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Cheaper blade similar to Kai?

Just love these blades, always get the best shaves with them but the only problem is their price. They are insanely expensive for a razor blade but haven't used anything similar to them, other than maybe King C Gillette blades which are equally expensive!

I've tried: Nacet, Silver Blue, Platinum, Feather, Derby, Voskhod, Sputnik, Astra platinums, Bic chrome, Supershave X, Perma sharps.

Any help would be appreciated!
 
What are the qualities of the Kai blades you're looking for in something less expensive? I was going to suggest the Bic Chrome, but I see they are already on your list.

I feel like for as many good shaves each blade gives they're not that expensive. And if they're your favorite, just get a 100 pack. Still cheap compared to cartridges.
 
For what it’s worth, I use Kai, Personna and Feather blades. Kai is usually my first choice but I always liked Personnas and am pretty much as happy to use them. I like Feathers but they’re not quite as smooth as Kai and Personna for me, and they start to fade on the third shave. All three of these are sharp and efficient on my stubble, and that’s the main thing for me.

Gillettes and other blades that I’ve tried felt mediocre to me and they don’t cut my stubble as well or feel as pleasant, but you know, if there’s ever a blade famine I could use them. Bics seemed initially promising but they aren’t as good for me shaving against the grain, for some reason.

But with blades it seems that everyone experiences something different, so I don’t know.
 
Kai for some reason i cannot pinpoint is just the smoothest, still sharp enough and lasts for ages. I've had 7, 8 or 9 shaves from one blade and it still feels fine. Feather is fine but i can't use most of them past 2 or 3 shaves until they just feel bad to use.
 
Kai for some reason i cannot pinpoint is just the smoothest, still sharp enough and lasts for ages. I've had 7, 8 or 9 shaves from one blade and it still feels fine. Feather is fine but i can't use most of them past 2 or 3 shaves until they just feel bad to use.
So I’d say give Personnas a try. I have mostly the discontinued Israeli made ones, but I like the Lab Blues just as much. All Personna blades work well for me.
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
I think Amazon has the best deal I have seen for 100, they are worth every cent to myself. They are wider than a standard Gillette blade(Astra SP) by 9/1000 of a inch or .0045 of inch per side. They are sharp and smooth with excellent longevity. I think their steel metallurgy is superior than a lot of other blades IMO. They should last longer for the price a person pays for them. I will always have a tuck or 2 in my shave den.
I usually get about 10 decent shaves and then I toss them regardless how well they shaved last, I just use a rule of averages with my blades. Kai SS blades work well in mild razors that are being ignored because they are to mild for a matured technique IMO.
YY KAI SS DE Blade Kai .871inch wide Astra SP .862 wide-2.jpg
Have some great shaves!
 
Just love these blades, always get the best shaves with them but the only problem is their price. They are insanely expensive for a razor blade but haven't used anything similar to them, other than maybe King C Gillette blades which are equally expensive!

I've tried: Nacet, Silver Blue, Platinum, Feather, Derby, Voskhod, Sputnik, Astra platinums, Bic chrome, Supershave X, Perma sharps.

Any help would be appreciated!
Longevity of these blades is the saving you are looking for. My two cents
 

Fred D

Member of The Illiterati
Kai for some reason i cannot pinpoint is just the smoothest, still sharp enough and lasts for ages. I've had 7, 8 or 9 shaves from one blade and it still feels fine. Feather is fine but i can't use most of them past 2 or 3 shaves until they just feel bad to use.
My experience with KAI blades has been the same, 7-9 great shaves, with the first 7 shaves equal in quality and performance as the first. This makes their higher price, as opposed to other great blades price worth it for me for them.
 
They are sharp and smooth with excellent longevity. I think their steel metallurgy is superior than a lot of other blades IMO.

I have not used a Kai blade. But I do have Feather's. I also have both kitchen and folding knives made from Japanese steel.

Japanese steel is very high quality stainless steel. It is both very stainless and very hard.

I think you are quite on-point with this. Japanese and American steels are among the room steels in the world, quality wise.

My understanding was that the coveted Israeli Personnas were made from American stainless steel.
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
@Ron R says,"Kai SS blades work well in mild razors that are being ignored because they are to (sic) mild for a matured technique IMO." Why would you ignore a mild razor because you have a matured technique? Just joshing.
 
Why would you ignore a mild razor
I can get a great shave from any razor, but there's times I'd want a closer shave in fewer passes than a Flare Super Speed with standard blade requires. Though I haven't tried them myself, I understand Kai increases the aggressiveness to put those milder razors in a similar ballpark of efficiency as modern designs.
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
I can get a great shave from any razor, but there's times I'd want a closer shave in fewer passes than a Flare Super Speed with standard blade requires. Though I haven't tried them myself, I understand Kai increases the aggressiveness to put those milder razors in a similar ballpark of efficiency as modern designs.
I get an extremely close three pass shave with a very mild ATT and a Lab Blue. It takes six minutes and causes no irritation. After over 21000 shaves I have that technique well in hand. I just like a mild razor.
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
Sounds like you've figured out what works for you. I'd wonder if the ATT, being of modern design, is less mild/better adapted to contemporary blades than some vintage razor models.
No idea, but I love it. I started with a Schick injector, followed by a Wilkinson single blade cartridge, followed by a Gillette TTO adjustable, followed by a Merkur, followed by a Feather. The ATT Windsor with a mild copper plate is great with everything I have used...Feather, GSB, Nacet, Astra, Personna Israelis, Crystals, and Lab Blues. In my experience the only times I have gotten irritation were by getting too fast and casual, causing a weeper.
 

Fred D

Member of The Illiterati
I have not used a Kai blade. But I do have Feather's. I also have both kitchen and folding knives made from Japanese steel.

Japanese steel is very high quality stainless steel. It is both very stainless and very hard.

I think you are quite on-point with this. Japanese and American steels are among the room steels in the world, quality wise.

My understanding was that the coveted Israeli Personnas were made from American stainless steel.
Since you like Feather blades, I would be happy to mail you an unopened tuck of 5 KAI blades free of charge. That's how I first tried them, a fellow B&B member sent me some KAI blades to try, I then purchased 100 shortly thereafter. Much better to try them before buying 100 and not liking them. 😁

Just PM me your address and I'll send them first chance I get.
 
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