Razor blade ranking by sharpness

[80211ac]

hi all,

It's my first post. I started with DE shaving when I was a young boy and then moved on to cart shaving and now back to DE again and probably will be looking at straight razor in next 6-8 months.

I have spent good 4-5 hours searching for a post where the blades were ranked according to their sharpness but I cannot find that post again. I am sure it was on this website and was written along the lines of polling by members on which blade is sharpest. I wonder if anyone else has seen that post and could kindly post the link here for me?

Thanks

80211ac

 

[jackgoldman123]

If you are looking at straight razor, why bother with DE? Save $$$. By the way, do you have life insurance?

 

[dfoulk]

It's all subjective anyway because a blade might feel like one of the absolute sharpest in one razor and still be fairly mild in another. If you're just looking for a blade recommendation, I really like sharp blades so here are how I rank some of my favorites:

Feather
Gillette 7 O'Clock Yellow
Polsilver Super Iridium
Gillette 7 O'Clock Black
PermaSharp
Astra SP/Astra SS
Gillette Silver Blue

Kia would be near the top of this as well but their cost keeps them out of my rotation. I like the Feathers and Yellows just as well if not more so spending three to four times as much for a Kai doesn't make sense to me. I'm using an ATT Kronos H2 razor.

I wouldn't recommend a Feather, Kai, or a Yellow as your first blade or even your first blade back as the added sharpness seems intensify your mistakes in technique when you are starting out. Wait a couple months for these. I got the worst razor burn of my life the first time I tried a Feather blade. They are outstanding now though.

 

[the_edski]

Sharpest to dullest in a nutshell:

Feather

Most everything else is up for debate a/k/a YMMV

Derby

 

[BlackBard]

Welcome aboard B&B. We may not agree on a ranking of blades by sharpness, but we are still glad to have you here.

Sharpness is only one attribute that makes for a good blade. There is perceived smoothness, longevity, price, as well as others, that determine what makes a blade "good" for you. There is a difference in performance from one razor to another, with the same blade.

Want to know more? Get a sample pack of different blades and see for yourself.

 

[bigred80]

Personal Opinion

Feather
Personna Med
Polsilver Super Iridium
Gillette Silver Blue
Amongst these, I find the Gillette to be the most forgiving.

To get the most out of these, I use more aggressive razors. Executive Shaving Braveheart, Above The Tie R-2, Ikon Slant. I find the difference in blades to be less noticeable with my Weber.

 

[Ulfgar]

The "sharpest blades possible" are discussed in this thread:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...ese-the-sharpest-around-Is-my-blade-tour-over

But it's pretty much what's already said here.

 

[Mandina]

+1 on defoulk's ranking.

 

[reverseapachemaster]

The unasked question that is also being answered here is what blade is "right" for you. The unsolicited advice you are getting is correct. The sharpness of a blade is not the only factor and the sharpness is relative to the aggressiveness of your razor.

 

[80211ac]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I am currently working through astra sp, Gillette silver blues, supermax stainless and have to say supermax seems to be the worst- in my muhle r41(2013) and fatip. Have also got two of baillis razor which seem to be good.

 

[dfoulk]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I am currently working through astra sp, Gillette silver blues, supermax stainless and have to say supermax seems to be the worst- in my muhle r41(2013) and fatip. Have also got two of baillis razor which seem to be good.

Alright, if you're successfully using an R41 and a Fatip without major irritation then your technique is solid.
Maybe pick up some Feather or Gillette 7 O'Clock yellow blades and give it a go.

I would agree with you that the SuperMax isn't on par with the other two blades.

 

[80211ac]

I have actually got a few feathers and used one and by any means that is the sharpest I have came across. It's like a lawn mower! But it leAves my face bit sore after first shave probably because it's too sharp or maybe my technique needs tweaking for feathers in r41. I have also got one single Derby to use but supermax I don't think I want to touch them. They leave my skin irritated for two days it's like a self torture. One a different note, I have read that r41 2011 is more aggressive than 2013 but does anyone know where to find 2011 as they are not eBay or other stores. And is it worth buying the 2011 model when I have already got 2013 or is the difference miniscule that I wouldn't notice unless running some lab tests?

 

[Rosenberg]

Where does Kai rank?

 

[BSAGuy]

Hello and welcome, 8021ac. B&B is a great site full of friendly, helpful shavers. You'll learn a lot here.

There is some difference among blades, but my personal theory is that if you removed the printed brand info, very few, if any shavers here could identify blade X vs. blade Y.

 

[DrAwkward]

Is this the thread you were looking for?
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/198516-Poll-Sharpest-blades

The poll is not a big sample size and it leaves out many of the top contenders for sharpest blade.

In my book, the sharpness ranking would be Kai, Polsilver SI, Feather, and then many others. However, sharpness is only one factor in what makes a great blade.
I know this is heresy, but I don't like Feathers very much. I'll bet it isn't even in my top ten favorite blades.

 

[mastershake]

i agree i dont like feathers much i have some and use them rarely. i much prefer yellow's to feathers. but there are tons of very sharp blades. i dont pick a blade based only on its sharpness. for me its a combo of sharpness and a smooth blade i prefer over anything else. feathers for me only give me 1 or 2 good shaves then they are dead my hair tears them up.

 

[MrSmith]

Personal Opinion

Feather
Personna Med
Polsilver Super Iridium
Gillette Silver Blue

This is the same ranking that I would provide. I prefer Feathers, but have been using Med Preps lately as they are a bit more forgiving for me. I don't really care for the rest, but will use them on occasion.

One a different note, I have read that r41 2011 is more aggressive than 2013 but does anyone know where to find 2011 as they are not eBay or other stores. And is it worth buying the 2011 model when I have already got 2013 or is the difference miniscule that I wouldn't notice unless running some lab tests?

See this thread for comparisons on each top cap and head differences.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-Replacement-Heads-and-New-Blade-Guards/page2

Here is a guy that is attempting a replacement piece to mimic the 2011 r41. He posted a thread on a different shaving forum documenting his journey. I don't own any r41, so I can't comment towards that in any significant way. The head pieces are relatively cheap, so it may be worth it for those who have both 2011 & 2013 r41 to do some cross comparison with these 3d printed caps.
http://www.shapeways.com/shops/arl

 

[mastershake]

wow those 3d printed heads look awesome ive been just waiting to see someone do a whole head like that or even a whole razor handle and all im sure they are not to far off

 

[80211ac]

These are my bad boys. The last two are baillies but quite good.