Gillette 7 o'clock Permasharp Stainless

[know1special]

Absolutely! FWIW, my beard is not that challenging so that probably contributes.

At this point on my shaving journey I have largely settled on Feather and Bic CP as my weapons of choice.

However, I've got great heaping piles of different blades in the hopper and do like to mix it up every so often. Maybe one shave out of 50 let's say.

 

[GBerry]

I just stumbled on this thread and am thankful to the community for bringing it alive.

I use the PPI made Perma-Sharp in the Blackbird Lite with excellent results. I take the shaves to DFS+ without nicks or irritation. They are smooth in use and a very good post shave feel.

I may check out the Nacet blades too.

 

[ShavingPrimate]

I may check out the Nacet blades too.

Let us know if you see much of a difference?

 

[GBerry]

@ShavingPrimate This did not take long. I will do a Gillette PermaSharp (Gold & Red box) tomorrow.

20230320
Razor: Blackland Blackbird Lite (71)
Blade: Gillette Nacet (1)
Pre-shave: Hot shower
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft Monster Synthetic Shaving Brush - 26mm
Lather: Stirling Soap Naked & Smooth
Aftershave: Cold water rinse; Stirling Soap Co Unscented Post Shave Balm

No nicks; No irritation; Very close; smooth; DFS+ shave. The Nacet appears to be less sharp than the Perma-Sharp Super on the first shave. The Nacet was almost tugging ATG on the first shave. A little buffing was needed on the upper lip. I would prefer the Perma-Sharp based on first shave results. Next up will be a new Gillette PermaSharp Super (Gold & Red box) shave number 1.

Shave log summary 20230311

Cheers!!!

 

[Goblin]

I finally got around to trying the 7OC Permasharp Stainless today and I wanted to post my thoughts. This interesting thread seemed like the best place to do it, rather than starting a new one.

When I sampled the 7OC Blacks I was hoping to find another blade that really clicked for me, but I was actually a bit disappointed in their sharpness, and didn't really find them anywhere close to being "Indian Feathers" (except in price).

Accordingly, I didn't expect much of these significantly cheaper Indian 7OC blades, and it's true that they do seem cheaper than the Blacks in terms of manufacturing precision. On my Gamechanger, these blades have to be worked down over the nubs on the baseplate because the gaps in the blade are very small and seem to be positioned fractionally too far apart, which causes the blade to warp until the cap is cinched down. Once the razor is assembled, sighting through the lather channels shows that the exposure on each side isn't 100% uniform. I checked with a couple of blades and it was the same story, but neither of these were serious issues and didn't affect my usage.

The actual shave was good. Really good in fact. I have done a lot of blade sampling over the past 18 months and pretty much decided that my favourites were the ones I already knew before I started - Feather and PPI Permasharps. These 7OCs worked well enough for me that I could see them becoming another favourite. I really wanted to find a true "budget" blade that worked for me as an alternative to costly Feathers and these are the best candidate so far.

To continue the Nacet comparisons of this thread, I would say these 7OCs are similar in sharpness. Maybe a bit sharper. Almost zero pulling sensation when using sliding strokes on the tough stuff, but not so screaming sharp or scratchy that a bit of ATG buffing seemed reckless! They passed the GC 0.84 test with flying colours, as I find that blades of lesser sharpness can get chattery in that razor. No such problems today.

For me, Nacets always feel a bit ragged even when fresh out of the wrapper, and often become downright rough on the second shave. These seemed significantly smoother - more like a PPI Permasharp - and whilst I suspect longevity may not be great based on what others have reported, the blade was performing well enough at the end of shave 1 for me to be happy about attempting shave 2. I like a fresh edge so I never push blades very far - if I can get two comfortable shaves from one of these then that's good enough for me.

I already declared myself out of GRUYERE in order to increase my blade stocks before the impending UK blade-pocalypse (real or imagined). If I am still as happy with these after a few more shaves I will pick up a couple 100 before April. I think my current ranking of 7OC blades would look like this (top to bottom):

Oh, Sharp Edge! How the mighty have fallen!

 

[cranewarrior]

These seemed significantly smoother - more like a PPI Permasharp - and whilst I suspect longevity may not be great based on what others have reported, the blade was performing well enough at the end of shave 1 for me to be happy about attempting shave 2. I like a fresh edge so I never push blades very far - if I can get two comfortable shaves from one of these then that's good enough for me.

I already declared myself out of GRUYERE in order to increase my blade stocks before the impending UK blade-pocalypse (real or imagined). If I am still as happy with these after a few more shaves I will pick up a couple 100 before April. I think my current ranking of 7OC blades would look like this (top to bottom):

These are a great deal if one likes the sharper range of blades. eBay has the best prices if you buy from an Indian seller in bulk. I bought a lot not too long ago and only had to wait < 3 weeks for it to arrive in the USA and I saved 50% from what the AMZ price was.

I too found it a good alternative to Nacets. I like sharp blades in my mild razors.

 

[Theodore]

I finally got around to trying the 7OC Permasharp Stainless today and I wanted to post my thoughts. This interesting thread seemed like the best place to do it, rather than starting a new one.

When I sampled the 7OC Blacks I was hoping to find another blade that really clicked for me, but I was actually a bit disappointed in their sharpness, and didn't really find them anywhere close to being "Indian Feathers" (except in price).

Accordingly, I didn't expect much of these significantly cheaper Indian 7OC blades, and it's true that they do seem cheaper than the Blacks in terms of manufacturing precision. On my Gamechanger, these blades have to be worked down over the nubs on the baseplate because the gaps in the blade are very small and seem to be positioned fractionally too far apart, which causes the blade to warp until the cap is cinched down. Once the razor is assembled, sighting through the lather channels shows that the exposure on each side isn't 100% uniform. I checked with a couple of blades and it was the same story, but neither of these were serious issues and didn't affect my usage.

The actual shave was good. Really good in fact. I have done a lot of blade sampling over the past 18 months and pretty much decided that my favourites were the ones I already knew before I started - Feather and PPI Permasharps. These 7OCs worked well enough for me that I could see them becoming another favourite. I really wanted to find a true "budget" blade that worked for me as an alternative to costly Feathers and these are the best candidate so far.

To continue the Nacet comparisons of this thread, I would say these 7OCs are similar in sharpness. Maybe a bit sharper. Almost zero pulling sensation when using sliding strokes on the tough stuff, but not so screaming sharp or scratchy that a bit of ATG buffing seemed reckless! They passed the GC 0.84 test with flying colours, as I find that blades of lesser sharpness can get chattery in that razor. No such problems today.

For me, Nacets always feel a bit ragged even when fresh out of the wrapper, and often become downright rough on the second shave. These seemed significantly smoother - more like a PPI Permasharp - and whilst I suspect longevity may not be great based on what others have reported, the blade was performing well enough at the end of shave 1 for me to be happy about attempting shave 2. I like a fresh edge so I never push blades very far - if I can get two comfortable shaves from one of these then that's good enough for me.

I already declared myself out of GRUYERE in order to increase my blade stocks before the impending UK blade-pocalypse (real or imagined). If I am still as happy with these after a few more shaves I will pick up a couple 100 before April. I think my current ranking of 7OC blades would look like this (top to bottom):

View attachment 1795247

Oh, Sharp Edge! How the mighty have fallen!

Yes, I was quite surprised to find I also preferred the green permasharp to the black 7'oclock. Everything I had read lead me to expect the super platinum to be the top of the heap.

Had my second green permasharp shave today and still quietly impressed with it.

 

[Bobovata]

Another vote for the Permasharp Green.

Nice shaves, and excellent value at the price (in bulk, from India, via eBay).

 

[Goblin]

No eBay blade purchases for us Brits - that was phase one of the Blade-pocalypse! Even so, £11 for 100 via RBC is still pretty good, given that the likes of Lords and Treets are around £8.80 per 100.

These are one of those blades I have known about and been curious about for years. I should have gotten around to them much sooner. As it is, I am discovering them just in time!

 

[Goblin]

Had a second shave with the green Permasharp Stainless today, still in the GC 0.84.

It was good. Struggling a little bit by the end perhaps, but it never felt too ragged or prickly. I had to do a hard ATG stroke to clean up my jawline. I dread that stroke. Those flat-growing whiskers can be stubborn, and hitting them ATG can cause chatter that leaves me with irritation, or I end up unconsciously applying pressure to force the blade through, and then that pressure causes the irritation! No problems today - the Indian 7OC Green still had enough left in the tank to take down the whiskers without any fuss. BBS bar a couple of stragglers.

Me likey.

I have ordered 300.

 

[BurnFree]

This thread convinced me to try 7OC Green Permasharps. It took this slow fellow a while to figure out they were different from Russian Green Super Stainless. I do not remember liking those as much. Ivan and others say they are less sharp, so that might explain why.

Only 2 blades in on these green Permasharps, but they have been enjoyable so far! They are very smooth for the sharpness level in my opinion, so basically what everyone else says.

I want to also note that they become politely-tuggy (in a well-clamped razor) instead of scratchy like an end of life Feather or Dorco Prime, for example. They DO seem to reach a point of dullness pretty suddenly, but there is enough in the tank to finish a shave without ripping out hair. Honest feedback, so to speak. I have been finding that their supposedly more premium 7 OC Black Super Platinum siblings start sliding over hair on shave 3 and trick me into excessive buffing, whereas a passable 3rd shave from the greens can be squeaked out with less irritation in the end. Neither one has been setting longevity records in my hands, but that seems to be the way things mostly are now, barring the Excalibur folks.

So, Indian blacks and greens have slightly different characteristics that one individual might prefer over the other, but my overall happiness factor with the Greens has been about the about the same, so far. There is no contest when current pricing is considered.

It would be interesting to compare Indian Green Permasharps with Indian Astra SS, which I have not used. I always thought Russian SS blades were "sharp enough" budget blades that were more more effective than their Chrome Platinum counterparts and offered 2-3 decent shaves, but these Indian greens are sharper & smoother (based on memory). If the indian SS are indeed sharper than their Russian counterparts and of slightly softer steel, I could see how Astra SS and Indian green Permasharp might be the same blade in a different box. So choose based on price or box color? Please set me straight if wrong.

Detour: I also bought a 100 pack of Lord Silver Stars on blind faith, thanks to everyone on B&B. Your Collective Wisdom was correct! The first shave was sharp & crisp, but comfortable...perfect. Silver Stars might kick the Gillettes out if the first shave wasn't a unicorn, although I do like green and keeping options open. They can probably play nice on the shelf together.

 

[cranewarrior]

It would be interesting to compare Indian Green Permasharps with Indian Astra SS, which I have not used. I always thought Russian SS blades were "sharp enough" budget blades that were more more effective than their Chrome Platinum counterparts and offered 2-3 decent shaves, but these Indian greens are sharper & smoother (based on memory). If the indian SS are indeed sharper than their Russian counterparts and of slightly softer steel, I could see how Astra SS and Indian green Permasharp might be the same blade in a different box. So choose based on price or box color? Please set me straight if wrong.

Detour: I also bought a 100 pack of Lord Silver Stars on blind faith, thanks to everyone on B&B. Your Collective Wisdom was correct! The first shave was sharp & crisp, but comfortable...perfect. Silver Stars might kick the Gillettes out if the first shave wasn't a unicorn, although I do like green and keeping options open. They can probably play nice on the shelf together.

So I do not think the Indian Astra SP and 7 o'clock Permasharp are the same blade. I still give the edge to the Permasharp on cutting power. That said, I've been able to procure them off eBay from Indian sellers for 7.5 cents a piece so they are slightly cheaper than buying Astras from Amazon if one can wait the 2-3 weeks for arrival in the USA (where I am).

You might try the Lord Cool also for a slightly less plush, but sharper feel than the Silver Star in my opinion.

 

[ivan_101]

If the indian SS are indeed sharper than their Russian counterparts and of slightly softer steel, I could see how Astra SS and Indian green Permasharp might be the same blade in a different box. So choose based on price or box color? Please set me straight if wrong.

They are not the same blade. The 7 o'clock Permasharp Stainless is much sharper than the Indian made Astra SS.

 

[BurnFree]

It would be interesting to compare Indian Green Permasharps with Indian Astra SS...

They are not the same blade. The 7 o'clock Permasharp Stainless is much sharper than the Indian made Astra SS.

Great to know, thanks.

 

[BurnFree]

I've been able to procure them off eBay from Indian sellers for 7.5 cents a piece

Ooohhh...I see a stockpile coming!

You might try the Lord Cool also

Thank you. Yeah, it was only a matter of time before a Lord rabbit hole opened up.

 

[WVShaver]

These are the last 7 o’clock blades I haven’t tried. Bought a tuck a couple years ago and forgot about them. I tried all the Russian ones and Blacks but didn’t expect much from these and put them off. I’ll be testing them out in my 84p in the next week or two. Mine are at least 2-4 years old so hopefully the new ones are the same if I like them.

I just recently tried the 7 Green stainless from Russia and thought it was a good blade. Felt similar to the yellow but a tad sharper. Might have just been my batches. It’s been awhile since I tried the blacks but I remember they were better then average but didn’t amaze me. If they were $10 per 100 they’d be a great blade.

Also recently tested the India Astra SP and SS side by side and liked both of those. I think the SS was just barely sharper but both were great blades. The Wilkinson Sword I tried was also in the same league. So far I’m impressed with India blades.

I’ve also tried the Supermax blue diamond and didn’t think it was as sharp as most but was a very smooth blade. I then tested the Diamond Edge and Euromax 800 which looked almost identical in the packaging and felt almost identical to me - a little rough. I plan on retesting those blades to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.

 

[skibik]

I have been using the 7 'o Clock Permasharp since 2016, the double wrapped ones in the medium green wrapper. Last year I bought 200 more to replenish and the newer ones are not the same blade, they are made in the same plant but they changed something. I have run into a number of duds with these newer blades. Today I dropped in a new blade and it pulled bad on the first couple strokes, dropped in a new one and another two strokes of the razor and I had to put the razor down and grabbed the Schick J1 single edge to get the shave done. I have not changed anything in my prep because the Schick was so smooth.

So if you have the older ones they are superb blades, these new ones are not great in my book.

I think I am done with these Permasharp blades. I'll switch to my other favorites either the Wilkinson Sword from Germany or the Feather but I don't get about 3 shaves from the Feathers, I get double from the Wilkinson Swords.

 

[Flanders]

Last year I bought 200 more to replenish and the newer ones are not the same blade

Well this is an interesting, not good, development. I bet the ones I am using are no more than two years old and certainly not as old as your original stash. Sorry to hear about this. This kind of agrees with my conclusion that they are good blades if you get them cheap enough, but they aren't cheap if only a fourth of them are usable!

I think I am done with these Permasharp blades. I'll switch to my other favorites either the Wilkinson Sword from Germany or the Feather but I don't get about 3 shaves from the Feathers, I get double from the Wilkinson Swords.

On a per shave basis, the German Wilkies would be my choice. I can get the same number of shaves, but I reduce it to 5 to have some margin instead of using it up to the very last bit. That works out to like three US cents per shave, that's only $10/year. Maybe $15 in AUS and CA, certainly less than most peoples coffee budget for one month!

 

[skibik]

Well this is an interesting, not good, development. I bet the ones I am using are no more than two years old and certainly not as old as your original stash. Sorry to hear about this. This kind of agrees with my conclusion that they are good blades if you get them cheap enough, but they aren't cheap if only a fourth of them are usable!


On a per shave basis, the German Wilkies would be my choice. I can get the same number of shaves, but I reduce it to 5 to have some margin instead of using it up to the very last bit. That works out to like three US cents per shave, that's only $10/year. Maybe $15 in AUS and CA, certainly less than most peoples coffee budget for one month!

This problem goes back to August when I first posted a question about these blades of someone else that had used the previous ones and if they though the newer ones were worse. Here is the link to that post if you hadn't saw it before.

Question to those who use Gillette 7o'clock Permasharp Stainless blades.

Back when I started in 2016 and searching for the "blade" I had bought a used razor and the seller sent a couple of these blades and out of all the ones I tried this one was about the best(the one on the left). I also like Wilkinson Sword Classic from Germany and Feathers but prefer either of...

www.badgerandblade.com

My old batch is dated 7/2015 and this batch I bought last year are dated 1/2021. I have a few left of the old ones and I think out of the original 100 I bought, make that about 70 after giving some away, I maybe had one dud and might have been me loading it. Those I can get 5-6 shaves average. These newer ones I can get a few good shaves if I don't run into a dud, yesterday after 2 new blades feeling like they were trying to pull my stubble out by the roots I got fed up. I can't blame prep since I do the same thing, shower then shave every time. I can't blame the soap, I could as I usually switch around, but the last couple months I have been using the same Truefitt and Hill West Indian Limes soap. I know my whiskers have toughened up but these blades I think are just not as sharp as the old batch was.

I went ahead and ordered 100 German Wilkinson last night from Walmart for $19 and change so have some coming. I still have a box and a half of the old ones left I can still use up. Not sure what my plan is for the remaining newer Permasharp blades will be. I will check with my friend and see if his SIL needs more, maybe they will work good on a younger beard.

 

[skibik]

Today I threw in another new blade and got through the right cheek, left cheek and started on the center and had to pull the blade out, it was already dull. Put in another new one to finish the first pass and even that one pulled bad. I did finish the last 2 passes with the second blade but I did grab the last 3 or 4 from that pack and tossed them out. I will check a new pack but think I am just going to set them aside and give them to friend since I have the Wilkies coming. I do have some old ones left to use up. I do have one pack of Wilkies that I get from the local drugstore but they haven't stocked them in a while.

So, these newer batches with the single wrapper are not the same as the old double wrapped ones. They changed something or the machines are more worn out and not making as good of a blade as they once did. I know my whiskers have seem t have gotten tougher but not that tough to where the old blades still do a good job. Just made me wish when I ordered for my friend I would have ordered another 100 myself. I thought the 100 would have lasted a lot longer but now thinking I should have ordered another 100 when I had ordered the 200 blade batch for my friend.