Participation PIF - The Mysterious KAI Blades
- Thread starter Grundi
- Start date
Shave #2 with 48 hours growth. Proraso green, Merkur Progress setting 3 (dialed back from usual 3.5 - 4).
I don't know about mythical dragons and plasmatized metals, but this blade rocks. Nice amount of blade feel, very comfortable shave. Absolutely no tugging of hair or dragging feeling. Just a solid feeling of stubble being removed.
Same result: BBS after 3 passes on face and head with no buffing or pick up pass. No irritation, no blood. I am quite satisfied.
I don't know about mythical dragons and plasmatized metals, but this blade rocks. Nice amount of blade feel, very comfortable shave. Absolutely no tugging of hair or dragging feeling. Just a solid feeling of stubble being removed.
Same result: BBS after 3 passes on face and head with no buffing or pick up pass. No irritation, no blood. I am quite satisfied.
- Thread starter
- #123
Mysterious KAI Blades(3)
TL;DR - Another great shave with a slight drop in blade feel and irritation
Equipment: Merkur 20C with Blue Poppy Melon Wood shave stick
Results: Shave #3 was another great 2-pass shave, DFS+, but it felt that the blade had slightly less blade feel and slightly less irritation. This blade is still performing amazingly well and is nice and smooth.
Weird Side Note: I'm a daily, full-face shaver, and I'm actually leaning toward the opinion that I might prefer a lesser performing blade for daily use. These Mysterious KAI blades are truly special, but they might bring too much performance to the table for every day use.
TL;DR - Another great shave with a slight drop in blade feel and irritation
Equipment: Merkur 20C with Blue Poppy Melon Wood shave stick
Results: Shave #3 was another great 2-pass shave, DFS+, but it felt that the blade had slightly less blade feel and slightly less irritation. This blade is still performing amazingly well and is nice and smooth.
Weird Side Note: I'm a daily, full-face shaver, and I'm actually leaning toward the opinion that I might prefer a lesser performing blade for daily use. These Mysterious KAI blades are truly special, but they might bring too much performance to the table for every day use.
- Thread starter
- #124
Unfortunately, the PIF Phase has ended and all the blades have been given out.
Shave #2 ( Blade 1 )
Gillette Slim
Kai Stainless
Omega 49
Stirling One
Clubman Vanilla
This was an eye-opening shave. I dialed the Slim down to '2' which is extremely mild. During the shave I was amazed at how smooth and effortless the shave seemed. Much less face feel than I had remembered from shave #1 in my SLOC. I was very happy with the result ... until I slapped the AS on. I felt a slight sting in more than one location on my neck, and a short time later I was able to detect a cluster of slow weepers.
I think I let the knowledge that I had the Slim set to 2 override my innate respect for very sharp blades. I get this result from sharp blades sometimes when I'm careless. These aren't really nicks, and I didn't feel them at all until I applied the AS. Even now, 7 hours later there's not a lot of irritation present and they aren't really visible.
I need to slow down with this blade as it deserves respect. I'm still extremely happy with the output since I feel the damage was self-inflicted.
Depending on how my neck feels tomorrow I may dial the Slim a little more aggressive while being sure to take my time with the shave.
Gillette Slim
Kai Stainless
Omega 49
Stirling One
Clubman Vanilla
This was an eye-opening shave. I dialed the Slim down to '2' which is extremely mild. During the shave I was amazed at how smooth and effortless the shave seemed. Much less face feel than I had remembered from shave #1 in my SLOC. I was very happy with the result ... until I slapped the AS on. I felt a slight sting in more than one location on my neck, and a short time later I was able to detect a cluster of slow weepers.
I think I let the knowledge that I had the Slim set to 2 override my innate respect for very sharp blades. I get this result from sharp blades sometimes when I'm careless. These aren't really nicks, and I didn't feel them at all until I applied the AS. Even now, 7 hours later there's not a lot of irritation present and they aren't really visible.
I need to slow down with this blade as it deserves respect. I'm still extremely happy with the output since I feel the damage was self-inflicted.
Depending on how my neck feels tomorrow I may dial the Slim a little more aggressive while being sure to take my time with the shave.
Monday Shave
Blade-1 Shave #3
Razor: Game Changer .68 SB
Blade: Kai (3)
Soap: Williams Mug
Brush: Omega 11126 Boar
Post: Lustray Bay Rum
Shave #3 with this blade was just as smooth, efficient, and comfortable as the last shave.
I usually bin my blades after shave #3 max, but I'm interested in the longevity of this blade so I'm going to keep going to see how well it holds up for me.
Blade-1 Shave #3
Razor: Game Changer .68 SB
Blade: Kai (3)
Soap: Williams Mug
Brush: Omega 11126 Boar
Post: Lustray Bay Rum
Shave #3 with this blade was just as smooth, efficient, and comfortable as the last shave.
I usually bin my blades after shave #3 max, but I'm interested in the longevity of this blade so I'm going to keep going to see how well it holds up for me.
A mysterious package has arrived from the East. Literally. I’m so far west that only the date line is past me and our generous enabler, i mean supporter, is so Far East he might have pulled t he meteor up by himself.
Stay tuned, reviews should be here in the next couple of days.
Stay tuned, reviews should be here in the next couple of days.
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Kai 1 use 4
Baili 177
Nivea stick soap
Cremo horse brush
Alum
Medicated Witch
Some retinol, hyaluronic, collagen cream? (experiment)
Planned razor was Gillette, grabbed a Flair Black, then a SuperAdjust 84mm and a FatBoy= in all razors the blade protruded more on one side vs the other: just the tabs. They are 0.3mm longer on one side.
Shave: no drama, 3 passes, had moderate irritation at the end, hence I used the Alum which just burnt. It seems to have subsided and I haven't even tried the mystery wonder cream as aftershave balm......
No blood, close shave but was closer w RR GC.
If anyone has a Gillette TTO let me know if you get the uneven blade protrusion (see upper side of pic).....I intend to try to shave with one probably tomorrow.
Cheers
Baili 177
Nivea stick soap
Cremo horse brush
Alum
Medicated Witch
Some retinol, hyaluronic, collagen cream? (experiment)
Planned razor was Gillette, grabbed a Flair Black, then a SuperAdjust 84mm and a FatBoy= in all razors the blade protruded more on one side vs the other: just the tabs. They are 0.3mm longer on one side.
Shave: no drama, 3 passes, had moderate irritation at the end, hence I used the Alum which just burnt. It seems to have subsided and I haven't even tried the mystery wonder cream as aftershave balm......
No blood, close shave but was closer w RR GC.
If anyone has a Gillette TTO let me know if you get the uneven blade protrusion (see upper side of pic).....I intend to try to shave with one probably tomorrow.
Cheers
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
First shave with a Kai blade. As these have a reputation for being super sharp and offering slightly more blade exposure I decided on the Henckels Henso as my razor. Despite its appearance this is a mild razor with a very narrow sweet spot for the cutting angle which requires a better technique that I possess. As a result I normally use this razor with a vintage Petard shim which is 0.6mm thick. I have tried loosening the cap as I do with other three piece razors but the Henckels seems prone to blade chatter with a loosened cap so I find the shim is a better option.
Without using the shim I did a two pass shave compared to my normal three pass and maybe it is my imagination but with the Kai blade I got increased audio feedback, and less precision than normal was required to achieve the cutting angle. The Kai blade definitely increases the aggression of the very mild Henckels razor and perhaps makes it perform more like it would have with the older, thicker vintage blades. The result was a close smooth shave with zero irritation but I can well imagine that my next use of the Kai in a less forgiving razor will be a very different experience.
Without using the shim I did a two pass shave compared to my normal three pass and maybe it is my imagination but with the Kai blade I got increased audio feedback, and less precision than normal was required to achieve the cutting angle. The Kai blade definitely increases the aggression of the very mild Henckels razor and perhaps makes it perform more like it would have with the older, thicker vintage blades. The result was a close smooth shave with zero irritation but I can well imagine that my next use of the Kai in a less forgiving razor will be a very different experience.
I received the blades
So far I have had 2 good shaves with them . I may buy 20 more. I really liked them.
So far I have had 2 good shaves with them . I may buy 20 more. I really liked them.
Kai blade, edge 1, shave 1; Wilkinson Sword Classic (plastic) razor, Art of Shaving Lavender soap, YaQi Sagarada Familia 24mm tuxedo.
The Mysterious Kai. Mysterious indeed. I’ve travelled to Japan on business several times since adopting this hobby, and spent a good proportion of my free time trudging through the shopping districts trying to find these blades – drugstores, beauty stores, convenience stores and department stores have all thrown a blank, although I can always find Feather blades (if not in every store), and Kai disposables are ubiquitous (including the free one in my hotel room).
Now I actually have the blades in hand, and there’s not a Japanese character to be seen, I wonder if they’re export-only, or possibly only available wholesale to beauty salons (which seems to form a large part if their business: thanks to @hangblague for posting the link to the Kai magazine upthread which gave me plenty of background info).
Onto the shave itself, I didn’t notice the blade’s famed extra width, but I suspect I was riding the cap a little more than I usually do just in case. There was a good amount of audible feedback, I think more than usual. Despite (or possibly thanks to) the fearsome reputation I suffered no mishaps or weepers, and just had a thoroughly pleasant shave. There was surprisingly little alum feedback either – I wouldn’t usually have even bothered after a shave like this, but since it’s a new blade (and a participation PIF!) I decided I would.
So, by paying due respect I have escaped unscathed. I look forward to round two.
The Mysterious Kai. Mysterious indeed. I’ve travelled to Japan on business several times since adopting this hobby, and spent a good proportion of my free time trudging through the shopping districts trying to find these blades – drugstores, beauty stores, convenience stores and department stores have all thrown a blank, although I can always find Feather blades (if not in every store), and Kai disposables are ubiquitous (including the free one in my hotel room).
Now I actually have the blades in hand, and there’s not a Japanese character to be seen, I wonder if they’re export-only, or possibly only available wholesale to beauty salons (which seems to form a large part if their business: thanks to @hangblague for posting the link to the Kai magazine upthread which gave me plenty of background info).
Onto the shave itself, I didn’t notice the blade’s famed extra width, but I suspect I was riding the cap a little more than I usually do just in case. There was a good amount of audible feedback, I think more than usual. Despite (or possibly thanks to) the fearsome reputation I suffered no mishaps or weepers, and just had a thoroughly pleasant shave. There was surprisingly little alum feedback either – I wouldn’t usually have even bothered after a shave like this, but since it’s a new blade (and a participation PIF!) I decided I would.
So, by paying due respect I have escaped unscathed. I look forward to round two.
Blade 1, shave 2 of my planned 28
Rating: 4 / 5
Razor: Maggard V2OC (Open Comb)
Blade: Kai
Brush: Semogue 610
Lather: Officina Artigiana Milano Oli del Benessere
Aftershave: Osma Lotion Apres Rasage
WTG only, two passes. DFS, one of the best wtg-only shaves I’ve experienced where my 4 stars represents a very good result.
I haven’t used this Maggard V2OC much, but it was fantastic today—really efficient. I realized that if I was to do an ATG pass it would be hard to justify shaving tomorrow, and as part of the one blade in February challenge I’m planning on shaving for 28 days straight.
Rating: 4 / 5
Razor: Maggard V2OC (Open Comb)
Blade: Kai
Brush: Semogue 610
Lather: Officina Artigiana Milano Oli del Benessere
Aftershave: Osma Lotion Apres Rasage
WTG only, two passes. DFS, one of the best wtg-only shaves I’ve experienced where my 4 stars represents a very good result.
I haven’t used this Maggard V2OC much, but it was fantastic today—really efficient. I realized that if I was to do an ATG pass it would be hard to justify shaving tomorrow, and as part of the one blade in February challenge I’m planning on shaving for 28 days straight.
Mysterious, legendary KAI blade 1: Shave #3
Using my personal ‘top-tier’ kit to give this blade every opportunity:
Wolfman WR1/WRH 2 handle
Graydoy palm wood 2-band badger
Fine santal absolut soap + splash
This blade is getting better and better!!
The rating: ’The best a man can get!’ (At least for this guy.) 10/10!!
Using my personal ‘top-tier’ kit to give this blade every opportunity:
Wolfman WR1/WRH 2 handle
Graydoy palm wood 2-band badger
Fine santal absolut soap + splash
This blade is getting better and better!!
The rating: ’The best a man can get!’ (At least for this guy.) 10/10!!
Shave 3 ( Blade 1 )
Gillette Slim ( Setting 3 )
Kai
Omega 49
Arko
Clubman Vanilla
OK. Shave #2 let me know that regardless of how smooth this blade was feeling I couldn't just whip it around my face willy-nilly. Today I took my time with the Kai and it rewarded me with a smooth, close, and drama-free shave.
Of course, Arko is slicker than whale snot the way I mix it so I'll give it a little of the credit
So far even with the one slightly adventurous shave I am liking this blade in the Slim quite a bit. I think the fatter head on the Slim alleviates some of the face feel I got from the wider blade in the SLOC.
Gillette Slim ( Setting 3 )
Kai
Omega 49
Arko
Clubman Vanilla
OK. Shave #2 let me know that regardless of how smooth this blade was feeling I couldn't just whip it around my face willy-nilly. Today I took my time with the Kai and it rewarded me with a smooth, close, and drama-free shave.
Of course, Arko is slicker than whale snot the way I mix it so I'll give it a little of the credit
So far even with the one slightly adventurous shave I am liking this blade in the Slim quite a bit. I think the fatter head on the Slim alleviates some of the face feel I got from the wider blade in the SLOC.
I was thinking the same thing. They seem to pair with my mild Game Changer .68 SB very well. I'm interested in seeing how they work with the .68 open comb base plate, and a couple of other razors.
SHAVE ONE
When I first open the paper, the first thing I noticed was there weren’t any markings on the blades. Now we are used to our blades being billboards for the company. You can barely see the blade due to all the advertisement, on their own product. “Platinum, Chrome, Uranium, Jazz Infused…”
Interesting, either these blades are so good the company doesn’t have to advertise, or it’s a cheap fake and my face is about to die. These may actually shave like the meteor they are legend to come from.
I did take time to lay a normal mortal blade on top of this one. I have heard they the KAI’s are wider, and boy howdy they sure are. Not by feet but enough to give you a more aggressive shave I am sure. On a side note, how did they figure to use this size blade?
I prepped this morning with a hot shower and Cremo Bear Oil. (I have some left over. Waste not want not…and stuff). Lathered with TOBS Eton Collage and plopped the unmarked mystery blade in my Merkur 23. I always test new blades in this razor since it is of a forgiving disposition. And I was off. WTG.
I could defiantly feel a difference in this razor. I could actually feel the blade. Not a harsh feeling. This blade is smooth. This blade is sharp. My first pass complete.
Second pass XTG. Learning this blade now. No tugging just a constant smooth cutting action. I’m at a loss of witty things to say at this point. It’s like a samurai sword?
Third pass ATG. To be honest, I didn’t go ATG everywhere, just my face. My neck is sensitive and if I were shaving at night I would have done ATG there but as I was getting ready for work I just let this go for now.
I finished and rinsed my face then something happened. I stood there. Not admiring my work, but taking in this blade. I don’t know how long I stood there. I just had to take a moment to process what happened.
I had a vision. It was about the origins of this blade. I am not saying anyone is wrong in what they have heard, but here is what I know. This blade is not from some rock that fell into the water from space. This blade was forged from a special stone though. I heard it said that the angel Gabriel came down and delivered to a humble Japanese blacksmith the very stone that David used to strike down Goliath.
To be honest here. I looked for issues with this blade. As my shave went on I tried to pick nits. As far as shave one goes this is a great blade. My face is smooth with little to no irritation outside the normal areas on my neck. I corked stopped it and its waiting for the next round.
When I first open the paper, the first thing I noticed was there weren’t any markings on the blades. Now we are used to our blades being billboards for the company. You can barely see the blade due to all the advertisement, on their own product. “Platinum, Chrome, Uranium, Jazz Infused…”
Interesting, either these blades are so good the company doesn’t have to advertise, or it’s a cheap fake and my face is about to die. These may actually shave like the meteor they are legend to come from.
I did take time to lay a normal mortal blade on top of this one. I have heard they the KAI’s are wider, and boy howdy they sure are. Not by feet but enough to give you a more aggressive shave I am sure. On a side note, how did they figure to use this size blade?
I prepped this morning with a hot shower and Cremo Bear Oil. (I have some left over. Waste not want not…and stuff). Lathered with TOBS Eton Collage and plopped the unmarked mystery blade in my Merkur 23. I always test new blades in this razor since it is of a forgiving disposition. And I was off. WTG.
I could defiantly feel a difference in this razor. I could actually feel the blade. Not a harsh feeling. This blade is smooth. This blade is sharp. My first pass complete.
Second pass XTG. Learning this blade now. No tugging just a constant smooth cutting action. I’m at a loss of witty things to say at this point. It’s like a samurai sword?
Third pass ATG. To be honest, I didn’t go ATG everywhere, just my face. My neck is sensitive and if I were shaving at night I would have done ATG there but as I was getting ready for work I just let this go for now.
I finished and rinsed my face then something happened. I stood there. Not admiring my work, but taking in this blade. I don’t know how long I stood there. I just had to take a moment to process what happened.
I had a vision. It was about the origins of this blade. I am not saying anyone is wrong in what they have heard, but here is what I know. This blade is not from some rock that fell into the water from space. This blade was forged from a special stone though. I heard it said that the angel Gabriel came down and delivered to a humble Japanese blacksmith the very stone that David used to strike down Goliath.
To be honest here. I looked for issues with this blade. As my shave went on I tried to pick nits. As far as shave one goes this is a great blade. My face is smooth with little to no irritation outside the normal areas on my neck. I corked stopped it and its waiting for the next round.
Received yesterday. First shave today.
Razor: Blackbird OC
Brush: Zenith Silver Tip set by Rudy Vey in a faux horn handle
Captain's Choice Heavy Copper Bowl
Soap: DG Fourth & Pine
Alum Block when done
Excellent shave. Lots of blade feel but that's typical of the Blackbird and the extra width may have contributed as well. Some reviews I've read also mention that they are thicker than other DE's. Lots of audible feedback too. The lack of printing seemed odd as well. And, try as I might, reading the tuck over and over I couldn't find any hint of a coating. Can anyone comment?
A winner so far!
Thanks @Grundi and @AnimalCatcher for your generosity and the opportunity.
Razor: Blackbird OC
Brush: Zenith Silver Tip set by Rudy Vey in a faux horn handle
Captain's Choice Heavy Copper Bowl
Soap: DG Fourth & Pine
Alum Block when done
Excellent shave. Lots of blade feel but that's typical of the Blackbird and the extra width may have contributed as well. Some reviews I've read also mention that they are thicker than other DE's. Lots of audible feedback too. The lack of printing seemed odd as well. And, try as I might, reading the tuck over and over I couldn't find any hint of a coating. Can anyone comment?
A winner so far!
Thanks @Grundi and @AnimalCatcher for your generosity and the opportunity.
- Thread starter
- #138
Mysterious KAI Blades(4)
TL;DR - Excellent shave, blade has settled down just a bit, still performing but no irritation
Equipment: Merkur 20C with MEM Olive Shave Cream
Results: Shave #4 was an excellent 2-pass shave, DFS+ (again), with some touch up, but NO irritation. I'm trying MEM Olive for the first time and I'm liking it. I didn't feel as much blade during this shave and no irritation after my shave. I'm still getting great shaves with this blade.
Longevity: This shave represents my personal baseline for good blades - 4 decent/good/great shaves. If a blade hits #4 and is still giving me decent shaves, then I consider it a good blade. I'm going to keep using this same blade to see how far it will go. When I consider the combination of performance and longevity, I think this is a great blade.
TL;DR - Excellent shave, blade has settled down just a bit, still performing but no irritation
Equipment: Merkur 20C with MEM Olive Shave Cream
Results: Shave #4 was an excellent 2-pass shave, DFS+ (again), with some touch up, but NO irritation. I'm trying MEM Olive for the first time and I'm liking it. I didn't feel as much blade during this shave and no irritation after my shave. I'm still getting great shaves with this blade.
Longevity: This shave represents my personal baseline for good blades - 4 decent/good/great shaves. If a blade hits #4 and is still giving me decent shaves, then I consider it a good blade. I'm going to keep using this same blade to see how far it will go. When I consider the combination of performance and longevity, I think this is a great blade.
I just fund this on refined shave.
" I could not find any information online regarding if and what the coating is, however I contacted the Kai Group and they confirmed that these DE razor blades are not coated. "
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Thanks for the reviews folks, this is a blade I've always been interested in and intrigued by but haven't tried yet. Perhaps all the info about its mythical origins will push me over the edge
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