Sharpest DE blades not a Feather?

[shaveking]

I just got a small pack of Gillette 365 blades. I know ymmv but this blade is sharp and smooth-just as good if not better than a Feather.

 

[awk_m4]

If I could only use on blade it would be Feather's. They're so good. You have to try others to see what works best for you.
Other bladed I do like: Wizamet SI, Crystal Israelis, Gillette's: KCG, Nacet, Silver Blue, and Perma-Sharp.

 

[Alex Jr]

I don’t get that short feather longevity people talk about.

Does it lose its initial sharpness? Of course, but even then, it’s sharper than a lot of blades out of the wrapper.

I think @helicopter blade testing agrees with my perception.

It shouldn’t be a 2 and done blade, at least for me.

 

[helicopter]

I don’t get that short feather longevity people talk about.

Does it lose its initial sharpness? Of course, but even then, it’s sharper than a lot of blades out of the wrapper.

I think @helicopter blade testing agrees with my perception.

It shouldn’t be a 2 and done blade, at least for me.

I agree. It has a linear-exponential sharpness curve, rather than J-shaped, so it is less consistent and it is easier to tell it is changing early in it's life, and it does lose the exceptional sharpness fairly soon. However, it is a good steel and doesn't fail catastrophically. Rather, it remains reasonably sharp for a reasonably long time.

 

[Ankerwycke]

That will make anyone's whiskers easier to mow down! I see increased usable blade life as well if I shave in or after the shower. I have done the warm towel routine as well to try it out and that works really well too. Both need less soap as well for a comfortable shave in my case with the common blades I use most often, Astra at this point with an all-stainless Muhle Rocca or my all-stainless EJ 3One6.

I prefer a feather in the 3one6, it‘s very smooth and efficient.

 

[Alex Jr]

I agree. It has a linear-exponential sharpness curve, rather than J-shaped, so it is less consistent and it is easier to tell it is changing early in it's life, and it does lose the exceptional sharpness fairly soon. However, it is a good steel and doesn't fail catastrophically. Rather, it remains reasonably sharp for a reasonably long time.

Exactly. I think the drop in sharpness can give the impression the blade will no longer be effective.

But even losing its initial sharpness, it remains as capable (or more) than some highly praised blades.

As always, YMMV.

 

[mikhou]

In terms of sharpness nothing is equal to a Feather, it's simply the sharpest of them all. That said, two really sharp blades to consider are the Gillette Nacet and Gillette Perma-Sharp. I regularly use and love both.

I was going to make the same 2 suggestions along with almost any Gillette 7 o'clock that I have tried.

I have never had a good shave from either a Kai or a Personna Lab Blue blade. And I have tried them both many times. Feathers work okay for me, but the price, and the very short life span of one or two shaves, doesn’t make them attractive for me. Perma Sharp super in the gold tuck work great. But there are dozens of great blades out there. You just need to experiment and find out what works for you.

I agree. Lab Blues have never worked for me. I respect those who love them, but they've always been terrible for me.

I don’t get that short feather longevity people talk about.

Does it lose its initial sharpness? Of course, but even then, it’s sharper than a lot of blades out of the wrapper.

I think @helicopter blade testing agrees with my perception.

It shouldn’t be a 2 and done blade, at least for me.

Agreed. My general usage for almost any blade is 4 shaves, and I can get 4 good shaves out of a Feather as well.

 

[BigJ]

…If you want Feather, go with Feather. If you're wanting something else, go with something else.…

+1! Yes indeed!

 

[shave/brush]

Personna Lab Blues are plenty sharp, are more forgiving than Feathers and are a heckuva lot less expensive.

I agree with this.

 

[shave/brush]

There's actually a lot of agreement between average opinion on sharpness and the tests @helicopter has been doing. That's one of the interesting things that came out in the testing.



The best sharper blades not quite as sharp as Feather, well that depends on what you find most comfortable. That is somewhat subjective. I'd try BIC Chrome Platinum, Personna Comfort Coated (made in USA), Nacet, Perma-Sharp Super to start.

KAI have a reputation for sharpness, but they are not anywhere near Feathers, and don't justify the premium price charged IMHO.

The Personna Blue blades you want are sold in boxes of 100, marked "Comfort Coated", made in Verona, VA, USA. Don't buy the ones made elsewhere. They may be OK, but they're not the same at all.

They look like this, a small box about the size of a couple of decks of playing cards. Very good and comfortable blade that is priced well:

View attachment 1915986

I agree that the Personna in the blue box made in the U.S.A. are the way to go.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

But even losing its initial sharpness, it remains as capable

For me they get less comfortable, while still cutting well. But the right razor, and maybe more importantly, the right soap, can stretch that further.

 

[sidpost]

For me Feather blades are the very best, when new they are ninja sharp and super smooth. Nothing really compares. Longevity is their only drawback, but honestly I do not care about that.

Yes, Feather apparently uses much higher-quality finishing belts so, their edges are better. Whether the steel used is the best is an open question.

Granted I don't want a "one and done" blade but, I also don't need super longevity with a reasonably cheap shave solution. I have considered taking a dull DE blade and stropping it or putting it to a Japanese waterstone.

 

[sidpost]

For me they get less comfortable, while still cutting well. But the right razor, and maybe more importantly, the right soap, can stretch that further.

Good shave preparation makes a lot of difference with my shaves. With a splash of water on my face and some canned goo, I can spot a suboptimal blade easily. That said, soft whiskers from a shower or hot wet towel and a good soap will let an otherwise used up blade give me a great shave with plenty of comfort.

It is nice in a hurried morning to be able to just grab some canned goo and a good blade to shave and get on with my day. That does shorten blade life though so, typically I use a cheap blade that doesn't bother me if I throw it away with one or two shaves.

 

[anoop]

There is nothing like a Feather blade. If you want Feather, go with Feather. If you're wanting something else, go with something else. Feather blades are in a class all by themselves. Love 'em or hate 'em. They have no competition.

haha.

I hate 'em because they're too sticky!

They're also not a good blade if you don't have a steady hand and an attentive mind when shaving. What might be a tiny nick with any other blade ends up as a deep cut with the Feather.

The sharpest blade outside of that that I have used was the Gillette Platinum Plus (Brazil, no longer made). The next sharpest would be Kai, but Kai is not smooth at all.

 

[JoWolf]

I see lots of references for KAI and Personna Lab Blue blades being super sharp. Assuming you weren't going to use a Feather in one of the three common tuck colors, what is the sharpest or most "Feather-like"?

In terms of Personna Lab Blue options, what are the differences in the various options I see online for regular "Personna" in a sort of beige/gold box versus the generic blue boxes?

I am demo'ing a couple of DE razors and think I should pick up some DE blades other than my common Derby and similar options I in my stash, along with a Nacet tuck or two.

Feathers are always listed as the sharpest. I’ve been single using them for over three years. Prior to my single use of Feathers I found the Gillette Nacet and the Bic Platinum to be second and third choice for sharpness.

 

[Marco]

Yes, Feather apparently uses much higher-quality finishing belts so, their edges are better. Whether the steel used is the best is an open question.

Granted I don't want a "one and done" blade but, I also don't need super longevity with a reasonably cheap shave solution. I have considered taking a dull DE blade and stropping it or putting it to a Japanese waterstone.

Sir, I do not know what prices are on the other side of the Athlantic, but here in Italy I can easily get 100 Feathers for roughly €30. This means each blade does cost me €0.30. Considering that I get 3 comfortable shaves out of each blade, the single cost per shave is €0.10. Honestly, I do not see this as being expensive as someone here has declared.

 

[lasta]

Sir, I do not know what prices are on the other side of the Athlantic, but here in Italy I can easily get 100 Feathers for roughly €30. This means each blade does cost me €0.30. Considering that I get 3 comfortable shaves out of each blade, the single cost per shave is €0.10. Honestly, I do not see this as being expensive as someone here has declared.

Yep. Here Feathers are US$19/100, Personnas are $34.

 

[wetshaver233]

Feather blades might a bit expensive, not last very long or be amongst the smoothest out there, but in terms of sharpness, they reign supreme. For whatever reason, some consider KAI to be just as sharp and some even find them sharper. For me, KAI's are in the same area as Nacet, Perma-Sharp and Minora Stainless.

Even though I'm only using Nacets in all of my razors, I have to admit that sometimes I do miss the extra sharpness of the Feathers.

 

[musicman1951]

For me Feather blades are the very best, when new they are ninja sharp and super smooth. Nothing really compares. Longevity is their only drawback, but honestly I do not care about that.

If they were the only blade that did the job for me I would gladly pay the price for 2 shaves a blade, but the Polsilvers work for me and I purchased 800 at around 14 cents a blade (at least twice as many good shaves) a few years ago. But I totally agree with paying more to use the things that bring a little joy.

 

[Marco]

If they were the only blade that did the job for me I would gladly pay the price for 2 shaves a blade, but the Polsilvers work for me and I purchased 800 at around 14 cents a blade (at least twice as many good shaves) a few years ago. But I totally agree with paying more to use the things that bring a little joy.

Words of wisdom, Sir. It's exactly what I'm going to do my ~1K Gillette Nacet, Silver Blue and Perma-Sharp. They are all blades I love and will surely and happily use to the very end.