My Top Ten Blades

[lasta]

This is a great thread -- elusive subject matter.
I have plenty of experience, and have tried many blades over the longer term too. But I am hard pressed to list favourites, let alone ten of them, in ranked order.

But I have a question for you folks:
One blade that I can comfortably say is among my favourites, is the Gillette Rubie. I am baffled that so few of you even mention it. But for those of you who are somewhat familiar with the Rubie, I wonder what other blades you would say come closest to the performance of the Rubie?
And specifically, for those who know the Nacet and the Rubie:
how do these two compare? I have yet to try a Nacet, they are obviously very popular, so I am curious what blades they are closest to performance-wize..?
I could go on a long rant about other blades, but I am not going to here. But I have one more general question:
It appears that some Russian-made blades are getting harder to find (apart from the Polsilver Iridium which dissappeared altogether). So my question is, are you concerned that more Russian made blades are gradually dissappearing? And are you hording "Russian" blades for this reason ..?

I find Perma Sharp to be very similar. Nacet? Another cousin haha.

All top notch blades.

 

[Keyvan]

So I've been at this thing long enough now and have tried enough different blades to have a pretty good idea of which blades I like best. Of course, sometimes a blade I like in one razor doesn't work as well with another, etc. But in general, these are my Top Ten blades:

1) Gillette Nacet
2) Gillette Perma-Sharp
3) Astra Superior Platinum
4) Bolzano Superinox
5) Voskhod
6) Rapira Platinum Lux
7) Wizamet Super Iridium/PolSilver Super Iridium
8) Derby Extra
9) Shark Super Stainless
10) Gillette Platinum

Obviously, there are a lot of blades I haven't tried yet: none of the Wilkinson Sword series, Feathers (although I have some I haven't broken out yet), a kazillion Treets (they're in the queue), Sputniks (can't find any), Ladas (same), Personnas and many more. I will get to some, probably won't get to others, as the blades I already have I really like.
None of the blades I listed are "bad". In fact, all are quite good.
It's interesting and, frankly, kind of sad that my top six blades are all made in Russia. Or were. Who knows where they'll be made in the future, if made at all. Some blades like the Wizamet Super Iridium and Bolzano Superinox seem already to have disappeared from the market. We'll see what happens in the future.
So I'm genuinely curious: what are your favorite blades?

Eight of the blades that you listed work well for me. I find the Derby and the Sharks to be practically unusable. The Gillette Platinum (Swedes), PolSilver/ Wizamet and Gillette Rubies are my favorites.

 

[abies]

The Russian blades I've tried just don't work for me.
However, I have discovered that many of my favorites are made in India

That's how I feel. I'll have to take a look at the blades on your list I haven't tried.

My favorites so far:

Personna (every one I've tried, not sure how many that counts for)
Super-Max stainless
Feather
RK
Zorrik
Derby Extra
Super-Max platinum
Croma Diamant

 

[cranewarrior]

These user favorite lists are great resources. With just a bit of research you can detect a common thread through them and if one or more of your likes show up on someone else's list, you have a bunch of recommendations to try - if you're so inclined.

 

[Lockback]

So I've been at this thing long enough now and have tried enough different blades to have a pretty good idea of which blades I like best. Of course, sometimes a blade I like in one razor doesn't work as well with another, etc. But in general, these are my Top Ten blades:

1) Gillette Nacet
2) Gillette Perma-Sharp
3) Astra Superior Platinum
4) Bolzano Superinox
5) Voskhod
6) Rapira Platinum Lux
7) Wizamet Super Iridium/PolSilver Super Iridium
8) Derby Extra
9) Shark Super Stainless
10) Gillette Platinum

Since I created this list in early October, I've tried a few more blades and one really jumps out at me: the Gillette 7 O'clock Sharp Edge. I would bump it up into my list at about Number 4.

 

[SaguaroSmart]

1) Gillette Nacet
2) Gillette Perma-Sharp
3) Astra Superior Platinum
4) Bolzano Superinox
5) Voskhod
6) Rapira Platinum Lux
7) Wizamet Super Iridium/PolSilver Super Iridium
8) Derby Extra
9) Shark Super Stainless
10) Gillette Platinum

It's quite interesting to see how wildly different people's experiences with blades are. I swear I've been trying to find a pattern in people's preferred blades and whenever I think I'm close, someone like you disproves everything I thought I knew haha.

For example, many of the blades you listed are among my favorites: Gillette Nacet, Platinum, and Perma-Sharp but after so seeing so many people swear by Astra SP and their very affordable price, I wanted to try them and I cannot get a good shave with them, even in an aggressive razor, they keep tugging and I feel like I need to add pressure to get them to cut like Nacets which leads to irritation.

Blades are so confusing that it seems you cannot even try to map a pattern, you just have to try them all for yourself to really tell which ones you like.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

My top ten is incomplete. The first five are easy.

1) Wilkinson Sword (German)
2) Feather
3) Astra Platinum
4) Gillette SharpEdge
5) Derby Premium

After that it gets muddy. There's two I can provisionally put on there.

6) Personna (Israel)

I have some of the German ones to try too, but haven't cracked them open yet.

7) Gillette Platinum

I do have other blades I like, but not enough to give them the honour of being in this list. However, I have a few more popular blades I haven't tried yet, which might just have that sparkle needed to set them apart from the "OK" blades. Those include (among others) Dorco Prime, Dorco Titan, Bic Chrome Platinum, Gillette 7 O'clock black, Personna (Germany) and assorted platinum coated blades from the Lord factory in Egypt. There's a good chance I will find my last three among those.

 

[Lockback]

It's quite interesting to see how wildly different people's experiences with blades are. I swear I've been trying to find a pattern in people's preferred blades and whenever I think I'm close, someone like you disproves everything I thought I knew haha.

For example, many of the blades you listed are among my favorites: Gillette Nacet, Platinum, and Perma-Sharp but after so seeing so many people swear by Astra SP and their very affordable price, I wanted to try them and I cannot get a good shave with them, even in an aggressive razor, they keep tugging and I feel like I need to add It pressure to get them to cut like Nacets which leads to irritation.

Blades are so confusing that it seems you cannot even try to map a pattern, you just have to try them all for yourself to really tell which ones you like.

It is fascinating how there are so many different opinions on blades.
I'll give you an example of a blade that is virtually universally loved that registers a big, fat "Meh" from me: the Gillette Silver Blue. I certainly don't consider it a bad blade but all of the blades I listed above are superior, IMHO. And yet many swear by them and have them as their favorite.

 

[lasta]

It is fascinating how there are so many different opinions on blades.
I'll give you an example of a blade that is virtually universally loved that registers a big, fat "Meh" from me: the Gillette Silver Blue. I certainly don't consider it a bad blade but all of the blades I listed above are superior, IMHO. And yet many swear by them and have them as their favorite.

 

[Eric_75]

It is fascinating how there are so many different opinions on blades.
I'll give you an example of a blade that is virtually universally loved that registers a big, fat "Meh" from me: the Gillette Silver Blue. I certainly don't consider it a bad blade but all of the blades I listed above are superior, IMHO. And yet many swear by them and have them as their favorite.

Uh oh. @lasta may ask me to fire up the Mighty GSB Temple Grill now.

 

[Lockback]

Uh oh. @lasta may ask me to fire up the Mighty GSB Temple Grill now.

Apparently, I've struck a nerve.

 

[lasta]

Uh oh. @lasta may ask me to fire up the Mighty GSB Temple Grill now.

Extra charcoal! This one needs to be done Chicago-style!

 

[Eric_75]

Extra charcoal! This one needs to be done Chicago-style!

 

[TonkawaTom]

Not necessarily in order.

Feather
BiC Chrome Platinum
Willy's Premium
Wilkinson Sword Classic (German)
Kai
Schick
Gillette 7 O’Clock Super Platinum (India)
Polsilver SI
Super-Max - Blue Diamond Platinum
Gillette 365

 

[coase]

Aside from vintage Gillettes, French Bleues Extras, and old British Wilkinsons, the modern blades in my rotation are almost always GSB, Nacet, and Feather. I also have a few hundred Rapiras that I took home for very low prices from a trip to Moscow in 2014. I'm sometimes tempted to buy more new blades, but realistically my stash will outlast me even if I shave every day. My sons only use a DE about once a month, but stick to the vintage Trac IIs I got them.

 

[SaguaroSmart]

It is fascinating how there are so many different opinions on blades.
I'll give you an example of a blade that is virtually universally loved that registers a big, fat "Meh" from me: the Gillette Silver Blue. I certainly don't consider it a bad blade but all of the blades I listed above are superior, IMHO. And yet many swear by them and have them as their favorite.

Funny, I actually like Gillette Silver Blue. Not my top blade but still very good.

I'm not sure I can really name 10 blades I like so for me it might be:

TOP 5:

Gillette Nacet
Feather
Perma-Sharp
Gillette Platinum
Gillette Silver Blue

Blades that did not work at all for me:

Derby Extra
Astra SP
Shark SS
RK

I have yet to try Wizamet, Polsilver, Personna (Red and blue), Gillette Rubies and many more.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I seem to reach for a fresh Perma-Sharp the most. Habit, maybe, because I’ve had great shaves with:

Personna Comfort Coated USA
Wizamet
Nacet
7 O’Clock black
Kai

I do need to get around to trying the Gillette Platinum in the light box. I do quite a few AC shaves and I suspect I have no clue when it comes to DE blades. As I’ve mentioned previously, I copied a few I kept seeing show up in the photos and in print here.

 

[Lane101]

So I've been at this thing long enough now and have tried enough different blades to have a pretty good idea of which blades I like best. Of course, sometimes a blade I like in one razor doesn't work as well with another, etc. But in general, these are my Top Ten blades:

1) Gillette Nacet
2) Gillette Perma-Sharp
3) Astra Superior Platinum
4) Bolzano Superinox
5) Voskhod
6) Rapira Platinum Lux
7) Wizamet Super Iridium/PolSilver Super Iridium
8) Derby Extra
9) Shark Super Stainless
10) Gillette Platinum

Obviously, there are a lot of blades I haven't tried yet: none of the Wilkinson Sword series, Feathers (although I have some I haven't broken out yet), a kazillion Treets (they're in the queue), Sputniks (can't find any), Ladas (same), Personnas and many more. I will get to some, probably won't get to others, as the blades I already have I really like.
None of the blades I listed are "bad". In fact, all are quite good.
It's interesting and, frankly, kind of sad that my top six blades are all made in Russia. Or were. Who knows where they'll be made in the future, if made at all. Some blades like the Wizamet Super Iridium and Bolzano Superinox seem already to have disappeared from the market. We'll see what happens in the future.
So I'm genuinely curious: what are your favorite blades?

You may want to try Dorco blades as they may work well for you since we also have a similar preference for Astra SPs and Derby Extras. In addition to the Astra and Derby blades I use Dorco Primes (STP300/301) and Stainless (ST300/301) blades with excellent results. All four of these shave equally well for me with the main difference in longevity with my Dorcos lasting the longest followed by Astra SP and then my Derby Extras.

Dorcos are good value blades with the Stainless (ST300) blades going for around $6/100 on Amazon and the Primes (STP300) at around $10. 300/301 SKU number just denotes a cardboard or plastic tuck for what are otherwise the same blades. Primes have an extra teflon coating.

 

[Mr Konrad Dundee]

I find Perma Sharp to be very similar. Nacet? Another cousin haha.

All top notch blades.

I agree

 

[coase]

PPI Gillette blades are the best. Stock up for life and never worry again about which blades are in stock. Add some Feathers and, Voila! you're set for life. Not that this would stop you from experimenting. But it's nice to have a solid base of favorites you can rely on.