Razor Blade Reviews - Too Positive? Too Much Agreement?

[scoran]

In reading the blade reviews, there seems to be a tendency towards being overwhelmingly positive - for many blades, the reviews are something like 98% positive. Only a handful of blades are negatively reviewed, and when they are comments appear to be uniformly negative.

My question: do you think the blade reviews are representative of the B&B community? It seems to me there should be more diversity of opinion and experience, especially where folks are so passionate about topics such as soap vs. creme, favorite razor, etc. As an example I heard far more negative experiences with Astra Superior Platinums when I posted a problem vs. the review page for the Astra SP.

Thoughts, anyone?

 

[dcobranchi]

I think there's some tendency towards group-think for blades. They're all sharp, pretty much by definition. So any differences b/w blades is relatively minor. If some folks start bragging on the latest hot blade and you try them based on the hype, you might be inclined to go along to get along, even if those blades weren't objectively better than last week's hot blade. For me, I can get a CCS with just about any blade. Some feel slightly better on my face and some not quite so good. But it's really picking nits to say one is far better than another.

 

[chrisf8657]

You'll find that every blade is "liked" on here, because there are so many members liking the same blade.
So far, I've basically found every blade I've used to cut the same for the most part (some were rougher). The only one that was strikingly different was a Derby.

And like dco saidm it's group-think. I also feel there is a fear of people to actually post not liking something on here for fear of retribution. So they may just go with "yep its good".

My .02

 

[crfcom]

No matter the subject, sports cars, fishing rods, stereo speakers, or razor blades, most "reviews" are just opinions, and not very objective at all. We all have beards of different types and shaving skills of different levels, and a different idea of what the perfect blade should feel like. However, like in any industry, there are a few manufacturers in the razor blade business who just make a better product overall. If you just read the posts for awhile, you should be able to spot the poster's who are experienced and seem to offer valid observations without being "fanboys" of any particular blade. Between your own experience on your own beard, and the observations of a few reasonable and experienced posters, you can put together a short list of blades and razors you want to try.
There are posters here who have been most useful and informative to me, and I'm sure you'll spot some also. I always try to recommend Oscroft's double-blind blade comparisons because he always tests two blades at a time in two identical razors, without knowing which blade is in which razor. That way, his pre-conceived ideas about the relative values of the two blades he's comparing, which all of us have, can't influence his observations on each shave. As one blades fairs better than the other, he doesn't know any more than we do which blade is the better and which is the worst, only which razor is doing better than the other. When one gives up before the other, he doesn't know which it is until the comparison is over, just like us. Its a more objective way to test. His posts are very informative and I've found them to be more reliable than most.

 

[Mick]

Any blade that has been around for a while, and most have been on the market for decades, will be sharp enough to cut whiskers and smooth enough to not be thrown away within the first few seconds of use.

It is like cars. many people do not like a brand or model of car. this is not to say that the manufacturer is making junk otherwise they would not still be in business.

Any blade will work. The personal preference part comes into play based on the shaver's level of experience.

 

[rockviper]

Unless I really have problems with something, I generally don't post negative reviews of anything, not just blades. Therefore, you will find me giving positive opinions much more than negative ones. After all, what doesn't work for me, might work wonders for you!

 

[parsifal54]

I have wondered if a true blind test where the user had no idea as to the make of the blade used over time would rate blades as well or poorly...i.e. no preconceived notion that one can get via expectation on taking a blade from a certain wrapper.

 

[TallyShave]

Many people here have hit on a few of the issues. Not wasting time commenting on poor performers, generally better products being discussed/recommended, a healthy dose of groupthink. There is also something to what Chris said in that people are very defensive about their favorite products. I will always remember the time I started a thread describing MdC as good but not great. Several pages of fanboy attacks. It was hilarious.

 

[Toothpick]

I started this thread after I used two really terrible blades. feel free to add to it! (mad for the bad blades)

I think we all like to brag about our shaves so when we find a great blade we let everyone know.

 

[Dalejr]

Of the many blades I've tried only a few got negatives. Like others have said you won't last in the business producing bad blades.

 

[cfender]

I have wondered if a true blind test where the user had no idea as to the make of the blade used over time would rate blades as well or poorly...i.e. no preconceived notion that one can get via expectation on taking a blade from a certain wrapper.

I would expect a higher rate of surprise results in a true blind test where the user was unaware of the blades being loaded. The recent blindfold tests have usually been with 2 blades that users believe are similar in performance or even the same blade with different packaging. Labs/Meds, SI/Polsilver SI, 7 O'Clock Blacks/Blues, etc.

As far as the "group think" phenomenon, I believe that hearing about a blades attributes before using, especially from several sources, could absolutely effect objectivity.

 

[bryan1980]

Of the many blades I've tried only a few got negatives. Like others have said you won't last in the business producing bad blades.

+1. I haven't experienced any "terrible" blades, just some that weren't as good as the others. Thus far, everything has been better than the cartridge I was using before!

 

[scoran]

There are posters here who have been most useful and informative to me, and I'm sure you'll spot some also. I always try to recommend Oscroft's double-blind blade comparisons because he always tests two blades at a time in two identical razors, without knowing which blade is in which razor. That way, his pre-conceived ideas about the relative values of the two blades he's comparing, which all of us have, can't influence his observations on each shave.

GREAT idea, and I will try as soob as I settle on a razor I like so I can buy a second.

 

[scoran]

I started this thread after I used two really terrible blades. feel free to add to it! (mad for the bad blades).

Love it! Is there a similar rant set up for crappy shave cremes and soaps?

 

[jwilock]

I know somebody who always ardered Beefeater martinis becasue Beefeaters was their favorite gin. One day I set up 6 different gins for him to take a sip of. One was Beefeaters. When the results were in there was one or two he liked a whole lot, the rest save one were lumped together after his favorites, and then was one he didn't care for very much. You know where this is headed - it was the Beefeaters. The surprising part is that after that little test he continued to order Beefeater martinis because he believed he continued to prefer Beefeaters despite the blind taste test that showed otherwise. My guess is that very few people here could consistently differentitate between the top rated blades or would consistently pick one over another in repeated blind tests.

 

[jwilock]

I know somebody who always ardered Beefeater martinis becasue Beefeater was their favorite gin. One day I set up 6 different gins for him to take a sip of. One was Beefeater. When the results were in there was one he liked a whole lot, the rest save one were lumped together after his favorites, and then was one he didn't care for very much. You know where this is headed - it was the Beefeater. The surprising part is that after that little test he continued to order Beefeater martinis because he continued to" prefer" Beefeaters despite the blind taste test that showed otherwise. My guess is that very few people here could consistently differentitate between the top rated blades or would consistently pick one over another in repeated blind tests.

 

[scoran]

My guess is that very few people here could consistently differentiate between the top rated blades or would consistently pick one over another in repeated blind tests.

I'm curious as to what others think about this, but here are my thoughts:

I can tell the difference between Feather Hi-Stainless, Gillette 7 O'Clock Superior Stainless (green package) and Astra Superior Stainless (blue package), and I've been using all three for less than two months. I notice a difference in how each cuts the hair (or pulls it in the case of the Astra's), the closeness of the shave and the amount of stubble at the end of the day. Granted I haven't done a double-blind, because I don't have duplicates of any of my razors.

My wife once did a double-blind with water and could distinguish between her favorite brand, tap, and a mixture of the two. I agree people can be fooled, but if the sensitivity and discernment are there it is possible to know the difference.

 

[Garnnie]

As a long-time lurker I can't agree more. Have been reading countless posts about certain blades and creams and yes, there are massive fanboys.

Classic example would be when it was found out that the Personna labs and meds were indeed identical blades (except for the washing step). The fanboys claimed that the Meds are better. Such is the impact of marketing and taking in products at the surface. Just because it is for "medical purposes" and is priced higher doesn't mean it is sharper.

Would love to hear about more CRITICAL reviews rather than just going along with the flow or saying "nah, this didn't work for me"

My own experiences (with some critical input):
- Feather blades & Personna meds: yes they are sharp, but they are not smooth in my EJ89. I get a much better shave with my Gillette 7 O'clocks because these not only cut well, but GLIDE smoothly accross my skin
- TOBS Avocado cream: best shaving cream I've tried so far, may smell weird at first to me (I'm not very fussy about scents but this smells like sushi and wet ferns). Cushioning is top notch and prevents nicks. May dry up quickly during the shave.
- GFT Coconut cream: Smell and shaving experience is good. Smells sweeter than a normal coconut. However as compared to the TOBS avocado this cream provides slickness but lesser cushioning. More difficult to wash off than the TOBS avocado due to the slick layer.

I would love to do a critical review of these but don't know where to fit all these in . When I started DE shaving I was searching for such reviews but for every 10 posts maybe only 1 helped me really.

Just a few examples of how I prefer reviews to be, rather than "Yep it's so good, I have a tub and you should get it too"

PS: I cringe everytime I see 'YMMV'

 

[jwilock]

Well think about wine where blind tasting is normal. The differences between wines are far, far greater than the differences between blades. So much so that there are people who can not onnly distinguish between wines but connsistently pick out the same wine from a group, or even come pretty close to identifying the wine, or at least what type of grapes and where it is from. However, it is important to note that the number of people who can do this is relatively smal ccompared to the total number of people that drink wine. In fact, it is clear from countless blindd taste tests that the majority of wine drinkers cannot consistently pick out what they believe is their favorite wine from a group of wines. Or, if they believe they have a favorite and it is part of a big blind tasting they will not pick it out as their favorite (like my gin example). Now that's after being able to check out the color of the wine, smell it, swirl it to see what kind of trails it leaves on the glass, and swish it around in their mouths to hit every tasting area in the mouth.As for blades there is far less to distinguish one from another. Furthermore after more than two years of comparing blades I've come to realize that prep and lather are more important to the quality of the shave than a blade. In other words bad prep or lather will make a great blade seem bad and vice versa. The answer to your question is that I seriously doubt many shavers could successfully pick out what they believe is their favorite blade in an adquate blind test. There is only one person here who has done anything close to regorous blind testing and if you read his comments he tends to find very little difference between blades. In the end if theere is a meaningful difference it often comes down to how long a blade lasts. For me that is a completely meaningless measure. If I own a few expensive brushes and lots and lot of soaps and creams the last thing I'm interested in is eeking out one last, less than perfect shave from a blade that costs 10 or 20 cents. What I'm interested in is how well they pefrom at their peak, and for the only tester here who does true blind testing the differences are minor. Even then though to show an ability to clearly distinguish blades and say you have a preference for one you'd have to do that kind of test over and over again lots of times with the same two brands of blades to ensure there is not a variance in quality from blade to blade and to verify the results are repeatable. No one ever does that so we will never know for sure.OK, all this comes from a more scientific perspective. In the end most people have their favorite blade or a small group of favorites ... for whatever reasons. That's good enough for me and makes the forum more interesting.

 

[Alejandro1969]

One man's good blade is another man's bad blade! Simple as that!