AC Blades vs DE Blades Sharpness

[saj]

do you find AC blades to be sharper then DE blades?

i know it's been a while since I used my AC razor but looking back im pretty sure the general consensus was that AC blades were sharper then DE blades but thinking back to my head shaves with the AC blades I don't think there was any difference in sharpness tbh

 

[lancre]

I don't see how you could evaluate that. The shave always uses a blade and a razor. AC and DE blades use different razors. If one feels better than the other, is the difference in the blade or in the razor?

 

[saj]

I don't see how you could evaluate that. The shave always uses a blade and a razor. AC and DE blades use different razors. If one feels better than the other, is the difference in the blade or in the razor?

I'm on about the sharpness and ease of which it takes the hair off

I'm just saying I personally don't feel like AC blades are sharper, don't know if it's just me but sharpness feels the same to mer YMMV

 

[Yuritau]

Sharpness could be tested and compared in a standardized way with an Edge On Up sharpness tester, but how that sharpness translates to shaving feel and effectiveness starts to rely as much on the razor and the technique as on the blade sharpness itself, imho.

 

[lancre]

Sharpness could be tested and compared in a standardized way with an Edge On Up sharpness tester, but how that sharpness translates to shaving feel and effectiveness starts to rely as much on the razor and the technique as on the blade sharpness itself, imho.

Exactly!

 

[thombrogan]

I suspect AC-format blades will feel sharper because their greater thickness will prevent the edge from deflecting as much if used in a forceful manner. The Feather Pro Super blade is supposed to be the sharpest of the sharp because; compare to the standard Feather Pro; it has an angle that’s more acute. Like super kawaii acute

As @Yuritau and @lancre said, you’ll need to find out how it works in your own shave. As a head shaver, can you use less lights in your house after shaving with an AC blade compared to a DE as measured by the extra reflection?

 

[RayClem]

DE blades range in sharpness from fairly dull to super sharp.

If you are comparing Artist Club blades to Derby Extra blades, there is no contest. AC wins by a knockout in the first 10 seconds of the first round.

If you are comparing Feather Artist Club blades to Feather High-Stainless DE blades, then the will both be super sharp. I am not sure which would be sharper. The main difference is that the AC blades will last much longer as they are thicker and the edge is not as fragile.

 

[saj]

I suspect AC-format blades will feel sharper because their greater thickness will prevent the edge from deflecting as much if used in a forceful manner. The Feather Pro Super blade is supposed to be the sharpest of the sharp because; compare to the standard Feather Pro; it has an angle that’s more acute. Like super kawaii acute

As @Yuritau and @lancre said, you’ll need to find out how it works in your own shave. As a head shaver, can you use less lights in your house after shaving with an AC blade compared to a DE as measured by the extra reflection?

Yea from my experience I couldn't tell between the feather ac blade and feather de blade tbh felt about the same obviously ac blade is wider and more thicker so more rigid but felt the same shaving wise to me

 

[saj]

DE blades range in sharpness from fairly dull to super sharp.

If you are comparing Artist Club blades to Derby Extra blades, there is no contest. AC wins by a knockout in the first 10 seconds of the first round.

If you are comparing Feather Artist Club blades to Feather High-Stainless DE blades, then the will both be super sharp. I am not sure which would be sharper. The main difference is that the AC blades will last much longer as they are thicker and the edge is not as fragile.

Yea I mean the sharper de blades derby vs ac is a no brainer tbf lol

 

[APBinNCA]

The thing is, AC blades have the keenest edge of any shaving blade available. Keenness being the width of the edge at the apex. This translates into the absolutely effortless removal of anything in front of the blade, that is what you are feeling.

Sharpness as defined by the bevel angle gets a bit more complicated. A Feather Pro Super is reported to have an angle of 10degrees(no spine), but it has a final bevel of 19 degrees which is technically sharper than Feather DE blade. Sometimes razors need a nudge and then they start knocking hairs down, that's the sharpness. The initial resistance is lack of momentum combined with difficulty splitting the first hairs due to slightly less keenness. There is a threshold supposedly, but hanging hair tests are a lot easier than nano scale measuring.

I suspect at this level of keenness and sharpness that any perceived difference between them is as mentioned above due to the rigidity and thickness of the AC blade. Be careful where it's aimed when you set it into motion!

 

[Ron R]

I'm a firm believer that SE blades can be just as sharp as any blade and might be better designed for shaving IMO.
The correct angle and blade material will determine the longevity of the blade.
The AC 50mm where designed for barber shops around the world and in Europe and other areas of the world laws were made during the AIDS break out that a new blade had to be used per shave for customers of barbershops is my understanding.
AC 50mm blades use a 3 facet edge and that is very strong and they were designed for 1 shave possibly or more so the steel is not of the high carbon surgical stainless steel IMO.
I can get a few more shaves out of a Gem Personna blade than most of my AC blades so that indicates the steel in the Gem blade is just that much better but the Gem blade is not designed for barber shop needs IMO.
(L) 3 facet blade...........................................(R) different approach for SE blades.

Have some great shaves!

 

[catchacoolbreeze]

I have not been super impressed with AC blades. I thought they would last longer but for me I feel the last the same as DEs. Maybe my beard just isn't meant for them. That being said, I have had AC blades that don't pass a HHT out of the container and almost all of my DE blades do.

The Feather Pro Super is the worst blade that has ever touched my face

 

[TacticalPanda]

I've been underwhelmed by AC blades as well. I don't find them noticeably sharper than DE blades and they very frequently leave me with irritation. I prefer the yellow Schick injector blades to most AC blades and prefer the width as well.

 

[Wil_D]

I mainly use AC blades. They (Feather Pro, KAI Mild and Schick ProLine) give me a month of close and irritation free shaves. I do not know how much shaves I could get if I would continue after the month. Never tried that.

 

[Medivh]

I find AC and injector blades to be more comfortable, but I wouldn't call them sharper than DE blades. The Schick P-30 is the only AC blade that I've used and I'm not impressed by it and for me, the AC style razors and blades feel like a more gimmick a as well as more expensive and over engineered hybrid between a DE head design combined with a slightly larger injector blade.

While the AC razors have a unique way of shaving and my Yaqi AC is a decent shaver, the price for those blades and most razors is just too high for me to justify their mediocre results given that my injector razors and blades are much cheaper and they shave me even better. I'm just glad that I had the pleasure of trying them without investing too much money in the process like I had initially planned to buy around 300 P-30 blades from Japan and perhaps even a Vector at some point too. YMMV.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I love using AC blades. I have no way to know if they are sharper than DE blades but I love the shaves I'm getting with my ESC Claymore Evolution. I've been using it every shave since the middle of February.

Now, the AC blades themselves differ in sharpness and durability. I can get 6 comfortable shaves from the Feather ProGuards... only 3 semi smooth shaves from the Schick Proline P-30s which I have to admit is a disappointment since I bought two 30 blade packs of them.

The razor in which you put them makes a pretty big difference, I believe. This from reading here on B&B. AC Razors are not created equal. But then, are DE razors created equal? I think you get my point.

 

[saj]

I have not been super impressed with AC blades. I thought they would last longer but for me I feel the last the same as DEs. Maybe my beard just isn't meant for them. That being said, I have had AC blades that don't pass a HHT out of the container and almost all of my DE blades do.

The Feather Pro Super is the worst blade that has ever touched my face

yea cant really form an opinion on longevity just yet but i will say that i noticed if i do more passed with an AC razor i defo get way less irritation the with a DE