Stainless-Super Stainless-Platinum-Super Platinum

Man so many kinds of blades available.
If a blade works for instance. If it is a Platinum then does that mean that all platinum will have a better chance of success?? Or is it just a name for selling/marketing. I notice some companies have stainless and then super stainless. Haha what is the Super?

There are probably slight differences in the coatings on different blades, but I think it's more of a name than anything so different manufacturers can sell as many (ever so slightly) different products alongside each other as possible.
Rapira are the worst culprits, I've got Super Stainless, Chrome Stainless, Swedish Supersteel, Platinum Lux, Voskhod and Ladas in my regular rotation - and they're all made in the same factory !!
Super Stainless are my #1 go to blades because I can get them for as near as dammit €5,00/100 with free shipping from Turkey to Spain, they're sharp and smooth and forgiving enough for 3 no frills, but very good and comfortable shaves per blade.
The rest average out at €6,00/100 (after combined shipping discount) including shipping from Russia to Spain based on an order of 100 each of 3 different blades. I get 3 very good shaves from any of the blades, they are all sharp, smooth and forgiving enough to be comfortable, but all have enough slight differences to add a little variety to my shaves.
But if the truth were known, I would probably know that they were all different in a blind test, but doubt if I could tell which one was which!!

I also can't honestly say that the same blade type made by different manufacturers are going to be similar to each other in performance.
By nature I'm a hoarder, I'll try out as many different blades as possible,
The ones that I can get a smooth, close, comfortable shave with, at an average cost per shave of 3c or less and are readily available in orders of 100, are my go to blades
The ones that I can get a close, smooth, comfortable shave with, at an average cost per shave of 3c or less, but are only viable in bulk orders of 300 or more, or for whatever reason aren't such good value as my go to blades, are my regular blades
Anything else, regardless of how good they are performance wise, that cost more than 3c per shave, are 'hoarded' and only used occasionally


Here are my top 5 go to blades, they all give me the most bangs for my buck, they all have different metal types after their names

1) Wilkinson Sword (Germany) - Stainless Steel - €13,25/100 - 4 shaves per blade
2) Gillette 7 O'Clock Green (India) - Permasharp Stainless - €12,00/100 - 4 shaves per blade
3) Zaza (Turkey) - Supreme Stainless - €11,00/100 - 4 shaves per blade
4) Bic (Greece) - Chrome Platinum - €10,00/100 - 4 shaves per blade
5) Rapira (Russia) - Super Stainless - €5,00/100 - 3 shaves per blade

The Rest
4 shaves per blade (Very occasional use)
Feather Hi-Stainless(Japan), *Personna (Spain) Platinum(Israel) - Too expensive to use regularly
3 shaves per blade (Very occasional use)
Rainbow Stainless(Egypt) - No longer available in Europe
3 shaves per blade (occasional use)
PermaSharp Stainless(Russia), Gillette Nacet Stainless(Russia), Sputnik Teflon Coated(Russia), Gillette Rubie Platinum(Russia) - Too expensive for regular use
3 shaves per blade (Regular rotation)
Shark Stainless(Egypt), Ladas Stainless(Russia), Rapira Chrome Stainless(Russia), Rapira Swedish Supersteel(Russia), Voskhod Teflon Coated (Russia), Rapira Platinum Lux(Russia), Astra Superior Platinum(Russia), Centwin Super Platinum(India)

All give 3 good shaves per blade, they are all sharp, smooth and fairly forgiving, all "feel" different when used in different razors, but all give a comfortable shave.

With such a wide selection of blades that I can get a good shave out of, I can compare various manufacturers with "Makes" of car, and I can compare words like Stainless, Platinum, etc after the name with "Models" of car!!

Platinum means there is a micro thin coating of platinum that should allow for a smoother shave. Chrome is often added first to improve bonding. I'm not sure what super stainless is supposed to mean but most have a PTFE aka Teflon coating. I find the stainless tend to be sharper and smoother for me than platinum.

Polsilver Super Iridiums have neither silver nor iridium. Stainless steel is, by definition, iron with somewhere around 11% chrome, so a manufacturer can truthfully label the same blade as stainless or chrome. Platinum labeled blades may or may not contain any actual platinum. ZAZA calls their blade "gold" but there is no gold, only stainless steel. As long as the blade does not rust out during a weeklong rotation, and as long as it works, labeled versus actual materials are practically irrelevant.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/188516-Chrome-vs-Stainless-vs-Platinum

GoneRetroInOH said:

Polsilver Super Iridiums have neither silver nor iridium. Stainless steel is, by definition, iron with somewhere around 11% chrome, so a manufacturer can truthfully label the same blade as stainless or chrome. Platinum labeled blades may or may not contain any actual platinum. ZAZA calls their blade "gold" but there is no gold, only stainless steel. As long as the blade does not rust out during a weeklong rotation, and as long as it works, labeled versus actual materials are practically irrelevant.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/188516-Chrome-vs-Stainless-vs-Platinum

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Yeah I understand what you are saying.
I guess it may help if you know my intentions. I am trying to cut my blade chase to a slow crawl. Just want a couple of go to blades to stock up on. So I was trying to figure out. If one labeled "stainless" works and one labeled "platinum" doesn't then should I focus on trying all the stainless first.
But I take from what you are saying is that label like many things is just completely irrelevant as far as function goes. And is only for marketing and the almighty dollar.
Do I get you??

Vintage Doc said:

Yeah I understand what you are saying.
I guess it may help if you know my intentions. I am trying to cut my blade chase to a slow crawl. Just want a couple of go to blades to stock up on. So I was trying to figure out. If one labeled "stainless" works and one labeled "platinum" doesn't then should I focus on trying all the stainless first.
But I take from what you are saying is that label like many things is just completely irrelevant as far as function goes. And is only for marketing and the almighty dollar.
Do I get you??

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Yes and no, you should read the full post he linked. If it's labelled platinum or chrome then it should be annealed with a chrome and or platinum coating. However, that doesn't mean the just because it has platinum or chrome coating that it's necessarily better for you. I tend to find the SS versions more comfortable and sharper than the platinum versions of most blades such as Personna and Astra whereas some might find that a platinum or chrome coating works better. So a coating isn't necessarily a marketing gimmick, a coating can make the blade slide more easily along the surface of the skin, which is why they started adding them to the blade edges, but it also tends to add a bit of thickness to the blade so it may appear slightly less sharp but more forgiving to you.

It's just something you should ignore and try the blade and make your own decisions about.

I wouldnt get too bogged down in blade technology. At the end of the day, theyre all a thin, sharp piece of metal that slices hair. From cheap blades to expensive ones, I dont tell much difference.
For me, Personas shave just as well as Feathers do.

Vintage Doc said:

Yeah I understand what you are saying.
I guess it may help if you know my intentions. I am trying to cut my blade chase to a slow crawl. Just want a couple of go to blades to stock up on. So I was trying to figure out. If one labeled "stainless" works and one labeled "platinum" doesn't then should I focus on trying all the stainless first.
But I take from what you are saying is that label like many things is just completely irrelevant as far as function goes. And is only for marketing and the almighty dollar.
Do I get you??

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You get me as far as I understand the bamboozle, which is not very far. One way or another, nearly all blades are sufficiently resistant to rust. Rusting of carbon steel blades was a major problem before the 1960s. There are rare cases, such as people with acquired allergies to nickel and chrome, where the old carbon steel is preferred. Such blades, like Treet Black Beauties, are rare now.
It seems that blade makers borrow from a common industry practice of using alloy or element names purely for marketing purposes. Think of how Obamacare plans take on the names Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, even though no metals are involved. It is simply a point of confusion with blades since people mix up the product name with perceptions of blade composition.
IMHO differences among blades are more hype than reality. If one were clearly better than all the others then it would have won out by now and there would not be so many selections. Personally, the ones I have picked as favorites, including PolSilver, Perma-Sharp, and GSBs, give maybe a 10 percent better performance if that. If I were set up to test them blind then I may know no difference between them and the economy-grade blades such as Derby, Astra, Shark, and Zaza.

I agree that most of the "precious metal" labels are just marketing. The ones touting platinum, Teflon, etc. just use a coating which (they say) enhances smoothness. I use mostly coated blades of many sorts and I admit most of the marketing is hype rather than metallurgical reality.

SteveWY said:

I agree that most of the "precious metal" labels are just marketing. The ones touting platinum, Teflon, etc. just use a coating which (they say) enhances smoothness. I use mostly coated blades of many sorts and I admit most of the marketing is hype rather than metallurgical reality.

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Someone actually did an analysis of metals and platinum did show up quite a bit as labeled. There are so few atoms of platinum on a blade edge after the annealing process that you would probably take a few hundred thousand blades to go through an ounce of the metal. I wonder if the PTFE coating is actually more expensive in reality.

dabrock said:

Someone actually did an analysis of metals and platinum did show up quite a bit as labeled. There are so few atoms of platinum on a blade edge after the annealing process that you would probably take a few hundred thousand blades to go through an ounce of the metal. I wonder if the PTFE coating is actually more expensive in reality.

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Interesting!

SteveWY said:

I agree that most of the "precious metal" labels are just marketing. The ones touting platinum, Teflon, etc. just use a coating which (they say) enhances smoothness. I use mostly coated blades of many sorts and I admit most of the marketing is hype rather than metallurgical reality.

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Probably only somewhat true. . I'm not a metallurgist, but my understanding is that platinum is valued in industrial applications not because it enhances smoothness per se, but rather because it has a very high resistance to corrosion. A thin coating of platinum would help to prevent the steel underneath from the inevitable oxidation...which in turn wouldn't make a blade more smooth, but would help keep it smooth longer, particularly in cases of very long term storage or humid environments.

aldomarino said:

Probably only somewhat true. . I'm not a metallurgist, but my understanding is that platinum is valued in industrial applications not because it enhances smoothness per se, but rather because it has a very high resistance to corrosion. A thin coating of platinum would help to prevent the steel underneath from the inevitable oxidation...which in turn wouldn't make a blade more smooth, but would help keep it smooth longer, particularly in cases of very long term storage or humid environments.

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I am getting a real chemistry lesson today! Maybe this is why I tend to prefer platinum coated blades and all such coated blades I favor easily give me 7 shaves.

SteveWY said:

I am getting a real chemistry lesson today! Maybe this is why I tend to prefer platinum coated blades and all such coated blades I favor easily give me 7 shaves.

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Then that's a good run! I've seen some studies that have been done on the affects of various items on blades and corrosion from soap, water and skin oils is actually the worst issue for blades followed by mechanical wear against hair and skin. Oxidation of modern blades is actually the least of the issues so anything that can protect the blade from chemical exposure should make it feel smoother longer.

GoneRetroInOH said:

You get me as far as I understand the bamboozle, which is not very far. One way or another, nearly all blades are sufficiently resistant to rust. Rusting of carbon steel blades was a major problem before the 1960s. There are rare cases, such as people with acquired allergies to nickel and chrome, where the old carbon steel is preferred. Such blades, like Treet Black Beauties, are rare now.
It seems that blade makers borrow from a common industry practice of using alloy or element names purely for marketing purposes. Think of how Obamacare plans take on the names Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, even though no metals are involved. It is simply a point of confusion with blades since people mix up the product name with perceptions of blade composition.
IMHO differences among blades are more hype than reality. If one were clearly better than all the others then it would have won out by now and there would not be so many selections. Personally, the ones I have picked as favorites, including PolSilver, Perma-Sharp, and GSBs, give maybe a 10 percent better performance if that. If I were set up to test them blind then I may know no difference between them and the economy-grade blades such as Derby, Astra, Shark, and Zaza.

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Not to take us off topic, the metal tiers in the Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare) are actually benefit tiers and have meaning. Mathematically all the plans at a given level such as Silver must have on the average equal benefits, or actuarial equivalence. This is so regular people can price shop closer to apples to apples without having to read and understand reams of detail on what the plan will or will not actually pay for. Before this it was really difficult if not impossible for anyone other than an industry expert to compare across plans or insurance companies. The metal tiers are stacked in the order of the value of the metal, so Bronze is the cheapest and has the lowest benefits and Platinum has the highest actuarial equivalence. The reasoning might be that it's easier for people to shop for and refer to a "Platinum" level plan rather than calling it the "90% actuarial equivalent category" plan.

In contrast, it seems that razor blade manufacturers use the coating/metal terms however they want and market without much oversight, guidelines, or consistency with themselves or with other manufacturers. Given that they are just razor blades, it's fine for me and I try them and use what works for me regardless of coatings or names.