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The great blade vote!

Gillette Silver Blue are my favorite, currently made DE blades. 30 to 40 years ago, I used to really like Wilkinson Sword blades. I do not know what country the Wilkinson Sword blades were made in back then - England, Germany, USA? (By the way, I have always lived in the USA.)
 
Gillette Silver Blue are my favorite, currently made DE blades. 30 to 40 years ago, I used to really like Wilkinson Sword blades. I do not know what country the Wilkinson Sword blades were made in back then - England, Germany, USA? (By the way, I have always lived in the USA.)
I'm pretty sure that Wilkinson Sword was a UK company (myself in the UK). Gillette own WS now I think. That aside I think the WS blades are ok. Solid 7/10 as an all rounder for me.
 
#1 - Polsilver SI
#2 - Feather
#3 - Gillette Nacet

May I suggest you put the updated results in the first post as well (or a link). It took me a long time to find the updated results, many people may well just check the first page thinking those are the polling results.
 
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#1 - Polsilver SI
#2 - Feather
#3 - Gillette Nacet

May I suggest you put the updated results in the first post as well (or a link). It took me a long time to find the updated results, many people may well just check the first page thinking those are the polling results.
I would love to do that but I can no longer edit the first post. You can do this whenever you want on good forums...
 
Votes: 103/65,350

#1 Feather: 26
#2 Gillette Silver Blue Stainless: 22
#3 PolSilver Super iridium: 15

Voskhod: 6
Gillette 7 o'clock Super Platinum: 6
Gillette Nacet: 4
Personna Super Medical Prep: 3
Rapira Platinum Lux: 3
Wilkinson Sword: 2
Personna Super: 2
Kai Stainless: 2
Rapira Super Stainless: 2
Gillette 7 o'clock Sharp Edge: 2
Shark Super Stainless: 1
Gillette Platinum: 1
Perma-Sharp Super: 1
Merkur Super: 1
Sputnik: 1
Astra Superior Platinum: 1
Crystal: 1
Derby Extra: 1
 
Votes: 109/65,350

#1 Feather: 27
#2 Gillette Silver Blue Stainless: 22
#3 PolSilver Super iridium: 16


Voskhod: 8
Gillette 7 o'clock Super Platinum: 6
Gillette Nacet: 4
Rapira Platinum Lux: 4
Personna Super Medical Prep: 3
Gillette 7 o'clock Sharp Edge: 3
Wilkinson Sword: 2
Personna Super: 2
Kai Stainless: 2
Rapira Super Stainless: 2
Shark Super Stainless: 1
Gillette Platinum: 1
Perma-Sharp Super: 1
Merkur Super: 1
Sputnik: 1
Astra Superior Platinum: 1
Crystal: 1
Derby Extra: 1
 
#1. Feather
#2. Astra
#3. Nacet

Trouble is that the Feathers are too sharp for me and they do not last as long as the others.
 
#1. Feather
#2. Astra
#3. Nacet

Trouble is that the Feathers are too sharp for me and they do not last as long as the others.

I voted for Feather but have since come to really like the Gillette Silver Blues. Actually, that's all I've been using now.

I like the Feathers a lot. They were especially helpful when starting to DE again. That might sound strange, but I think because of the hype about the sharpness I paid especial attention to my technique and therefore benefited from them.

But, when I tried the GSB they seemed to be smoother and friendlier to my face. Going to buy a 100 pack soon.
 
Polsilver super Iridium are my favorite blade by far. Second Rapira Platinum Lux, and third is Tiger Superior Stainless (the no longer produced Czech blades, not the Chinese counterfeits.) I've gone through two dozen different blades so far, and the Polsilvers are a joy to go back to after trying other blades. So smooth and so close, but without any facial damage. I know Feathers are popular, but they rip me up.

As a footnote, my primary razor is a Wolfman Dual Comb, and my back up is a Merkur 38C HD. I've tried most blades in both unless they're so bad in one that I don't want to try it again. A few have been in my vintage Gillette Slim adjustable (1964), but really, I prefer the Wolfman to anything else I own.
 
Actually, I would be interested to hear what other blades people have tried in say the top 10. Like one loves Feather, but hasn't tried Gillette Silver Blue or Polsilver Super Iridium. That's kind of the problem with these polls is not everyone has tried everything, and many hit a blade they like and stop. I have a bunch of different blades, and it's my goal to try them all. I even keep a spreadsheet with my notes. Nothing fancy, but simply do I like it or not, and why. I have no scoring system or anything like that.

If one was to do a for real study on blades, it would be blind, so the user wouldn't know what blade they were using. Statistics could be used to differentiate between users and razors. Shaving prep and soap or cream could be controlled for (as could razors, but it would be interesting to see preference related to razors). I've worked in food science flavor testing, and I could definitely see designing a study for this. All it would take is money... Lots of money... Food companies spend lots of money doing this kind of thing, I wonder what the razor blade companies do. Double Edge razors aren't made, designed, or marketed for people like me or most people reading this forum. Shaving companies want us to buy expensive cartridge razors which they make a larger profit on. There are boutique razor makers (like Wolfman, ATT, etc), but those aren't made for the masses, which is where the blade makers make their money. Once you get wealthy enough, you can get an electric, or if you're traditional, you can get the multi-blade cartridges for big bucks. I think this is the big disconnect in our market. Us relatively wealthier DE shavers are doing it by choice since it's an obviously much superior way of shaving, and there are razor makers who serve that market, but the blade manufacturers are doing it for the cheapest markets possible, and hoping they can convert them to more expensive methods so they can make more profit. I don't remember the blade, but there was an ad on the wrapper for their cartridge blades. As a result, they aren't pushing forward the quality of the DE blade manufacturing, but are doing it because it is a necessary market. When was the last time you heard of a new Double Edge blade? I know I've heard of newer brands (especially from the Chinese market, but that's just rebranding current stuff), but nothing new technologically like a new coating or metallurgy. The way it stands now your favorite Feather or Polsilver is as good as it's going to get. The manufacturers want to sell something that gives them more profit and provides more waste, and is of lesser quality than a simpler, older process. That's not progress, that's just greed, but it seems that's the way we roll in the new world.

OK, enough of my soapbox. What's your favorite DE blade?
 
Polsilver Super Iridium.

Gillette Platinum is just as good (possibly better).

I am well acquainted with YMMV and all, but I do not understand the massive outpouring of love for the GSB. For me, it is substantially below average.
 
If one was to do a for real study on blades, it would be blind, so the user wouldn't know what blade they were using. Statistics could be used to differentiate between users and razors. Shaving prep and soap or cream could be controlled for (as could razors, but it would be interesting to see preference related to razors).


I completed a Blind study of 4 different razor blades in June. The results were somewhat surprising. The bad news is that I was unable to identify any of the blades in the study. Not a single one! The good news is that I could differentiate between my favorite 2 blades and the 2 blades that are in my rotation but not my favorites. The biggest surprise to me was the apparent difference in quality between the top and the bottom tier blades. Before the study I would have said that the differences between the 4 blades was small and subjective. After the study I would say that there is a huge gap in shaving experience between the Polsilver SI/Gillette Rubie Platinum at the top and the Nacet/Gillette 7 OC Black at the bottom.

Take a look.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/459344-Blade-Comparison-A-Blinded-Study
 
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