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Of the Revolutions of Razor Blades

Gillette produces only 3 types of razor blades in St. Petersburg under different names:
1. Non-chrome blades: Sputnik, Astra Stainless, 7 O'Clock Stainless, Gillette Nacet.
2. Chrome blades: Astra Platinum, Polsilver, Super Iridium, Gillette Silver Blue, 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge, Perma-Sharp, Gillette Platinum.
3. Chrome-platinum blades : Gillette Rubie Platinum, Gillette Minora, Gillette Platinum with an arrow.
Different brands are recognized in different countries, for example the manufacturer's name Wizamet and brands Polsilver and Super Iridium come from Poland, and Astra from the former Czechoslovakia.
So it's time to understand that Astra Stainless is Nacet with a different name, and Astra Platinum and Polsilver are Gillette Platinum with a different name, and, contrary to the name, they are not platinum or iridium coated, as originally. P&G is just lying to customers by preying on their habits. The razor blades have some kind of coating if it is so literally written on the package, and a single word suggesting a coating is only a misleading, deceptive name.
If you feel any differences between the same blades with different names, it is because they are all made of the same steel from 3 different manufacturers. It does not change the fact that all St. Petersburg razor blades are the same product in three variants of the coating.
Since internet influencers specialize in duplicating untested, untrue or sponsored information, It would be worth to know, so that viewers do not buy products unavailable in their countries at excessive prices. There is no point in making comparisons between Super Iridium and Polsilver. One after the other, Youtubers specialize in duplicating false information.
 
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So Sputnik, Astra Stainless, 7 O'Clock Stainless, Gillette Nacet and Gillette Silver Blue are the exact same blade with a different name and packaging? Sorry, calling BS on that one.

Same with Astra Platinum, Polsilver, Super Iridium, Gillette Silver Blue, 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge, Perma-Sharp, Gillette Platinum Being the exact same. Nope.
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
My experience is that while there are similarities within these categories there have also been some fairly pronounced differences in initial and subsequent sharpness, longevity, and the nature of the decline over the course of multiple uses. It certainly is not because I want to like Nacets or Blues more because of their popularity. My favorite blade over the years has been the lowly Crystal.
 
There are some I'd have a tough time telling apart. Rubies and Silver Blues feel right about the same to me. 7 o'clock yellows, Nacets, Polsilver SI, and maybe Perma-Sharps are all very close too. Sputniks aren't bad until I try to do a 3rd shave with them. They degrade faster than the others so I suspect the steel is cheaper in them. Astra SP for me are the worst of the bunch. I'm pretty sure I could pick them out of the iineup blindfolded. The ones I have are 10 years old though. They may have changed since then. I go back and use a pack of them once in a while to see if I should change my opinion of them but I still haven't.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
I love GSB, but to be honest, I sincerely doubt if I could tell the difference between a GSB and an Astra SS...
 
So you're saying that Astra Superior Platinum is the same blade as Polsilver SI? Then how come I can get between 3-4 good shaves of a Polsilver, but only 2 from a Astra SP? I've tried a couple of Astra SP blades from different batches made years apart from each other and both performed pretty much identical. In fact, I wanted to like the Astra SP, because it's one of the cheapest Russian blade on the market and a while ago it was going for around 8$ for 100 blades or around 15$ for 200, but it wasn't as sharp as the Polsilver and the best I could do is two shaves and that's it. I've been shaving with at least 100 Polsilver SI blades from different batches as well and i find their performance to be very consistent.

I understand that since all the blades come from the same factory that some blades might be the same, but with different packaging and different name and while I haven't tried all of their blades, I just don't agree that the Astra SP is the same as Polsilver SI based on my few years of experience. I wish they were the same, but they feel very different on my face.

I do agree that the Perma-Sharp blades feel very close to Polsilver SI and Nacet.
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
If you see any differences, it's because your blades were manufactured at different times, possibly from steel from different vendors. All blades leaving the factory in St. Petersburg on the same day, except for the coating, are the same.
Some of them are consistently sufficiently different that I am astounded. Furthermore, I have seen sharpness data on some, not all, of these blades showing differences consistent with my experience. Not every employee in a factory or any other large business operation has access to all the information. What level was the employee?
 
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Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
Interesting. I do find that Feather AC blades from the same pack can different greatly. I don’t know if its due to technique or QC or whatever. Shaving being a highly subjective endeavor from soaps to blades to brushes and technique, it’s hard to apply one person’s perceptions to another’s.

In the end any added info is beneficial to the hobby as a whole, and it is up to the individual to apply that info to their own experience. I would forward the opinion that post count, while indicative of Forum participation, doesn’t necessarily mean posted info is correct or incorrect. That being said some modicum of respect should be used in posts, and calling out someone’s preferred method of lathering as somehow sub par doesn’t sit well. YMMV
 
There is nothing as pointless as shaving experts having a heated discussion over various razor blades. It by far is the most controversial and subjective topic in the shaving community. I'm not sure why that is. All I know is that it is.

And you know what? I believe all the opinions expressed are correct.

Not only that, most blades are less than 15 cents a pop, so we’re hardly getting snowed by the blade manufacturers even if they are in fact relabeling blades as something else.
 
I have given you information to the best of my knowledge. I did it so that people would not be fooled by offers to sell razor blades not available in their country for an excessive price, which the youtubers are forcing you to do. Do what you want with this knowledge.

You cited your source as an employee of the factory that makes blades. At best it’s the truth, at worst, it’s made up gossip intended to slight the company and nothing more.

I test everything I use extensively and make every effort to be unbiased and honest in my findings. I have no YouTube channel or skin in the game, I’m just a wet-shaver who likes DE razors and blades. Sorry, but my experience does not jive with the assertions in your original statement.
 
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Thank you. However, it seems to me that I understand what I am writing and I control the tone of my words :) Once again, I greet you all as heartily as I can! I would like to add that the statement of a factory employee was verified and supplemented by me. It seems to me that the people arguing with me do not understand that their razor blades come from different production batches.

What do you mean by “supplemented”? Did you work at the factory yourself?
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Its a shame @Mischka doesnt log in anymore.

A few of us looked into this a couple years ago and we found that steel stock was held at ISO 9445 standards.

DE Blade Thicknesses - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/de-blade-thicknesses.540416/post-11189380

I'm not sure if that would allow for the variance in blade thicknesses between brands though.

in thick mm thick BLADE
0.00450” 0.114mm Gillette Nacet Stainless
0.00450” 0.114mm Shaverboy Super Stainless

0.00425” 0.108mm Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Stainless (0.089mm*)
0.00425” 0.108mm Lord Platinum

0.00410” 0.104mm Feather

0.00400” 0.102mm Astra Superior Stainless
0.00400” 0.102mm BIC Chrome Platinum
0.00400” 0.102mm Croma Diamant Stainless
0.00400” 0.102mm Derby Extra (pre 2016, current blade 0.089mm*)
0.00400” 0.102mm Gillette Sword
0.00400” 0.102mm Kai*
0.00400” 0.102mm Personna Med Prep
0.00400” 0.102mm Personna Platinum Chrome (Personna Red)
0.00400” 0.102mm Polsilver SI
0.00400” 0.102mm Rapira Platinum Lux
0.00400” 0.102mm Sharp Star
0.00400” 0.102mm Super Max Blue Diamond Titanium
0.00400” 0.102mm Vidyut Super Max Platinum
0.00400” 0.102mm Voskhod

0.00390” 0.099mm Bolzano Superinox
0.00390” 0.099mm Shark Super Chrome
0.00390” 0.099mm Treet Platinum Super Stainless

0.00375” 0.095mm Gillette New Improved Stainless
0.00375” 0.095mm Gillette Platinum
0.00375” 0.095mm Gillette Rubie Platinum Plus
0.00375” 0.095mm Trig Silver Edge
0.00375” 0.095mm Vidyut Super-Max
0.00375” 0.095mm Wizamet Super Iridium Extra Stainless
0.00375” 0.095mm Zorrik Super Platinum

0.00350” 0.089mm Astra Superior Platinum
0.00350” 0.089mm Gillette 7 O’Clock Sharp Edge
0.00350” 0.089mm Gillette 7 O’Clock Super Platinum
0.00350” 0.089mm Gillette Silver Blue
0.00350” 0.089mm Perma Sharp Stainless
0.00350” 0.089mm Sputnik
0.00350” 0.089mm Treet Platinum
0.00350” 0.089mm Wizamet Super Iridium

* Information from “DE Razor Blade Dimensions Table” in the ShaveWiki.

Blade coatings however, I firmly believe make a great difference in how we perceive sharpness and smoothness. Gillette started testing that in 1959.
"After discovering in his test lab that shavers could not tell the difference in blade sharpness, he was responsible for break-thru research that determined that blade sharpness was not a critical factor in receiving a good shave; rather a reduction in drag by hair clinging to the blade causing pulling was needed. This Drag Theory lead to the development of coated razor blades and specifically the Organosiloxane Gel coated Super Blue Blade (1959)."

 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
Its a shame @Mischka doesnt log in anymore.

A few of us looked into this a couple years ago and we found that steel stock was held at ISO 9445 standards.

DE Blade Thicknesses - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/de-blade-thicknesses.540416/post-11189380

I'm not sure if that would allow for the variance in blade thicknesses between brands though.

in thick mm thick BLADE
0.00450” 0.114mm Gillette Nacet Stainless
0.00450” 0.114mm Shaverboy Super Stainless

0.00425” 0.108mm Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Stainless (0.089mm*)
0.00425” 0.108mm Lord Platinum

0.00410” 0.104mm Feather

0.00400” 0.102mm Astra Superior Stainless
0.00400” 0.102mm BIC Chrome Platinum
0.00400” 0.102mm Croma Diamant Stainless
0.00400” 0.102mm Derby Extra (pre 2016, current blade 0.089mm*)
0.00400” 0.102mm Gillette Sword
0.00400” 0.102mm Kai*
0.00400” 0.102mm Personna Med Prep
0.00400” 0.102mm Personna Platinum Chrome (Personna Red)
0.00400” 0.102mm Polsilver SI
0.00400” 0.102mm Rapira Platinum Lux
0.00400” 0.102mm Sharp Star
0.00400” 0.102mm Super Max Blue Diamond Titanium
0.00400” 0.102mm Vidyut Super Max Platinum
0.00400” 0.102mm Voskhod

0.00390” 0.099mm Bolzano Superinox
0.00390” 0.099mm Shark Super Chrome
0.00390” 0.099mm Treet Platinum Super Stainless

0.00375” 0.095mm Gillette New Improved Stainless
0.00375” 0.095mm Gillette Platinum
0.00375” 0.095mm Gillette Rubie Platinum Plus
0.00375” 0.095mm Trig Silver Edge
0.00375” 0.095mm Vidyut Super-Max
0.00375” 0.095mm Wizamet Super Iridium Extra Stainless
0.00375” 0.095mm Zorrik Super Platinum

0.00350” 0.089mm Astra Superior Platinum
0.00350” 0.089mm Gillette 7 O’Clock Sharp Edge
0.00350” 0.089mm Gillette 7 O’Clock Super Platinum
0.00350” 0.089mm Gillette Silver Blue
0.00350” 0.089mm Perma Sharp Stainless
0.00350” 0.089mm Sputnik
0.00350” 0.089mm Treet Platinum
0.00350” 0.089mm Wizamet Super Iridium

* Information from “DE Razor Blade Dimensions Table” in the ShaveWiki.

Blade coatings however, I firmly believe make a great difference in how we perceive sharpness and smoothness. Gillette started testing that in 1959.
0.00350 to 0.00450 is quite a bit of difference. Seems like more than would be accounted for in manufacturing.
 
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