https://youtu.be/btPJPFnesV4
(mood music)
Crystal Super + Platinum vs Personna Platinum Chrome Israeli Red(mood music)
Over the years it's been said these are the same blade made in the same factory. It was time for a Krav Maga style battle to end this once and for all.
A blind test is needed since I'm biased. I’ve not tried a Crystal since the first year I got into DE shaving and got a sampler pack in 2008. I recall it being a mediocre blade at best. The Red Isreali’s were my first 100 blade purchase and lived up to the positive reviews of the time (2009). This test is using blades manufactured 7 years ago, so it's worth noting that recently manufactured blades of these two types could perform quite differently.
*** Round 1 - Sunday Night *** 25th
Razor A: (right side)
sharpness score: 7 smoothness score: 7
2 weepers.
Shave rating: OK +
Notes: A sharp blade with very good results. But feels just a bit duller and less smooth than left razor and needs more passes to do the same job. Pretty sure it improved after the first few passes. I tried to go ATG and get the closest shave I could. Seems to ‘sting’ sometimes, esp if I go ATG. Thought it was cutting closer, with those extra passes, but it didn’t??
Not a BBS result even though I tried. The next morning the difference in the closeness of the shave was obvious, with a 5 oclock shadow already. I checked that the slims were both adjusted to the same #5 setting and that the blade gap was the same.
Razor B: (left side)
sharpness score: 9 smoothness score: 9
2 weepers.
Shave rating: BBS
Notes: This blade is much sharper and smoother. It has that familiar Red IP feel, sharp and smooth A grade.
No problems going ultra close and ATG. Wonder how bad I’ll pay for this going ATG for a BBS 2 days in a row
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*** Round 2 - Tues morn 27th
Razor A: (right side)
sharpness score: 6 smoothness score: 6
no weepers.
Shave rating: OK SAS
Notes: Seemed draggy on my upper lip. Rather dull and not very smooth on second use of the same edge. It was passable and useable for a shave, but this is a lower grade blade that reminds me of a Dorco, or a dull Derby. Doesn’t just glide through like a new top quality blade does. Considering this is the equivalent of one full shave on this first edge, this blade appears to give only one shave per edge.
Razor B: (left side)
sharpness score: 8.5 smoothness score: 9
2 weepers.
Shave rating: DFS
Notes: Very smooth and sharp on second use of this edge. A few irritated spots on this side of my face from going ATG on Sunday night (less irritation than I’d feared). Will be interesting to see how many days this blade gives.
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Razor A: (right side) Crystal
Razor B: (left side) Red Israeli Personna
Winner: Blade B
*** Red Personna Platinum Chrome ***
The Crystal went down in the second round and was no match for the smooth sharpness of the red Personna. The Crystal can deliver a decent shave on each edge. For the $20 price why buy a “one and done” blade when there’s so many other better performing blades. I also has a harsh feeling on first use, as though it need corking before using.
I continued the rest of the week with this winning blade to continue testing how many more shaves can give:
*** Wed morn 28th - Red Personna only: Today is the equivalent of a second full face shave using the same edge. I did a 3 pass shave for a DFS. Two small weepers around the mouth. Still a top A grade, smooth and sharp: 8/10 No noticeable tugging, or resistance.
*** Thu morn 29th Red Personna only: 3rd full shave on the first edge. Technically this means this blade could give 6 full shaves using both edges. DFS 3 pass shave. Went ATG only on the upper part of the cheek. Certainly a subtle decline in the sharpness since first use…. without any tugging or dragging. By 5 O’Clock it was noticeable the morning's shave was not as close as I get using a new blade.
Fri morn 30th. Red Personna only:
I attempted a 4th full face shave on the first edge, but the first edge has now noticeably declined in sharpness to the point where it has difficulty getting close enough for an irritation free shave. Too draggy and no longer sharp enough for my liking especially for going ATG at all. The first edge was tugging a bit on my upper lip and didn’t feel like a new blade any more. So after a first mediocre pass I switched to the new edge of the blade to complete the shave. So this blade seems to deliver about 6 days of top quality shaves and one day’s rest before it’s time to unwrap a new blade.
The red Israeli Personna continues to consistently deliver good results. I’ve enjoyed this excellent ‘go to’ blade for a good number of years since buying my first pack of 100 in 2008. It appears that in recent years the packaging has been upgraded to plastic shrinkwrapped containers and 100 blades currently cost about $16 USD shipped.
---------- Previous Blind Tests -----------
Blind test #1 : Rapira Super Steel Chrome & Rapira Swedish Supersteel.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...pira-Swedish-Supersteel?p=7741045#post7741045
Blind Test #2: Rapira Voskhod Vs Gillette Nacet
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...ay-Smackdown-Rapira-Voskhod-Vs-Gillette-Nacet
Respect to rodmonster, oscroft, lucabrassi, poikkeus and so many others for taking the time to share all your blade testing to educate us all.
Match Rules : I shaved each side of my face using one blade on either side to directly compare the results to see if there’s really any difference between these blades. I only used one side (the side of the slim with the number) so as to quickly judge if it dulls. I loaded them into two Gillette slims set to #5, mixed them around until I couldn’t tell them apart, and then put a rubber band on one handle to identify it as razor “A”, and the other slim is razor “B” .
The idea is to compare two different blades by loading them into two razors with the exact same head. You don’t know what blade goes into either razor, but you mark one handle so you can track which is razor A and which is razor B. You then shave one half of your face for a few days with razor A and the other side with razor B and compare the performance. Everything should be the same, except for using two different blades.
Details, details:
Beard: thick, dark and difficult to shave ATG. BBS remains elusive.
Passes: WTG, XTG, XTG other way, + light touch ups. Some ATG where possible.
Razor = Gillette Slim #5 setting
Brush = Walmart Wilkinson Sword Boar Hair
Lather = Arko soap stick and hot water
Aftershave = Witch Hazel + Aloe Gel mix
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