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, some atrocious “Peace” soap that should never have been used for shaving and a generic Fento badger brush. 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.
Following closely on the heels of my review of the #1 B&B recommended blade, the Polsilver Super Iridium, is another B&B favorite: The Personna “Israeli Red.” As it’s name implies, the blade itself is manufactured in Israel and the packaging is indeed red. What seems to differentiate these from their blue colored cousins is the crome, instead of platinum, coating. There may be a different grind on the blade but as far as i’ve been able to tell, that’s likely the main difference. Anyone that claims to understand Personna or its blades is probably lying...or a genius. It’s rumored the factories run fully autonomously and the CEO is a distant cousin of Willy Wonka. Only he knows whether med preps and lab blues are different.
But i digress.
Like most Personna blades, the red is known for it’s blend of...wait for it...sharpness and smoothness. I’m still searching for a viable alternative to this oft repeated line of praise, but can’t quite seem to find anything that has the same ring. Suffice to say, it’s earned much praise in the DE community and i was excited to try it out. So after dispensing what little wit i possess, how do they shave?!
First off, these blades are indeed sharp. Not cut you if you look at them wrong sharp, but still quite sharp. The first shave was probably the least sharp of the bunch and was still a very decent shave. Shaves two and three though were where the blade revealed how sharp it really is. I managed to give myself a couple weepers on shave #2 just because it sharpened up quite a bit more than i had expected. Shave three left me with some irritation but no weepers; the same could be said for the 4th shave. This is a blade that needs careful attention in order to avoid getting cut or razor burned. I was prepared for how the blade behaved on the second go round, but still managed to give myself a few weepers and some mild irritation over the course of the next 4 shaves.
Smoothness was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Some shaves were truly excellent, but i can’t say i had any that didn’t end in at least a little irritation. Some of the times were clearly user error, but even the times i took extra care to avoid seeing red (a pun!) the bottom line was that the blade was just a tad harsh for my face.
Consistancy was dead on as both blades behaved in exactly the same manner. The first shave left a bit to be desired but then sharpened up considerably on the second. The third and fourth on both held the sharpness quite well.
Longevity was surprisingly a strong suit here. For whatever reason, I never associated the Israeli Reds with a long lasting blade. The whole sharpness and smoothness thing is a common refrain, but i don’t remember people praising them for their longevity. Either way, I was quite surprised to find that on shave 4, both blades still seemed to have a lot of life left in them. I would have easily felt comfortable shaving 2-4 times more with each blade. Perhaps it was because the red sharpened up so much, but i never noticed a serious degradation in it’s cutting ability.
Cost is a bit on the high side for DE blades. Amazon has them for 19.93 per 100 which isn’t a bank breaker, but does put them into the more expensive DE blade category.
Overall i found the the Israeli Red’s did live up to their lofty reputation, but only just. There was a underlying harshness to them i just couldn’t quite shake regardless of how careful i was. Perhaps the blades were just a bit too sharp for my face, but i have only one face with which to judge and i think they’re just a bit too harsh. Taking everything into account, i’d rate the Personna Israeli Red at a very solid 7 out of 10. Just under what i personally would consider top tier, but certainly a very good blade. In my opinion, those looking for a blade on the sharper side would be well served to give these a try. If you have sensitive skin though, these might prove too irritating to use.
Well that’s it for this month, but i’ll be back with another review shortly. I’ve been slacking a bit with the holidays and all, so i’ve shaved through a number of blades i’ve yet to review and need to post on before i forget them. Up next, the Personna Lab Blue. Until then, happy shaving!
Following closely on the heels of my review of the #1 B&B recommended blade, the Polsilver Super Iridium, is another B&B favorite: The Personna “Israeli Red.” As it’s name implies, the blade itself is manufactured in Israel and the packaging is indeed red. What seems to differentiate these from their blue colored cousins is the crome, instead of platinum, coating. There may be a different grind on the blade but as far as i’ve been able to tell, that’s likely the main difference. Anyone that claims to understand Personna or its blades is probably lying...or a genius. It’s rumored the factories run fully autonomously and the CEO is a distant cousin of Willy Wonka. Only he knows whether med preps and lab blues are different.
But i digress.
Like most Personna blades, the red is known for it’s blend of...wait for it...sharpness and smoothness. I’m still searching for a viable alternative to this oft repeated line of praise, but can’t quite seem to find anything that has the same ring. Suffice to say, it’s earned much praise in the DE community and i was excited to try it out. So after dispensing what little wit i possess, how do they shave?!
First off, these blades are indeed sharp. Not cut you if you look at them wrong sharp, but still quite sharp. The first shave was probably the least sharp of the bunch and was still a very decent shave. Shaves two and three though were where the blade revealed how sharp it really is. I managed to give myself a couple weepers on shave #2 just because it sharpened up quite a bit more than i had expected. Shave three left me with some irritation but no weepers; the same could be said for the 4th shave. This is a blade that needs careful attention in order to avoid getting cut or razor burned. I was prepared for how the blade behaved on the second go round, but still managed to give myself a few weepers and some mild irritation over the course of the next 4 shaves.
Smoothness was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Some shaves were truly excellent, but i can’t say i had any that didn’t end in at least a little irritation. Some of the times were clearly user error, but even the times i took extra care to avoid seeing red (a pun!) the bottom line was that the blade was just a tad harsh for my face.
Consistancy was dead on as both blades behaved in exactly the same manner. The first shave left a bit to be desired but then sharpened up considerably on the second. The third and fourth on both held the sharpness quite well.
Longevity was surprisingly a strong suit here. For whatever reason, I never associated the Israeli Reds with a long lasting blade. The whole sharpness and smoothness thing is a common refrain, but i don’t remember people praising them for their longevity. Either way, I was quite surprised to find that on shave 4, both blades still seemed to have a lot of life left in them. I would have easily felt comfortable shaving 2-4 times more with each blade. Perhaps it was because the red sharpened up so much, but i never noticed a serious degradation in it’s cutting ability.
Cost is a bit on the high side for DE blades. Amazon has them for 19.93 per 100 which isn’t a bank breaker, but does put them into the more expensive DE blade category.
Overall i found the the Israeli Red’s did live up to their lofty reputation, but only just. There was a underlying harshness to them i just couldn’t quite shake regardless of how careful i was. Perhaps the blades were just a bit too sharp for my face, but i have only one face with which to judge and i think they’re just a bit too harsh. Taking everything into account, i’d rate the Personna Israeli Red at a very solid 7 out of 10. Just under what i personally would consider top tier, but certainly a very good blade. In my opinion, those looking for a blade on the sharper side would be well served to give these a try. If you have sensitive skin though, these might prove too irritating to use.
Well that’s it for this month, but i’ll be back with another review shortly. I’ve been slacking a bit with the holidays and all, so i’ve shaved through a number of blades i’ve yet to review and need to post on before i forget them. Up next, the Personna Lab Blue. Until then, happy shaving!
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