I'm almost done compiling the data into a single CSV file. Once that's done and Helicopter has had a chance to review, we'll upload that so everyone can slice and dice the results at their discretion
Blade Sharpness Research Project
- Thread starter helicopter
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #502
I Measured the Rex blade. It is limited production, so I thought you might like to know how it is before it sells out. It is exclusive to Razor Emporium, and they sent mine in a padded envelope containing around 275 blades.
It is a Czech blade. I am going to assume that all of these Czech and EU laser printed blades are the same two, maybe three stainless blades from Czech Blades. If the brands don't want me to make that assumption, all they need to do is be less opaque in their labeling. This is the platinum coated Swedish steel one.
Unsurprisingly, there isn't a date code. At least we get a country and some information about the steel and coating.
Like the others, it has a medium coating, and the same three belt grits. There is some variation in the bevel heights. I could probably figure out a bit more if I went back and scaled the other ones form dimensions.
This is the first one where I am scaling the image digitally using GNU Image Manipulation Program in Linux. Measuring scratches is still tricky, but anything that is reasonably clear like bevel to edge, should be very accurate now, I think three significant figures, X.XXmm. I could get four SF if I focused the camera on the scale, but then the edge would not be in focus. I am not sure how to resolve that. Maybe a scale on the lens instead of on the surface.
Some medium chipping after the test.
Just get the Tatara from The Razor Company or Maggards. It is cheaper, has better graphic design, and will probably be packed with care, unlike the Rex, which is only available from Razor Emporium.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
It is a Czech blade. I am going to assume that all of these Czech and EU laser printed blades are the same two, maybe three stainless blades from Czech Blades. If the brands don't want me to make that assumption, all they need to do is be less opaque in their labeling. This is the platinum coated Swedish steel one.
Unsurprisingly, there isn't a date code. At least we get a country and some information about the steel and coating.
Like the others, it has a medium coating, and the same three belt grits. There is some variation in the bevel heights. I could probably figure out a bit more if I went back and scaled the other ones form dimensions.
This is the first one where I am scaling the image digitally using GNU Image Manipulation Program in Linux. Measuring scratches is still tricky, but anything that is reasonably clear like bevel to edge, should be very accurate now, I think three significant figures, X.XXmm. I could get four SF if I focused the camera on the scale, but then the edge would not be in focus. I am not sure how to resolve that. Maybe a scale on the lens instead of on the surface.
| Coating and Grind | |
| Coating Thickness | Moderate |
| Coating Evenness | Even |
| Bevel Coating Coverage | 100% |
| Entire Bevel to Edge, mm | 0.350 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.010 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Uneven |
| Primary Bevel Proximal Transition | Even |
| Blade Thickness, mm | 0.091 |
| Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.131 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.005 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Even |
| Secondary Bevel Transition Line | Even |
| Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.044 |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size | Polished |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Even |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line | Even |
Some medium chipping after the test.
| Date | 23-08-2024 | ||||
| Blade | Rex Supply | Platinum | Swedish Stainless | Czech Republic | 01-01-2024 |
| Wear on Edge | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 |
| Edges Measured | Bottom / Bottom | Bottom / Bottom | Bottom / Bottom | Bottom / Bottom | Bottom / Bottom |
| 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. | 9 | 12 | 10 | 17 | 17 |
| Median F (g) | 47 | 52 | 54 | 60 | 60 |
| Mean F (g) Top | 43 | 58 | 63 | 68 | 66 |
| Mean F (g) Bottom | 54 | 51 | 51 | 54 | 61 |
| Mean F (g) | 48 | 54 | 57 | 61 | 64 |
| BESS Adj. Factor | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Top | 52 | 71 | 77 | 83 | 81 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom | 66 | 62 | 62 | 66 | 75 |
| Median Adj. F (g) | 57 | 63 | 66 | 73 | 73 |
| Mean Adj. F (g) | 59 | 66 | 69 | 75 | 78 |
Just get the Tatara from The Razor Company or Maggards. It is cheaper, has better graphic design, and will probably be packed with care, unlike the Rex, which is only available from Razor Emporium.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
You're doing more useful work in your spare time than perhaps the whole of upper management does all day at a large corporation I'm familiar with. Thanks for your generosity, @helicopter. I've already used your data to execute a targeted shopping list based on the longevity, sharpness, and value characteristics seeming most appealing.
I never seen a package of counterfeit Bic blades until I came across them by accident a few days ago, I saw them in another forum I can't remember if Croatian or Slavic.
The packaging is almost similar to original but yhe razor blade is easily senn to be a forgery.
- Thread starter
- #505
The Lord Super Chrome seems to be a fairly popular blade, and I was curious how it compares to the Shark Super Chrome and the Lord Platinum from the same Lord production facility in Alexandria, Egypt. It comes in a cardboard tuck of ten blades with an anti-counterfeit hologram, and printed plasticized paper.
There is a date code, and it has one big wax dot.
The edge held up well overall, but the bottom edge did have some dead spots where it failed. I suspect this is due to the fact that some of the heavy scratches of the primary grind reach the edge, weakening it in certain spots. A better abrasive for this geometry would have smaller maximum particle size. They could also avoid this by increasing the difference in angle between the bevels so the scratches from the primary grind are gone on the secondary bevel. The secondary grind is also fairly coarse, so that is another potential contributing factor.
The bottom edge crashed hard in the second cut test, and the top edge held up much better through the end of the test. Depending on the batch, and with a little luck, you could certainly get one with two durable edges. I got one as a gift with a razor purchase once that seemed to last forever. I also shaved with one from the tuck I measured, and didn't see that performance and durability with that one.
It performed similarly to the Lord Platinum, but it was sharper and more durable. This one is more popular, and probably has a better coating. The Shark Super Chrome, from the same plant, is a lot sharper, and held up better to the testing.
The abrasives Lord uses are a little crude, and the steel is unimpressive, but overall the blade performs reasonably well.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
There is a date code, and it has one big wax dot.
| Coating and Grind | |
| Coating Thickness | Thick |
| Coating Evenness | Distal |
| Bevel Coating Coverage | 47% |
| Entire Bevel to Edge, mm | 0.423 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.011 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Uneven |
| Primary Bevel Proximal Transition | Even |
| Blade Thickness, mm | 0.098 |
| Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.157 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.007 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Even |
| Secondary Bevel Transition Line | Uneven |
| Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.000 |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size | NA |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency | NA |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line | NA |
The edge held up well overall, but the bottom edge did have some dead spots where it failed. I suspect this is due to the fact that some of the heavy scratches of the primary grind reach the edge, weakening it in certain spots. A better abrasive for this geometry would have smaller maximum particle size. They could also avoid this by increasing the difference in angle between the bevels so the scratches from the primary grind are gone on the secondary bevel. The secondary grind is also fairly coarse, so that is another potential contributing factor.
The bottom edge crashed hard in the second cut test, and the top edge held up much better through the end of the test. Depending on the batch, and with a little luck, you could certainly get one with two durable edges. I got one as a gift with a razor purchase once that seemed to last forever. I also shaved with one from the tuck I measured, and didn't see that performance and durability with that one.
| Date | 24-08-2024 | ||||
| Blade | Lord | Lord | Super Chrome | Egypt | 04-07-2018 |
| Wear on Edge | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 |
| Edges Measured | Bottom / Bottom | Bottom / Bottom | Bottom / Bottom | Bottom / Bottom | Bottom / Bottom |
| 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 | 18 | 18 | 26 | 35 |
| Median F (g) | 49.5 | 50 | 47.5 | 55.5 | 61 |
| Mean F (g) Top | 48 | 46 | 47 | 54 | 59 |
| Mean F (g) Bottom | 52 | 60 | 55 | 73 | 86 |
| Mean F (g) | 50 | 53 | 51 | 63 | 72 |
| BESS Adj. Factor | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Top | 59 | 56 | 57 | 66 | 72 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom | 64 | 74 | 67 | 88 | 104 |
| Median Adj. F (g) | 60 | 60 | 58 | 68 | 74 |
| Mean Adj. F (g) | 61 | 65 | 62 | 77 | 88 |
It performed similarly to the Lord Platinum, but it was sharper and more durable. This one is more popular, and probably has a better coating. The Shark Super Chrome, from the same plant, is a lot sharper, and held up better to the testing.
The abrasives Lord uses are a little crude, and the steel is unimpressive, but overall the blade performs reasonably well.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
Attachments
@helicopter I bought Lord Super Chrome just a couple months ago from AMZ and I'd be glad to send you some to test. These are very sharp IMO and they last a long time too (at least they do shaving my face - not sure how they'll hold up to paper and fishing line). No wax - there are four tiny brown glue dots and the blade sort of "snaps" clean off the dots so there is no residue left on the blades. Looks like 2022 on mine.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #507
I tested the Platinum Strangelet Super Sharps Platinum blade from Phoenix Artisan Accouterments. It is a private label Chinese blade of fair quality, and is not worth the price of $17/100, especially considering that I ordered about 275 blades with this one from Razor Emporium, and they stuffed them all in a padded envelope to get them to me.
The graphic design is fun, creative, and decidedly tacky. They got custom printing on the blade, but there is no date code.
There is some wax.
The bottom edge of the new blade has a 2 stage grind, a burr or wire edge, and a heavy coating that is only on the distal part of the bevel.
On the top edge of the new blade, there is no wire edge, and we see the heavy distal coating on the secondary bevel
After testing, the bottom edge has lost its wire edge and some of the coating remains.
After testing, the top edge has smoothed a bit, and we no longer see the coating.
I shaved with one of them, and it was sharper than any set of measurements on the test blade. It wasn't very sharp, and it didn't feel smooth.
I think that wire edge or burr at least partially remains until the second paper cut. It is worse than the Vikings blades, which are also private label Chinese blades, but that is probably because of the burr or whatever we see there. It wouldn't be a good blade even without that issue, but it isn't terrible either.
Bad, but not terrible. My wife came over and asked me about the blade, and I explained how it was doing, and that it had caused the cuts on my face, and she didn't understand why I would try it. Maybe she will understand someday.
Sharpness is below average, but after shaving with it, I wouldn't call it mild, just a but dull.
At $17/100, these are a hard pass. Matgicol, Swiss Rhinoceros, and Flydear SP are way better Chinese blades for a fraction of the price. Dorcos are better; Astras are better. Looks like they just went on Alibaba and ordered whatever junk blade was available in a custom printed box. If you order a few thousand boxes, you can get custom printed blades like these for less than $2/100.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
The graphic design is fun, creative, and decidedly tacky. They got custom printing on the blade, but there is no date code.
There is some wax.
The bottom edge of the new blade has a 2 stage grind, a burr or wire edge, and a heavy coating that is only on the distal part of the bevel.
On the top edge of the new blade, there is no wire edge, and we see the heavy distal coating on the secondary bevel
After testing, the bottom edge has lost its wire edge and some of the coating remains.
| Coating and Grind | |
| Coating Thickness | Thick |
| Coating Evenness | Distal |
| Bevel Coating Coverage | 10% |
| Entire Bevel to Edge, mm | 0.400 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.004 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Uneven |
| Primary Bevel Proximal Transition | Wavy |
| Blade Thickness, mm | 0.100 |
| Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.104 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.003 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Uneven |
| Secondary Bevel Transition Line | Wavy |
| Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.000 |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size | NA |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency | NA |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line | NA |
After testing, the top edge has smoothed a bit, and we no longer see the coating.
I shaved with one of them, and it was sharper than any set of measurements on the test blade. It wasn't very sharp, and it didn't feel smooth.
| Date | 24-08-2024 | |||||
| Blade | Phoenix | Platinum Strangelet | Super Sharp | China | 01-01-2024 | |
| Wear on Edge | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 1 |
| Edges Measured | Bottom / Bottom | Bottom / Bottom | Bottom / Bottom | Bottom / Bottom | Bottom / Bottom | 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 | 18 |
| Adj. Std. Dev. | 8 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 4 |
| Median F (g) | 58.5 | 62 | 61.5 | 63.5 | 65.5 | 52.5 |
| Mean F (g) Top | 52 | 63 | 63 | 61 | 62 | 53 |
| Mean F (g) Bottom | 60 | 62 | 58 | 67 | 71 | 52 |
| Mean F (g) | 56 | 62 | 60 | 64 | 66 | 52 |
| BESS Adj. Factor | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Top | 64 | 77 | 76 | 75 | 75 | 65 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom | 73 | 75 | 71 | 81 | 86 | 63 |
| Median Adj. F (g) | 71 | 75 | 75 | 77 | 80 | 64 |
| Mean Adj. F (g) | 68 | 76 | 74 | 78 | 81 | 64 |
I think that wire edge or burr at least partially remains until the second paper cut. It is worse than the Vikings blades, which are also private label Chinese blades, but that is probably because of the burr or whatever we see there. It wouldn't be a good blade even without that issue, but it isn't terrible either.
Bad, but not terrible. My wife came over and asked me about the blade, and I explained how it was doing, and that it had caused the cuts on my face, and she didn't understand why I would try it. Maybe she will understand someday.
Sharpness is below average, but after shaving with it, I wouldn't call it mild, just a but dull.
At $17/100, these are a hard pass. Matgicol, Swiss Rhinoceros, and Flydear SP are way better Chinese blades for a fraction of the price. Dorcos are better; Astras are better. Looks like they just went on Alibaba and ordered whatever junk blade was available in a custom printed box. If you order a few thousand boxes, you can get custom printed blades like these for less than $2/100.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
- Thread starter
- #508
I tested the German Merkur blade, marketed by the famous Solingen razor manufacturer. Merkur also markets a Czech blade, which is unrelated, except for the branding, marketing, and graphic design.
This one came in a plastic tuck in a blister hanger.
It is wrapped in good waxed paper with four nice wax dots.
The German Merkur tuck is identical to the Dovo tuck (both below). The Printing and grind marks on the back of the Merkur blade (above) also perfectly match the Dovo. They appear to have been printed using the same individual stamp.
All three grinds and the high distal polish also match the Dovo.
After testing, there is no chipping along the edge. It is an excellent, tough and resilient steel for a smooth and moderate grind. It is reasonably durable, but some harder steels are more durable.
I shaved with this blade last night in my Merkur 34. Subjectively, I would have overrated its sharpness considerably. There may be something to be said for the tall polished tertiary bevel. It is smooth, gentle, and gave an excellent shave in the mild-moderate razor.
The German Merkur and the Dovo both have the same unusual increase in sharpness from P9 to P12. I suspect the coating is very durable. These two blades are the same or essentially the same. No other blade tested so far matches them. The Czech Merkur is one of the two three stainless blades from Czech Blades with private label printing.
For a smooth and fairly mild blade, the German Merkur is excellent. I am not sure I would recommend it for the $10/10 I paid for it, though. If you like mild blades, and are not price sensitive, try it, or the Dovo, which is made on the same production line and seems to be the same blade.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
This one came in a plastic tuck in a blister hanger.
It is wrapped in good waxed paper with four nice wax dots.
The German Merkur tuck is identical to the Dovo tuck (both below). The Printing and grind marks on the back of the Merkur blade (above) also perfectly match the Dovo. They appear to have been printed using the same individual stamp.
All three grinds and the high distal polish also match the Dovo.
| Coating and Grind | |
| Coating Thickness | Medium |
| Coating Evenness | Even |
| Bevel Coating Coverage | 100% |
| Entire Bevel to Edge, mm | 0.426 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.003 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Moderate |
| Primary Bevel Proximal Transition | Even |
| Blade Thickness, mm | 0.100 |
| Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.232 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.002 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Moderate |
| Secondary Bevel Transition Line | Broad |
| Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.109 |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size | Polish |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Even |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line | Broad |
After testing, there is no chipping along the edge. It is an excellent, tough and resilient steel for a smooth and moderate grind. It is reasonably durable, but some harder steels are more durable.
I shaved with this blade last night in my Merkur 34. Subjectively, I would have overrated its sharpness considerably. There may be something to be said for the tall polished tertiary bevel. It is smooth, gentle, and gave an excellent shave in the mild-moderate razor.
| Date | 27-8-2024 | |||||
| Blade | Merkur | Merkur Super | Platinum Coated | Germany | 01-01-2024 | |
| 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. | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 7 |
| Median F (g) | 56.5 | 61 | 62 | 68.5 | 65.5 | 58 |
| Mean F (g) Top | 54 | 57 | 59 | 66 | 66 | 56 |
| Mean F (g) Bottom | 61 | 66 | 68 | 73 | 67 | 59 |
| Mean F (g) | 58 | 62 | 63 | 69 | 66 | 58 |
| BESS Adj. Factor | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Top | 65 | 70 | 72 | 81 | 80 | 68 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom | 75 | 81 | 83 | 89 | 81 | 72 |
| Median Adj. F (g) | 69 | 74 | 76 | 84 | 80 | 71 |
| Mean Adj. F (g) | 70 | 75 | 77 | 85 | 81 | 70 |
The German Merkur and the Dovo both have the same unusual increase in sharpness from P9 to P12. I suspect the coating is very durable. These two blades are the same or essentially the same. No other blade tested so far matches them. The Czech Merkur is one of the two three stainless blades from Czech Blades with private label printing.
For a smooth and fairly mild blade, the German Merkur is excellent. I am not sure I would recommend it for the $10/10 I paid for it, though. If you like mild blades, and are not price sensitive, try it, or the Dovo, which is made on the same production line and seems to be the same blade.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
Attachments
- Thread starter
- #509
I tested the Lord Cool blade, which has impressive sharpness at a bargain price, and is reasonably durable and consistent. It is manufactured by Lord in Alexandria, Egypt.
It comes in a cardboard tuck of five blades with good graphic design, and nice plastic coated paper color printed blade wrappers. It has two small wax dots.
I thought Lord blades typically had a date code, but I don't see one on this tuck.
Physical attributes of the blade appear similar to the Lord Super Chrome, but this blade has a finer grind. The coating is thicker near the edge, and sloppy.
It has a simple 2-stage grind, with an uneven transition due to either close angles or loose material or belts.
After the test, there is some very fine chipping at the edge. The steel is fairly tough and resilient, at the expense of durability, which is typical and ordinary. The grind is much finer and more even than most blades in this price range. I think the close primary and secondary grind angles and thin edge forced them to use fine abrasives for the primary grind so the scratches wouldn't make their way to the edge, weakening it or compromising its sharpness.
Subjectively, I would have significantly underestimated the sharpness of this blade when I tried it on Sunday. It provided a fairly good shave. It wasn't the most comfortable, but it also wasn't bad.
Perhaps it is the grind and steel of the Shark Super Chrome and the coating of the Lord Platinum. Just a hypothesis, as I suspect there is quite a bit of batch variation with this manufacturer.
It is the third sharpest blade tested so far, which shouldn't be a huge surprise because until this test, the Shark Super Chrome from the same manufacturer was the fourth sharpest blade tested. Impressively, it is available for $8/100 from Razor Blades Club via Amazon.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
It comes in a cardboard tuck of five blades with good graphic design, and nice plastic coated paper color printed blade wrappers. It has two small wax dots.
I thought Lord blades typically had a date code, but I don't see one on this tuck.
Physical attributes of the blade appear similar to the Lord Super Chrome, but this blade has a finer grind. The coating is thicker near the edge, and sloppy.
It has a simple 2-stage grind, with an uneven transition due to either close angles or loose material or belts.
| Coating and Grind | |
| Coating Thickness | Thick |
| Coating Evenness | Sloppy |
| Bevel Coating Coverage | 75% |
| Entire Bevel to Edge, mm | 0.327 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.003 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Even |
| Primary Bevel Proximal Transition | Even |
| Blade Thickness, mm | 0.098 |
| Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.162 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.001 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Even |
| Secondary Bevel Transition Line | Uneven |
| Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.000 |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size | NA |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency | NA |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line | NA |
After the test, there is some very fine chipping at the edge. The steel is fairly tough and resilient, at the expense of durability, which is typical and ordinary. The grind is much finer and more even than most blades in this price range. I think the close primary and secondary grind angles and thin edge forced them to use fine abrasives for the primary grind so the scratches wouldn't make their way to the edge, weakening it or compromising its sharpness.
Subjectively, I would have significantly underestimated the sharpness of this blade when I tried it on Sunday. It provided a fairly good shave. It wasn't the most comfortable, but it also wasn't bad.
| Date | 27-8-2024 | |||||
| Blade | Lord | Lord Cool | Super Stainless | Egypt | 01-01-2023 | |
| 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. | 7 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 21 | 5 |
| Median F (g) | 41 | 45 | 47 | 51 | 52 | 40 |
| Mean F (g) Top | 38 | 42 | 46 | 57 | 62 | 40 |
| Mean F (g) Bottom | 44 | 46 | 51 | 53 | 52 | 40 |
| Mean F (g) | 41 | 44 | 49 | 55 | 57 | 40 |
| BESS Adj. Factor | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Top | 46 | 51 | 56 | 70 | 76 | 49 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom | 53 | 56 | 63 | 64 | 63 | 48 |
| Median Adj. F (g) | 50 | 54 | 57 | 62 | 63 | 49 |
| Mean Adj. F (g) | 50 | 54 | 60 | 67 | 69 | 49 |
Perhaps it is the grind and steel of the Shark Super Chrome and the coating of the Lord Platinum. Just a hypothesis, as I suspect there is quite a bit of batch variation with this manufacturer.
It is the third sharpest blade tested so far, which shouldn't be a huge surprise because until this test, the Shark Super Chrome from the same manufacturer was the fourth sharpest blade tested. Impressively, it is available for $8/100 from Razor Blades Club via Amazon.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
- Thread starter
- #510
I tested the Bolzano Superinox Inossidabile blade, which is a private label blade made in Egypt by Lord for the Italian company. Before about 2020, Bolzano blades were made in Germany, and they were once made in Italy. I don't know much about the German one, but Lord blades are just as good or better than most German blades, and some of the Lord blades are sharper than any German blade tested. They are also a lot less expensive.
It comes in a cardboard tuck with nice color printing and color printed plasticized paper single wrappers with four wax dots.
The tuck was glued to the blade wrappers, so when I pulled them out, it ripped the tuck. It is a 5-blade tuck, but it contained 6 blades. I guess I can't complain. I don't think there is a date code. ChatGPT thought the code on the glued tuck flap was probably some sort of batch code, since we know these Egyptian Bolzano blades are not more than five years old.
It has a thick, sloppy, and uneven distal coating. It is double beveled, and the scratches on both bevels are uneven.
After testing, there is some small chipping along the edge. Some of the heavy distal coating remains.
I shaved with this blade today using a Fatip open slant razor. I got a clean smooth shave, and mild irritation. Subjectively, I would have underrated the sharpness of this blade, which was extremely sharp at the end of the shave. It doesn't cut as smoothly as more finely honed edges with more even coatings.
Like several blades manufactured by Lord, it is very sharp. It is consistent through the first three sets of paper cuts with a sharpness curve similar to Lord's Shark Super Chrome. Cutting performance and grind are also very similar to the Shark Super Chrome. I suspect it is the same blade with different printing. I can't recommend the Bolzano at $20/100, when the Shark SC has better graphic design and is available for $8/100. I don't personally like the feel of either blade. So far among Lord blades, I prefer the Lord Cool, but I really prefer blades form other manufacturers. Nothing tested so far beats the Lord Cool and Shark SC on price and sharpness, and both of those blades are also reasonably durable and consistent.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
It comes in a cardboard tuck with nice color printing and color printed plasticized paper single wrappers with four wax dots.
The tuck was glued to the blade wrappers, so when I pulled them out, it ripped the tuck. It is a 5-blade tuck, but it contained 6 blades. I guess I can't complain. I don't think there is a date code. ChatGPT thought the code on the glued tuck flap was probably some sort of batch code, since we know these Egyptian Bolzano blades are not more than five years old.
It has a thick, sloppy, and uneven distal coating. It is double beveled, and the scratches on both bevels are uneven.
| Coating and Grind | |
| Coating Thickness | Thick |
| Coating Evenness | Sloppy |
| Bevel Coating Coverage | 49% |
| Entire Bevel to Edge, mm | 0.401 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.004 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Uneven |
| Primary Bevel Proximal Transition | Even |
| Blade Thickness, mm | 0.099 |
| Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.158 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.003 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Uneven |
| Secondary Bevel Transition Line | Uneven |
| Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.000 |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size | NA |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency | NA |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line | NA |
After testing, there is some small chipping along the edge. Some of the heavy distal coating remains.
I shaved with this blade today using a Fatip open slant razor. I got a clean smooth shave, and mild irritation. Subjectively, I would have underrated the sharpness of this blade, which was extremely sharp at the end of the shave. It doesn't cut as smoothly as more finely honed edges with more even coatings.
| Date | 27-8-2024 | |||||
| Blade | Lord | Bolzano | Superinox | Egypt | 01-01-2023 | |
| 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. | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Median F (g) | 48 | 48 | 47 | 50.5 | 51.5 | 40 |
| Mean F (g) Top | 48 | 49 | 49 | 52 | 53 | 43 |
| Mean F (g) Bottom | 50 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 54 | 39 |
| Mean F (g) | 49 | 48 | 48 | 50 | 53 | 41 |
| BESS Adj. Factor | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Top | 58 | 60 | 60 | 63 | 64 | 52 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom | 61 | 58 | 57 | 58 | 66 | 48 |
| Median Adj. F (g) | 59 | 59 | 57 | 62 | 63 | 49 |
| Mean Adj. F (g) | 60 | 59 | 58 | 61 | 65 | 50 |
Like several blades manufactured by Lord, it is very sharp. It is consistent through the first three sets of paper cuts with a sharpness curve similar to Lord's Shark Super Chrome. Cutting performance and grind are also very similar to the Shark Super Chrome. I suspect it is the same blade with different printing. I can't recommend the Bolzano at $20/100, when the Shark SC has better graphic design and is available for $8/100. I don't personally like the feel of either blade. So far among Lord blades, I prefer the Lord Cool, but I really prefer blades form other manufacturers. Nothing tested so far beats the Lord Cool and Shark SC on price and sharpness, and both of those blades are also reasonably durable and consistent.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
This seems like a running theme with some of these manufacturers, grind them within a micron of a wire edge and slop a heavy coating on them to try to dampen that sharpness. It really highlights how much more sophisticated some other blades are. Still, at their low cost they work for some people. I appreciate the addition subjective commentary on shaving with them.
If Lord Cool is 3rd sharpest, I wonder what would be the test result of Lord Silver Star being perceived as a sharper blade in Lords line up.
EDIT: I just looked at the test and realize it is a different Silver Star (or is it? It's made in Egypt. Dunno)
I haven't tried Silver Star yet - but the Lord Super Chromes I bought recently seem very sharp and so many threads in the forum here say Silver Star is even sharper. But if you look at the master graph in this thread, you'll find Silver Star down there as the 6th worst blade tested. There must be some variance between batches of blades. I have a few tucks of Voskhod blades that cannot possibly be the same Voskod blades that scored so high in these tests.
I agree with the conclusions made by Gillette that humans have difficulty discerning sharpness in a extremely accurate fashion. What we actually do well is detect the ease of cutting and the lack of resistance a blade provides. That means smoothness and sharpness are intertwined I believe, i.e. the Silver Star is smooth so we will also associate sharpness with it.
Hey, Guys.
To make it possible to do your own analysis on the results, I am attaching the following .CSV file (uploaded as .ZIP due to site limitations). I also have an MS Excel version with a pivot table and chart, but that will need to come a bit later.
To make it possible to do your own analysis on the results, I am attaching the following .CSV file (uploaded as .ZIP due to site limitations). I also have an MS Excel version with a pivot table and chart, but that will need to come a bit later.
I said something fairly similar when the Silver Star test numbers were first posted. As nice as it is to have hard numbers, if the numbers don't correspond well with people's experience you have to wonder why. You would not blindly accept these numbers and say "OK, the results from a test of one Silver Star blade are representative of all the tens of thousands of Silver Star blades made. The question is settled now and forever. The Silver Star, which many people have good experience with is nowhere near the Lord Super Chrome. In fact, it's not as good as Derby Extra, or Dollar Store blades, hardly worth using at all. You should just toss these blades in the trash."
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I recall when we did the Sharp Star/Silver Star blade trials here the consensus being that Silver Star was a smooth but dull blade. I found it strong suit was that it was fairly consistent and it wouldn't cut you so if you had time for a long shave you could get a DFS from it. You can search that blade challenge if my memory fails me.
Consensus doesn't always converge. IMHO the Silver Star reminds me a bit of the Astra SS. Other people have expressed similar opinions. That would make the blade mid-sharp, rather than dull. Comfortable and sharp enough.
Aside from that, the main question is "can this blade deliver good shave results?" not "is this blade sharper than blade X".
All, here is a copy of the spreadsheet containing the analysis and the data:
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