardously sharp blade across your face without it feeling like you are dragging a hazardously sharp blade across your face. Shark is supposed to rate well for "smoothness" but you may try another vanilla garden-variety blade such as a Derby. Samples are relatively cheap from Tryablade. Smoothness can also be a function of the razor. I felt and respected the blade a lot more with the Mühle R41 than I did with the milder R106. Some people claim to have found a profound difference how one brand of blade feels in a particular razor, only to try another and have a better experience.
If you are still new to the hobby, you may want to try a lighter hand. Hold the blade by the tip of the handle. That all but forces you to apply very little pressure, and to let the weight of the razor do the work.

rodmonster · May 21, 2015

+1 for Edgar.

The focus is on blade sharpness, as if that is the only quality that makes for a good shave. As a blade cuts through a hair, there is friction as well. While the friction from a single hair is negligible, when a razor cuts through a swath of hairs, it can be significant. For me smoothness is related to the ability of a blade to cut without resistance, that is, without friction. Part of that is prep, for sure, but part of that is the razor blade itself. Clearly, the addition of platinum or iridium or teflon to the edge of a blade was an attempt by the manufacturer to reduce friction and improve the shave. By and large, I prefer coated blades. For me, the smoother the shave, the less irritation, the better the shave.

Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.
― Will Rogers

kaidecologne · May 21, 2015

Sharpness - cutting hair without pulling or tugging

Smoothness - Ability to distinguish hair from skin because of flexibility (?) coating (?) facet (?) or maybe just magic (!)

Dave-the-rave · May 23, 2015

Ya know when a blade feels like a cat sliding down yer face, using it's claws as brakes? Well that's not smooth.
Interestingly I've found some blades can feel like that but still don't cause irritation.
E.g. Sputnik or BIC Chrome.

awa54 · May 23, 2015

NewShaveMan said:
I am thinking of Going with Gillette blades or the lab blue ones because many have said they might be more smoother. The responses above have been great, thanks so much.

More to the point, the best recommendation for someone else's favorite "smooth" blade is not necessarily going to work out for you the same way. The best method for determining how a blade interacts with your face is to try that blade! If you do a blade sampler, you can try a dozen or so of the highly regarded blades you are thinking about using, to find out for your self which are *your* favorites. Several sellers around the web do sampler packs and there's the ability to get blades PIF'd to you by members here.

My short list (which might or might not work for you) would be Astra SP, Gillette Super Blue, Treet Dura Sharp, PolSilver, Bolzano, Personna lab/blue/barber, Feather, Lord Platinum class, Zaza and Gillete Super Thin.

If you want to try any of the blades I mentioned send me a PM with your address and I'll send you one or two of each.

Rush2112 · May 28, 2015

Just be careful. I suggest you try as many as you can especially if you have more then 1 razor. I think I have found my favorite for my Merkur 34C and that is the PolSilver. However, I put those same blades in my Muhle R41 it does not feel good. Still working on best blade for the Muhle. Thus far its either Derby or Astra

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What does blade smoothness mean?

NewShaveMan

nuclearblast

NewShaveMan

ackvil

franz

NewShaveMan

DEGuy

GoneRetroInOH

rodmonster

kaidecologne

Dave-the-rave

awa54

Rush2112

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