Blade Sharpness Research Project

[helicopter]

This is the Durablade Clifton Classic blue blade from Samah blades of Dhaka Bangladesh. It did poorly in testing. I tried three of them, looking for a good one, but there wan't a good one to be found. Possibly this is a bad batch. I don't think the blade I got were damaged. They were packed very well, with glue and wax on heavy waxed paper, and they started off reasonably sharp, though the edges were crude and uneven.

You can see that it is ground with cheap abrasives, probably natural, as the scratches at each stage vary a good amount in size.

Coating and Grind
Coating Thickness	Heavy
Coating Evenness	Even
Bevel Coating Coverage	69%
Entire Bevel to Edge, mm	0.316
Primary Bevel Scratch Size	0.003
Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Primary Bevel Proximal Transition	Uneven
Blade Thickness, mm	0.090
Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.130
Secondary Bevel Scratch Size	0.002
Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Secondary Bevel Transition Line	Typical
Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.033
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size	Polish
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Even
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line	Typical

Some people say these blades are smooth. After testing, we see that the steel's failure mode is denting and deformation, with almost no chipping. Perhaps the people that like them prefer a duller blade that doesn't chip along the apex. I can see how the soft steel, being less durable and long-lasting, might help encourage consumers to replace blades more often.

Date	21-Sep-2024
Blade	Samah	Durablade	Clifton Classic	Bengladesh	1-Jun-2014
Wear on Edge	0	3	6	9	12
Edges Measured	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top
Measurement Medium	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22
Dulling Substrate	New	Paper	Paper	Paper	Paper
Measurements	20	20	20	20	20
Adj. Std. Dev.	21	28	23	19	0
Median F (g)	56	74	98.5	125	125
Mean F (g) Top	76	88	93	115	125
Mean F (g) Bottom	52	70	102	124	125
Mean F (g)	64	79	98	119	125
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	93	107	113	140	153
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	64	86	124	151	153
Median Adj. F (g)	68	90	120	153	153
Mean Adj. F (g)	79	96	119	146	153

It is one of the dullest blades tested. I would describe it as defective, and perhaps this batch is not made to specifications.

In the US, these blades are not even inexpensive at $9/100. Obviously I can't recommend trying it unless it happens to be part of a pre-made sample pack or something like that.

Blade Sharpness Test Index

 

[thombrogan]

8.074

My poor eyesight estimated these bad boys at a whopping 8.05mm versus the standard 8mm of a Feather Pro or Kai Mild. Your measurements confirm it’s even taller while not being as tall as a Feather Pro Super.

The confirmation they’re taller than standard AC-format blades is appreciated.

 

[helicopter]

And here we have another Samah Durablade, the LOI Salon Blade Titanium. This one is nothing special, but it is fine.

It is another crude grind.

Coating and Grind
Coating Thickness	Heavy
Coating Evenness	Even
Bevel Coating Coverage	72%
Entire Bevel to Edge, mm	0.394
Primary Bevel Scratch Size	0.005
Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Primary Bevel Proximal Transition	Uneven
Blade Thickness, mm	0.093
Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.142
Secondary Bevel Scratch Size	0.003
Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Secondary Bevel Transition Line	Typical
Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.039
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size	Polish
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line	Uneven

The failure mode of this one is the typical small chipping. I think the Clifton had a bad heat treatment.

It's fine. The durability is a little below average, but we expect that with thin blades like this. I think there are better blades at the $9/100 price, but it is probably a decent value in some markets, such as their home market in Bangladesh.

Date	21-Sep-2024
Blade	Samah	Durablade	LOI Salon Titanium	Bengladesh	1-Jun-2014
Wear on Edge	0	3	6	9	12
Edges Measured	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top
Measurement Medium	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22
Dulling Substrate	New	Paper	Paper	Paper	Paper
Measurements	20	20	20	20	20
Adj. Std. Dev.	4	10	7	11	10
Median F (g)	46	49	52.5	56.5	58.5
Mean F (g) Top	46	49	51	56	61
Mean F (g) Bottom	47	52	53	61	58
Mean F (g)	47	50	52	59	60
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	56	59	62	68	74
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	58	64	64	75	71
Median Adj. F (g)	56	59	64	69	71
Mean Adj. F (g)	57	61	63	72	73

Blade Sharpness Test Index

 

[helicopter]

The same coarse belts, but it looks like there is some smoother honing at the tertiary bevel.

Coating and Grind
Coating Thickness	Heavy
Coating Evenness	Even
Bevel Coating Coverage	71%
Entire Bevel to Edge, mm	0.366
Primary Bevel Scratch Size	0.005
Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Primary Bevel Proximal Transition	Typical
Blade Thickness, mm	0.090
Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.123
Secondary Bevel Scratch Size	0.003
Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Secondary Bevel Transition Line	Typical
Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.031
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size	Polish
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Even
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line	Typical

We see lots of large chipping and denting in the edge after the test.

This one is of rather poor quality, with steel that fails by both denting and chipping. It is strange that a facility that uses uneven abrasives and is unable to heat treat things properly would select thin and fragile 0.090mm steel for its blades.

Date	21-Sep-2024
Blade	Samah	Durablade	Sharp Titanium	Bengladesh	1-Jun-2014
Wear on Edge	0	3	6	9	12
Edges Measured	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top
Measurement Medium	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22
Dulling Substrate	New	Paper	Paper	Paper	Paper
Measurements	20	20	20	20	20
Adj. Std. Dev.	12	31	29	32	30
Median F (g)	49.5	60	58	65	79.5
Mean F (g) Top	53	77	64	81	99
Mean F (g) Bottom	57	61	65	68	68
Mean F (g)	55	69	65	74	84
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	64	93	78	99	121
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	69	74	80	82	82
Median Adj. F (g)	60	73	71	79	97
Mean Adj. F (g)	67	84	79	91	102

I am not sure how loose their specifications are, but if this one is not defective, it is certainly of poor quality.

Blade Sharpness Test Index

 

[helicopter]

Here we have the Durablade A Best Hi Platinum Swiss Steel blade. This is another one that was so bad I thought the first one might be damaged, so I swapped it out for another and measured the second one.

Perhaps there is some source of inexpensive low quality ore in Switzerland that isn't really suitable for producing blades.

These all have a pretty similar crude grind. I think there is a Platinum coating and a Chrome coating. The polymer coating looks and probably is the same on all of them. There is some variation in the honing of the tertiary bevel, but it is hard to say if that is intentional.

Coating and Grind
Coating Thickness	Heavy
Coating Evenness	Even
Bevel Coating Coverage	65%
Entire Bevel to Edge, mm	0.322
Primary Bevel Scratch Size	0.004
Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Primary Bevel Proximal Transition	Uneven
Blade Thickness, mm	0.091
Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.139
Secondary Bevel Scratch Size	0.002
Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Secondary Bevel Transition Line	Typical
Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.023
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size	Polish
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line	Uneven

The one also failed by a combination of small and medium chipping and large denting. This is a sign of low-quality or improperly ground and treated steel. Better steels will typically only have one failure mode, and it won't be nearly this catastrophic.

It might be alright for a couple shaves, but I prefer blades made from more suitable steel.

Date	21-Sep-2024
Blade	Samah	Durablade	A Best Hi Platinum	Bengladesh	1-Jun-2014
Wear on Edge	0	3	6	9	12
Edges Measured	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top
Measurement Medium	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22
Dulling Substrate	New	Paper	Paper	Paper	Paper
Measurements	20	20	20	20	20
Adj. Std. Dev.	16	27	26	20	16
Median F (g)	50	74	104	115	123
Mean F (g) Top	48	84	108	115	113
Mean F (g) Bottom	60	77	99	106	116
Mean F (g)	54	80	104	110	115
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	58	103	132	141	138
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	73	93	121	129	142
Median Adj. F (g)	61	90	127	140	150
Mean Adj. F (g)	66	98	126	135	140

I think we can skip the big chart on this one.

Blade Sharpness Test Index

 

[helicopter]

This is the Durablade Champion Titanium. This one is very similar to the LOI I tested and performs reasonably well.

The grind is still crude, but the steel is better than most of these Durablades.

Coating and Grind
Coating Thickness	Heavy
Coating Evenness	Even
Bevel Coating Coverage	68%
Entire Bevel to Edge, mm	0.355
Primary Bevel Scratch Size	0.005
Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Primary Bevel Proximal Transition	Uneven
Blade Thickness, mm	0.088
Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.143
Secondary Bevel Scratch Size	0.004
Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Secondary Bevel Transition Line	Typical
Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.024
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size	Polish
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line	Uneven

This one has the typical failure mode of small chipping at the apex without any denting.

Date	21-Sep-2024
Blade	Samah	Durablade	Champion Platinum	Bengladesh	1-Jun-2014
Wear on Edge	0	3	6	9	12
Edges Measured	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top
Measurement Medium	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22
Dulling Substrate	New	Paper	Paper	Paper	Paper
Measurements	20	20	20	20	20
Adj. Std. Dev.	5	8	9	16	18
Median F (g)	46.5	49	49	49.5	51.5
Mean F (g) Top	49	53	55	63	66
Mean F (g) Bottom	45	46	45	46	47
Mean F (g)	47	50	50	55	56
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	60	65	67	77	80
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	55	56	55	56	57
Median Adj. F (g)	57	60	60	60	63
Mean Adj. F (g)	57	61	61	67	69

Blade Sharpness Test Index

 

[helicopter]

This is the Durablade Sharp Hi Chromium blade from Samah of Bangladesh. This is another one with decent performance.

These all have similar crude grinds. There is probably some difference in the angles.

Coating and Grind
Coating Thickness	Heavy
Coating Evenness	Even
Bevel Coating Coverage	62%
Entire Bevel to Edge, mm	0.450
Primary Bevel Scratch Size	0.004
Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Primary Bevel Proximal Transition	Uneven
Blade Thickness, mm	0.091
Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.125
Secondary Bevel Scratch Size	0.002
Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Secondary Bevel Transition Line	Typical
Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.039
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size	Polish
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line	Uneven

I had a request to include some pictures of corners since they might play an important role in differences between how blades feel. The main issue is that the lowest magnification on my photo microscope is 60x optical, and that isn't enough to capture all of the details that should be included in a corner picture. It really needs to include the straight edge and the side edge perpendicular to it. I thought I would share the idea here to see what you think. Here is an example of the best corner pick with my Carson/S22+ at 60x:

It has poor durability like the other (better) Durablades. I shaved with one today, and it was quite uncomfortable to me. I think this is because there were spots on the edge that didn't hold up. The average sharpness was reasonably good, but both edges had spots that were too dull to cut hair. Part of the problem with this thin blade is that the abrasives they use are so inconsistent the primary and secondary grind scratches make their way past their zones, creating rough spots and weak spots. The cheapest abrasives are just mined from the earth and crudely sifted, and I suspect that is what they are using to keep costs low. An abrasive with more consistent particles like we see on Feather at the other extreme, is more expensive. Most blades seem to use an abrasive for primary and secondary grinds that result in a scratch size ratio of about 2:1. With crude abrasives, performance may be maximized with a more limiting lower ratio.

Date	22-Sep-2024
Blade	Samah	Durablade	Sharp Hi Chromium	Bangladesh	1-Jun-2014
Wear on Edge	0	3	6	9	12	1
Edges Measured	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top
Measurement Medium	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22
Dulling Substrate	New	Paper	Paper	Paper	Paper	Face
Measurements	20	20	20	20	20	20
Adj. Std. Dev.	26	16	21	14	29	15
Median F (g)	44.5	44	49	52.5	54.5	44
Mean F (g) Top	60	53	62	55	74	46
Mean F (g) Bottom	43	41	47	53	51	49
Mean F (g)	51	47	55	54	63	47
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	74	65	76	67	90	56
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	52	50	57	65	63	59
Median Adj. F (g)	54	54	60	64	67	54
Mean Adj. F (g)	63	57	67	66	76	58

I don't recommend any of these Bengali Samah blades. I think they use cheap materials and have poorly controlled processes. There are much better blades available at the $9/100 price point including Astra SP, Flydear SP, and many others. I think the main reason they are imported and available is simply to offer a greater selection, despite not having anything really competitive in the lineup.

I tried this one shaving because I wanted to see how one of their better batches felt on my face, and it was not a pleasant experience. I think I will keep the feel of the poorly performing ones in the realm of imagination.


Blade Sharpness Test Index

 

[helicopter]

I just noticed I had a 2014 default date in there for these Samah blades, but they were all purchased within the last few months, so I should have used a 1/1/24 default date. I corrected this in the data.

 

[helicopter]

This is a South American market Wilkinson Sword blade that was produced by Proctor and Gamble in Brazil. It was generously provided for testing by @WVShaver It comes in a three blade tuck, which is quite a small quantity. Performance is extremely similar to the original English Wilkinson Sword blade I tested. This blade has become difficult to find, and it may have been out of production for some time.

It says it is made in Brazil with Chrome and PTFE coatings.

The coating looks heavier than the English one I tested. It is hard to see the grind through the coating for good comparisons.

Coating and Grind
Coating Thickness	Heavy
Coating Evenness	Even
Bevel Coating Coverage	80%
Entire Bevel to Edge, mm	0.301
Primary Bevel Scratch Size	0.004
Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Typical
Primary Bevel Proximal Transition	Typical
Blade Thickness, mm	0.090
Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.166
Secondary Bevel Scratch Size	0.002
Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Typical
Secondary Bevel Transition Line	Uneven
Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.037
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size	Polish
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Even
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line	Uneven

It is a thin blade, and it shows lots of medium chipping along the edge after testing. A lot of blades in this fairly moderate sharpness range hold up better than this to wear, but it isn't bad, and it might be intentional.

It appears to be an excellent copy of the 1970s English blade. I am not going to criticize it because if the goal was to copy an English blade, then it does exactly what it is supposed to do. The German blades are an Edgewell product, and seem not to be related to these Proctor and Gamble blades. The Proctor and Gamble blades more closely resemble the original English blade, especially this one, which is virtually indistinguishable.

I think some people were wondering if this blade is produced in another location before being packaged with false labeling indicating a Brazilian product. I don't think that is the case, but I haven't looked into it outside of this test, and I could be persuaded by some convincing objective evidence.

Date	22-Sep-2024
Blade	Procter & Gamble	Wilkinson Sword	Super Inoxidável	Brazil	18-Jul-2019
Wear on Edge	0	3	6	9	12
Edges Measured	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top
Measurement Medium	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22
Dulling Substrate	New	Paper	Paper	Paper	Paper
Measurements	20	20	20	20	20
Adj. Std. Dev.	7	6	12	11	14
Median F (g)	50.5	52	56	63	66.5
Mean F (g) Top	47	50	52	59	61
Mean F (g) Bottom	53	53	64	67	75
Mean F (g)	50	52	58	63	68
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	58	62	63	72	74
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	65	65	78	81	92
Median Adj. F (g)	62	63	68	77	81
Mean Adj. F (g)	61	63	71	77	83

Blade Sharpness Test Index

 

[slimshavy]

And here we have another Samah Durablade, the LOI Salon Blade Titanium. This one is nothing special, but it is fine.

View attachment 1915242

View attachment 1915243

It is another crude grind.

View attachment 1915244

Coating and Grind
Coating Thickness	Heavy
Coating Evenness	Even
Bevel Coating Coverage	72%
Entire Bevel to Edge, mm	0.394
Primary Bevel Scratch Size	0.005
Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Primary Bevel Proximal Transition	Uneven
Blade Thickness, mm	0.093
Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.142
Secondary Bevel Scratch Size	0.003
Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Secondary Bevel Transition Line	Typical
Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.039
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size	Polish
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Uneven
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line	Uneven

The failure mode of this one is the typical small chipping. I think the Clifton had a bad heat treatment.

View attachment 1915245

It's fine. The durability is a little below average, but we expect that with thin blades like this. I think there are better blades at the $9/100 price, but it is probably a decent value in some markets, such as their home market in Bangladesh.

View attachment 1915249

Date	21-Sep-2024
Blade	Samah	Durablade	LOI Salon Titanium	Bengladesh	1-Jun-2014
Wear on Edge	0	3	6	9	12
Edges Measured	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top
Measurement Medium	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22
Dulling Substrate	New	Paper	Paper	Paper	Paper
Measurements	20	20	20	20	20
Adj. Std. Dev.	4	10	7	11	10
Median F (g)	46	49	52.5	56.5	58.5
Mean F (g) Top	46	49	51	56	61
Mean F (g) Bottom	47	52	53	61	58
Mean F (g)	47	50	52	59	60
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	56	59	62	68	74
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	58	64	64	75	71
Median Adj. F (g)	56	59	64	69	71
Mean Adj. F (g)	57	61	63	72	73

View attachment 1915248

Blade Sharpness Test Index

I liked LOI blades when I was starting out because they were forgiving. I could use some bad technique and not have to worry about cutting myself. They got too dull to use past two shaves, but those shaves were smooth.

I never in a million years would have thought that they would prove to be sharper than Bics in these tests.

 

[Sweeney_]

@helicopter I love this chart you added for all the Wilkinson and Schick blades. One for my downloads, cheers.

 

[helicopter]

I liked LOI blades when I was starting out because they were forgiving. I could use some bad technique and not have to worry about cutting myself. They got too dull to use past two shaves, but those shaves were smooth.

I never in a million years would have thought that they would prove to be sharper than Bics in these tests.

LOI is thin and fragile compared to BIC. When it dulls, it does so less evenly. Since the LOI is much more fragile, the dullest 25% of the spots on the edge are a lot duller than the dullest 25% of spots on a BIC CP, even if the average sharpness is higher in the early part of its use. It will feel duller and arguably is duller, because those dull spots will tug and leave stubble behind.

When you dull a blade on your face, it dulls much faster in the middle of the edge, which is also the part of the edge you feel the most, so shaving with it, the difference in feeling will be even more pronounced.

Even before local dullness is going to be a bad spot, it will make the blade feel mild more than the sharper spots make it feel sharp.

A completely different measurement procedure, such as the one that pushes the entire edge into a strip of rubber at one time would very likely show that the LOI is duller as well.

Regardless of how you compile and sort the measurements, the local failure of the LOI edge is one of the reasons I do not recommend these Samah blades. The steel just isn't very good. I am not sure if it is a bad alloy, a bad heat treatment, a bad grind, or a grind specs that don't suit the other attributes. Evidence suggests Samah is compromising on all of these as much as they can get away with.

 

[helicopter]

@helicopter I love this chart you added for all the Wilkinson and Schick blades. One for my downloads, cheers.
View attachment 1916125

I will tell you, and this has happened several times, I didn't have an idea to communicate and then make the chart to do so; I had some information to present, made the chart, and then had the idea when I saw the chart just like everyone else.

 

[helicopter]

I will tell you, and this has happened several times, I didn't have an idea to communicate and then make the chart to do so; I had some information to present, made the chart, and then had the idea when I saw the chart just like everyone else.

Whoever first said "Data is beautiful" put it well.

 

[helicopter]

This is the Gillette 365 Stainless blade. It comes from their plant in India.

The primary and secondary bevels have a lot of overlap, but on the proximal scratches are about twice as big as the distal ones, which is typical of a two-stage grind. It reminds me of the Gillette Wilkinson Sword Saloon Pack blade from the same facility.

Coating and Grind
Coating Thickness	Heavy
Coating Evenness	Even
Bevel Coating Coverage	65%
Entire Bevel to Edge, mm	0.273
Primary Bevel Scratch Size	0.007
Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Typical
Primary Bevel Proximal Transition	Typical
Blade Thickness, mm	0.091
Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.180
Secondary Bevel Scratch Size	0.003
Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Typical
Secondary Bevel Transition Line	Uneven
Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.020
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size	Polish
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Even
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line	Uneven

There is a lot of chipping, including large chipping all along the edge after the test. This blade is toast. It is thin and fairly fragile and is less durable than many blades.

It is a mild blade and is the same, or essentially the same as the much more widely available Gillette Wilkinson Sword Saloon Pack blade.

Date	23-Sep-2024
Blade	Procter & Gamble	Gillette	365 Stainless	India	9-Sep-2016
Wear on Edge	0	3	6	9	12
Edges Measured	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top
Measurement Medium	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22
Dulling Substrate	New	Paper	Paper	Paper	Paper
Measurements	20	20	20	20	20
Adj. Std. Dev.	10	5	10	22	26
Median F (g)	52	58	65.5	76	75
Mean F (g) Top	56	57	68	88	94
Mean F (g) Bottom	49	56	64	71	70
Mean F (g)	53	57	66	79	82
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	69	70	83	108	114
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	60	69	79	86	85
Median Adj. F (g)	63	70	80	93	92
Mean Adj. F (g)	64	69	81	97	100

Usually Proctor and Gamble is not shy about making blades to a vast number of different specifications to meet the demands of consumers loyal to the plethora of brands and labels they own. I don't know the history of the 365 or how the original one was, but I can say this current 365 blade is very close to the current Wilkinson Sword Saloon Pack blade from the same Indian plant. The grind appears to be the same and the performance is close enough for acceptable batch variation. The saloon pack blade is easy to find at good prices and it is of good quality for something a bit mild. You can probably skip the 365 and just try the other one if this 365 tested peaks your interest. If you have already tried the Saloon Wilkinson, you can probably just skip the 365.

Blade Sharpness Test Index

 

[helicopter]

I found some Wilkinson Sword Classic yellow German Edgewell blades from 2018.

It is marked for European markets. Apparently Edgewell's European subsidiaries still used the Energizer name when this was produced.

Unfortunately, this was made in 2018, well after Energizer spun off Edgewell into a the new company in 2015.

It is the same grind as the other German Wilkinson Sword and Schick blades tested.

Coating and Grind
Coating Thickness	Light
Coating Evenness	Even
Bevel Coating Coverage	89%
Entire Bevel to Edge, mm	0.407
Primary Bevel Scratch Size	0.004
Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Typical
Primary Bevel Proximal Transition	Typical
Blade Thickness, mm	0.099
Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.201
Secondary Bevel Scratch Size	0.003
Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Typical
Secondary Bevel Transition Line	Uneven
Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.065
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size	Polish
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Even
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line	Typical

The edge is in remarkably good condition after the test.

This one has an exceptional combination of durability, consistency, and sharpness. An incredible blade.

Date	23-Sep-2024
Blade	Edgewell	Wilkinson Sword	Classic Yellow	Germany	22-Mar-2018
Wear on Edge	0	3	6	9	12
Edges Measured	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top
Measurement Medium	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22
Dulling Substrate	New	Paper	Paper	Paper	Paper
Measurements	20	20	20	20	20
Adj. Std. Dev.	6	3	4	4	8
Median F (g)	46	42	41	40.5	42
Mean F (g) Top	42	40	40	40	44
Mean F (g) Bottom	50	43	42	42	42
Mean F (g)	46	41	41	41	43
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	51	49	49	49	54
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	61	52	51	51	51
Median Adj. F (g)	56	51	50	49	51
Mean Adj. F (g)	56	51	50	50	52

I bought these blister packs because of my hypothesis that plastic and steel dispensers and blister packs provide better protection than most paper packaging. This is certainly consistent with that hypothesis. I don't think there is a significant difference in the specification to which this blade and the Shicks and other German Wilkinsons are made.

An outstanding blade always puts a smile on my face, and we certainly have that here. These are among the best blades I have tested here. Depending on what criteria are important to you, this may be the best blade you can get.

Blade Sharpness Test Index

 

[NorthernSoul]

I found some Wilkinson Sword Classic yellow German Edgewell blades from 2018...

This one has an exceptional combination of durability, consistency, and sharpness. An incredible blade...

An outstanding blade always puts a smile on my face, and we certainly have that here. These are among the best blades I have tested here. Depending on what criteria are important to you, this may be the best blade you can get.

What about comfort? Quite a lot of people report this blade is not very comfortable to use. It measures well, but I don't know how you would measure comfort except maybe through surveying people.

Speaking of comfort, @helicopter, is there any way to split your summary bar chart into several pages, it is getting to be a bit hard to read, though you can zoom in. The number of blades tested is pretty amazing, though.

 

[BigAlVista]

What about comfort? Quite a lot of people report this blade is not very comfortable to use. It measures well, but I don't know how you would measure comfort except maybe through surveying people.

Speaking of comfort, @helicopter, is there any way to split your summary bar chart into several pages, it is getting to be a bit hard to read, though you can zoom in. The number of blades tested is pretty amazing, though.

Dat file and pivot table - it's a couple of weeks behind

 

[helicopter]

This is an October, 2023 Wilkinson Sword Classic packaged for the US market.

I also ordered ten of the blue 10-blade packs, but they sent more of the 5-blade packs like this.

It is the same grind. The coating is a little bit thicker.

Coating and Grind
Coating Thickness	Moderate
Coating Evenness	Even
Bevel Coating Coverage	75%
Entire Bevel to Edge, mm	0.437
Primary Bevel Scratch Size	0.005
Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Typical
Primary Bevel Proximal Transition	Typical
Blade Thickness, mm	0.101
Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.206
Secondary Bevel Scratch Size	0.003
Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Typical
Secondary Bevel Transition Line	Uneven
Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.056
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size	Polish
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Even
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line	Typical

The edge holds up exceptionally well to testing.

Date	23-Sep-2024
Blade	Edgewell	Wilkinson Sword	Classic White	Germany	23-Oct-2023
Wear on Edge	0	3	6	9	12
Edges Measured	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top
Measurement Medium	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22
Dulling Substrate	New	Paper	Paper	Paper	Paper
Measurements	20	20	20	20	20
Adj. Std. Dev.	6	5	5	5	7
Median F (g)	53.5	50	47.5	44	47
Mean F (g) Top	51	47	47	45	47
Mean F (g) Bottom	58	52	47	44	47
Mean F (g)	55	50	47	44	47
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	63	58	57	55	58
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	71	63	57	54	57
Median Adj. F (g)	65	60	58	54	57
Mean Adj. F (g)	67	60	57	54	58

This is the only one that exhibits this type of coating performance. The coating impedes the exposure of the sharp steel beneath until late in the test. It is more durable than the others at the expense of some sharpness and some consistency. I could probably get several years out of the 119 of these I have left. I wonder if this is a new coating, or just batch variation. I suspect we will find out eventually.

It is still quite sharp.

It doesn't have the exceptional sharpness of the yellow 2018 Wilkinson Sword Classic I tested previously. I know the chart below is becoming blocky. That is why we have the summary chart above. In any case, I made the complete one wider. You definitely have to zoom in, but it's a little easier to see what is going on when you do.

How do I feel about this blade? I was certainly hoping it would be as sharp as the yellow one, but really it is more similar than the rankings suggest. I would put it somewhere behind the AccuTec Personna and Feather, but still in my top ten favorites. There are others here who do a better job than I can of providing subjective reviews of these. I think there are more comfortable blades, but I don't consider this one to be flawed in terms of comfort. I like a variety of blades, including this sharp blade that gives me feedback and lets me know it is there, but doesn't chip and tear up my skin.

Blade Sharpness Test Index

 

[helicopter]

This is the Gillette Goal Super Platinum New Improved Stainless blade which is produced by Shanghai Gillette Co. Ltd. for the Indonesian market. It has a fine and even grind, that looks smooth, and it is made from a softer steel that does not chip, but dents and has poor durability.

It is double-wrapped with four glue dots.

It has the rounded edge corners that Shanghai Gillette blades often seem to share, except perhaps Flying Eagle. I thought these blade also had a year and quarter on them in the old letter-number format like vintage Gillette razors, but I don't see them on this one.

The grind has a very even scratch pattern, and looks quite smooth.

Coating and Grind
Coating Thickness	Light
Coating Evenness	Even
Bevel Coating Coverage	65%
Entire Bevel to Edge, mm	0.367
Primary Bevel Scratch Size	0.006
Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Even
Primary Bevel Proximal Transition	Typical
Blade Thickness, mm	0.099
Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.271
Secondary Bevel Scratch Size	0.003
Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Even
Secondary Bevel Transition Line	Typical
Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm	0.058
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size	Polish
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency	Even
Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line	Typical

The failure mode of the steel is large denting. Sometimes softer steel like this that don't tend to chip feel smoother and more comfortable on the skin when they are new and sharp. However, this blade has rather poor durability.

You can see that the initial sharpness is in the middle of the pack, but poor durability leads to low average sharpness. The soft steel might feel smooth on the skin, especially with the fine and even grind, but I haven't tried it yet.

Date	23-Sep-2024
Blade	Procter & Gamble	Gillette Goal	Super Platinum	China	1-Jan-2023
Wear on Edge	0	3	6	9	12
Edges Measured	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top
Measurement Medium	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22	Stren 6 .22
Dulling Substrate	New	Paper	Paper	Paper	Paper
Measurements	20	20	20	20	20
Adj. Std. Dev.	8	14	22	12	21
Median F (g)	52	65	75.5	83	86.5
Mean F (g) Top	54	73	83	82	94
Mean F (g) Bottom	53	65	75	84	90
Mean F (g)	54	69	79	83	92
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	66	89	101	100	115
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	65	79	92	103	110
Median Adj. F (g)	63	79	92	101	106
Mean Adj. F (g)	66	84	96	102	113

Here the big chart is even more stretched. The pivot table may prove more useful for detailed comparisons.

Blade Sharpness Test Index