Iridium Super

I don't understand why this blade is as expensive as a Feather blade, which by most shavers is considered the sharpest blade. In my experience the Iridium Super shaves like a Derby on the first shave, which means average and like a Merkur on the second the shave, which means horrible. The blade is very similar to the Gillette Yellow. This blade is not smooth. My favorite blade is the Persona (Red Pack) because it is smooth and sharp. The Iridium has many loyal followers which once again proves YMMV!

I have tried about a dozen different blades and had the chance to use most of them in a wide variety of razors. After giving all of the blades a fair trial, there are two that I have purchased in bulk; Derby Extra and Iridium. I found the Derby blades to work very well in my favorite razor, a '40s Superspeed and are one of the least expensive blades out there. The Iridiums, on the other hand, have worked well for me in every razor I own, from an open comb Gillette New, to Diplomat and even a Parker 65R. It seems to have the perfect blend of sharpness, smoothness and longevity. It has become the first blade I reach for when trying a new razor.

Price- I recently found them for $44/ 250. This puts them in the middle of the pack price-wise. The fact that they last longer than the cheaper blades makes them very competitive on a cost per shave basis. 8

Quality The best of any blade I've tried. I have yet to get a bad blade. 10

Sharpness Second only to Feathers, and just barely at that. 10

Longevity Second only to Merkurs for me. I get 5-6 shaves/blade 10

Smoothness of Shave This is where these shine. By far the smoothest that I've tried. 10

Packaging They come individually wrapped in a cardboard box with no blade disposal area. They also have glue spots on the corner when unwrapped. 7

In summary, I find the Super Iridiums to have the perfect blend of sharpness, smoothness and longevity. I have yet to find a razor that they don't match up well with.

Prior to trying the Irridiums, my regular rotation included Feathers, Kais and occasionally Bolzano.

These are equal to any of those. Perhaps a bit less sharp than the Feathers and Kais, but not enough to make a difference to me. They are smooth, very smooth; perhaps the smoothest I have experienced.

Only long-term usage will give me more insight into these but I believe them to be equal to the top blades available.