I have recently been trying a lot of blades to see if there’s anything out there that I like more than my usual Feathers and Russian Gillette offerings, and to sample some of the cheaper end of the market which has always been a bit of a closed book to me (blade samplers weren’t a thing when I started).
As part of that I thought I would comparethree four Lord manufactured blades that are all described as “Platinum”. I know a lot of folks already have the lowdown on these popular blades, but purely for my own interest I thought this would be fun to see:
I wanted some Platinum Class and ordered them from two suppliers, but both times received New Platinum instead, so I think we can say they are likely the same blade and the New Platinum name has replaced Platinum Class…which has possibly replaced the old Lord Platinum on the left? Anyway, I figured I might as well add these to my comparison.
On to the shaves. Despite the Gamechanger in the photo below, I am basing my comments on results from a Fatip Grande. That is what I am using for OCtober, and I already know some of these blades work nicely with it from past experience. I have sensitive skin that gets irritated at the merest suggestion of tugging or forcing the shave, so I usually like a sharper blade and don’t get a long blade life out of anything – 2 or 3 shaves maximum. Folks with tougher skin who are experienced in pushing blades for many shaves will probably get more out of these than I could.
First up to bat: Lord Platinum
Smooth and just about sharp enough. I am a fan of this blade.
Comfortable on the opening WTG pass. I always worry that it won’t be sharp enough for my XTG / ATG second pass, especially on the neck and sideburns, and although it struggles a little a cautious approach will get the job done. It’s pretty much a one-and-done blade for me and won’t stay sharp enough to make it to the end of a second shave unless I skip most of the XTG / ATG work and settle for comfort rather than closeness. My stubborn streak has me continuing to try and get a decent second shave from one of these, but by the time the WTG pass is done the blade is starting to become rough and needs quite a bit of force behind it to cut hair, so the risk of irritation is high – when I push for that second shave, I usually regret it!
Still, a solid blade if something on the mild side is your preference and longevity isn’t a problem. When fresh, an excellent pairing with a Fatip OC razor and provides a close, irritation-free shave. Based on EM images of the edges of Lord blades, you wouldn’t expect them to be smooth out of the tuck, but that’s certainly my experience with this one. I rated these 2/5 for sharpness, which is just about as mild as I want to go, but an excellent 4.5/5 for smoothness.
Next Up: Blue Sword Platinum
A very similar story to the Lord Platinum, with a comfortable first shave, but not sharp enough to make it through the XTG / ATG passes of a second shave. Sometimes I think the Lord is a hair sharper, and sometimes I think this one is. As you can see, they look practically identical, and common sense says they are the same blade, just as the “Blue Sword Extra” blades that are also offered under this brand must surely be the same blade as Lord Extra. Still, I can’t help forming the notion that they aren’t quite identical in terms of how they feel.
It’s probably my imagination and if I was a gambling man, I would bet on these being the same blade, perhaps with a bit of variation in sharpness from blade to blade which is just enough to get me second guessing! Accordingly, I rate these the same as the Lords.
Numero Tres: The dreaded Shark Platinum
Arrrgh! I hate these blades. Not sharp enough. I didn't unwrap a fresh one to photograph because I had no intention of using it. I have previously attempted to shave with these twice and had to abandon the shave almost immediately on both occasions. Definitely NOT the same blade as the two above. I cannot recommend these. I can’t imagine them being comfortable for anyone except those with the very lightest growth. They pull hair out instead of cutting it. Definitely not the same as either of the previous two blades. They get 0/5 for sharpness and a void for smoothness, since they were unusable. These blades make Derbys look like Feathers.
…And Finally: Lord New Platinum
No need for photos - these blades look identical to the old Lord Platinum and come in identical paper wraps. I am pretty sure there is nothing “new” about this blade other than the outer packing, or maybe they also replaced some old tooling and decided to repackage the blades at the same time. Performance for me is pretty much identical to the Lord Platinum already discussed, and I think it’s a good place to start with Lord offerings. It’s not quite up there with Silver Stars in terms of sharpness but for me it beats all the Shark brand blades, and the plain Lord stainless steel offerings, which I have also sampled.
In conclusion, I think that the two Lord and the Blue Sword blades here are the same blade, with only the Sharks being different (and markedly worse by my lights). There are several other Lord brands that include a “platinum” blade (Big Ben, Asco, Crown). If anyone has tried them, or any other Lord blades come to that, please add your thoughts below.
Overall, these Lord blades are at the milder end of the scale, but they are still capable of at least one very pleasant shave and definitely a good option for anyone looking to tame an aggressive razor. I like 'em.
As part of that I thought I would compare
- How are these blades generally?
- Do I think these are the same blades in different packaging, as people sometimes suggest?
- Lord Platinum
- Blue Sword Platinum
- Shark Platinum
I wanted some Platinum Class and ordered them from two suppliers, but both times received New Platinum instead, so I think we can say they are likely the same blade and the New Platinum name has replaced Platinum Class…which has possibly replaced the old Lord Platinum on the left? Anyway, I figured I might as well add these to my comparison.
On to the shaves. Despite the Gamechanger in the photo below, I am basing my comments on results from a Fatip Grande. That is what I am using for OCtober, and I already know some of these blades work nicely with it from past experience. I have sensitive skin that gets irritated at the merest suggestion of tugging or forcing the shave, so I usually like a sharper blade and don’t get a long blade life out of anything – 2 or 3 shaves maximum. Folks with tougher skin who are experienced in pushing blades for many shaves will probably get more out of these than I could.
First up to bat: Lord Platinum
Smooth and just about sharp enough. I am a fan of this blade.
Comfortable on the opening WTG pass. I always worry that it won’t be sharp enough for my XTG / ATG second pass, especially on the neck and sideburns, and although it struggles a little a cautious approach will get the job done. It’s pretty much a one-and-done blade for me and won’t stay sharp enough to make it to the end of a second shave unless I skip most of the XTG / ATG work and settle for comfort rather than closeness. My stubborn streak has me continuing to try and get a decent second shave from one of these, but by the time the WTG pass is done the blade is starting to become rough and needs quite a bit of force behind it to cut hair, so the risk of irritation is high – when I push for that second shave, I usually regret it!
Still, a solid blade if something on the mild side is your preference and longevity isn’t a problem. When fresh, an excellent pairing with a Fatip OC razor and provides a close, irritation-free shave. Based on EM images of the edges of Lord blades, you wouldn’t expect them to be smooth out of the tuck, but that’s certainly my experience with this one. I rated these 2/5 for sharpness, which is just about as mild as I want to go, but an excellent 4.5/5 for smoothness.
Next Up: Blue Sword Platinum
A very similar story to the Lord Platinum, with a comfortable first shave, but not sharp enough to make it through the XTG / ATG passes of a second shave. Sometimes I think the Lord is a hair sharper, and sometimes I think this one is. As you can see, they look practically identical, and common sense says they are the same blade, just as the “Blue Sword Extra” blades that are also offered under this brand must surely be the same blade as Lord Extra. Still, I can’t help forming the notion that they aren’t quite identical in terms of how they feel.
It’s probably my imagination and if I was a gambling man, I would bet on these being the same blade, perhaps with a bit of variation in sharpness from blade to blade which is just enough to get me second guessing! Accordingly, I rate these the same as the Lords.
Numero Tres: The dreaded Shark Platinum
Arrrgh! I hate these blades. Not sharp enough. I didn't unwrap a fresh one to photograph because I had no intention of using it. I have previously attempted to shave with these twice and had to abandon the shave almost immediately on both occasions. Definitely NOT the same blade as the two above. I cannot recommend these. I can’t imagine them being comfortable for anyone except those with the very lightest growth. They pull hair out instead of cutting it. Definitely not the same as either of the previous two blades. They get 0/5 for sharpness and a void for smoothness, since they were unusable. These blades make Derbys look like Feathers.
…And Finally: Lord New Platinum
No need for photos - these blades look identical to the old Lord Platinum and come in identical paper wraps. I am pretty sure there is nothing “new” about this blade other than the outer packing, or maybe they also replaced some old tooling and decided to repackage the blades at the same time. Performance for me is pretty much identical to the Lord Platinum already discussed, and I think it’s a good place to start with Lord offerings. It’s not quite up there with Silver Stars in terms of sharpness but for me it beats all the Shark brand blades, and the plain Lord stainless steel offerings, which I have also sampled.
In conclusion, I think that the two Lord and the Blue Sword blades here are the same blade, with only the Sharks being different (and markedly worse by my lights). There are several other Lord brands that include a “platinum” blade (Big Ben, Asco, Crown). If anyone has tried them, or any other Lord blades come to that, please add your thoughts below.
Overall, these Lord blades are at the milder end of the scale, but they are still capable of at least one very pleasant shave and definitely a good option for anyone looking to tame an aggressive razor. I like 'em.
agree, sir.
