Any experience with Super-Max blades?

[saj]

In general, SuperMax blades are good. I find them to be mild but smooth shaving...best for testing aggressive razors...plus they're cheap here...so will normally toss it after 3-4 shaves..
These are mine...some better than others..
View attachment 1160596

wow nice collection of supermax blades

in order from best to worst, how would you rate them mate?

ive used the supermax super stainless (blue which you dont have pictured to my surprise considering the amount of supermax de blades you got on that pic) and super max stainless (burgundy and yellow), i really like the supermax super stainless (blue), here in the uk its cheap and i personally find it to be sharp but not the most smoothest but it is somewhat smooth

 

[BigSpender]

When I was in India about 10 years ago, I ran into a German tourist who was disgusted with Indian DE blades, saying there wasn't a single blade that was any good, which was especially astonishing given the huge number of DE blade offerings in the shops. I sympathized with him, as I had tried the best, second best, and sometimes even the third best, of all the brands, and aside from two Gillette offerings, they ranged from barely usable to truly awful.

I asked him if he had tried the Gillette-Wilkinson blades (which were very different from the current version, and could last for two weeks or more). He said he had, but he didn't sound convincing. The better blade was the Gillette 7 O’clock black Super Platinum blades, which were more expensive, but lasted a long time, too. On the other hand, the quality control on the dirt cheap rarely seen Gillette 365 blades was virtually non-existent -- presumably, their bargain basement brand.

The Super Max line was the most expensive in India, aside from the Gillette blacks. I tried all of them, and puzzled over how anyone could think they were good, or why they would pay so much. Their titanium blades were sharp, initially, but they were the roughest blades I have ever used even initially, and they were truly horrible after a few shaves.

Oddly enough, there were some Super Max four-blade disposable razors that were excellent. But, of course, they were made on totally different equipment, and weren't cheap.

All the other blades in India were unimpressive. The Gillette-Wilkinson blades dominated the market.

Then Laser Ultra triple coated blades hit the shops. They were cheap. I tried some. I was astonished. I talked to some shop owners and they agreed that they and their customers found them remarkably good. They were undercutting the the Gillette-Wilkinson blades by being slightly cheaper, but vastly sharper and smoother. So eventually Gillette redesigned theirs.

Now we are encountering some other labels, Vi-John blades and Willy's blades, though whether these are making inroads in the store sales in India is not clear. Competition is good. Perhaps it will lead to improvement in Indian blades. But judging from the the critical comments here, which are consistent with my own experience, I wouldn't bother with any Super Max blades; there was one Vidyut blade that was OK, though, but nothing special.

The Laser Ultra triple coated blades are special, and have been absolutely consistent in their quality over the years. If you want to try an Indian blade, this is the place to start. They are inexpensive, and some people will knock anything that is cheap, and praise anything that is expensive. But if some shavers were to test them "blindfolded," ie, without knowing what they were shaving with, I think they would get excellent reviews.

I haven't tried the Vi-John or Willy's blades, so I can't opine. I do hope there are more good blades in India, now.

 

[saj]

I am not sure if they are legit but the performance is just so so. Not that sharp and smooth to my face...YMMV.
In general, SuperMax blades are ok for 2-3 ordinary shaves for me. Depending on the razor pairing it can give some good results. My son is just starting to shave and I just let him use the Feather popular paired with all these SuperMax blades for a mild uneventful shave...max 2 shaves per blade.

These blades found locally here in Malaysia are my best find so far...and as cheap as can be at only MYR1 (US$0.25) a tuck of 5 blades.....
View attachment 1162438

like the name sharp jaws

 

[Chard52142]

wow nice collection of supermax blades

in order from best to worst, how would you rate them mate?
ive used the supermax super stainless (blue which you dont have pictured to my surprise considering the amount of supermax de blades you got on that pic) and super max stainless (burgundy and yellow), i really like the supermax super stainless (blue), here in the uk its cheap and i personally find it to be sharp but not the most smoothest but it is somewhat smooth

Thanks for your comments! I would rate them as such...ymmv of course. The most interesting fact is that the rating below can change depending on which razors are being paired with and at different times.
1.Super-Max Platinum
2.Super-Max Super Stainless all-Blue
3.Super-Max Super Stainless BOLA
4.Super-Max Super Stainless all-Blue with 3 yellow stripe
5.Super-Max Super Stainless all-Blue with gold outline & 3 gold stripe
6.Super-Max Super Stainless all-Blue
7.Super-Max Super Stainless Blue Diamond
8.Super-Max Platinum
9.Super-Max Stainless
10.Super-MaxChromium

like the name sharp jaws

Ohhh yes...this is a rare blade. Can't find it any longer or anywhere else. It's better than the Super-Max above. I bought it all from a local sundry shop...

 

[RayClem]

Thanks for your comments! I would rate them as such...ymmv of course. The most interesting fact is that the rating below can change depending on which razors are being paired with and at different times.
1.Super-Max Platinum
2.Super-Max Super Stainless all-Blue
3.Super-Max Super Stainless BOLA
4.Super-Max Super Stainless all-Blue with 3 yellow stripe
5.Super-Max Super Stainless all-Blue with gold outline & 3 gold stripe
6.Super-Max Super Stainless all-Blue
7.Super-Max Super Stainless Blue Diamond
8.Super-Max Platinum
9.Super-Max Stainless
10.Super-MaxChromium


Ohhh yes...this is a rare blade. Can't find it any longer or anywhere else. It's better than the Super-Max above. I bought it all from a local sundry shop...

The only Super-Max blade I have tried is the Blue Diamond platinum. It is one of my favorite blades, both very sharp and smooth. You list the Super Stainless Blue Diamond and a Super-Max Platinum. Is the Blue Diamond platinum the same as the Super-Max Platinum or is it a blade you have not yet tried?

 

[alin]

The now discontinued Super - Max Blue Diamond Platinums are amongst my favorite blades...View attachment 1160842View attachment 1160843

In Romania they can be found in Auchan Supermarket, price about 100 pcs 10 euros.

 

[saj]

Thanks for your comments! I would rate them as such...ymmv of course. The most interesting fact is that the rating below can change depending on which razors are being paired with and at different times.
1.Super-Max Platinum
2.Super-Max Super Stainless all-Blue
3.Super-Max Super Stainless BOLA
4.Super-Max Super Stainless all-Blue with 3 yellow stripe
5.Super-Max Super Stainless all-Blue with gold outline & 3 gold stripe
6.Super-Max Super Stainless all-Blue
7.Super-Max Super Stainless Blue Diamond
8.Super-Max Platinum
9.Super-Max Stainless
10.Super-MaxChromium


Ohhh yes...this is a rare blade. Can't find it any longer or anywhere else. It's better than the Super-Max above. I bought it all from a local sundry shop...

Cool I will have to try those supermax blades God willing

You know the thing that came to mind when I saw the name sharp jaws, I thought of the famous music from the jaws movie lool

 

[Chard52142]

The only Super-Max blade I have tried is the Blue Diamond platinum. It is one of my favorite blades, both very sharp and smooth. You list the Super Stainless Blue Diamond and a Super-Max Platinum. Is the Blue Diamond platinum the same as the Super-Max Platinum or is it a blade you have not yet tried?

Thanks for asking. Yeah, I have both. I have not used the Blue Diamond platinum blade for a while now so forgotten how's the performance. I'll use it soonest and feedback here...

 

[albsat]

Blue Diamond was a nice blade for me using a Rockwell 6s, plate 4 or 5.

 

[Halfblade]

When I was in India about 10 years ago, I ran into a German tourist who was disgusted with Indian DE blades, saying there wasn't a single blade that was any good, which was especially astonishing given the huge number of DE blade offerings in the shops. I sympathized with him, as I had tried the best, second best, and sometimes even the third best, of all the brands, and aside from two Gillette offerings, they ranged from barely usable to truly awful.

I asked him if he had tried the Gillette-Wilkinson blades (which were very different from the current version, and could last for two weeks or more). He said he had, but he didn't sound convincing. The better blade was the Gillette 7 O’clock black Super Platinum blades, which were more expensive, but lasted a long time, too. On the other hand, the quality control on the dirt cheap rarely seen Gillette 365 blades was virtually non-existent -- presumably, their bargain basement brand.

The Super Max line was the most expensive in India, aside from the Gillette blacks. I tried all of them, and puzzled over how anyone could think they were good, or why they would pay so much. Their titanium blades were sharp, initially, but they were the roughest blades I have ever used even initially, and they were truly horrible after a few shaves.

Oddly enough, there were some Super Max four-blade disposable razors that were excellent. But, of course, they were made on totally different equipment, and weren't cheap.

All the other blades in India were unimpressive. The Gillette-Wilkinson blades dominated the market.

Then Laser Ultra triple coated blades hit the shops. They were cheap. I tried some. I was astonished. I talked to some shop owners and they agreed that they and their customers found them remarkably good. They were undercutting the the Gillette-Wilkinson blades by being slightly cheaper, but vastly sharper and smoother. So eventually Gillette redesigned theirs.

Now we are encountering some other labels, Vi-John blades and Willy's blades, though whether these are making inroads in the store sales in India is not clear. Competition is good. Perhaps it will lead to improvement in Indian blades. But judging from the the critical comments here, which are consistent with my own experience, I wouldn't bother with any Super Max blades; there was one Vidyut blade that was OK, though, but nothing special.

The Laser Ultra triple coated blades are special, and have been absolutely consistent in their quality over the years. If you want to try an Indian blade, this is the place to start. They are inexpensive, and some people will knock anything that is cheap, and praise anything that is expensive. But if some shavers were to test them "blindfolded," ie, without knowing what they were shaving with, I think they would get excellent reviews.

I haven't tried the Vi-John or Willy's blades, so I can't opine. I do hope there are more good blades in India, now.

Very interesting.

I have some Laser blades but haven't used them yet. This might give me the push to use them!

If I'm not mistaken, I think that Laser blades are made in the same factory in which SuperMax blades are made.

That factory installed a new sputtering line around that time, as can be evidenced by some Zorrik blades made there, which advertise the new line.

So if Laser blades suddenly improved, perhaps SuperMax blades will soon follow!

 

[luv2shave]

SuperMax seems to change their blade names pretty often or makes limited production runs.

Same wine in New bottles is more like it.
I suspect they have just 4 types
Stainless/ super stainless
Platinum/ super platinum

Outside these they have 1 premium blade which always have a blue diamond photo on it - irrespective of the name. This blade is outstanding.

Keep the packaging arts department busy and make new art every few months

 

[BigSpender]

Very interesting.

I have some Laser blades but haven't used them yet. This might give me the push to use them!

If I'm not mistaken, I think that Laser blades are made in the same factory in which SuperMax blades are made.

That factory installed a new sputtering line around that time, as can be evidenced by some Zorrik blades made there, which advertise the new line.

So if Laser blades suddenly improved, perhaps SuperMax blades will soon follow!

I'm not clear what you are saying?

Are you saying that SuperMax began making Laser Ultra triple coated blades 10 years ago with new, modern equipment? Why would they make a superior blade to sell for less than half the price they charge, for a competitor?

The tucks have the name and location of the manufacturer printed on each one, as most are sold as hangers of tucks. When Laser Ultras came out, they had a different company name and location from all they other blade manufacturers, including SuperMax, as I recall.

I have not noticed any sudden improvement in Laser Ultra triple coated blades (I have no recent experience with any of their other blades). I have bought them many times over the years. Most recently, they came in new packaging, with new printing on the blade wrappers. They still shave the same.

I have never noticed ANY change in quality of Laser Ultra blades since the day they were introduce -- I bought them as soon as they showed up in the shops. I have never noticed any change in quality from blade to blade. Every blade has been the same excellent quality.

I am not saying it is the best blade I have used and purchased. I have some amazing blades. But the fact is, I do not need an amazing blade to get a fine shave, especially with the right razor. And if I don't get a fine shave (with a new blade), I know it is the razor or the shave cream's fault, not the blade. Except when they poop out, which tends to be after about three shaves. But at about 4 cents a blade, who cares?

For me, Laser Ultras are a fun blade to use because there are no worries, no hassles pulling out a dud with soapy hands.

On the other hand, I have blades that are sharper and last much longer. I like them, too. Some razors need that extra sharpness to shine.

BTW, the thread asked for anyone with experiece with SuperMax blades, so I contributed mine, which are rather dated. I never said all SuperMax blades were bad, only their bizarre titanium blades. The platinum blades were good, but expensive, by India standards. The Gillette 7' O 'Clock black super platinum India blades were sharper, lasted far longer and were about the same price (I still have some, and the old ones were excellent). I liked the old Gillette-Wilkinson blades. And when the Laser Ultra blades came out, there was no reason to buy SuperMax blades, which, at least based on price and that diamond logo, had a reputation for being the best blade in India, which, as far as I could tell, was not deserved. I wasn't even sure the diamond blades were better than their regular line.

However, SuperMax did make some excellent cartridge razors, which were also expensive, presumable on modern equipment. I have wonder if they are imported to the U.S. under their own or another's label?

I certainly would hope that by now SuperMax would have installed modern equipment and be putting out better blades. So don't give too much weight to my comments.

As to Zorrik blades, I am getting confused. It sounds like you are saying SuperMax also makes Zorrik and Laser blades, which was not what it said on the tucks.

The barbers I talked to used Zorrik, which they spoke highly of. I thought they were OK, but preferred other blades. My suspicion is they like Zorrik because a) they were moderately priced, b) they only needed to get one good shave out of them), c) they were consistent quality, unlike Gillette blades -- you don't want to try to shave a customer with a dud, plus D) they had been using them for years, so they were used to their characteristics.

Things are changing in India, from what I can see. Back then, canned shaving mousse was almost impossible to find. Now, I see on Amazon India, that there are several India labels. This is bad from an environmental standpoint. But I can't blame them, given the variable quality and safety of India water.

Whatever it takes to keep people shaving with DE blades is fine with me. Homegrown Pearl razors are a step in the right direction.

BTW, perhaps if we had a chart of the manufacturers and their various labels, such as Topaz, we might be able to figure out a blade's lineage. But don't expect all, or even most, of India blades to be good by Western standards.

 

[albsat]

@BigSpender

Nice feedback. Which are the best blades made in India or Pakistan based on your experience?

 

[BigSpender]

@BigSpender

Nice feedback. Which are the best blades made in India or Pakistan based on your experience?

BEST blades? That I cannot say, as I have not tried ALL blades, and the ones I tried were sometimes many years ago. India has A LOT of different blades!

While I am unwilling to settle for a bad shave, I do not need superlatives to be satisfied. A good, clean, smooth, comfortable and quick shave is my idea of happiness. Oh, and one that does not exfoliate my face, thank you very much, Gillette cartridge marketing division.

I have four primary blades:

From India: Laser Ultra triple coated, and Gillette-Wilkinson stainless steel.

From Pakistan: Treet Dura Sharp carbon steel blades with PTFE coating.

From Bangladesh, with a glance toward Switzerland: Sharp Swiss Titanium Durablade.

Some people prefer other Treet carbon steel blades, but these are the only one of their carbon steel blades I have tried, based on reviews. They are really nice, but now and then one is a dud. I especially like using them in vintage Gillette razors, as carbon steel is what people used in those days, so it gives you a better idea of what performance was like back then.

The Gillette-Wilkinson blades seem to change from year to year. And some are duds. But I think they are a good stainless blade, and sometimes unjustly maligned.

The Sharp Swiss Titanium blades are consistently excellent. Don't let the price fool you. They have security holograms on each tuck.

There are more expensive blades, and if that is what it took to get a good shave, I would gladly pay it, as DE blade cost per shave is absurdly low, regardless. But I don't need to. And there's a limit on what I will pay for 100 blades on spec, especially with counterfeits floating around.

There are other sellers of carbon steel blades, and I don't know if they are any good. I tried some carbon steel blades in China (a Chinese name brand) and they were horrible. So it was nice to finally find some good carbon steel blades.

I wish other manufacturers would make carbon steel blades, especially thicker and stiffer, like the old ones. They quickly went out of style when stainless steel blades and thin blades were introduced in the 1960s, in part because they don't rust. But stainless is harsher and needs a coating, whereas carbon steel is naturally smooth and can be made very sharp. I wonder if there was a rise in people getting nicked when SS DE blades took over, leading to a swift migration to Wilkinson bonded blades and cartridges when they became available? I know I was having problems and jumped ship at the first opportunity. It would be interesting to see what manufacturers could do with carbon blades if they tried with modern techniques.

 

[Halfblade]

I'm not clear what you are saying?

Are you saying that SuperMax began making Laser Ultra triple coated blades 10 years ago with new, modern equipment? Why would they make a superior blade to sell for less than half the price they charge, for a competitor?

The tucks have the name and location of the manufacturer printed on each one, as most are sold as hangers of tucks. When Laser Ultras came out, they had a different company name and location from all they other blade manufacturers, including SuperMax, as I recall.

I have not noticed any sudden improvement in Laser Ultra triple coated blades (I have no recent experience with any of their other blades). I have bought them many times over the years. Most recently, they came in new packaging, with new printing on the blade wrappers. They still shave the same.

I have never noticed ANY change in quality of Laser Ultra blades since the day they were introduce -- I bought them as soon as they showed up in the shops. I have never noticed any change in quality from blade to blade. Every blade has been the same excellent quality.

I am not saying it is the best blade I have used and purchased. I have some amazing blades. But the fact is, I do not need an amazing blade to get a fine shave, especially with the right razor. And if I don't get a fine shave (with a new blade), I know it is the razor or the shave cream's fault, not the blade. Except when they poop out, which tends to be after about three shaves. But at about 4 cents a blade, who cares?

For me, Laser Ultras are a fun blade to use because there are no worries, no hassles pulling out a dud with soapy hands.

On the other hand, I have blades that are sharper and last much longer. I like them, too. Some razors need that extra sharpness to shine.

BTW, the thread asked for anyone with experiece with SuperMax blades, so I contributed mine, which are rather dated. I never said all SuperMax blades were bad, only their bizarre titanium blades. The platinum blades were good, but expensive, by India standards. The Gillette 7' O 'Clock black super platinum India blades were sharper, lasted far longer and were about the same price (I still have some, and the old ones were excellent). I liked the old Gillette-Wilkinson blades. And when the Laser Ultra blades came out, there was no reason to buy SuperMax blades, which, at least based on price and that diamond logo, had a reputation for being the best blade in India, which, as far as I could tell, was not deserved. I wasn't even sure the diamond blades were better than their regular line.

However, SuperMax did make some excellent cartridge razors, which were also expensive, presumable on modern equipment. I have wonder if they are imported to the U.S. under their own or another's label?

I certainly would hope that by now SuperMax would have installed modern equipment and be putting out better blades. So don't give too much weight to my comments.

As to Zorrik blades, I am getting confused. It sounds like you are saying SuperMax also makes Zorrik and Laser blades, which was not what it said on the tucks.

The barbers I talked to used Zorrik, which they spoke highly of. I thought they were OK, but preferred other blades. My suspicion is they like Zorrik because a) they were moderately priced, b) they only needed to get one good shave out of them), c) they were consistent quality, unlike Gillette blades -- you don't want to try to shave a customer with a dud, plus D) they had been using them for years, so they were used to their characteristics.

Things are changing in India, from what I can see. Back then, canned shaving mousse was almost impossible to find. Now, I see on Amazon India, that there are several India labels. This is bad from an environmental standpoint. But I can't blame them, given the variable quality and safety of India water.

Whatever it takes to keep people shaving with DE blades is fine with me. Homegrown Pearl razors are a step in the right direction.

BTW, perhaps if we had a chart of the manufacturers and their various labels, such as Topaz, we might be able to figure out a blade's lineage. But don't expect all, or even most, of India blades to be good by Western standards.

My Zorrik blades clearly state that they're made by SuperMax. They also advertise their new sputtering line.

I have no proof that Laser is made by SuperMax, & the address on the tuck is different.

But I think I read somewhere that the owner of Laser is Malhotra.

SuperMax is also owned by the Malhotra family.

So it's not a competitor's blade.



Update:

Malhotra family split unlikely to cost the group its cutting edge in blades market

Trouble in the competitor's company is always welcome news. But when the competitors happen to be the Malhotras, first family of Indian razor blade manufacturers, it becomes cause for celebration. Last fortnight, news of a Malhotra split thrilled managers in Wiltech and Sharpedge, which have...

www.indiatoday.in

 

[South Dakota Guy]

I was given one once, I think it was a platinum one. I didn't care for it and binned it after the one shave.

 

[luv2shave]

My Zorrik blades clearly state that they're made by SuperMax. They also advertise their new sputtering line.

I have no proof that Laser is made by SuperMax, & the address on the tuck is different.

But I think I read somewhere that the owner of Laser is Malhotra.

SuperMax is also owned by the Malhotra family.



Update:

Malhotra family split unlikely to cost the group its cutting edge in blades market

Trouble in the competitor's company is always welcome news. But when the competitors happen to be the Malhotras, first family of Indian razor blade manufacturers, it becomes cause for celebration. Last fortnight, news of a Malhotra split thrilled managers in Wiltech and Sharpedge, which have...

www.indiatoday.in

Laser is the erstwhile "house of Malhotra" who make Topaz and Laser brands

Super-Max is made by Vidyut metallics. They make super-max and zorrik.

Both are different companies

 

[Halfblade]

Laser is the erstwhile "house of Malhotra" who make Topaz and Laser brands

Super-Max is made by Vidyut metallics. They make super-max and zorrik.

Both are different companies

Vidyut Metallics is owned by the house of Malhotras. It's a group company. Or was.

Malhotra family split unlikely to cost the group its cutting edge in blades market

Trouble in the competitor's company is always welcome news. But when the competitors happen to be the Malhotras, first family of Indian razor blade manufacturers, it becomes cause for celebration. Last fortnight, news of a Malhotra split thrilled managers in Wiltech and Sharpedge, which have...

www.indiatoday.in

It's possible that the Laser/Topaz & Vidyut/SuperMax are now separated parts of family.

That news article is from the mid 1980’s.

 

[luv2shave]

Supermax to take 47% in Vidyut

Leading global manufacturer of shaving blades, razors and personal care products, Vidyut Metallics is readying for a change in its equity structure. Vidyut Metallics is the owner of the Supermax brand.

m.economictimes.com

 

[tamahagane]

I have tried 4 varieties of Supermax and also Zorrik Platinum. Not impressed by the performance, I remember 1 pack of blades had a headache-causing smell.