Sharpest DE blades not a Feather?

[sidpost]

I see lots of references for KAI and Personna Lab Blue blades being super sharp. Assuming you weren't going to use a Feather in one of the three common tuck colors, what is the sharpest or most "Feather-like"?

In terms of Personna Lab Blue options, what are the differences in the various options I see online for regular "Personna" in a sort of beige/gold box versus the generic blue boxes?

I am demo'ing a couple of DE razors and think I should pick up some DE blades other than my common Derby and similar options I in my stash, along with a Nacet tuck or two.

 

[Hairy Callahan]

There is nothing like a Feather blade. If you want Feather, go with Feather. If you're wanting something else, go with something else. Feather blades are in a class all by themselves. Love 'em or hate 'em. They have no competition.

 

[sidpost]

I have seen comments here and on other forums extolling the virtues of Feathers but, also speaking favorably of Personna Lab Blues and KAI options. I know some of the KAI are slightly wider making them more aggressive so, that may be part of the attraction for some people liking them so much.

 

[AndyPanda]

Feathers are really nice because they are both sharp and smooth - I love them and there is nothing else exactly like them. There are some very sharp blades that can feel harsh and some that feel smooth.

Some blades that I enjoy a lot that have some of the qualities I like in a feather:

Personna Comfort Coated USA (first shave isn't super sharp but sharper on 2nd-3rd shaves - very smooth)

Lord Super Chrome (The 100 pack I bought recently are excellent, very sharp and smooth - from reading mixed reviews here I suspect older batches might not be the same as what I have)

Russian KCG (hard to find the Russian ones now) -- The Chinese KCG are very sharp but IMO not nearly as smooth

Russian Nacet and Perma-Sharp are excellent blades that are both sharp and smooth - not as sharp as a feather (nothing is) but similar enjoyable shave feel IMO

 

[VerbaVolant]

Sharpest DE blades not a Feather?​

In my limited experience, Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdge and Perma-Sharp Super blades are very close to Feather in sharpness. Although they outlast Feather by 4-5 shaves.

 

[Quaznoid]

Personna Lab Blues are plenty sharp, are more forgiving than Feathers and are a heckuva lot less expensive.

 

[markusk]

I suggest you take a look at the latest blade sharpness tests (by helicopter), the answers for these kind of questions are otherwise very subjective.

 

[sidpost]

Lots of data there makes it hard to discern things. It is good if you find the blade you are looking for. Without an index, I end up looking at a lot of blades I am not interested in.

 

[NorthernSoul]

I suggest you take a look at the latest blade sharpness tests (by helicopter), the answers for these kind of questions are otherwise very subjective.

There's actually a lot of agreement between average opinion on sharpness and the tests @helicopter has been doing. That's one of the interesting things that came out in the testing.

Lots of data there makes it hard to discern things. It is good if you find the blade you are looking for. Without an index, I end up looking at a lot of blades I am not interested in.

The best sharper blades not quite as sharp as Feather, well that depends on what you find most comfortable. That is somewhat subjective. I'd try BIC Chrome Platinum, Personna Comfort Coated (made in USA), Nacet, Perma-Sharp Super to start.

KAI have a reputation for sharpness, but they are not anywhere near Feathers, and don't justify the premium price charged IMHO.

The Personna Blue blades you want are sold in boxes of 100, marked "Comfort Coated", made in Verona, VA, USA. Don't buy the ones made elsewhere. They may be OK, but they're not the same at all.

They look like this, a small box about the size of a couple of decks of playing cards. Very good and comfortable blade that is priced well:

 

[Marco]

In terms of sharpness nothing is equal to a Feather, it's simply the sharpest of them all. That said, two really sharp blades to consider are the Gillette Nacet and Gillette Perma-Sharp. I regularly use and love both.

 

[BradWorld]

I have never had a good shave from either a Kai or a Personna Lab Blue blade. And I have tried them both many times. Feathers work okay for me, but the price, and the very short life span of one or two shaves, doesn’t make them attractive for me. Perma Sharp super in the gold tuck work great. But there are dozens of great blades out there. You just need to experiment and find out what works for you.

 

[helicopter]

Wilkinson Sword is the other one to try, in addition to those already mentioned.

Kai isn't sharp or refined. I has an unearned reputation due to having Japanese manufacturing in common with the exceptional Feather.

 

[musicman1951]

Feather blades are really great, except for the terrible longevity - which makes them incredibly expensive. I get two shaves, some people only get one. But the people who only get one really need a Feather and are happy they are available.

A few years back I used a few hundred Med Preps/Labs and they were very nice blades. Some of the best longevity I've experienced. PolSilver SI/Wizamet are very nice. Nacet is a popular choice. Personally, I'd get a tuck of everything mentioned in this post to make a sampler of almost as sharp as Feather blades.

 

[Ankerwycke]

Feathers are the sharpest and most efficient blades that I’ve used. I shower before shaving and get three shaves from most blades, including feathers.

 

[sidpost]

There's actually a lot of agreement between average opinion on sharpness and the tests @helicopter has been doing. That's one of the interesting things that came out in the testing.



The best sharper blades not quite as sharp as Feather, well that depends on what you find most comfortable. That is somewhat subjective. I'd try BIC Chrome Platinum, Personna Comfort Coated (made in USA), Nacet, Perma-Sharp Super to start.

KAI have a reputation for sharpness, but they are not anywhere near Feathers, and don't justify the premium price charged IMHO.

The Personna Blue blades you want are sold in boxes of 100, marked "Comfort Coated", made in Verona, VA, USA. Don't buy the ones made elsewhere. They may be OK, but they're not the same at all.

They look like this, a small box about the size of a couple of decks of playing cards. Very good and comfortable blade that is priced well:

View attachment 1915986

I'll have to toss in a tuck or two of the BIC Chrome next time I do a sampler then. I think all the others you mentioned are coming with my sampler order from SWEDEN with some old school Lab Blues.

 

[sidpost]

In terms of sharpness nothing is equal to a Feather, it's simply the sharpest of them all. That said, two really sharp blades to consider are the Gillette Nacet and Gillette Perma-Sharp. I regularly use and love both.

I have a 100-pack of Nacet's coming my way courtesy of a seller in Jordan! The Gillette's are in the sampler pack from Sweden.

 

[sidpost]

I have never had a good shave from either a Kai or a Personna Lab Blue blade. And I have tried them both many times. Feathers work okay for me, but the price, and the very short life span of one or two shaves, doesn’t make them attractive for me. Perma Sharp super in the gold tuck work great. But there are dozens of great blades out there. You just need to experiment and find out what works for you.

I scored a 50-pack of Feather's, which should be the yellow tucks, on eBay for ~$16 delivered. So yeah, at 3 times the cost of most other quality blades out there if you skip Merkur and Muhle packaged options. I saw prices mainly ranging from $0.50 to >$1.00 per blade in 30 to 100 pack options with Amazon being really bad overall except for seller of a 30-pack.

 

[Marco]

I have a 100-pack of Nacet's coming my way courtesy of a seller in Jordan! The Gillette's are in the sampler pack from Sweden.

Excellent choice indeed, Sir. Please, let me know if you like them when you try them.

 

[sidpost]

Feathers are the sharpest and most efficient blades that I’ve used. I shower before shaving and get three shaves from most blades, including feathers.

That will make anyone's whiskers easier to mow down! I see increased usable blade life as well if I shave in or after the shower. I have done the warm towel routine as well to try it out and that works really well too. Both need less soap as well for a comfortable shave in my case with the common blades I use most often, Astra at this point with an all-stainless Muhle Rocca or my all-stainless EJ 3One6.

 

[Marco]

Feather blades are really great, except for the terrible longevity.

For me Feather blades are the very best, when new they are ninja sharp and super smooth. Nothing really compares. Longevity is their only drawback, but honestly I do not care about that.