Canidates for the best all-around DE razor blade

[FarmerTan]

I think personna platinum(reds) is the blade I have tested in the most razors, they work great in every one for me aggressive mild it doesn't seem to matter too much. Tatra platinum is my 2nd pick and nacets probably third. I like gsb better, but nacets seem less sharp to me, so they are more versatile.

I just used a Personna Red in my Gillette Tech from 1962 on Saturday in the shower. I had forgotten how good they get after the first shave.

 

[Lane101]

Dorco Prime and Stainless blades (STP300/301 and ST300/301). Newer production from Vietnam. Stopped looking further once I purchased these. Per corporate research Dorco is the only manufacturer I've found that has invested in new DE production plants and equipment in recent history as part of a strategy leveraging superior DE blades to drive further penetration into Asian markets. All the other manufacturers appear to be primarily focused on slowly milking the DE brands acquired while working to shift customers away from DE to cartridge systems. Hypothesis is that Dorco decided it first had to prove itself with its DE blades in these markets before working to shift customers to the cartridge systems they emphasize in developed markets.

 

[TDKBeloushi]

Sharp enough,
Extremely Smooth,
Cheap and easy to get,
Double wrapped,
Never had/heard any bad experience.
= Fantastic


~(YMMV)~
View attachment 1509792

@Guido620

 

[Tirvine]

I do not use a lot of different blades or rotate frequently, but I would give the nod to Personna Lab Blues, Gillette Silver Blues, Crystals, and Israeli Personnas, in that order. That said, these four perform best in a slick lather, not whipped cream. In whipped cream I vote for Nacets or Kais.

 

[zed117]

Nacets are in their own tier. I love GSB, 7oclock yellows and a few others, but Nacets are my everyday blade, just perfect for my face and beard.

 

[FloppyJoe]

Wizamet

 

[anoop]

A lot of videos on YouTube that list top 5 blades have either Nacet or Feather as their top choice.

 

[elmo_koffman]

For me it's Wilkinson Sword.

 

[ShavingPrimate]

I've been using Feathers for at least 15 years now and don't recall ever getting a bad shave with one. I don't find them scary like some.

Nor do I. I do think that many shavers did jump on the bandwagon several years back, just to claim that they shave with a super sharp Feather. All well and good...

Had an excellent shave today. Turns out the Feather was in the R41. The combination yields a super close shave but is not difficult to shave with.

The R41 head is very much overrated as to its level of difficulty. There are countless other razors that are far more aggressive.

What the R41 is better described as more refined and efficient. I don't consider it to be "The Beast", not even close.

The Feather edged out the Indian, Gillette Wilkinson Sword by a small but noticeable margin. This would be expected from a 35-cent blade vs. a 7-cent blade. The day before's shave with the Wilkinson, was shave #6 and today's Feather shave was #4.

I do find, that I have to move up from the milder heads, like the R89 and the 34c to the R41, if I truly want a super close shave.

 

[Jack Goossen]

It starts with N and ends with Acet.

 

[anoop]

As I repeatedly say, I can barely tell the difference in blades with my selection of DE razors but if I had to pick only one blade? It would be a Feather in either my AS-D2 or ball end Tech. I've been using Feathers for at least 15 years now and don't recall ever getting a bad shave with one. I don't find them scary like some.

I like Feather in the AS-D2 as well except that

(a) it is definitely too sharp for me to do a 3rd pass, so I better be focused and get everything within 2. If not I will see torn skin on the chin for sure.

(b) the goo/wax is too sticky and the blade needs to be plucked off the razor after use. Also makes the razor feel sticky. Of course there are lots of other blades that do this.

 

[CCS]

I like Feather in the AS-D2 as well except that

(a) it is definitely too sharp for me to do a 3rd pass, so I better be focused and get everything within 2. If not I will see torn skin on the chin for sure.

(b) the goo/wax is too sticky and the blade needs to be plucked off the razor after use. Also makes the razor feel sticky. Of course there are lots of other blades that do this.

The wax is quite easy to remove before inserting the blade.

 

[drb1956]

Wilkinson Sword from Germany are a great shave for me. I easily get 5-7 smooth shaves, and no irritation. They work very well with my Parker 91R.

 

[VitBut]

1. Polsilver 2. Gillette Silver Blue 3. Wilkinson Sword

 

[anoop]

Given they are changing where blades are made (e.g. Bolzano) and the machines use to make them (e.g. GSB old vs new), rating blades is going to be even harder!