So i'm back with another monthly review! As before, each blade will be reviewed based on a 2 pass (plus touch up) shave using a Van Der Hagen long handled razor and a generic Fento badger brush. Thankfully the nightmarish “Peace” soap finally gave up the ghost and i’m on to something actually made for shaving.
Soap for the next couple months is from the fine folks at Long Rifle Soap Company. The soap is 1776 and man, what a sweet departure from shaving with glorified bar soap! Anyway, I run through 2 of each blade and use each 4 times; for a total of 8 shaves per brand. I'll be grading based on sharpness, smoothness, longevity and consistency. Price will be a factor but only of it's very cheap or expensive since most DE blades are pretty cheap comparatively.
This month i’m reviewing Kai Stainless Steel blades. One of the few blades from Japan, this one has been on my radar since i started. For better or worse, it’s been kind of the little brother of the Feather Hi-Stainless. Whereas the Feather stands out for premium sharpness and DE intimidation, the Kai kind of recedes into an afterthought. One look at the packaging will tell you why.
In all my years on earth, i’ve never seen such absence of marketing for a product. Not only is the wrapper plain white with no markings, the blade is too! There is absolutely no way to tell this blade even exists as a brand. I’ve never factored in packaging to a review but i seriously considered docking a point here for lack of effort...But as always, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. How did the blade shave?!
1st shave was sharp and slightly harsh. I tried and failed to find what these are coated with but to me it doesn’t feel like they have any coating. Sharp they are, but i couldn’t avoid weepers shaving with these blades. 2nd, 3rd and 4th shaves were unlike any blade i’ve yet tried. Each was exactly the same. As in no discernible difference in sharpness or harshness. Each produced a very good result with some weepers. Ironically in the same spots every time. The sameness was overwhelming. Call it Japanese efficiency.
Smoothness was lacking but not in a huge way. The blade just felt RAW. It let me know i was dragging a piece of steel over my skin but it was sharp enough to do it without mangling my face. There wasn’t much tugging but there was an absence of the nice glide you get from a heavily Teflon’d blade. The smoothness really comes from this thing being sharp and that’s it. It wasn’t exactly smooth but i wouldn’t call it harsh either.
Longevity actually seemed great on these. Shaves 1-4 felt exactly the same so i would’ve been comfortable going 2 or more shaves easily.
Consistency is obviously top notch as i couldn’t tell what shave i was on from day to day. To me this is the mark of a great steel and a well sharpened blade. This thing just kept going and delivered the same shave from pass to pass.
Price, well....it’s absurd. $36.99 on amazon per 100. This makes the Kai the most expensive blade i’ve yet reviewed (Polsilvers hadn’t yet been price gouged when i first reviewed them.) Something tells me the steel they use is very expensive. Just a hunch but i have a feeling these blades are about as high quality a steel as you’ll find manufactured. They’re certainly not using the money on packaging...
So how would i rate these overall? To me they’re a solid 7 out of 10. BUT i’m docking a point for the absurd price and absurd lack of effort given to packaging. I can get down with a minimalist look (Maine Brewing Company anyone?!) but this just struck me as not caring. No blade stamp? No name on the package?! And PURE WHITE?! At least make it with some color. It reminded me of the blade they’d give someone on death row. I can hear the corrections officer now... “Listen pal, it’ll do the job. The state isn’t paying for you to enjoy this. Do you want a clean shave or not?” A 6 out of ten is my final score for the Kai. Yes, it was a good blade. But great it was not.
As always i’m pushing through the sampler pack so next up is the Gillette 7 o’clock Super Platinum. In the interim i wish you, my fellow B&B’ers happy shaves and i’ll be back with a another review soon!
Soap for the next couple months is from the fine folks at Long Rifle Soap Company. The soap is 1776 and man, what a sweet departure from shaving with glorified bar soap! Anyway, I run through 2 of each blade and use each 4 times; for a total of 8 shaves per brand. I'll be grading based on sharpness, smoothness, longevity and consistency. Price will be a factor but only of it's very cheap or expensive since most DE blades are pretty cheap comparatively.
This month i’m reviewing Kai Stainless Steel blades. One of the few blades from Japan, this one has been on my radar since i started. For better or worse, it’s been kind of the little brother of the Feather Hi-Stainless. Whereas the Feather stands out for premium sharpness and DE intimidation, the Kai kind of recedes into an afterthought. One look at the packaging will tell you why.
In all my years on earth, i’ve never seen such absence of marketing for a product. Not only is the wrapper plain white with no markings, the blade is too! There is absolutely no way to tell this blade even exists as a brand. I’ve never factored in packaging to a review but i seriously considered docking a point here for lack of effort...But as always, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. How did the blade shave?!
1st shave was sharp and slightly harsh. I tried and failed to find what these are coated with but to me it doesn’t feel like they have any coating. Sharp they are, but i couldn’t avoid weepers shaving with these blades. 2nd, 3rd and 4th shaves were unlike any blade i’ve yet tried. Each was exactly the same. As in no discernible difference in sharpness or harshness. Each produced a very good result with some weepers. Ironically in the same spots every time. The sameness was overwhelming. Call it Japanese efficiency.
Smoothness was lacking but not in a huge way. The blade just felt RAW. It let me know i was dragging a piece of steel over my skin but it was sharp enough to do it without mangling my face. There wasn’t much tugging but there was an absence of the nice glide you get from a heavily Teflon’d blade. The smoothness really comes from this thing being sharp and that’s it. It wasn’t exactly smooth but i wouldn’t call it harsh either.
Longevity actually seemed great on these. Shaves 1-4 felt exactly the same so i would’ve been comfortable going 2 or more shaves easily.
Consistency is obviously top notch as i couldn’t tell what shave i was on from day to day. To me this is the mark of a great steel and a well sharpened blade. This thing just kept going and delivered the same shave from pass to pass.
Price, well....it’s absurd. $36.99 on amazon per 100. This makes the Kai the most expensive blade i’ve yet reviewed (Polsilvers hadn’t yet been price gouged when i first reviewed them.) Something tells me the steel they use is very expensive. Just a hunch but i have a feeling these blades are about as high quality a steel as you’ll find manufactured. They’re certainly not using the money on packaging...
So how would i rate these overall? To me they’re a solid 7 out of 10. BUT i’m docking a point for the absurd price and absurd lack of effort given to packaging. I can get down with a minimalist look (Maine Brewing Company anyone?!) but this just struck me as not caring. No blade stamp? No name on the package?! And PURE WHITE?! At least make it with some color. It reminded me of the blade they’d give someone on death row. I can hear the corrections officer now... “Listen pal, it’ll do the job. The state isn’t paying for you to enjoy this. Do you want a clean shave or not?” A 6 out of ten is my final score for the Kai. Yes, it was a good blade. But great it was not.
As always i’m pushing through the sampler pack so next up is the Gillette 7 o’clock Super Platinum. In the interim i wish you, my fellow B&B’ers happy shaves and i’ll be back with a another review soon!
