As a Shark fan this also explains my love for Mostochlegmash blades. Lada's have been a secret high performer, while Voskhod and Rapira blades are more well known. Now that the secret is out.... I expect stock and prices might increase now....
Blade Sharpness Research Project
- Thread starter helicopter
- Start date
I stocked up on Rapira Platinum Luxes a while back. I find the to be be really smooth. I have trouble choosing between them and Wizamets when I want a smooth, mild blade. I've not tried the Lada's or Voskhods though...
- Thread starter
- #683
The Rapira Chrome blade did feel very smooth to me for today's shave. I like the Ladas and Voskhod for their cutting and feedback, but I think a lot of people would probably prefer the Chrome Rapira for its gentle feel. Maggards actually has it for $12/100.
All, here is an updated Spreadsheet with the blade testing data and a couple of pivot tables. @helicopter and I have been trying to see if there is a way to provide interactive reporting on this testing within B&B, but it's not looking good. The attached spreadsheet should make it easy to look for both summarized results and detailed tests. It requires a local copy of Microsoft Excel:
Thanks.
I wanted to add to the expressions of appreciation--and awe- for the work done here by @helicopter. Truly, a monumental body of work. Everything about this work, from the testing methodology, to the photo analysis, the data documentation, and the very helpful summary write-ups, is absolutely first rate.
We now know more--objectively--than ever before about blades. This work has confirmed a lot of our subjective observations (yes, Feather DE blades are definitely the sharpest), and busted a few myths (e.g., truth is, all the US made Personnas are basically the same blade). In short, this is the most informative, useful and fascinating compilation of information on blades that we are likely ever to see.
So, massive kudos and a tip of the cap to @helicopter for this amazing contribution to B&B. Thank you.
We now know more--objectively--than ever before about blades. This work has confirmed a lot of our subjective observations (yes, Feather DE blades are definitely the sharpest), and busted a few myths (e.g., truth is, all the US made Personnas are basically the same blade). In short, this is the most informative, useful and fascinating compilation of information on blades that we are likely ever to see.
So, massive kudos and a tip of the cap to @helicopter for this amazing contribution to B&B. Thank you.
Well said, I totally agree
Totally in agreement
- Thread starter
- #689
This is the Israeli Personna UK market blue blade that @Grundi sent out for the current PIF. It was packaged in October, 2018, the same month that Edgewell announced plans to close the Nazareth plant. It must be produced in Israel because they anticipated a 12-18 month transition at that time.
Compared to the one previously tested, which was of unknown German or Israeli production, this one had a tougher coating and a sharper steel beneath, resulting in very similar sharpness overall.
It looks like it is made as designed to the same specification. It doesn't prove the new one wasn't made in Germany. It does show that there is no important difference in performance or quality.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
Compared to the one previously tested, which was of unknown German or Israeli production, this one had a tougher coating and a sharper steel beneath, resulting in very similar sharpness overall.
| Coating and Grind | |
| Coating Thickness | Heavy |
| Coating Evenness | Typical |
| Bevel Coating Coverage | 391 |
| Entire Bevel to Edge, mm | 0.384 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.005 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Typical |
| Primary Bevel Proximal Transition | Typical |
| Blade Thickness, mm | 0.100 |
| Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.073 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.002 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Typical |
| Secondary Bevel Transition Line | Uneven |
| Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.012 |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size | Polish |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Even |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line | Typical |
It looks like it is made as designed to the same specification. It doesn't prove the new one wasn't made in Germany. It does show that there is no important difference in performance or quality.
| Date | 2-Oct-2024 | ||||
| Blade | Edgewell | Personna | Pt-Cr UK Blue | Israel | 10-29-2018 |
| 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 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Median F (g) | 59 | 48 | 48 | 50 | 50 |
| Mean F (g) Top | 54 | 48 | 49 | 51 | 52 |
| Mean F (g) Bottom | 62 | 50 | 46 | 51 | 49 |
| Mean F (g) | 58 | 49 | 47 | 51 | 50 |
| BESS Adj. Factor | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Top | 66 | 58 | 60 | 62 | 63 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom | 75 | 61 | 56 | 62 | 59 |
| Median Adj. F (g) | 72 | 59 | 59 | 61 | 61 |
| Mean Adj. F (g) | 71 | 60 | 58 | 62 | 61 |
Blade Sharpness Test Index
- Thread starter
- #690
This is a German made Energizer Wilkinson Sword Classic Blade packaged for American markets in 2013. This blue pack, is one I have been trying to purchase unsuccessfully on eBay for some time. I ordered 100 of them twice, but got different blades each time. The seller made it right by giving me hundreds of the super sharp yellow ones, so I won't complain. The funnt thing is that this one has been sitting in front of my nose through all of this. It was generously sent for testing back in the middle of the Summer by @WVShaver
Unlike the current Wilkinson Sword Classic blades coming from the same German factory and the spun off company, Edgewell, this one has similar performance to the original English blade.
It doesn't look like the English blade, but I think that has more to do with the polymer coating than the steel or the metallic coating.
Important Note:
I have some concern about what I have been calling things in the table below. I was comparing this one to the English one, and it seemed like the numbers here should be closer than they are. I don't think I have been consistent in identifying the grind transitions, polymer coating edges, and metallic coating edges, sometimes confusing the coating transitions with grind transitions. It is probably a good thing I haven't taken the time to put the scaled measurements into structured data yet, because I need to revise the process before doing serious comparisons across all of the scaled image measurements. I may just start leaving it out until some point in the future. The raw data here is really just the photographs and the thickness measurements, so I keep posting those for future analysis.
The failure mode is small chipping, which is typical of high quality razor blade steel.
This one appears to have the old English DNA of the Proctor and Gamble blades. My goal here with these Wilkinsons and Schicks is to figure out if the current specification is based on a classic design and if it is, which one.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
Unlike the current Wilkinson Sword Classic blades coming from the same German factory and the spun off company, Edgewell, this one has similar performance to the original English blade.
It doesn't look like the English blade, but I think that has more to do with the polymer coating than the steel or the metallic coating.
Important Note:
I have some concern about what I have been calling things in the table below. I was comparing this one to the English one, and it seemed like the numbers here should be closer than they are. I don't think I have been consistent in identifying the grind transitions, polymer coating edges, and metallic coating edges, sometimes confusing the coating transitions with grind transitions. It is probably a good thing I haven't taken the time to put the scaled measurements into structured data yet, because I need to revise the process before doing serious comparisons across all of the scaled image measurements. I may just start leaving it out until some point in the future. The raw data here is really just the photographs and the thickness measurements, so I keep posting those for future analysis.
| Coating and Grind | |
| Coating Thickness | Moderate |
| Coating Evenness | Even |
| Entire Bevel to Edge, mm | 0.444 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.003 |
| Primary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Even |
| Primary Bevel Proximal Transition | Typical |
| Blade Thickness, mm | 0.100 |
| Secondary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.139 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Size | 0.002 |
| Secondary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Even |
| Secondary Bevel Transition Line | Typical |
| Tertiary Bevel Transition to Edge, mm | 0.049 |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Size | Polish |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Consistency | Even |
| Tertiary Bevel Scratch Transition Line | Typical |
The failure mode is small chipping, which is typical of high quality razor blade steel.
This one appears to have the old English DNA of the Proctor and Gamble blades. My goal here with these Wilkinsons and Schicks is to figure out if the current specification is based on a classic design and if it is, which one.
| Date | 3-Oct-2024 | ||||
| Blade | Energizer | Wilkinson Sword | Classic | Germany | 03-14-2013 |
| 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 | 9 | 14 | 29 | 27 |
| Median F (g) | 50 | 51 | 53 | 51.5 | 56.5 |
| Mean F (g) Top | 49 | 56 | 59 | 63 | 63 |
| Mean F (g) Bottom | 50 | 49 | 49 | 59 | 64 |
| Mean F (g) | 50 | 53 | 54 | 61 | 64 |
| BESS Adj. Factor | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Top | 60 | 69 | 71 | 77 | 77 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom | 62 | 59 | 59 | 72 | 78 |
| Median Adj. F (g) | 61 | 62 | 65 | 63 | 69 |
| Mean Adj. F (g) | 61 | 64 | 65 | 74 | 78 |
Blade Sharpness Test Index
- Thread starter
- #691
I got my hands on the new Mühle blade that comes in a paper tuck. The good news here is that they didn't cheap out on us and do a stealthy switch to a cheap subpar white label Czech Blades product. It is still the same German blade going into the tuck. The bad news, well, a picture is worth a thousand words. It arrived like this:
There is no question that the old plastic tuck offered superior protection, but we are cutting costs here and doing lip service about environmentalism. I guess they weren't creative enough or were just too cheap to consider the possibility of making a paper tuck that actually protects the blades. I am not pro plastic and anti paper; I just expect adequate protection of some sort, and we don't have that here.
The wax dots are good ones. I am sure they did more to protect the edges than the tuck.
Here it is after i ripped off the sticker. "RASURKULTUR." Anyone wondering what that is, it's us. We are rasurkultur.
The did everything you can see right. They used mid-grade abrasives.
The failure mode is typical medium chipping. It started early in the test; you can probably feel the deterioration of this blade even white it remains quite sharp.
It is still quite sharp.
It is the same J-curve with lots of noise later in the test from the inconsistent but durable edge. This one isn't as sharp as the one that came in a plastic tuck, and I think we have a reasonably good guess that is because of the paper tuck. I saw this blade is fairly reasonably priced in some European markets, a little over 2 euros per tuck, so it isn't a bad choice if you can get it like that off the shelf in good condition. It is probably one to skip if you are in the US or some other place where it is 2-3 times more expensive.
This could be a lot worse. We still have a properly made blade from Germany, which is what people reasonably expect from this brand. The paper tuck is disappointing due to poor design and execution and skimping on costs, but at least they didn't opt for a poorly made blade to go along with it.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
There is no question that the old plastic tuck offered superior protection, but we are cutting costs here and doing lip service about environmentalism. I guess they weren't creative enough or were just too cheap to consider the possibility of making a paper tuck that actually protects the blades. I am not pro plastic and anti paper; I just expect adequate protection of some sort, and we don't have that here.
The wax dots are good ones. I am sure they did more to protect the edges than the tuck.
Here it is after i ripped off the sticker. "RASURKULTUR." Anyone wondering what that is, it's us. We are rasurkultur.
The did everything you can see right. They used mid-grade abrasives.
The failure mode is typical medium chipping. It started early in the test; you can probably feel the deterioration of this blade even white it remains quite sharp.
It is still quite sharp.
It is the same J-curve with lots of noise later in the test from the inconsistent but durable edge. This one isn't as sharp as the one that came in a plastic tuck, and I think we have a reasonably good guess that is because of the paper tuck. I saw this blade is fairly reasonably priced in some European markets, a little over 2 euros per tuck, so it isn't a bad choice if you can get it like that off the shelf in good condition. It is probably one to skip if you are in the US or some other place where it is 2-3 times more expensive.
| Date | 3-Oct-2024 | ||||
| Blade | Hans-Jürgen Müller | Mühle | Stainless | Germany | 1-Aug-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. | 7 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 20 |
| Median F (g) | 49 | 43 | 45.5 | 44 | 44 |
| Mean F (g) Top | 44 | 50 | 49 | 57 | 56 |
| Mean F (g) Bottom | 51 | 43 | 47 | 43 | 43 |
| Mean F (g) | 47 | 47 | 48 | 50 | 49 |
| BESS Adj. Factor | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Top | 53 | 62 | 60 | 70 | 68 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom | 62 | 52 | 58 | 53 | 52 |
| Median Adj. F (g) | 60 | 52 | 56 | 54 | 54 |
| Mean Adj. F (g) | 58 | 57 | 59 | 61 | 60 |
This could be a lot worse. We still have a properly made blade from Germany, which is what people reasonably expect from this brand. The paper tuck is disappointing due to poor design and execution and skimping on costs, but at least they didn't opt for a poorly made blade to go along with it.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
- Thread starter
- #692
This is the carbon steel Tiger blade from Czech Blades. Like a lot of carbon steel blades, it is dull, and it comes in a really cool classic cardboard tuck.
It is a great design. The carbon steel blades look cool, too.
That distal black part is a metallic coating. I think that sloppy transition about two thirds of the way down the grind is the edge of a PTFE coating. The big scratches that go almost all the way to the metallic coating are the primary grind. I think there is a tertiary grind, really just a light honing, right near the apex as well. It is a thick blade, at 130 microns.
The durable steel held up very well to testing. The failure mode is medium chipping, but most of the original apex has no detectable damage at this magnification. That is a combination of good steel, a good coating, and a blunt and tough grind.
Maybe the other Tigers are designed to feel similar to this one, but the grind is very different and the steel is much thicker. It is interesting to see them together, in any case. This one is very durable and consistent while the stainless ones are fairly weak.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
It is a great design. The carbon steel blades look cool, too.
That distal black part is a metallic coating. I think that sloppy transition about two thirds of the way down the grind is the edge of a PTFE coating. The big scratches that go almost all the way to the metallic coating are the primary grind. I think there is a tertiary grind, really just a light honing, right near the apex as well. It is a thick blade, at 130 microns.
The durable steel held up very well to testing. The failure mode is medium chipping, but most of the original apex has no detectable damage at this magnification. That is a combination of good steel, a good coating, and a blunt and tough grind.
Maybe the other Tigers are designed to feel similar to this one, but the grind is very different and the steel is much thicker. It is interesting to see them together, in any case. This one is very durable and consistent while the stainless ones are fairly weak.
| Date | 7-Oct-2024 | ||||
| Blade | Czech Blades | Tiger | Carbon Steel | Czechia | 1-Jan-2024 |
| 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. | 13 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 |
| Median F (g) | 90.5 | 83 | 81 | 78.5 | 77 |
| Mean F (g) Top | 86 | 80 | 79 | 76 | 78 |
| Mean F (g) Bottom | 101 | 83 | 83 | 82 | 80 |
| Mean F (g) | 94 | 81 | 81 | 79 | 79 |
| BESS Adj. Factor | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Top | 105 | 97 | 97 | 92 | 95 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom | 123 | 102 | 101 | 99 | 97 |
| Median Adj. F (g) | 110 | 101 | 99 | 96 | 94 |
| Mean Adj. F (g) | 114 | 99 | 99 | 96 | 96 |
Blade Sharpness Test Index
Thanks. Never seen those before; was only familiar with the three hole version made for the textile industry(?).
This looks much better than I would have expected. This was such a dull blade for me that I assumed it wasn’t meant for shaving. Have you tried shaving with it?
- Thread starter
- #695
I haven't tried it. I would guess it is similar to the Flying Eagle, which I did try. That was definitely a whole different experience from a mild blade. Definitely dull. I could only cut stubble with pressure, speed, and some slicing action. I might try one of these others at some point. It is not a priority right now as I have some new razors I want to get through and the pirate blade participation PIF.
- Thread starter
- #696
This is the Diane Durable Swedish Steel Platinum Ceramic Blade by Fromm. It is produced in Turkey by Derby and distributed by Edgewell's professional salon business Fromm. Fromm is also the distributor of the American Personna Comfort Coated blade.
It is a three stage grind with a heavy coating. It was ground with inconsistent abrasives, but the primary scratches don't seem to affect local strength at the apex, which is due to geometry that suits the abrasives used. It is thin 90 micron steel.
The failure mode is small chipping, which is typical of high-quality razor steels.
It's durability and consistency are not bad for a thin blade. The J-shape of the curve is typical of platinum coatings, but the durability is slightly better than I expected. Perhaps the advertised ceramic component of the coating is doing something there to improve durability and consistency.
Performance is good for a thin blade in this sharpness range. It will be interesting to see how it stacks up with the other Derbys.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
It is a three stage grind with a heavy coating. It was ground with inconsistent abrasives, but the primary scratches don't seem to affect local strength at the apex, which is due to geometry that suits the abrasives used. It is thin 90 micron steel.
The failure mode is small chipping, which is typical of high-quality razor steels.
It's durability and consistency are not bad for a thin blade. The J-shape of the curve is typical of platinum coatings, but the durability is slightly better than I expected. Perhaps the advertised ceramic component of the coating is doing something there to improve durability and consistency.
| Date | 7-Oct-2024 | ||||
| Blade | Fromm | Diane | Swede Pt-Cer | Türkiye | 1-Jan-2024 |
| 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 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Median F (g) | 56 | 50 | 50.5 | 54 | 55.5 |
| Mean F (g) Top | 45 | 45 | 48 | 49 | 52 |
| Mean F (g) Bottom | 59 | 54 | 54 | 58 | 59 |
| Mean F (g) | 52 | 50 | 51 | 54 | 56 |
| BESS Adj. Factor | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Top | 54 | 55 | 58 | 60 | 64 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom | 72 | 66 | 66 | 71 | 72 |
| Median Adj. F (g) | 68 | 61 | 62 | 66 | 68 |
| Mean Adj. F (g) | 63 | 60 | 62 | 66 | 68 |
Performance is good for a thin blade in this sharpness range. It will be interesting to see how it stacks up with the other Derbys.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
For comparison, it would be interesting to see testing on the Derby Premium and the Derby-made Parker blade. I find both to be good performing, medium-sharp blades, right in line with your findings on the Diane.
- Thread starter
- #698
This is the Tatra blued carbon steel blade from Czech Blades. It is similar enough to the Tiger CS, that I suspect they are made to the same specification. This one comes in an even better looking tuck. It is one of the best graphic designs of any blade I have seen.
This one is 130 (129 measured) micron blued steel like the Tiger CS, but the Czech Blades website indicates there is also a white steel version as well as a "Superfine" 100 micron white steel version. They also advertise a Leon CS blade in 130 and 100 micron blue and white steel. They also advertise 8 more variations in 3-hole designs under the Tiger, Tatra, Leon, Luxor, and Sokol brands. I with I knew where to find those ones, an the red Tatra Superior Stainless blade.
It is the same grind as the Tiger CS. They use cheap abrasives with inconsistent grain sizes, and some of the bigger scratches get closer to the apex than I would like to see, but I am not sure it actually hurts the performance.
The thick, tough, and durable steel and blunt grind result in an edge that holds up exceptionally well to testing. There is some very fine chipping at the apex, which is what we expect to see with the best steels used for razor blades.
It is probably made to the same specification as the carbon steel Tiger blade. Both blades are coated, the website uses the same description of both, and I am not aware of the use of more than one coating from the manufacturer. I suspect all of there are two coating specifications produced there, a PTFE coating over a platinum metallic coating, and a PTFE coating over the steel, without the metallic coating. The J-curve on these and the microscopic images indicate the platinum metallic coating on both of them.
If you don't like sharp blades, and appreciate the aesthetic, and a durable, thick, and smooth edge, you might like these. It is a small subset of shavers who want something so mild, but for them, it seems to be worth it. It will be interesting to see how these compare in performance and design to some of the Treet blades.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
This one is 130 (129 measured) micron blued steel like the Tiger CS, but the Czech Blades website indicates there is also a white steel version as well as a "Superfine" 100 micron white steel version. They also advertise a Leon CS blade in 130 and 100 micron blue and white steel. They also advertise 8 more variations in 3-hole designs under the Tiger, Tatra, Leon, Luxor, and Sokol brands. I with I knew where to find those ones, an the red Tatra Superior Stainless blade.
It is the same grind as the Tiger CS. They use cheap abrasives with inconsistent grain sizes, and some of the bigger scratches get closer to the apex than I would like to see, but I am not sure it actually hurts the performance.
The thick, tough, and durable steel and blunt grind result in an edge that holds up exceptionally well to testing. There is some very fine chipping at the apex, which is what we expect to see with the best steels used for razor blades.
It is probably made to the same specification as the carbon steel Tiger blade. Both blades are coated, the website uses the same description of both, and I am not aware of the use of more than one coating from the manufacturer. I suspect all of there are two coating specifications produced there, a PTFE coating over a platinum metallic coating, and a PTFE coating over the steel, without the metallic coating. The J-curve on these and the microscopic images indicate the platinum metallic coating on both of them.
| Date | 8-Oct-2024 | Blade Thickness, mm | 0.129 | ||
| Blade | Czech Blades | Tatra | Carbon Steel | Czechia | 1-Jan-2024 |
| 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. | 9 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 25 |
| Median F (g) | 100 | 86 | 83 | 90 | 84.5 |
| Mean F (g) Top | 100 | 93 | 95 | 94 | 108 |
| Mean F (g) Bottom | 99 | 84 | 75 | 85 | 71 |
| Mean F (g) | 100 | 88 | 85 | 90 | 89 |
| BESS Adj. Factor | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Top | 122 | 113 | 116 | 115 | 131 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom | 121 | 102 | 92 | 104 | 86 |
| Median Adj. F (g) | 122 | 105 | 101 | 110 | 103 |
| Mean Adj. F (g) | 121 | 108 | 104 | 109 | 109 |
If you don't like sharp blades, and appreciate the aesthetic, and a durable, thick, and smooth edge, you might like these. It is a small subset of shavers who want something so mild, but for them, it seems to be worth it. It will be interesting to see how these compare in performance and design to some of the Treet blades.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
- Thread starter
- #699
This is the from @Grundi 's Challenge PIF - Vikings At The Gate which @Space_Cadet got in Israel and generously provided. It was manufactured three days after the Personna Viking's Sword Super Stainless Polymer Coated il '19 105 I previously tested. We can assume they are from the same production run. This one was slightly sharper and provided us with a more elegant J-curve, which may prove useful for analysis.
I shaved with one of these for the second time today, and I can say that I do prefer a sharper blade. I think there was some roughness as well, and that is reflected in the data, as standard deviation is not as low as smoother blades. Overall, it is fine, but it is not a blade I would stock up on even if it were easier to obtain. In any case, it does have its following.
Of course, it is about the same as the other one in appearance.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
I shaved with one of these for the second time today, and I can say that I do prefer a sharper blade. I think there was some roughness as well, and that is reflected in the data, as standard deviation is not as low as smoother blades. Overall, it is fine, but it is not a blade I would stock up on even if it were easier to obtain. In any case, it does have its following.
Of course, it is about the same as the other one in appearance.
| Date | 9-Oct-2024 | Blade Thickness, mm | 0.100 | ||
| Blade | Edgewell | Viking's Sword | Polymer Super | Israel | 18-Apr-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. | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Median F (g) | 57 | 51 | 50 | 50.5 | 51.5 |
| Mean F (g) Top | 51 | 52 | 51 | 51 | 52 |
| Mean F (g) Bottom | 62 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 52 |
| Mean F (g) | 57 | 52 | 51 | 52 | 52 |
| BESS Adj. Factor | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Top | 62 | 64 | 62 | 62 | 64 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom | 76 | 63 | 63 | 65 | 64 |
| Median Adj. F (g) | 70 | 62 | 61 | 62 | 63 |
| Mean Adj. F (g) | 69 | 64 | 63 | 63 | 64 |
Blade Sharpness Test Index
- Thread starter
- #700
This is the Personna Crystal Super Platinum from @Grundi 's Challenge PIF - Vikings At The Gate. I have previously tested another one of these, but I wanted to get another example for comparison. It is one of the only late Nazareth blades that is marked "Made in Israel," which makes it a known baseline when trying to sort out the origins of the others.
This one gave me a classic platinum metallic coating J-curve, unlike the one I tested previously.
Blade Sharpness Test Index
This one gave me a classic platinum metallic coating J-curve, unlike the one I tested previously.
| Date | 9-Oct-2024 | Blade Thickness, mm | 0.100 | ||
| Blade | Edgewell | Personna Crystal | Super Platinum | Israel | 29-Sep-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. | 11 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Median F (g) | 54 | 50 | 50 | 51.5 | 58.5 |
| Mean F (g) Top | 50 | 47 | 48 | 53 | 57 |
| Mean F (g) Bottom | 58 | 52 | 54 | 52 | 62 |
| Mean F (g) | 54 | 50 | 51 | 53 | 59 |
| BESS Adj. Factor | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Top | 61 | 57 | 59 | 65 | 69 |
| Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom | 71 | 64 | 66 | 64 | 76 |
| Median Adj. F (g) | 66 | 61 | 61 | 63 | 71 |
| Mean Adj. F (g) | 66 | 61 | 63 | 64 | 72 |
Blade Sharpness Test Index
Similar threads
