Blade Sharpness Research Project

[helicopter]

I measured the Gillette 7 O'Clock Permasharp Stainless India blade from the pay it forward Lucky 7 today. I used a single edge shavette, hoping to get better control. I messed up the first set of artificial dullings by letting the handle ride on my cutting board a couple times. I measured the other edge of the blade to get a better set.

The new blade has a nice toothy edge and doesn't have a heavy metallic coating like other blades I have looked at recently.

The worn blade looks similar, except for the chips and wear. It did smooth out a bit.

Information Summary:

Date	6/20/24	6/20/24	6/20/24	6/20/24	6/20/24	6/20/24
Blade	Gillette 7 O'Clock Permasharp Stainless India PIF
Shaves	0	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Top Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center
Medium	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8
Dulling Substrate	New	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	10	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	6	6	12	13	16	19
Median F (g)	63.5	65	82.5	91.5	100	106
Mean F (g)	64	65	82	96	101	112

Complete Data:

Date	6/20/24	6/20/24	6/20/24	6/20/24	6/20/24	6/20/24	6/20/24	6/20/24	6/20/24	6/20/24
Blade	Gillette 7 O'Clock Permasharp Stainless India PIF
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Top Center	Top Center	Top Center	Top Center	Top Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center
Medium	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	10	10	10	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	6	10	27	56	106	6	12	13	16	19
Median F (g)	63.5	90.5	106.5	149.5	141.5	65	82.5	91.5	100	106
Mean F (g)	64	91	112	163	175	65	82	96	101	112
F (g) 1	64	90	94	171	95	59	78	106	91	105
F (g) 2	67	88	83	125	102	73	88	77	83	96
F (g) 3	69	91	105	226	126	67	95	101	129	91
F (g) 4	67	115	116	270	86	74	65	83	79	104
F (g) 5	69	95	124	208	375	59	88	85	93	101
F (g) 6	74	112	101	127	183	65	94	84	104	110
F (g) 7	69	91	121	156	357	63	86	93	105	139
F (g) 8	58	98	110	109	157	65	110	91	103	110
F (g) 9	74	106	171	143	108	58	71	109	99	94
F (g) 10	59	78	123	97	161	70	78	76	88	127
F (g) 11	64	81	158				67	91	82	106
F (g) 12	59	76	118				62	115	119	98
F (g) 13	61	93	94				83	92	102	115
F (g) 14	64	96	161				76	91	114	121
F (g) 15	56	86	103				82	91	88	104
F (g) 16	53	91	113				77	95	115	181
F (g) 17	58	78	106				61	99	94	91
F (g) 18	60	94	76				72	86	105	133
F (g) 19	77	94	122				88	87	89	133
F (g) 20	59	74	103				71	101	100	99
F (g) 21	53	79	93				83	80	100	94
F (g) 22	60	87	96				78	107	118	115
F (g) 23	60	87	128				104	123	93	108
F (g) 24	61	100	60				88	114	152	102
F (g) 25	65	87	96				73	86	89	145
F (g) 26	75	103	149				75	99	91	102
F (g) 27	65	80	171				108	122	117	114
F (g) 28	63	105	91				90	89	85	101
F (g) 29	73	83	79				85	104	103	106
F (g) 30	62	84	107				85	91	109	118

This blade is fairly sharp when new, with a surprising lack of durability. Not remarkably bad, but second worst so far, after only the Assured for Men blade.

 

[helicopter]

I measured the 7AM Plus Hi Platinum blade from the pay it forward Lucky 7 today. I switched back to the double edge shavette to avoid any problems.

The new blade has a nice scratch pattern, visible metallic coating and a clean edge.

The post-test blade has some small chipping, but looks smoother across the majority of its edge.

Information Summary:

Date	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14
Blade	7AM Plus HP
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Top Center	Top Center	Top Center	Top Center	Top Center
Medium	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	9	10	11	17	19
Median F (g)	62	63.5	66.5	71.5	77
Mean F (g)	61	63	66	73	79

Complete Data:

Date	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14
Blade	7AM Plus Hi Pt
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Top Center	Top Center	Top Center	Top Center	Top Center
Medium	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	9	10	11	17	19
Median F (g)	62	63.5	66.5	71.5	77
Mean F (g)	61	63	66	73	79
F (g) 1	74	62	67	65	50
F (g) 2	71	68	71	64	75
F (g) 3	66	59	68	81	109
F (g) 4	63	69	68	82	74
F (g) 5	66	75	60	68	82
F (g) 6	43	65	77	97	77
F (g) 7	65	67	54	102	79
F (g) 8	60	61	61	66	102
F (g) 9	76	64	62	82	65
F (g) 10	56	85	66	92	92
F (g) 11	43	66	76	69	88
F (g) 12	42	84	81	60	83
F (g) 13	59	47	66	71	72
F (g) 14	63	68	73	72	60
F (g) 15	59	66	68	58	62
F (g) 16	62	60	39	72	77
F (g) 17	51	54	70	94	104
F (g) 18	62	69	69	53	116
F (g) 19	55	57	70	59	62
F (g) 20	64	57	60	94	53
F (g) 21	64	63	54	52	49
F (g) 22	65	65	70	77	65
F (g) 23	76	49	104	58	87
F (g) 24	66	64	70	63	54
F (g) 25	56	54	64	99	69
F (g) 26	57	51	50	40	84
F (g) 27	64	47	56	47	86
F (g) 28	55	70	65	95	103
F (g) 29	61	62	53	86	61
F (g) 30	59	48	63	77	117

This blade starts out sharp and holds its edge well. It is a good durable edge. I can't comment on its smoothness as I haven't shaved with it yet, but the numbers look like a blade I could get a 100 pack and shave with a thousand times and be happy. I'd better try the other one on my face first.

 

[helicopter]

I measured the Treet 7 Days Platinum blade from the pay it forward Lucky 7 this evening.

The new blade has a nice scratch pattern, visible metallic coating and a clean edge.

The post-test blade looks like it has smoothed out a bit, and of course, the coating is worn off across most of the bevel.

Information Summary:

Date	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14
Blade	Treet 7 Days
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center
Medium	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	6	10	9	11	13
Median F (g)	70	69	81	84	87
Mean F (g)	69	70	82	85	88

Complete Data:

Date	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14
Blade	Treet 7 Days Pt PIF
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center
Medium	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	6	10	9	11	13
Median F (g)	70	69	81	84	87
Mean F (g)	69	70	82	85	88
F (g) 1	70	83	80	76	76
F (g) 2	73	82	96	84	76
F (g) 3	65	65	97	97	83
F (g) 4	64	69	76	106	70
F (g) 5	72	56	80	75	80
F (g) 6	68	77	68	95	88
F (g) 7	79	73	68	96	118
F (g) 8	72	105	75	73	74
F (g) 9	62	69	72	85	70
F (g) 10	70	67	76	74	66
F (g) 11	69	57	76	74	82
F (g) 12	63	60	80	78	102
F (g) 13	63	57	83	87	102
F (g) 14	52	74	82	95	79
F (g) 15	61	69	86	91	87
F (g) 16	75	82	91	111	86
F (g) 17	72	63	93	85	103
F (g) 18	69	54	83	72	87
F (g) 19	76	75	79	103	87
F (g) 20	74	68	82	82	74
F (g) 21	70	75	90	88	101
F (g) 22	73	59	85	84	86
F (g) 23	74	79	72	75	93
F (g) 24	65	69	89	77	92
F (g) 25	76	68	69	96	97
F (g) 26	66	77	93	88	85
F (g) 27	71	67	82	73	91
F (g) 28	74	77	80	71	110
F (g) 29	64	66	95	71	90
F (g) 30	62	64	68	79	111

This looks like a good blade overall, with reasonably sharpness and durability, but nothing exceptional.

 

[helicopter]

I measured the Gillette Permasharp Stainless Russia blade today. It seemed important because it was at the top of the blades used in a sample taken from the 1-10 thread. I can see why you guys like this blade, and it definitely lives up to its name. It isn't incredibly sharp, but it is sharp and it is incredibly durable and consistent.

Fine scratch pattern, honed edge, thick and even coating on the new blade.

On the blade after testing, we have a smoother edge, with some tiny chips near the apex. Other blades often show much more substantial chips at this point.

Information Summary:

Date	6/22/24	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14
Blade	Perma Sharp
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center
Medium	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	10	10	10	11	12
Median F (g)	67.5	60	67	67	68
Mean F (g)	69	62	68	68	71

Complete Data:

Date	6/22/24	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14	6/21/14
Blade	Gillette Perma Sharp Stainless Russia 2021
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center
Medium	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	10	10	10	11	12
Median F (g)	67.5	60	67	67	68
Mean F (g)	69	62	68	68	71
F (g) 1	72	82	69	60	69
F (g) 2	65	65	74	62	66
F (g) 3	63	49	67	71	83
F (g) 4	59	60	67	65	79
F (g) 5	89	46	75	68	68
F (g) 6	85	59	81	69	60
F (g) 7	70	57	64	60	78
F (g) 8	69	73	58	82	77
F (g) 9	65	68	85	67	68
F (g) 10	64	64	69	49	59
F (g) 11	54	69	67	68	65
F (g) 12	64	44	88	74	70
F (g) 13	66	74	64	59	66
F (g) 14	60	73	60	58	65
F (g) 15	62	60	58	60	64
F (g) 16	71	55	58	52	107
F (g) 17	77	58	64	67	65
F (g) 18	76	49	61	64	76
F (g) 19	73	62	56	55	68
F (g) 20	79	55	57	67	80
F (g) 21	48	77	74	63	90
F (g) 22	57	55	79	71	58
F (g) 23	83	60	71	75	63
F (g) 24	62	78	87	63	51
F (g) 25	66	72	54	72	83
F (g) 26	69	52	71	60	59
F (g) 27	70	68	59	83	62
F (g) 28	59	45	61	77	70
F (g) 29	85	67	84	93	55
F (g) 30	74	56	52	98	91

I am really impressed with how durable and consistent this blade is.

 

[helicopter]

This evening, I measured the sharpness of the Feather New Hi-Stainless Yellow Japan blade, which is tied with the Perma-Sharp as the top blade in the SOTD quick count, so I thought it was important to see how it does and if the hype is true. It turns out the new Feather blade is screaming sharp, and remains so for through the first paper cut as the coating wears. It quickly deteriorates after the second paper cut, even at this point, it is sharper than most blades are new. In the third and fourth paper cuts, it wears at the rate I expect for high-quality blades in general, remaining reasonably sharp through the end of the test. It is true that the exceptional sharpness doesn't last long, but I wouldn't consider using it less than 3 times even if I only wanted the exceptional sharpness, and I would be happy using it a dozen times. It is durable and remains reasonably sharp.

The scratch pattern on the new blade is exceptionally fine. The coating is visually unremarkable. The bevel appears to be relatively wide; I am not sure if the angle of the apex is steeper than other blades. If so, it is nothing radical.

The blade after the test remains in very good condition, with some very small chips, but nothing out of the ordinary for tough and durable blades.

Information Summary:

Date	6/22/24	6/22/24	6/22/24	6/22/24	6/22/24
Blade	Feather
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center
Medium	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	6	6	9	9	9
Median F (g)	47	44.5	55.5	58	63
Mean F (g)	46	46	57	62	64

Complete Data:

Date	6/22/24	6/22/24	6/22/24	6/22/24	6/22/24
Blade	Feather New Hi Stainless Yellow Japan
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center
Medium	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8	Stren 8
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	6	6	9	9	9
Median F (g)	47	44.5	55.5	58	63
Mean F (g)	46	46	57	62	64
F (g) 1	49	59	50	58	71
F (g) 2	51	64	69	66	49
F (g) 3	46	43	45	57	59
F (g) 4	50	47	60	57	63
F (g) 5	43	49	51	54	55
F (g) 6	47	49	45	67	86
F (g) 7	51	48	51	53	57
F (g) 8	51	41	56	53	56
F (g) 9	47	44	49	62	53
F (g) 10	50	43	78	60	53
F (g) 11	47	56	58	55	66
F (g) 12	56	46	68	65	60
F (g) 13	47	46	55	63	69
F (g) 14	48	43	45	77	55
F (g) 15	49	45	78	58	72
F (g) 16	50	51	48	65	70
F (g) 17	42	42	55	87	81
F (g) 18	44	36	51	72	63
F (g) 19	40	44	56	61	63
F (g) 20	39	43	47	52	75
F (g) 21	38	39	68	56	62
F (g) 22	61	42	51	80	63
F (g) 23	38	42	58	77	64
F (g) 24	40	41	55	68	80
F (g) 25	48	47	72	57	58
F (g) 26	44	60	57	51	67
F (g) 27	36	43	58	55	64
F (g) 28	42	38	55	58	66
F (g) 29	51	46	59	55	54
F (g) 30	40	46	56	57	63

Amazing precision and sharpness. Again, it is no wonder that this is a popular blade among enthusiasts here. I am often surprised how well the subjective impressions of members here match my measurements. I find it fascinating that you could be so accurate and objective in your observations without measurements.

 

[helicopter]

I ran into an unexpected problem this evening, and devised the best solution I could come up with. I finished my 100yd spool for Stren 8-lb test fishing line, the one that was within a fraction of a percent on cutting force, and also more consistent compared to the very expensive BESS certified test media. I have a 2400yd spool of the same Stren product queued to replace it when gone. I immediately noticed a stiffer line than the old spool. I continued the test I was working on and immediately noticed an increase in cutting force. I measured the diameters of both and found the old one to be 0.27mm and the new one 0.29mm. The impact is not something I could dismiss.

Also, I am out of media that can be used as a direct replacement for the BESS, and I don't know how I would source more. I could try buying more 100yd spools and hope for more of the original batch, but I would rather use the material I have already purchased and started using.

I decided I will calibrate my media to the BESS media, continue reporting data as I have been, but use an adjustment factor in the information summary so that the numbers there are comparable to BESS media numbers again.

I was measuring a Voskhod blade, and already had the new blade measurements on the Stren 0.27, so I measured a clean edge of the Voskhod blade on the new Stren 0.29. There was a big increase in cutting force for the new 50 samples compared to the old 30.

Next, I grabbed another 2022 Astra SP India blade, as that is the one I used for the original BESS media comparison. I took 50 samples. This blade was clearly sharper than the old one as the cutting force was actually lower than with the 0.27mm media and the (0.24mm BESS media).

I took a set of 50 measurements of Today's Astra SP India blade with BESS media. Cutting force is 20% higher with Stren 0.29mm compared to BESS media, but the Stren 0.29, like the 0.27 before it, remains more consistent, with lower standard deviation than the BESS media.

I also used the old BESS measurements to come up with adjustment factors for the other three types of monofilament I have on hand, so I can use those up when I get to it. I may actually try one of them soon, since I used the same methodology to come up with all the factors.

Date	6/7/24	6/8/24	6/23/24	6/23/24	6/8/24	6/8/24	6/8/24
Blade	Astra SP India (0)	Astra SP India (0)	Astra SP India B (0)	Astra SP India B (0)	Astra SP India (0)	Astra SP India (0)	Astra SP India (0)
Location	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Top Center	Top Center	Top Center
Medium	Trilene XL 6lb	Stren 8 .27	Stren 8 .29	Bess	Force 6	Bess	Cajun 10
1	47	84	80	54	53	83	115
2	45	71	71	62	49	83	135
3	48	72	67	63	42	75	114
4	39	78	77	57	48	89	104
5	43	76	70	61	36	76	99
6	49	71	69	70	43	79	122
7	37	83	73	63	44	88	133
8	42	87	77	50	57	78	109
9	51	72	65	57	38	84	106
10	44	73	61	71	35	96	106
11	39	78	74	56	46	77	119
12	48	78	65	55	46	81	134
13	37	78	76	53	44	73	126
14	44	78	92	63	45	74	127
15	40	75	70	51	56	70	124
16	37	79	67	50	47	85	112
17	43	78	71	69	52	73	105
18	42	79	78	58	55	78	113
19	49	69	66	58	71	73	136
20	41	92	62	55	41	74	113
21	45	80	67	64	65	88	118
22	48	86	72	48	61	78	103
23	47	86	66	56	62	76	136
24	46	79	66	57	38	89	126
25	49	78	57	54	49	64	115
26	52	77	75	70	51	69	144
27	42	75	76	49	54	84	121
28	49	72	80	48	54	88	117
29	48	84	78	51	50	67	129
30	44	73	77	45	88	74	146
31	49	73	64	48	81	82	125
32	45	76	73	54	51	74	128
33	52	83	78	60	66	92	122
34	41	83	85	57	64	76	116
35	59	80	65	72	44	80	105
36	43	74	66	53	47	67	139
37	48	69	70	61	62	64	104
38	49	81	58	60	63	96	116
39	45	79	68	67	63	75	124
40	49	71	71	54	49	88	130
41	44	80	74	76	69	69	103
42	45	78	79	83	45	81	102
43	47	76	64	53	64	70	123
44	39	81	65	62	56	75	148
45	46	90	67	59	61	86	122
46	47	66	78	66	46	67	128
47	50	74	56	60	49	67	121
48	47	78	60	61	58	88	122
49	50	74	75	64	44	65	112
50	45	68	83	55	56	66	123
Std. Dev.	4.40	5.59	7.47	7.83	10.98	8.47	12.11
Mean	45.5	77.5	70.88	58.86	53.16	77.88	120.4
BESS Adj.Factor	0.584232152	0.9951206985	1.204213388	BESS	0.6825885978	BESS	1.545968156

Edit: I am going to use the reciprocals of the factors above:

Std. Dev.	4.40	5.59	7.47	7.83	10.98	8.47	12.11
Mean	45.5	77.5	70.88	58.86	53.16	77.88	120.4
BESS Adj.Factor	1.711648352	1.004903226	0.8304176072	BESS	1.465011287	BESS	0.6468438538

 

[cranewarrior]

Thanks for doing this project. Very interesting reading.

 

[helicopter]

I Measured the sharpness of the Voskhod Teflon Russia blade this evening. I ended up repeating a lot of the measurements, because I had to change the test media lot and re-calibrate in the middle of the procedure. I am publishing all of the data, but the information summary is based on the new measurements with the new, and now current test media.

This is one of my favorite blades. I recently purchased 1000 of them to go with the 100 I was working through. It is one of the sharpest blades I have measured, with the exception of Feather. Its durability is similar to other top-tier blades, nothing exceptional. I like the way it feels. It isn't buttery, I can feel it there, but it isn't uncomfortable. It is smoother than most blades, but not exceptionally smooth. For 8-10 shaves on my face, it remains consistent and quite sharp, and works well with all of my personal features, mowing down my mustache and beard and leaving me smooth and happy.

It has a beautiful grind, with a scratch patter that is deep along the bevel, but honed smooth right near the apex. The Teflon coating is heavy and even. The apex appears perfect at the maximum magnification on my Carson 120x microscope combined with my Samsung S22 camera.

After the durability and sharpness testing procedure, the scratch pattern has smoothed right out, and coating has worn away. There is virtually no chipping, which is very unusual for a blade this sharp and durable. The combination is exceptional. It isn't a simple trade off between toughness and edge retention. Some steels are better overall, compared to others. This is one of them.

Information Summary:

Date	6/23/24	6/23/24	6/23/24	6/23/24	6/23/24
Blade
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Top Center	Top Center	Top Center	Top Center	Top Center
Medium	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	50	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	6	6	7	12	12
Median F (g)	64	70.5	70	78.5	81.5
Mean F (g)	63	70	71	80	83
BESS Adj. Factor	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83
Median adj. F (g)	53	59	58	65	68
Mean adj. F (g)	52	58	59	66	69

Complete Data:

Date	6/23/24	6/23/24	6/23/24	6/23/24	6/23/24	6/23/24	6/23/24
Blade	Voskhod Teflon Russia
Shaves	0	0	P3	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Bottom Center	Top Center	Bottom Center	Top Center	Top Center	Top Center	Top Center
Medium	Stren 8 .27	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .27	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29
Dulling Substrate	New	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	50	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	6	6	7	6	7	12	12
Median F (g)	56.5	64	58.5	70.5	70	78.5	81.5
Mean F (g)	56	63	58	70	71	80	83
F (g) 1	75	65	54	52	71	76	86
F (g) 2	59	69	64	72	70	68	78
F (g) 3	63	54	51	72	69	98	92
F (g) 4	53	61	66	68	71	71	77
F (g) 5	52	68	42	67	76	76	76
F (g) 6	59	64	56	65	61	113	89
F (g) 7	56	73	58	74	70	72	65
F (g) 8	51	72	62	72	67	79	70
F (g) 9	57	64	56	76	80	75	87
F (g) 10	53	70	58	78	79	80	92
F (g) 11	62	67	49	79	66	56	73
F (g) 12	57	70	53	72	77	80	85
F (g) 13	58	68	61	68	79	72	81
F (g) 14	67	69	45	69	66	90	78
F (g) 15	61	47	51	73	77	70	86
F (g) 16	49	64	61	82	76	81	94
F (g) 17	55	67	70	65	69	78	86
F (g) 18	57	63	71	66	75	88	92
F (g) 19	54	64	64	68	61	80	82
F (g) 20	60	66	61	63	69	73	122
F (g) 21	58	56	48	62	67	94	101
F (g) 22	53	69	61	73	65	87	99
F (g) 23	58	65	58	70	78	95	77
F (g) 24	58	54	59	71	67	91	79
F (g) 25	52	51	60	68	76	91	71
F (g) 26	42	61	60	78	67	70	88
F (g) 27	54	61	55	61	62	65	62
F (g) 28	51	69	56	81	48	78	73
F (g) 29	52	65	65	74	72	86	74
F (g) 30	45	66	64	70	85	61	66
F (g) 31		64
F (g) 32		64
F (g) 33		60
F (g) 34		51
F (g) 35		55
F (g) 36		68
F (g) 37		66
F (g) 38		58
F (g) 39		62
F (g) 40		65
F (g) 41		56
F (g) 42		54
F (g) 43		54
F (g) 44		58
F (g) 45		62
F (g) 46		54
F (g) 47		78
F (g) 48		62
F (g) 49		55
F (g) 50		63

 

[helicopter]

I measured the Nacet Stainless Russia blade a few days ago. It is not as sharp or as durable as I was expecting.

Information Summary:

Date	6/24/24	6/24/24	6/24/24	6/24/24	6/24/24
Blade	Nacet Stainless
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center
Medium	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	16	15	11	12	15
Median F (g)	74.5	87.5	99.5	106	106.5
Mean F (g)	77	91	100	107	107
BESS Adj. Factor	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83
Median adj. F (g)	62	73	83	88	88
Mean adj. F (g)	64	75	83	89	89

It is a beautiful scratch pattern with a tiny bit og honing right at the edge and a heavy coating you can see.

After testing, the blade shows significant wear, with small chipping along the edge. It doesn't look smooth now.

Complete Data:

Date	6/24/24	6/24/24	6/24/24	6/24/24	6/24/24
Blade
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center
Medium	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	16	15	11	12	15
Median F (g)	74.5	87.5	99.5	106	106.5
Mean F (g)	77	91	100	107	107
F (g) 1	88	65	89	88	107
F (g) 2	57	75	86	90	104
F (g) 3	95	83	83	99	106
F (g) 4	76	101	94	103	118
F (g) 5	66	97	96	112	110
F (g) 6	71	106	86	98	107
F (g) 7	64	88	101	104	105
F (g) 8	77	84	99	97	116
F (g) 9	70	109	109	112	103
F (g) 10	78	79	101	114	113
F (g) 11	74	100	124	114	88
F (g) 12	77	79	108	115	107
F (g) 13	65	84	95	101	162
F (g) 14	71	82	99	120	115
F (g) 15	77	94	97	108	81
F (g) 16	78	111	111	111	96
F (g) 17	71	80	105	115	109
F (g) 18	75	88	103	104	110
F (g) 19	60	98	88	124	94
F (g) 20	92	84	123	110	104
F (g) 21	89	117	118	117	90
F (g) 22	112	75	102	103	122
F (g) 23	68	105	100	126	98
F (g) 24	62	71	112	92	93
F (g) 25	109	82	86	136	99
F (g) 26	68	87	103	92	134
F (g) 27	90	86	83	99	112
F (g) 28	119	92	109	111	106
F (g) 29	69	132	84	87	114
F (g) 30	56	92	92	104	93

It should be fairly consistent for a few shaves, not super honed or sharp, but well ground. Not too resilient, but also not too durable. It is no Perma-Sharp, but I can see how some people like a moderate blade that performs reasonably well for a few shaves before it starts getting rough at the edge.

 

[helicopter]

I measured and shaved with the Bic Chrome Platinum blade today. It was a comfortable shave that left my face feeling very smooth and exfoliated. This blade is popular enough here to show up in the top rankings of the SOTD quick count. It is an interesting blade in construction, and has excellent performance, as I have come to expect of a blade that is popular among the membership here.

Information Summary:

Date	6/30/24	6/30/24	6/30/24	6/30/24	6/30/24	6/30/24
Blade	Bic CP
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12	1
Location	Flip Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Flip Center
Medium	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Face
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	9	9	9	8	12	11
Median F (g)	71	73.5	77	78	80	70
Mean F (g)	71	71	77	79	81	70
BESS Adj. Factor	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83
Median adj. F (g)	59	61	64	65	66	58
Mean adj. F (g)	59	59	64	65	67	58

Microscopic inspection of the new blade shows two bevels and a honed apex. The primary bevel is coarsely ground, but I don't think we feel it; it is there to support the secondary bevel, which has a nice scratch pattern. The honed apex looks smooth, which is consistent with my experience shaving with it today. We also have a nice visible coating.

After testing, the blade has smoothed out a good deal. The coating is gone. We see some very small chipping; less than most blades. I suspect this is a relatively resilient steel, while still being hard enough to hold a sharp edge for a long time.

Complete Data:

Date	6/30/24	6/30/24	6/30/24	6/30/24	6/30/24	6/30/24
Blade	Bic Chrome Platinum Greece
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12	1
Location	Flip Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Flip Center
Medium	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Face
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	9	9	9	8	12	11
Median F (g)	71	73.5	77	78	80	70
Mean F (g)	71	71	77	79	81	70
F (g) 1	84	69	78	82	80	87
F (g) 2	71	76	83	75	82	73
F (g) 3	91	64	86	74	92	73
F (g) 4	77	98	75	63	93	78
F (g) 5	75	69	98	71	88	77
F (g) 6	72	72	90	86	106	104
F (g) 7	76	70	72	70	80	78
F (g) 8	83	74	77	80	90	47
F (g) 9	68	75	77	76	71	81
F (g) 10	67	73	78	70	94	80
F (g) 11	71	59	76	76	78	88
F (g) 12	63	69	72	93	101	75
F (g) 13	71	64	76	80	74	76
F (g) 14	74	50	77	75	92	70
F (g) 15	82	70	87	99	98	70
F (g) 16	81	77	80	77	79	63
F (g) 17	61	75	52	82	81	54
F (g) 18	83	56	67	90	78	56
F (g) 19	69	75	60	78	66	61
F (g) 20	72	77	80	64	71	60
F (g) 21	57	66	72	81	71	63
F (g) 22	56	53	69	77	84	66
F (g) 23	63	81	92	74	88	70
F (g) 24	54	74	72	85	67	64
F (g) 25	71	74	67	79	78	64
F (g) 26	63	75	87	85	57	62
F (g) 27	63	71	75	84	65	61
F (g) 28	71	80	83	70	83	75
F (g) 29	82	75	77	78	62	71
F (g) 30	64	75	71	82	77	66

I can see why this blade has a substantial following. It is readily available at reasonable prices, produced in Greece. The secondary bevel, honing, coating, and good steel give us a blade that is quite sharp, quite smooth, reasonably consistent, and very durable.

 

[helicopter]

For Independence Day, we have the Personna Comfort Coated Blue USA blade by Accuforge from Sally's Beauty Supply. It is an incredibly durable and very sharp blade with a double bevel and honed edge. It really held up well to the test, including sharpness and the smoothness of the edge under visual inspection.

Information Summary:

Date	7/4/24	7/4/24	7/4/24	7/4/24	7/4/24	7/4/24
Blade	Personna		Sally's USA
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12	1
Location	Flip Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Flip Center
Medium	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Face
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	8	7	5	8	6	8
Median F (g)	68	62.5	65.5	70	70	61.5
Mean F (g)	67	63	66	70	72	62
BESS Adj. Factor	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83
Median adj. F (g)	56	52	54	58	58	51
Mean adj. F (g)	56	52	55	58	59	52

New Blade:

Blade After Test:

Complete Data:

Date	7/4/24	7/4/24	7/4/24	7/4/24	7/4/24	7/4/24
Blade	Personna Comfort Coated		Sally's USA
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12	1
Location	Flip Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Bottom Center	Flip Center
Medium	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Face
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	8	7	5	8	6	8
Median F (g)	68	62.5	65.5	70	70	61.5
Mean F (g)	67	63	66	70	72	62
F (g) 1	83	71	58	72	76	79
F (g) 2	69	71	61	74	70	74
F (g) 3	74	64	62	79	69	70
F (g) 4	63	61	68	68	66	55
F (g) 5	67	64	63	70	69	72
F (g) 6	65	58	66	73	68	77
F (g) 7	71	63	75	56	71	66
F (g) 8	66	59	66	77	75	60
F (g) 9	48	57	68	82	67	50
F (g) 10	56	67	72	77	65	49
F (g) 11	72	64	57	70	71	59
F (g) 12	74	61	60	73	62	50
F (g) 13	60	55	70	70	69	61
F (g) 14	58	67	62	67	82	55
F (g) 15	56	66	66	57	70	64
F (g) 16	73	64	75	73	81	64
F (g) 17	69	70	62	69	67	69
F (g) 18	67	62	65	55	80	70
F (g) 19	73	55	75	80	62	62
F (g) 20	80	55	67	67	80	55
F (g) 21	77	88	57	63	70	55
F (g) 22	67	58	62	78	74	57
F (g) 23	73	71	65	63	82	67
F (g) 24	61	59	61	57	74	54
F (g) 25	58	55	63	76	83	71
F (g) 26	62	61	66	66	70	66
F (g) 27	69	48	74	75	70	53
F (g) 28	75	72	65	65	69	67
F (g) 29	69	62	74	59	69	56
F (g) 30	57	63	67	79	68	57

 

[helicopter]

This evening, in anticipation of next week's Shark Week event, I measured the Shark Super Chrome Super Stainless Egypt blade. It is very sharp and resilient, with reasonably good durability.

Information Summary:

Date	7/5/24	7/5/24	7/5/24	7/5/24	7/5/24
Blade	Shark SC	Super Chrome	Egypt
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center
Medium	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	7	5	7	9	26
Median F (g)	68	62	68	68	68.5
Mean F (g)	67	63	69	68	79
BESS Adj. Factor	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83
Median adj. F (g)	56	51	56	56	57
Mean adj. F (g)	56	52	57	56	66

New Blade:

It appears to be a single bevel grind with deep honing and heavy coating. The coating may explain the consistency during the first four sets of measurements.

Blade After Testing:

It still appears to be very smooth, despite losing a substantial amount of sharpness. This is not a brittle steel; rather resilient; but it is probably not as hard as some of the top tier blades I have measured recently.

Complete Data:

Date	7/5/24	7/5/24	7/5/24	7/5/24	7/5/24
Blade	Shark SC	Super Chrome	Egypt
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center
Medium	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	7	5	7	9	26
Median F (g)	68	62	68	68	68.5
Mean F (g)	67	63	69	68	79
F (g) 1	75	71	62	74	106
F (g) 2	67	67	64	63	65
F (g) 3	71	71	61	75	70
F (g) 4	76	65	67	76	64
F (g) 5	76	68	69	100	65
F (g) 6	76	58	70	68	69
F (g) 7	65	63	87	70	106
F (g) 8	67	73	70	76	68
F (g) 9	67	66	67	75	71
F (g) 10	71	65	78	73	66
F (g) 11	70	61	67	69	135
F (g) 12	70	58	77	68	55
F (g) 13	73	58	62	68	54
F (g) 14	71	57	77	70	61
F (g) 15	73	58	71	63	61
F (g) 16	57	53	71	68	118
F (g) 17	71	59	59	65	63
F (g) 18	72	57	62	58	112
F (g) 19	58	62	76	56	59
F (g) 20	74	67	73	64	43
F (g) 21	54	62	66	66	110
F (g) 22	56	57	61	60	75
F (g) 23	65	70	83	61	80
F (g) 24	67	61	68	56	65
F (g) 25	66	62	58	62	56
F (g) 26	67	58	70	75	67
F (g) 27	56	61	71	65	122
F (g) 28	62	62	61	59	78
F (g) 29	57	64	60	60	69
F (g) 30	69	64	68	72	134

Looking here you can see that it was trash after the last paper test, but held up well for the first three rounds of three sheets each. I suspect this would be a good blade for about ten days on my face.

 

[cranewarrior]

This evening, in anticipation of next week's Shark Week event, I measured the Shark Super Chrome Super Stainless Egypt blade. It is very sharp and resilient, with reasonably good durability.

View attachment 1873276


Information Summary:

Date	7/5/24	7/5/24	7/5/24	7/5/24	7/5/24
Blade	Shark SC	Super Chrome	Egypt
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center
Medium	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	7	5	7	9	26
Median F (g)	68	62	68	68	68.5
Mean F (g)	67	63	69	68	79
BESS Adj. Factor	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83
Median adj. F (g)	56	51	56	56	57
Mean adj. F (g)	56	52	57	56	66

New Blade:

View attachment 1873277
It appears to be a single bevel grind with deep honing and heavy coating. The coating may explain the consistency during the first four sets of measurements.

Blade After Testing:

View attachment 1873278
It still appears to be very smooth, despite losing a substantial amount of sharpness. This is not a brittle steel; rather resilient; but it is probably not as hard as some of the top tier blades I have measured recently.

Complete Data:

Date	7/5/24	7/5/24	7/5/24	7/5/24	7/5/24
Blade	Shark SC	Super Chrome	Egypt
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center
Medium	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	7	5	7	9	26
Median F (g)	68	62	68	68	68.5
Mean F (g)	67	63	69	68	79
F (g) 1	75	71	62	74	106
F (g) 2	67	67	64	63	65
F (g) 3	71	71	61	75	70
F (g) 4	76	65	67	76	64
F (g) 5	76	68	69	100	65
F (g) 6	76	58	70	68	69
F (g) 7	65	63	87	70	106
F (g) 8	67	73	70	76	68
F (g) 9	67	66	67	75	71
F (g) 10	71	65	78	73	66
F (g) 11	70	61	67	69	135
F (g) 12	70	58	77	68	55
F (g) 13	73	58	62	68	54
F (g) 14	71	57	77	70	61
F (g) 15	73	58	71	63	61
F (g) 16	57	53	71	68	118
F (g) 17	71	59	59	65	63
F (g) 18	72	57	62	58	112
F (g) 19	58	62	76	56	59
F (g) 20	74	67	73	64	43
F (g) 21	54	62	66	66	110
F (g) 22	56	57	61	60	75
F (g) 23	65	70	83	61	80
F (g) 24	67	61	68	56	65
F (g) 25	66	62	58	62	56
F (g) 26	67	58	70	75	67
F (g) 27	56	61	71	65	122
F (g) 28	62	62	61	59	78
F (g) 29	57	64	60	60	69
F (g) 30	69	64	68	72	134

Looking here you can see that it was trash after the last paper test, but held up well for the first three rounds of three sheets each. I suspect this would be a good blade for about ten days on my face.

I really enjoyed the week I spent this year with the Shark Super Chrome. I thought it was close to the Silver Star for smoothness. Alas for next week's Shark Week event I committed to using the Super Stainless and it doesn't seem to cut as well as the Super Chrome nor is it as comfortable.

 

[Sweeney_]

@helicopter Thanks for investing the time and money on this.

Spoiler

Can you clarify how the paper cut number would translate to number of shaves? For example, if you say a blade might go for 8-10 shaves, would that be equal to P3, P6 or P9?

I understand there are many more variables at play here: razor, beard coarseness, soap. Etc. but just as a loose rule when looking at the P numbers.

Interesting that the Treet 7-Days has better sharpness and durability numbers than the Nacet considering the price. Also the numbers on the Voskhod are quite impressive along with the Personna Comfort Coated and the Perma-Sharp Super. Easy to see why many of these blades are so loved by members here. I'd hope to see a comparative list - when enough blades are tested - showing the blade name followed by Mean F, P3, P6, and P9. It would make it much easier to eyeball and compare at a glance.

Again, thanks for the time invested.

 

[helicopter]

@helicopter Thanks for investing the time and money on this.

Spoiler

View attachment 1873455

Can you clarify how the paper cut number would translate to number of shaves? For example, if you say a blade might go for 8-10 shaves, would that be equal to P3, P6 or P9?

I understand there are many more variables at play here: razor, beard coarseness, soap. Etc. but just as a loose rule when looking at the P numbers.

Interesting that the Treet 7-Days has better sharpness and durability numbers than the Nacet considering the price. Also the numbers on the Voskhod are quite impressive along with the Personna Comfort Coated and the Perma-Sharp Super. Easy to see why many of these blades are so loved by members here. I'd hope to see a comparative list - when enough blades are tested - showing the blade name followed by Mean F, P3, P6, and P9. It would make it much easier to eyeball and compare at a glance.

Again, thanks for the time invested.

I typically measure whatever blade I am using to shave as well, but of course, I can do the paper test more often than a shaving test. The paper test is more consistent than shaving on my face; a slicker cream, extra passes, extra touch up on the chin, a slant, can all make a measurable difference in blade wear on my face.

I have a full beard that is very dense and coarse on the chin and upper lip, and moderate over the rest of my face. Overall, a sheet of paper us usually a little more than a face shave. Ten shaves usually aligns with the wear around P8 or so. I am sure there is a reasonably ordinary face that aligns perfectly with one sheet of paper, which is why I don't do an adjustment.

You can probably think of A sheet of paper as a shave on a thick and full beard, perhaps around 80th percentile for facial hair density. A thinner beard maybe half as much wear. A patchy beard even less.

If you want to calibrate yourself to paper, you could send me some blades that are well used, like the equivalent of 7-10 shaves on my face, and I can test them.

Some blades dull more evenly than others, depending on how chippy or resilient the edge is. If you want to know when to stop using a blade, I would look at the images, the standard deviation, and the median sharpness. When the standard deviation goes up, and the mean sharpness grows higher than the median, it suggests the blade is failing locally, and probably right near the middle where it gets the most action. Another blade might be duller on average, but be smoother and perform better in terms of cutting hair before it damages skin.

Once I get through the other popular blades, and perhaps re-do the ones I did with the first batch of monofilament, I will probably make some charts.

I really want to get on to the Chinese blades, but not before we can make good comparisons to the popular blades.

I will probably do the other Sharks next, though, since I am going to get to them anyway, and people will be most interested in them this week.

 

[cranewarrior]

I will probably do the other Sharks next, though, since I am going to get to them anyway, and people will be most interested in them this week.

Yeah! I am definitely curious what makes me dislike the Shark Super Stainless so much.

 

[helicopter]

In further anticipation of Shark Week, we have the Shark Super Stainless by Lord Egypt. This blade started out looking sloppy, and measuring sharp but inconsistent. In testing, it crashed hard and early. I would consider it to have been dead after the first paper cut test, and the rest of the test was just to avoid data gaps and entertain. As often as I preach that most of us would be no worse off using most of the blades we use for 7-14 shaves or more, this one is an exception. With test performance similar to the Assured For Men blade from Dollar Tree, I would probably use this blade once or twice, and I don't think it would be wasteful to be one and done with it. I am really surprised how bad this is, coming under the same mark and facility as the Shark Super Chrome.

Information Summary:

Date	7/6/24	7/6/24	7/6/24	7/6/24	7/6/24
Blade	Shark SS	Super Stainless	Lord Egypt
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center
Medium	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	9	28	19	18	33
Median F (g)	65.5	72.5	104.5	108	137
Mean F (g)	66	84	99	107	132
BESS Adj. Factor	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83	0.83
Median adj. F (g)	54	60	87	90	114
Mean adj. F (g)	55	69	82	88	110

It started very sharp, and progressed way beyond what I would consider shaving with by the end of the first paper test.

The new blade has a primary bevel with a nice toothy grind that is very unevenly honed as you approach the apex, perhaps reminiscent of shark teeth. The coating looks thick, but also uneven. I am not sure if it was sprayed badly, or just adhered unevenly due to the poor and inconsistent honing.

Taking the durability test as far as we do doesn't actually simulate shaving, because no sane person would use the blade until it came even close to this condition, but the blade after testing is even more shark-like, with lots of small and medium chipping, but no severe burring or tipping over. Farther up the bevel, the coating is worn and the steel has smoothed out a bit, but you wouldn't feel it with all of those chips.

Complete Data:

Date	7/6/24	7/6/24	7/6/24	7/6/24	7/6/24
Blade	Shark SS	Super Stainless	Lord Egypt
Shaves	0	P3	P6	P9	P12
Location	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center	Flip Center
Medium	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29	Stren 8 .29
Dulling Substrate	New	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push	Stpl Ppr Rubr Push
Measurements	30	30	30	30	30
Std. Dev.	9	28	19	18	33
Median F (g)	65.5	72.5	104.5	108	137
Mean F (g)	66	84	99	107	132
F (g) 1	75	71	118	103	131
F (g) 2	59	61	116	93	145
F (g) 3	81	70	115	111	136
F (g) 4	75	113	115	95	141
F (g) 5	50	63	103	101	137
F (g) 6	52	52	116	98	171
F (g) 7	59	62	113	105	132
F (g) 8	69	108	82	89	148
F (g) 9	69	54	125	120	159
F (g) 10	72	59	88	84	67
F (g) 11	71	84	107	89	77
F (g) 12	84	134	89	77	135
F (g) 13	65	76	93	73	134
F (g) 14	62	59	107	119	112
F (g) 15	68	54	81	85	143
F (g) 16	75	105	74	83	195
F (g) 17	55	69	109	82	141
F (g) 18	54	99	65	125	137
F (g) 19	63	52	76	115	92
F (g) 20	54	107	71	114	124
F (g) 21	82	59	68	104	145
F (g) 22	66	52	129	126	141
F (g) 23	72	83	106	133	145
F (g) 24	64	64	107	135	164
F (g) 25	59	133	122	118	97
F (g) 26	63	110	85	123	90
F (g) 27	70	131	97	138	77
F (g) 28	63	74	69	118	162
F (g) 29	70	120	91	112	83
F (g) 30	65	132	124	128	201

While likely better than the Assured For Men blade, the Shark Super Stainless has surprisingly wide distribution for something that performed so badly on the test. Don't be afraid to temporarily join the one and done club if you have a tuck of these for Shark Week. I strongly recommend against purchasing more than 5 of these if you haven't tried them yet.

 

[helicopter]

Yeah! I am definitely curious what makes me dislike the Shark Super Stainless so much.

The blade is very sharp when new. I suspect you dislike the soft but brittle steel, uneven honing and uneven coating, which give it a rough and inconsistent edge that quickly chips and dulls. I wouldn't be surprised to feel the chipping by the third pass of a blade's maiden shave. A very sharp blade with some dull spots is a recipe for tugging, chattering, and damaging skin.

 

[WVShaver]

Thanks for making these! I as well can’t wait for the testing to be done and all blades in one big sheet with the basics.

On the Bic Platinums you mentioned a rougher secondary grind that likely couldn’t be felt but I believe it’s possible I felt it to some degree. The Bics felt like the sharpest blade to me but they had a rough feel on the face. I have heard they are very inconsistent from batch to batch so I plan to retest them with a new batch.

Speaking of batches - it may be worth mentioning the dates or taking a photo of the date on the tuck for future reference and perhaps comparing the same blades with multiple dates.

Most blades are fairly consistent across batches/dates but to my face I can feel a difference with some date variations. I’d especially be interested in another Nacet date just to see if they really aren’t that sharp. To me the Nacet feels sharper then the Perma-Sharp. But I do have one bad batch and I believe the date on them was 02-28-20.

Edited to add - looking at the post on the BIC I doubt I did feel the higher bevel since it’s too far up the blade. But they still have a scratchy feeling to me. I do like how sharp they are and I don’t get any weepers with the Bics or Feathers. The problem is they just don’t feel as smooth to me as my favorite Russian blades.

 

[helicopter]

I only see date codes on the P&G stuff. I have a couple different Nacets here.

I don't see codes on the Lord stuff, or the Feathers.

I will start including more pictures and noting what is there.