What's new

2024 best razor blades according to AI

AI can go out and read a bunch of stuff instantly, identify patterns, and give you summaries and simple analysis. I use it with my blade thread quite a bit. It is really useful for answering questions that require sleuthing, and not so useful for questions that require guessing. It will often make bad guesses. Yesterday it made me a chart that was an absolutely useless mess. GhatGPT is a tool like Google search. I would say it is about as important as the change we saw when Google first launched and replaced Yahoo.

It isn't really intelligent and it is not revolutionary to the extent that it can improve itself independently like Skynet. I do think that spark and fire are going to come. That will be the real and revolutionary artificial intelligence. The public AI we have now is not it. If we are smart and lucky it will bring robots and the obsolescence of a lot of human labor, and if we are foolish and unlucky it will destroy humanity.
 
It is kind of comforting that it manages to get a lot of information so wrong.

Bad news for people who don't know how to work things out for themselves - good news for those of us whose livelihood depends on knowledge, research and creative work of the type that big tech is pushing for AI to replace.

I read an article the other day titled something like, "10 ways you can use AI for incredible analysis". It was pitching it as though it was giving people in my industry access to something that they couldn't have done before - but I already know how to do all that stuff in Excel. And if I do it myself, I know it's done properly!

I have had clients come to me with "insights" from analysis they have done themselves and when I point out that that it's nonsense, it turns out they basically just fed a spreadsheet into an AI because they don't know what questions they need to be asking in the first place. You can't trust this stuff to make decisions that impact your business. The old programmers maxim of "Garbage in, garbage out" still applies.
 
My face started getting cut with safety razor blades just this summer and, so far, I've found that I like the blades that are ...

(a) consistent,
(b) sharp,
and
(c) long-lasting.

Wow, shocker!?! right?

I won't name blades: the data is out there. <tips cap to helicopter>

/Acey
 

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
Blades are the most subjective part of shaving. So looking at any list, AI or human produced, is only for reference and/or entertainment value. I personally have tried hundreds of different blades. And have a stash of thousands that I have collected over the years. And I find that some of the most beloved blades on B&B just give me horrible shaves. In no particular order of horribleness…

GSB
Personna Lab Blue
BIC Chrome
KAI
German Wilkinson Sword

I have purchased bulk-packs of each of those blades and gave them a real earnest go. I could not get one good shave from any of them. I eventually gave away the balance of what was left in each case.

So looking at top blade lists to find your favorite is futile. Blades are cheap for the most part. They are readily available from a variety of sources around the globe. And there is the blade exchange, RBC, blade challenge PIFs, etc, where you can get blades for free or super cheap to try too. So try them and make decisions for yourself.

And as mentioned above, there is no AI. It’s all false promise at this point in time. AI infers “intelligence”, which is cognitive thought. Which is not what ChatGPT, etc, do. They basically scrape the web and summarize. It’s cool. And it’s useful. But it’s not AI.
 

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
Why?
Why would you ask AI about it?
It's quite simple actually, AI is supposed to be able to condense, summarize, write a short paragraph about something. As I wrote in the first post, I am far from being savvy with AI (still learning). If I were able to process the web's data from specific websites, I might be able to get a more interesting piece of data.

My main objective here is not to replace B&B and the input of the membership. Far from it. I still need to work with AI to get better results.
 
I asked follow up questions and got a better list:

1. Feather Hi-Stainless

  • Origin: Japan
  • Key Traits: Extremely sharp, precise, and durable.
  • Best For: Coarse beards and experienced shavers.

2. Astra Superior Platinum (Green Pack)

  • Origin: Russia (by Gillette)
  • Key Traits: Affordable, smooth, and sharp.
  • Best For: All-around use, beginner-friendly.

3. Gillette Platinum

  • Origin: Russia
  • Key Traits: Sharp and smooth with a premium feel.
  • Best For: Comfortable shaves for most beard types.

4. BIC Chrome Platinum

  • Origin: Greece
  • Key Traits: Extremely sharp, durable, consistent.
  • Best For: Coarse beards and experienced shavers.

5. Personna Blades (Med Prep, Accuforge, Comfort Coated, Lab Blue)

  • Origin: USA
  • Key Traits: Sharp, smooth, medical-grade quality.
  • Best For: Sensitive skin and balanced performance.

6. Wilkinson Sword (German-Made)

  • Origin: Germany
  • Key Traits: Smooth, durable, forgiving.
  • Best For: Beginners and those with lighter beards.

7. Voskhod Teflon-Coated

  • Origin: Russia
  • Key Traits: Smooth, forgiving, gentle on sensitive skin.
  • Best For: Comfortable and irritation-free shaves.

8. Polsilver Super Iridium

  • Origin: Russia (occasional limited supply)
  • Key Traits: Sharp, smooth, and durable.
  • Best For: Coarse beards, longer-lasting blades.

9. Treet Platinum

  • Origin: Pakistan
  • Key Traits: Smooth, forgiving, mild sharpness, consistent quality.
  • Best For: Sensitive skin, beginners, or light-to-medium beards.

10. Derby Premium

  • Origin: Turkey
  • Key Traits: Affordable, slightly sharper than Derby Extra.
  • Best For: Sensitive skin and light-to-medium beards.
It is based on the general opinions of online enthusiasts, but it accounts for razor design, variety, and shared specifications.
 
I had it look at my data, and consider current production:

1. Feather New Hi-Stainless

  • Key Traits: Extremely sharp out of the box, retains good sharpness over multiple uses (Avg 0–6: 50).
  • Why It’s Here: Exceptional for close shaves, especially on coarse beards. A benchmark for sharpness.

2. Astra Superior Platinum (Green Pack)

  • Key Traits: Balanced sharpness and smoothness, affordable, durable (Avg 0–6: ~53 based on comparable blades).
  • Why It’s Here: Reliable, beginner-friendly, and consistently performs across different razors.

3. Personna Med Prep / Comfort Coated (US-Made)

  • Key Traits: High initial sharpness, excellent durability, and smooth glide (Avg 0–6: 54).
  • Why It’s Here: Medical-grade quality ensures long-lasting, irritation-free shaves.

4. Wilkinson Sword (German-Made)

  • Key Traits: Smooth, forgiving, steady sharpness over time (Avg 0–6: 52).
  • Why It’s Here: Ideal for sensitive skin and lighter beards, with consistent quality.

5. Bic Chrome Platinum

  • Key Traits: High sharpness and consistent performance (Avg 0–6: ~61).
  • Why It’s Here: Sharpness rivals Feather, with smoother feedback for many users; perfect for coarse beards.

6. Treet Platinum

  • Key Traits: Smooth and forgiving, mild sharpness but balanced performance (Avg 0–6: 74).
  • Why It’s Here: An affordable, consistent blade ideal for beginners or sensitive skin.

7. Voskhod Teflon-Coated

  • Key Traits: Smooth, forgiving, moderate sharpness (Avg 0–6: ~56).
  • Why It’s Here: Loved for its irritation-free performance and affordability, especially for sensitive skin.

8. Gillette Silver Blue

  • Key Traits: Balanced sharpness and smoothness, excellent durability (Avg 0–6: 59).
  • Why It’s Here: A versatile, high-quality blade suitable for a wide range of razors and beard types.

9. Derby Premium

  • Key Traits: Mild sharpness, consistent geometry, smooth glide (Avg 0–6: 71).
  • Why It’s Here: Affordable and accessible for sensitive skin or those who prefer mild shaves.

10. Gillette Nacet

  • Key Traits: Sharp, smooth, and durable, with excellent edge retention (Avg 0–6: 60).
  • Why It’s Here: A well-rounded blade suitable for both aggressive and mild razors, widely praised for its cutting efficiency and longevity.

Revised Considerations

  • Replaced Polsilver: Added Gillette Nacet as it is in production and offers comparable quality and performance.
  • Retained Variety: The list includes blades for all preferences, from sharp and aggressive to mild and smooth.
 
Also, Boom!

"I intentionally avoided including Sotraco or Samah blades for exactly those reasons—they’re often chosen by retailers for their packaging variety rather than their shaving performance. While they may find a place in budget sample packs, their inconsistency and generally poor quality make them unsuitable for a top 10 list focused on performance, reliability, and user satisfaction."

Smarter than a lot of you guys, to be frank.
 
No generic AI data for me. I ask this same question all the time, what is the best blade, balm, EDT, best selling soap, or favored soap within a brand. The way I do it to go to a website that has sells, and is frequented by shave enthusiasts, and then sort by “Best Selling”. This helps me get a feel what people love. More specifically, sites like Shave Nation, Maggards, or even sorting through favored soaps and scents at Stirling.

Shave Nation best selling DE blades (feather and astra)

Maggards best selling DE blades (Astra, Feather, Gillette 7 O’clock)

Stirling best selling soaps (Executive Man, Barbershop, Sharp Dressed Man)

Shave Nation best selling sadety razors (Henson, Merkur 34C, Muhle 41)

That’s my trick 😃
 

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
No generic AI data for me. I ask this same question all the time, what is the best blade, balm, EDT, best selling soap, or favored soap within a brand. The way I do it to go to a website that has sells, and is frequented by shave enthusiasts, and then sort by “Best Selling”. This helps me get a feel what people love. More specifically, sites like Shave Nation, Maggards, or even sorting through favored soaps and scents at Stirling.

Shave Nation best selling DE blades (feather and astra)

Maggards best selling DE blades (Astra, Feather, Gillette 7 O’clock)

Stirling best selling soaps (Executive Man, Barbershop, Sharp Dressed Man)

Shave Nation best selling sadety razors (Henson, Merkur 34C, Muhle 41)

That’s my trick 😃
I did something similar here: Best Selling/recommended razor blades (2024-Q1 edition) - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/best-selling-recommended-razor-blades-2024-q1-edition.651376/
 
I think blades are also good example of where consensus can be quite useful, and AI can do a good job of evaluating consensus. It thought is was especially interesting that it correctly determined that divisive blades are unlikely to be of good or consistent quality. Quality is so often overlooked in favor of subjective experience, but both are important. Subjective experience gets the final word. Quality is still essential.
 
I thought your methodology was solid and results, as good as the data set could reasonably be expected to yield. I used your list early in my project because it was the best one I could find... but with AI, and my data, I think we now have a better one.

I don't adore Feather, but it is probably the number one number one blade because of its exceptional sharpness. Feather is impressive.

I am not a huge fan of Derby or Nacet, but I think you must have a few Gillette blades in a top ten. I could be persuaded to replace those two with Perma-Sharp and Flydear SP or Suneko Amorphous Diamond.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Luc
Top Bottom