My ranking of blades so far....

[Jim K]

Here is my ranking (from high to low), so far after only 35 brands to date: (I have a mild beard and shave every day and use a GC .84P razor and a Rockwell 6c - my face is not very sensitive):

Top 3 - all outstanding
1- Bolzano Superinox
2 - Gillette Nacet
3 - Chroma Diamont

Very good blades
4 - Astra SP
5 - Gillette Green SS
6 - Astra SS
7 - Merkur SS Platinum
8 - Voskhod
9 - Rapira Platinum Lux
10 - Gillette Rubie
11 - Polsiver
12 - Gillette Silver Blue
13 - Parker
14 - Perma Sharp Super
15 - Gillette Platinum
16 - SuperMax Super Stainless
17 - Ladas

Good blades
18 - Rapira Swedish Stainless Steel
19 - Gillette Yellow Sharp Edge
20 - Feather
21 - Wilkinson German Sword
22 - Treet Platinum
23 - Bluebird
24 - Dorco Premium
25 - Persona Lab Blue
26 - Spudnik
27 - Derby Premium
28 - Bic Astor
29 - Derby Extra

Poor blades
30 - Persona Platinum Chrome
31 - Bic Super Stainless
32 - Viking
33 - Dorco 301

Unusable after only 2 shaves - too painful
34- Rockwell
35 - Shark Super Stainless

Each blade was used at least 2 times, sometimes three times, in two different razors. (Rockwell 6c on plate #3 - in addition to the Game Changer .84p)

I am sure most will not agree with how they worked on my face - but this was fairly scientific and shows the variance in peoples face and how they shave. I never have 2 days worth of stubble, as an example - since I shave every day.

 

[les24preludes]

Looks about right to me. My ranking is
Nacet
GSB
Astra SP = Yellows
Rapira PL
Polsilver = Personna Red

Not too different. Bolzano Superinox and Chroma Diamont are completely new to me. Are they really as sharp as Nacet? Bolzano are £14.95 for 100 from Sweden, which is the lowest price I can see, so not cheap. Chroma Diamont are €29.50 for 200 so not cheap either.....

 

[Jim K]

Looks about right to me. My ranking is
Nacet
GSB
Astra SP = Yellows
Rapira PL
Polsilver = Personna Red

Not too different. Bolzano Superinox and Chroma Diamont are completely new to me. Are they really as sharp as Nacet? Bolzano are £14.95 for 100 from Sweden, which is the lowest price I can see, so not cheap. Chroma Diamont are €29.50 for 200 so not cheap either.....

I'm in the US so prices are a lot different.. But those two blades are so awesome. like cutting butter... immediately I felt the difference... all faces are different. I am Norwegian myself.,so maybe a similar Nordic beard type like you?

 

[les24preludes]

I speak Norwegian but I'm from the UK. I do have straight blonde hair.

 

[Matt O]

Have you considered trying some of the vintage blades? My favorites include the Personna 74, Wilkinson Light Brigade, and the Gillette Platinum Plus blades in the plastic gray dispenser. Those three are amazing!

Vr

Matt

 

[Tostig]

Interesting list, thanks. I definitely have my differences from this list, but it's still interesting to see where others come down on the different blades.

One thing that struck me was ranking Astra above all the other Gillettes. I have no problem or beef with Astra, but it seems to me that it's their middle of the road, lower cost blade -- sharp, a little rough sometimes, but usable and decent. Whereas they have many offerings of blades that cost more and seem a lot better to me - Polsilver, GSB, Yellows, Platinums, etc. Just goes to show how much YMMV is true!

 

[Chaddy187]

Astra sp is about the best blade I’ve tried in the ikon tech.

 

[Jim K]

Interesting list, thanks. I definitely have my differences from this list, but it's still interesting to see where others come down on the different blades.

One thing that struck me was ranking Astra above all the other Gillettes. I have no problem or beef with Astra, but it seems to me that it's their middle of the road, lower cost blade -- sharp, a little rough sometimes, but usable and decent. Whereas they have many offerings of blades that cost more and seem a lot better to me - Polsilver, GSB, Yellows, Platinums, etc. Just goes to show how much YMMV is true!

No, I have the Gillette Nacet in my top 3 . It is the best blade..love it... excellent blade.

 

[fast shaver]

Here is my ranking (from high to low), so far after only 35 brands to date: (I have a mild beard and shave every day and use a GC .84P razor and a Rockwell 6c - my face is not very sensitive):

Top 3 - all outstanding
1- Bolzano Superinox
2 - Gillette Nacet
3 - Chroma Diamont

Very good blades
4 - Astra SP
5 - Gillette Green SS
6 - Astra SS
7 - Merkur SS Platinum
8 - Voskhod
9 - Rapira Platinum Lux
10 - Gillette Rubie
11 - Polsiver
12 - Gillette Silver Blue
13 - Parker
14 - Perma Sharp Super
15 - Gillette Platinum
16 - SuperMax Super Stainless
17 - Ladas

Good blades
18 - Rapira Swedish Stainless Steel
19 - Gillette Yellow Sharp Edge
20 - Feather
21 - Wilkinson German Sword
22 - Treet Platinum
23 - Bluebird
24 - Dorco Premium
25 - Persona Lab Blue
26 - Spudnik
27 - Derby Premium
28 - Bic Astor
29 - Derby Extra

Poor blades
30 - Persona Platinum Chrome
31 - Bic Super Stainless
32 - Viking
33 - Dorco 301

Unusable after only 2 shaves - too painful
34- Rockwell
35 - Shark Super Stainless

Each blade was used at least 2 times, sometimes three times, in two different razors. (Rockwell 6c on plate #3 - in addition to the Game Changer .84p)

I am sure most will not agree with how they worked on my face - but this was fairly scientific and shows the variance in peoples face and how they shave. I never have 2 days worth of stubble, as an example - since I shave every day.

Chroma Diamont is suspect to me unless you got a good one. All 4 Chroma blades I have tried were dull & tugged like all Hades.!

 

[Jim K]

Chroma Diamont is suspect to me unless you got a good one. All 4 Chroma blades I have tried were dull & tugged like all Hades.!

Used 4 different Chroma blades so far on two different razors - so 8 shaves so far - every single one was perfection in a blade. smooth close. non-irratating and actually made my face feel great... Bolzano, Chroma, and Nacet are all the best.. each once is fantastic.

 

[fast shaver]

Used 4 different Chroma blades so far on two different razors - so 8 shaves so far - every single one was perfection in a blade. smooth close. non-irratating and actually made my face feel great... Bolzano, Chroma, and Nacet are all the best.. each once is fantastic.

It looks like your Chroma blades were properly made.!

 

[Al Bundy]

I've learned blades are very YMMV but my personal ranking is:

1. Gillette 7 o'clock Sharpedge (yellow)
2. Gillette Rubie
.
.
.
3. The rest

 

[Earcutter]

Fun! I’m just starting myself.

Earcutter’s DE Blade Evacuations

 

[BigJ]

Interesting list!

The great thing is that you can try and enjoy a ton of blades for less than the price of a night out!

 

[Tostig]

I've learned blades are very YMMV but my personal ranking is:

1. Gillette 7 o'clock Sharpedge (yellow)
2. Gillette Rubie
.
.
.
3. The rest

I've gotten to kind of a similar place, I think.

1. Gillette Platinum
2. SharpEdge
3 -6. Polsilver, GSB, PermaSharp Super, and Nacet, not sure of the order
.
.
.
7 .Everything else

But I'm no longer at all sure my preferred blades are "better" than other blades - I think it's more that I've gotten used to that PPI "feel" and blades without it just don't feel as right.

 

[ivan_101]

What is "31 - Bic Super Stainless"?

No such blade. There is Bic Chrome Platinum.
You realise that everyone's blade ranking would be completely different, right?
For instance that Bic blade you consider poor is considered by many [including myself] to be excellent.

 

[emwolf]

Just based on my Shaving Buddy app, my rankings for DE blades are
1. Treet Super STainless
2. Crystal
3. Personna Med Prep
4. GSB
5. Rockwell (I imagine the white pack)
6. Parker Premium Platinum
7. German Wilkinson
8. Personna Lab Blue
9. Rapira Lux
10. Pol Silver Super Iridium.
Now, those rankings are culled from overall shave rankings. If I had to just chose I'd say
1. Gillette Nacet
2. GSB
3. German Wilkinson
4. Personna Lab Blue
5. Parker Premium Platinum.

 

[Al Bundy]

But I'm no longer at all sure my preferred blades are "better" than other blades - I think it's more that I've gotten used to that PPI "feel" and blades without it just don't feel as right.

Hmm, interesting notion. Hadn't heard of this before or occurred to me that they might have an "in house" feel about them.

I have to say I have also tried 7 o'clock black, Permasharp, Nacet, GSB and Polsilver and found them pretty good but noticeably short of my two faves in terms of performance - but that could just be me of course.

 

[Jim K]

What is "31 - Bic Super Stainless"?

No such blade. There is Bic Chrome Platinum.
You realise that everyone's blade ranking would be completely different, right?
For instance that Bic blade you consider poor is considered by many [including myself] to be excellent.

I do realize that, totally - blades are completely subjective. I was not trying to insult someone's opinion... most would NEVER put the CHroma or Bolzano in the top 3 like I do.. That is perfectly ok.

 

[Tostig]

Hmm, interesting notion. Hadn't heard of this before or occurred to me that they might have an "in house" feel about them.

I have to say I have also tried 7 o'clock black, Permasharp, Nacet, GSB and Polsilver and found them pretty good but noticeably short of my two faves in terms of performance - but that could just be me of course.

I find the Platinum, SharpEdge, GSB, and Polsilver quite similar. I'm not even sure if I could tell them apart on blind tests, though on a non-blind basis, the Platinum is my favorite du jour. To me, they do have a certain feel in common - sharp and smooth, comfortable, forgiving, one may be a little sharper than the others (GSB) and one may be a little smoother than the others (Platinum) but they are peas of a pod to me. Even an assessment of which is sharpest or smoothest would lead 10 different shavers to 10 different answers - that's how close they are.

The Nacet and PermaSharp Supers, likewise, seem kinda similar. Both are sharper than the aforementioned group, with more blade feel, getting closer to Feather territory.

So there seem to be two groupings at PPI, but that first group has a lot of blades that are all within 10 or 20 % of each other on the important parameters. I've definitely gotten used to the blade feel of the brands in that first group and prefer it on any given day. Mostly, I use and really love the SharpEdge and Platinums.