Blade Sharpness Research Project

[NorthernSoul]

I’ve been shaving with blades recently that have tested sharp, like Dorco, Bic, and Schick. I previously used and liked Silver Stars, which are highly thought of around here, but tested less than sharp. After using a Silver Star this morning, I can confirm that they aren’t sharp. They are very smooth and forgiving, but they can’t be confused with other much sharper blades.

This whole thing with the Silver Star could also be just a comedy of errors.

Maybe the blade @helicopter tested was not a representative sample, but statistical chance makes that difficult to know. You see the graph with Silver Star doing poorly and experience confirmation bias since you unconsciously want your experience to agree with the graph. Voila, Silver Stars used to be great, now they are dull.

People have been praising Silver Star blades for years here as one of the better Lord blades. Did that suddenly change because someone tested a blade and published a chart? No, the blades are the same as they were before.

 

[helicopter]

The is the Bambaw Platinum Superior Swedish Steel blade. It is a private label blade made for a Belgian company by Czech Blades. It falls near the middle of the stainless Czech blades tested so far; it is quite mild, with poor consistency, fair balance, and fair durability. It definitely isn't worth buying or trying.

It looks the same as the Czech Merkur blade, and it seems they are made to the same specification. In the second photo we see the failure mode of the steel is large chipping at the apex.

Only one of hte edges actually displays the J-shaped curve, but it finds its way into the average. There is a platinum based metallic coating there, but it doesn't always keep up with the wear on the fragile steel beneath. I would say it is likely made to the same specification as the Czech Merkur, but it is hard to say if that specification is the sharp Tatra one or the moderate Tiger one. Testing some more batches of these should reveal that pattern. I would be quite surprised if they have more than two grinds for stainless blades.

It costs just below $10/60 on Amazon, which is about the same price as 100 Tatra Platinum and Tiger Platinum blades. While I wouldn't recommend any of these Czech blades, if you do get them, you should just get the cheaper OEM branded ones. These private label companies don't really add any value for properly informed consumers.

Date	29-Nov-2024			Blade Thickness, mm	0.090
Blade	Czech Blades	Bambaw	Platinum Swedish	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.	10	9	18	23	22
Median F (g)	66	61	75	72.5	74
Mean F (g) Top	58	59	81	84	86
Mean F (g) Bottom	69	63	73	72	77
Mean F (g)	64	61	77	78	82
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	71	72	99	103	105
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	84	77	89	88	94
Median Adj. F (g)	81	74	92	88	90
Mean Adj. F (g)	78	75	94	95	100

You can see how uncompetitive the performance of these are when you put them next to blades from other manufacturers.

Blade Sharpness Test Index

 

[AceyMan]

We can reasonably assume they were made between May to August, 2024, but they don't have a date code.

I hate to jump back in time here (this thread is moving so fast!), but @helicopter did you ever post the date code from this box of Comfort Coateds from Blackland?

/Acey

I don't know how you ever took that first photo and not see the date code on the box flap :-}

 

[helicopter]

I hate to jump back in time here (this thread is moving so fast!), but @helicopter did you ever post the date code from this box of Comfort Coateds from Blackland?

/Acey

I don't know how you ever took that first photo and not see the date code on the box flap :-}

These ones don't have a code, hopefully not because Accutec dropped the stamping process. They are most likely from Summer, 2024.

 

[LRod]

These ones don't have a code, hopefully not because Accutec dropped the stamping process. They are most likely from Summer, 2024.

I just received a new Blackbird a few days ago and the 5 included blades are the same as the Lab Blue's that we bought.
No markings on the blades!
I'm guessing they're from that same summer lot where Blackland probably bought a bunch of boxes to distribute with
new razors.

 

[AceyMan]

No markings on the blades!

Totally blank Comfort Coateds is one of their "normal" production variations, though I'm not sure which is most common at retail; the blanks*, or the 'Personna Super - Made In USA' markings.

/Acey

*–what do we call these? Blankies? Plain Janes?

 

[LRod]

Totally blank Comfort Coateds is one of their "normal" production variations, though I'm not sure which is most common at retail; the blanks*, or the 'Personna Super - Made In USA' markings.

/Acey

*–what do we call these? Blankies? Plain Janes?

If I'm not mistaken, the marked ones are completely gone. I think all the new ones being made are blank. Whether the box is labeled as Personna or Accuforge, all I'm seeing is blanks.
I just keep calling them Lab Blue's regardless. It'd be hard for me to call them anything else!

 

[helicopter]

If I'm not mistaken, the marked ones are completely gone. I think all the new ones being made are blank. Whether the box is labeled as Personna or Accuforge, all I'm seeing is blanks.
I just keep calling them Lab Blue's regardless. It'd be hard for me to call them anything else!

Yeah, I meant there is usually a date stamp in ink inside the top flap of the 100 blade box. I only have a few batches with the laser printed dates on them, and none from after 2023.

My Blackland blades from late summer, 2024 are missing the production date on the box.

 

[helicopter]

This is the Bates Choice Super Platinum blade. It is made in China by one of those companies that just buys something on Alibaba, puts a brand on it, and sells it on Amazon. I am reasonably confident it was manufactured by Xirui, which is the OEM for Rhinoceros Swiss XR, Matgicol, and FlyDear. It is similar enough to the Rhinoceros Swiss and the red Matgicol Super Platinum that all of them might be made to the same specification, though this one was not as durable.

The tuck, second, is very similar to Swiss Rhinoceros, and virtually identical to Matgicol, left. These tucks usually have ten blades, and can hold ten, but this special packaging only has five in there. The flat packs normally have ten tucks, but this one has eight.

The grind is very similar to the red Matgicol SP I tested, and reasonably similar to the Swiss Rhinoceros. It is ground very consistently with typical quality abrasives and even coatings. After the test, second photo, we see some denting and chipping at the apex. It is possible this isn't the same steel as some of their OEM blades, but I think the coating and grind are the same. It isn't very tough steel, especially for a standard 100 micron stock.

It matches the shape and overall sharpness of the red Matgicol SP and the Rhinoceros reasonably well, though it was less durable.

Date	29-Nov-2024			Blade Thickness, mm	0.100
Blade	Xirui	Bates Choice	Super Platinum	China	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.	5	8	11	21	30
Median F (g)	65.5	55	63	68	73.5
Mean F (g) Top	65	57	64	69	82
Mean F (g) Bottom	65	56	65	78	80
Mean F (g)	65	56	64	73	81
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	79	69	78	84	100
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	79	68	80	95	97
Median Adj. F (g)	80	67	77	83	90
Mean Adj. F (g)	79	69	79	90	99

It is a good mild blade, but of course, you will do better to get 100 of the OEM ones off AliX for half the price of 40 of this private label version from Amazon. These private label Alibaba brands don't really add any value for informed consumers.

Blade Sharpness Test Index

 

[helicopter]

This is the Willy's Premium blade. It is made in India for an Indian company called Zircon Global. I am guessing it is related to the Indian Zircon blades. I am not sure who manufactured it. It is marketed by the razor manufacturer Pearl in India, and I got mine from Hendrix.

It a thin blade of moderate sharpness, with good durability and consistency and fair balance.

It comes in an attractive saloon pack with five tucks of eleven blades each. The tucks don't have flaps, and I don't see a date code anywhere.

The grind is blunt and crude. The coatings are sloppy. After the test, second photo, we see that the failure mode of the steel is small chipping typical of high quality steel.

Performance is very similar to Starmaxx SS SMS200, Klasik+, and V12, but none of those was 90 microns, and none of those is ground like this one. I don't think the specifications overlap.

I am not too excited about how it looks under a microscope, but performance is pretty good for a mild blade. I am sure someone will like it.

Date	29-Nov-2024			Blade Thickness, mm	0.090
Blade	Zircon Global	Willy's	Premium	India	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	5	6	8	18
Median F (g)	67	59	61	63.5	64.5
Mean F (g) Top	61	57	60	66	72
Mean F (g) Bottom	72	62	65	64	65
Mean F (g)	66	59	62	65	69
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	74	69	73	80	88
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	88	75	79	78	80
Median Adj. F (g)	82	72	74	77	79
Mean Adj. F (g)	81	72	76	79	84

This one is included in the big chart in the previous review of the Bates Choice, so I won't re-post the same chart in this one.

Blade Sharpness Test Index

 

[helicopter]

This is the Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Stainless Golden Shave green blade. It was made in Russia at Procter and Gamble's PPI plant. It is a thin 90 micron blade with a smooth and mild grind. It isn't very durable or consistent, but we see that with a lot of thin blades, especially if they lack a metallic coating.

I love how these blades have date codes laser printed on the blade itself and also stamped on the tuck.

The grind is smooth and consistent. In the second photo, we see the failure mode of the steel is lots of small and medium chipping.

Performance is very similar to the Astra SS, the yellow 7 O'Clocks, and the Indian Gillette Wilkinson Sword. I bet it provides a nice, comfortable shave for most people who don't require a sharper blade.

Date	29-Nov-2024			Blade Thickness, mm	0.090
Blade	Procter & Gamble	Gillette 7 O'Clock	SS Golden Shave	Russia	23-Dec-2020
Wear on Edge	0	3	6	9	12
Edges Measured	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top	Bottom / Top
Measurement Medium	Stren 4 .21	Stren 4 .21	Stren 4 .21	Stren 4 .21	Stren 4 .21
Dulling Substrate	New	Paper	Paper	Paper	Paper
Measurements	20	20	20	20	20
Adj. Std. Dev.	15	10	10	9	16
Median F (g)	48.5	56	58.5	64.5	69
Mean F (g) Top	56	58	58	64	73
Mean F (g) Bottom	43	55	57	65	71
Mean F (g)	50	57	58	65	72
BESS Adj. Factor	1.39	1.39	1.39	1.39	1.39
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	78	81	81	90	102
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	60	77	79	90	99
Median Adj. F (g)	67	77	81	90	96
Mean Adj. F (g)	69	79	80	90	100

This one is included in the big chart in the prior review of the Bates Choice, so I won't re-post the same chart in this one.

Blade Sharpness Test Index

 

[LRod]

This is the Willy's Premium blade. It is made in India for an Indian company called Zircon Global. I am guessing it is related to the Indian Zircon blades. I am not sure who manufactured it. It is marketed by the razor manufacturer Pearl in India, and I got mine from Hendrix.

It a thin blade of moderate sharpness, with good durability and consistency and fair balance.

It comes in an attractive saloon pack with five tucks of eleven blades each. The tucks don't have flaps, and I don't see a date code anywhere.

View attachment 1951983 View attachment 1951984

The grind is blunt and crude. The coatings are sloppy. After the test, second photo, we see that the failure mode of the steel is small chipping typical of high quality steel.

View attachment 1951985 View attachment 1951986

Performance is very similar to Starmaxx SS SMS200, Klasik+, and V12, but none of those was 90 microns, and none of those is ground like this one. I don't think the specifications overlap.

View attachment 1951987

I am not too excited about how it looks under a microscope, but performance is pretty good for a mild blade. I am sure someone will like it.

Date	29-Nov-2024			Blade Thickness, mm	0.090
Blade	Zircon Global	Willy's	Premium	India	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	5	6	8	18
Median F (g)	67	59	61	63.5	64.5
Mean F (g) Top	61	57	60	66	72
Mean F (g) Bottom	72	62	65	64	65
Mean F (g)	66	59	62	65	69
BESS Adj. Factor	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22	1.22
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	74	69	73	80	88
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	88	75	79	78	80
Median Adj. F (g)	82	72	74	77	79
Mean Adj. F (g)	81	72	76	79	84

This one is included in the big chart in the previous review of the Bates Choice, so I won't re-post the same chart in this one.

Blade Sharpness Test Index

These are actually pretty nice!
I first tried them when I bought a Pearl Flexi adjustable where they included a few packs.
I've only tried two India made blades
(Willy's & Gillette Wilkinsons) and both have been really good.
They're perfect for single use one & done since they're rather cheap and work well.

 

[helicopter]

In the previous test, for the first time, I used a new cut test medium, Stren 4-pound test nylon monofilament. I calibrated this medium with 100 cuts, followed by 100 cuts on BESS certified test media, followed by another 100 cuts on the monofilament.

I used the inverse of a weighted standard deviation to weigh the averages for the two sets of monofilament cuts. This resulted in more weight on the second set, which should also be good intuitively, because the thicker BESS media put more wear on the edge than the Stren monofilament. I looked at the entire set, as well as the middle 80 and middle 70 values from the sets. The mid 80 looked the best on set size and standard deviation, but it was a bit lower than the other two, so I settled on a ratio of 1.391. You can see that outside of the jump from the first to third sets of values, the numbers are all pretty close.

I used a Feather Professional Artist Club blade for its high durability. 300 cuts still put some measurable wear on the edge, but I think I have accounted for this well enough to be within two percent of the BESS media again.

Using this medium should slightly reduce damage and wear caused by the measurement procedure. It also increases the interval when I have to wind my bobbins again, since more of it fits in the same space. This stuff is only a 150 microns thinner than the other one, so the reduction in damage to edges shouldn't have much effect on comparability.

	Medium	Average	Median	Stdev	Simple Factor	Stdev Ratio	Weight
full factor	Stren A	45.72	46	4.575031048	1.442694663	6.405043467	0.4610442594
1.395641713	BESS	65.96	66.5	4.733119927	1
	Stren B	48.58	49	3.913664226	1.357760395	5.479129917	0.5389557406
	Mid 80
Mid 80 factor	Medium	Average	Median	Stdev	Weight
1.390671635	Stren A	45.9	46	2.799638313	0.4084422478
	BESS	66.125	66.5	3.099101544	1
	Stren B	48.6875	49	1.933015942	0.5915577522
Mid 70 factor	Mid 70
1.392369053	Medium	Average	Median	Stdev	weight
	Stren A	45.97142857	46	2.226138716	0.419587345
	BESS	66.21428571	66.5	2.664271699
	Stren B	48.7	49	1.609302667	0.580412655
Factor
1.391

The full data set is available in the published database.

 

[AceyMan]

so I settled on a ratio of 1.391

Like a good trademan, his 'Copterness works in thousandths*.

But, all seriousness aside, this sounds like an iterative improvement on the test protocol. (Especially the part about the bobbin, for his sake/time-savings.)

Yay, team / Way to go / Hurray / &c.,

/Acey

*- I string racquets as a side gig and my kg:lb conversion chart by the workstand is to three decimal places, which is completely ridiculous for the forces and tools involved; but I *want to know* the right number, even if I can't set/get it.

 

[helicopter]

This is the Statum Platinum Chrome Sputtered blade with Japanese steel and UK tech. It is an Indian GreatWhite Global Jadavji Anchorwala Enterprise blade. I am not sure if they manufacture it themselves or have someone else make it. The conglomerate does manufacture soaps, stearic acid, glycerin, and light switches, and they own three lines of current shaving stuff, soaps, blades, etc., including Statum, the Previously tested V12, and a Kiingston brand that I can't find in the US. It is an extra thin 85 micron blade of moderate sharpness with a durable coating and surprisingly good durability and consistency for an extra thin blade. The grind looks crude, but performance is very good.

The crude and coarse three stage grind is similar to Great White's standard 100 micron thickness V12 blade. In the second photo, we see that the failure mode of the steel is some small chipping, impressive for an 85 micron extra thin blade.

Peak sharpness comes after two paper cuts on both edges. The performance of the coating is impressive. The steel, at only 85 microns, is also impressive. I don't see another 85 micron blade of similar performance, but the curve reminds me of the 90 micron Vertice Euromax and the possibly Chinese Kyone and Kalsik+. Those other blades have very different packaging specs. That Kyone blade is also "Japan Steel," so maybe that has something to do with the performance we see. In any case, performance is driven by the coating and steel, and there isn't anything seems closely related to this one. Of course the 100 micron V12 comes from the same factory, and probably has the same grind, fairly similar coating and steel performance. Its "imported steel" might be the same alloy.

It performs well, and seems to be in current production. I got mine from Hendrix. It is not widely distributed in the US. I see it on ebay from an Indian seller for $13/100, which isn't a price that will get me buying more of them, but it might be worth trying for some of you. Some of these thin blades are subjectively smooth and forgiving. Sometimes a persistent coating can have the opposite effect, but it also helps make it much more durable than many thin blades. It is an unusual set of attributes and a blade of good quality.

Date	1-Dec-2024			Blade Thickness, mm	0.085
Blade	GreatWhite GPL	Statum	Platinum Chrome	India	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 4 .21	Stren 4 .21	Stren 4 .21	Stren 4 .21	Stren 4 .21
Dulling Substrate	New	Paper	Paper	Paper	Paper
Measurements	20	20	20	20	20
Adj. Std. Dev.	7	10	4	10	5
Median F (g)	54	55	46	50.5	52.5
Mean F (g) Top	50	54	46	53	54
Mean F (g) Bottom	56	52	46	47	51
Mean F (g)	53	53	46	50	52
BESS Adj. Factor	1.39	1.39	1.39	1.39	1.39
Avg. Adj. F (g) Top	69	75	64	73	75
Avg. Adj. F (g) Bottom	78	72	64	66	71
Median Adj. F (g)	75	76	64	70	73
Mean Adj. F (g)	74	73	64	69	73

Blade Sharpness Test Index

 

[Flanders]

I found out about this one from @fast shaver some time ago and it showed up in an Indian blade sample I bought, not a bad blade at all! It's always the price to get them in the US that tempers the appeal with these Indian blades.

 

[pjgh]

I absolutely adored the Statum Platinum Chrome and like you, found it just got sharper across my usual three shaves per blade and was one of the few that I'd happily take to four and then five shaves! That's a very rare thing for me. I still have maybe 30 of these in my loose tucks box.

Around the same time these sprung onto the market, yes, the V12. There was also the likes of the Pro500 and Kleen Shave from Sharp International (who, incidentally I wonder if they're the "Sharp" that I see on the face of the Jaws blade rather than Sharp brand from Durablade) ... and Supreme? with their SuperMax stylings Super Mac, Black Deer, Bosco and one I thought very good, the Sunny Supreme.

But yes, I have a fondness for the Statum Platinum Chrome thinking it quite a cut above much of the Indian market or perhaps a turn of the tide in terms of quality and performance - certainly, up there in with the likes of Vertice.

Thank you. Great to read.

 

[helicopter]

I absolutely adored the Statum Platinum Chrome and like you, found it just got sharper across my usual three shaves per blade and was one of the few that I'd happily take to four and then five shaves! That's a very rare thing for me. I still have maybe 30 of these in my loose tucks box.

Around the same time these sprung onto the market, yes, the V12. There was also the likes of the Pro500 and Kleen Shave from Sharp International (who, incidentally I wonder if they're the "Sharp" that I see on the face of the Jaws blade rather than Sharp brand from Durablade) ... and Supreme? with their SuperMax stylings Super Mac, Black Deer, Bosco and one I thought very good, the Sunny Supreme.

But yes, I have a fondness for the Statum Platinum Chrome thinking it quite a cut above much of the Indian market or perhaps a turn of the tide in terms of quality and performance - certainly, up there in with the likes of Vertice.

Thank you. Great to read.

It is excellent steel (alloy and heat treatment), a grind that is well designed to work with the steel, and a durable persistent coating. I was surprised to see it is only 85 microns, since I measure the thickness after the sharpness test in case the mircometer damages the edge.

 

[abies]

This thread is so useful. The reviews and results track my experiences with blades like nothing else I've seen before. It definitely is helpful in guiding me toward blades I might like that I haven't tried, or what to buy in general.

 

[pjgh]

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:

View attachment 1921541

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.

View attachment 1921542

Here it is after i ripped off the sticker. "RASURKULTUR." Anyone wondering what that is, it's us. We are rasurkultur.

View attachment 1921543

The did everything you can see right. They used mid-grade abrasives.

View attachment 1921544

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.

View attachment 1921545

It is still quite sharp.

View attachment 1921548

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.

View attachment 1921549

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

View attachment 1921547

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

So, I do wonder how the Muhle Stainless generally compares to the Amazon Solimo given that it is (clearly?) from the same factory. Same grind? Specifically, I wonder if the Amazon Solimo is a sound alternative to this blade given that they are packed in the plastic cases still, as per the old packaging.