Nice review. I agree these are good blades if you like them sharp.
Macduff’s Monthly Blade Review: Gillette 7 o’clock Super Platinum
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- #22
Thanks CJ!
I bought a hundred of these recently. I love them in a Flare Tip or Krona.
They’re sharp and last more shaves than any blade I’ve tried so far.
They’re sharp and last more shaves than any blade I’ve tried so far.
Picked up a 10 tuck of these a few weeks ago, and have been re-acquainting myself with them after a multi-year absence. My memories hold true. Very sharp blades that require me to pay attention to details, but resulting in marvelous shaves.
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- #26
@Boghopper and @geneaut i totally agree with both of you. Though the blade is too sharp for me, i think it’s got fantastic longevity and would be great for someone who likes really sharp blades. Personally i find that the best blades for me are just slightly outside of the upper echelon of sharp. The outlier, as i said in the review, was feather which i was surprised to find gave me excellent shaves with next to no irritation. On the whole though, i think these blades are definitely a good choice for people looking for a quality sharp blade.
There are a lot of folks who find blades like Feather, BIC Chrome Platinum, and 7 O'Clock Black to be too sharp. You are doing your testing in a Van der Hagen TTO which is one of the mildest razors available. I love using these extremely sharp blades in that razor. However, I find them to be too sharp for aggressive razors. You definitely need to watch your shaving technique when using these blades.
That's a good thing to know about yourself. 9-10 years ago I didn't like the really sharp blades much as every day shavers. They did a great job, but face feel was just a little off. They also always seemed to be the more expensive blades as well so I'd buy the odd tuck from time to time and use them sparingly. They also punished me when I let my technique slide a little. I'd use a Super Iridium or a Gillette Ninja for a week maybe, then go back to my Astras and Rep IPs ( extremely smooth blades for me) for months at a time and be glad I hadn't sliced my nose off with the really sharp blades.
Fast forward to the present and I recently got back into trying the sharper blades, and for some reason, they were just better for me. Either my technique got really better, my face or stubble changed as I got older, or my razors matched up better with them ( or all the above ). Now I like the sharper blades I didn't enjoy as much back then. I don't like them more than some of my other less sharp blades, but I like them in different ways.
I don't know where I was going with this but maybe just putting it out there that over time your blade preferences may change. I doubt I'll ever like a Shark SS, but I'll keep my mind open to that possibility
I certainly enjoy your reviews! Thanks for the time and effort you put into them.
Funny. I used these Gillette Blacks in rotation with other blades, mainly Gillette Yellows and Sliver Blues, Polsilvers and German Wilks. As others say, the combo of blade, razor and face, mainly face, is what matters. The Blacks were my favorite for a while, but I got a run of duds that didn't cut and rough blades. So I gave them up a couple of years ago. Has the QC on the Blacks improved? since then
As a top tier blade of Gillette India, their QC have always been top notch for me. I have used them exclusively for nearly 15 years and now I use them in rotation with Feathers and Polsilvers. Fortunately I have never ran into a bad batch of Blacks, ever.
I occasionally shave with these blades. I like them if it’s not too early and I’m not half-awake. For me, they are a top-tier blade for sharpness, but are no subjectively sharper than a Med Prep or PPI Wizamet. Where the Blacks distinguish themselves is their good longevity and high blade feel. Get sloppy with a Black and you will get a little added burn. While a Black will get more comfortable by shave 3, the other two are all around a bit more forgiving and comfortable from tuck to bank. And the Med Prep in particular has longer legs. The Black is still a very good blade and an ok value. I think in 100 tins, they are now up over 18 cents a blade. That’s on the higher end, but you can squeeze enough good shaves out of one to justify the cost. I’ve never had a dud. An excellent choice in a mild razor, but not my first choice for a DE beginner or for someone with poor technique .
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