Blade Wars: Gillette Nacet vs. Polsilver Super Iridium

[cw62803]

Beard Growth: one day
lather: Soap Commander Courage (face lather)
brush: Plisson Synthetic (acetate handle)
razors: Lord L6 - one silver, one with a black-tipped handle
One razor contains a Gillette Nacet, the other a Polsilver Super Iridium. I do not know which is which.

Shave 1 - I used the black tipped handle on the right side of my face, the silver handle on the left

First pass:
Black handle cut through beard well, with a tiny bit of tugging, particularly in the area near my mouth and chin. Blade felt sharp. Good pass. Very close and smooth.
Silver handle felt smooth, with a very slight drag that was consistent on all of my face. No areas seemed to pull more than any others. Good pass. Close and very smooth.
When rinsing my face I could feel that the right side of my face was a little closer than the left side.

Second pass:
The black tipped razor provided very satisfying audio feedback. The silver provided audio feedback, but it was not as pronounced. Both razors felt extremely smooth, with no nicks and no trace of irritation. After rinsing, I could see that the shave on right side of my face (black tip) was clearly closer than the left. I doubt anyone else could tell, but I could. I don't know if the difference is attributable to the blades or my technique. Tomorrow I will shave with the silver handle on the right side of my face to see if it matters. I'll alternate throughout subsequent shaves.

Notes: Both razors provided a reasonably clean shave. To get baby smooth with the L6, which is light and mild, I need to do three passes and possibly a little touch-up. I typically only do two passes, no matter which razor I choose, as I shave every day and want to avoid irritation. I followed up the shave with Old Spice (P&G) aftershave and a couple of squirts of Old Spice cologne that I was glad to find at my local Rite Aid Pharmacy for $13. I also applied a little Olay Complete facial moisturizer to complete the shave.

Good shave today. Looking forward to tomorrow!

 

[cw62803]

Second Shave
Face lather - TOBS Grapefruit cream
Razorrock Plissoft Brush

Another good shave this morning. Both blades performed well, with no clear leader emerging.

Pass 1 - Silver (right side of face) - very smooth and comfortable. Felt like the reel mowers they use at Yankee Stadium to cut a perfectly even swath. Black (left side) - I could feel more blade. Not quite as smooth as the silver; blade felt sharper.

Rinse: extremely small difference - shave on left side (black) was slightly closer.

Pass 2 - Good audio feedback on right side (silver,) which made me think I was going deaf in my left ear. Yesterday, the audio feedback was stronger with the black razor on my right side. Gladly, the audio feedback was again stronger with the black handled razor, which I found out when I shaved the other side of my face. Both sides of my face had a clean, irritation and nick-free shave.

Notes: My right cheek seemed a little closer than the left, while the left side of my chin (a trouble spot for me) seemed a little closer than the other. I rate this shave a dead heat, with both blades performing superbly. I finished with Thayer's Lemon Witch Hazel and Nivea Sensitive P.S. Balm. The Razorock Plissoft is an amazing bargain at $10. I could smell wafts of grapefruit as I drove in to work.

 

[nicobie]

For me, these blades are close to the same. Too close to call.

 

[objectuser]

[MENTION=93357]cw62803[/MENTION], nice experiment.

 

[cw62803]

Third Shave
Both blades continue to perform well. I am getting socially acceptable shaves with two passes using a very mild razor. The blade in the black razor seems to be emerging as a narrow leader.

Pre-shave: shower, thin layer of Noxema
Brush: Omega S-brush
Face lather with Proraso green soap
Black-tipped handle on right side of face, silver handle on left

Pass 1: Right side (black) – Smooth pass. No drag or bite. Razor feels more smooth than on previous two shaves. Left side (silver) – Very smooth, with a slight amount of drag on neck and chin.

Pass 2 – The black razor continues to provide wonderful audio feedback on the second pass. The silver’s audio feedback is quieter and higher in pitch. The silver razor felt so smooth going across my face that at times it seemed like there was no blade in the razor.

The shave on the right side of my face is slightly closer than the left. Again, I experienced no irritation or nicks. I think I know which blade is which. Do you?

To finish my mentholated shave, I used my homemade menthol splash followed my Nivea Men’s Sensitive Cooling P.S. Balm. I made the splash with approx. 60% grain alcohol and 40% drugstore witch hazel. I added a little glycerin and castor oil, eucalyptus and spearmint essential oils, and a few flakes of menthol crystals.

 

[BigJ]

Great post! Two excellent blades IMO!

 

[Haggises]

I love these blind comparisons.
[MENTION=44657]Oscroft[/MENTION] did a whole series of these, but alas he no longer posts.

Nice job [MENTION=93357]cw62803[/MENTION] !

 

[cw62803]

Shave #4

I face lathered an Arko stick that I had previously pressed into a plastic twist-up tube. I swirled the stick directly on my wet face and then lathered up with a brush.
Brush - Semogue 2000 (boar)
I did a three-pass shave this morning.
Right side of face = silver razor, left side of face = black-tipped razor

Pass one: The silver razor was extremely smooth. It felt as if the blade was beginning to lose its sharpness. The black razor felt like it is in its zone. It still feels very sharp, but is now much smoother than the first or second shave.

1st rinse: The left side of my face (black) is closer than the right.

2nd pass: Both razors were wonderful, but the right side wasn't close enough for me to go to work like that. My brush didn't have enough lather for a third pass, so I rubbed the Arko stick directly on the bristles to get enough soap for an additional pass.

3rd pass: Both razors provided a wonderful pass. At the end, I trespassed a little, touching up a couple of slightly rough patches on the right side with the black (left-side) razor. I noticed a slight suggestion of irritation on the bottom right corner of my neck.

Both blades are still excellent, but it seems like the minute separation in quality is widening and the black is pulling ahead.

Finished with Aqua Velva splash (no stinging) and some Lubriderm Men's 3-In-One moisturizer.

 

[cw62803]

Oscroft's series is my favorite thread I've ever read. This thread is a tribute to him.

 

[Elbe]

Interesting selection of two excellent blades. Nacets are my personal No. 1 blades.

 

[Rayzor84]

My experience via a sampler of these blades has been that the polsilver tore me up and scraped pretty bad, while the nacet gave me the closest and least red shave I've had with a DE yet. I did shave 2 on the nacet today and smooth and close again but got tons of razor bumps on one side of my neck, in spite of my WH not really burning st all. Was weird.

 

[cw62803]

Shave #5

Black=right side
Silver=left side
Face lathered Tabac with a vintage West German boar brush.

After yesterday's excellent three-pass shave, my face was fairly smooth this morning.

First pass: The black razor provided it's trademark audio feedback on the first pass, which it hadn't done before. My stubble was pretty close to begin the shave. Both razors were smooth. I didn't feel any tugging or pulling.

Rinse: The right side was marginally closer than the left.

Second pass: Again, each razor felt great. I could feel a little more blade in the black razor. The silver was a little smoother, the black felt like it was cutting better.

Rinse: Both sides look and feel good. The right side has a slightly closer shave, but the difference between sides is barely noticeable.

Notes: The black blade seemed to be opening up a lead yesterday, but silver closed the gap today. I followed up with Thayer's Rose Petal Witch Hazel and a liberal douse of Florida Water. The Florida Water gave me a little less than a sting and a little more than a tingle. I'll call it a stingle. I replaced the moisture with Bulldog Original Aftershave Balm. After my commute to work and the Tabac, Rose witch hazel, Florida Water, and Bulldog, the inside of my car smells like a funeral parlor.

 

[AeroBoarder89]

Subscribed Just bought a pack of Nacets. Looking forward to trying them out!

 

[cw62803]

I think you're going to like them a lot.

 

[cw62803]

Temporary cease fire in the blade wars.

I did not do a blade comparison this morning. I had to look presentable for an event yesterday afternoon, so I did a quick one-pass shave with a different razor. This morning I also did a one-pass shave before work, as my face needed a little break. I'll continue the blade comparison tomorrow or Sunday. Please stay tuned.

 

[cw62803]

Shave #6

AOS Sandalwood Cream
Face lather with Plissoft brush
sliver=right side, black=left side

After six half-face shaves, both blades are still going strong. On the first pass, the silver razor was shaving very smoothly but didn't seem to be mowing through the course hairs on my chin and near the corner of my mouth. I found myself going over the same spot repeatedly, until I realized I was doing it and stopped, as that can cause irritation. With the black razor, I felt more blade. Again it felt sharper, but less smooth than the silver razor.

Rinse: Both sides are very similar, left side may be a tiny bit closer.

2nd pass: Two great, comfortable passes. Both sides are close. The left side is slightly closer, particularly on the chin and corner of mouth. It seems the black does better in those problem areas, with the rest of my face being pretty much a dead heat.

Notes: I feel a small amount of irritation on lower right area of my neck. Finished with some Brut aftershave and Olay Complete moisturizer. The Olay has sunscreen, which is great, as I am off to my daughter's soccer game. Every time I use AOS Sandalwood, I am intoxicated by it. If you are a Gillette hater and have some on hand, I will be glad to dispose of it properly for you!

 

[BigJ]

Rough battle between the blades! BUT sounds like you are getting great shaves!

 

[Vintage Doc]

Was considering ordering some Nacets.
I am watching with interest in this thread.

 

[cw62803]

Shave #7
black=right side
silver=left side
Razorock XXX soap, face lathered with Omega S-Brush (short loft)

Pass 1 - I could feel the black razor cutting through the hairs, with a barely perceptible amount of drag. Felt like some new, less-sharp blades feel right out of the package. The silver razor was, again, incredibly smooth. It didn't feel like it was cutting, but it was.

warm water rinse: The right side of my face (black) is a little closer than the left.


Pass 2 - Great passes. Chin and neck are a little closer on the black side.

Pass 3 - Black: felt smooth, could feel blade cutting.
Silver: For the first time, the silver side showed some uncomfortable pulling (on neck.)
The right side of my face is a tiny bit smoother than the left.

Note: I feel, but do not see, irritation on my neck. I think the culprit is the silver razor, as there is still some on the right side left over from previous shaves, and I now feel a little on my left side. I am impressed that these blades are still going strong after seven half-face shaves. I typically discard blades after three shaves. I finished off with some Thayer's Lemon Witch Hazel, followed by Son of Zeus (wonderful) aftershave. To put moisture back in, I used Man Lotion, which a friend gave me as a goof, but it turns out to be pretty good stuff.

 

[Vintage Doc]

When is the big unveil