So, I tried a couple - few different DE blades.
I know this review will not be of the caliber you are all used to. But, I have put many, many months into testing and now a lot of thought into writing this.
ME:
I will start this off by saying, I know it is not the "right" way, but I shave before I shower. I always have. I have my reasons. I am not changing.
I am 48, I shave 7 days a week, no exceptions. My beard is very thick and coarse, but not to any crazy degree. I would say my skin sensitivity is average. Since I shave everyday sensitivity issues can build up if I do not get consistently good shaves.
I shave with cold water.
I am a 3 pass guy.
TECHNIQUE:
I vigorously rub cold tap water on my face for about a minute. That is my pre-shave.
I face lather.
First pass is top to bottom, face and neck.
Then I relather, adding water to brush as needed.
Second pass is top to bottom at something like a 45° angle from the outside to the inside, face and neck. (Starting by ears, then going down towards my throat.)
Then I relather again, adding water to brush as needed.
Third pass is bottom to top at something like a 45° angle from the outside to the inside. (Starting under the ears on my neck, then going up towards my mouth.)
With very rare exception I do not do touch up or clean up passes.
HARDWARE and SOFTWARE:
Razor- Henson AL13 Medium.
Brush- AP Shave Custom brush with 24mm G5C knot.
Soap- Still testing a dozen or so unscented soaps (review to come eventually).
PARAMETERS:
I like a smooth shave.
I define a smooth shave as having my whiskers cut clean and even. I hate it when I am left with patchy stubble that is torn as much as it is cut. I find this more irritating than razor burn. A smooth shave does not have to be BBS. It is nice to have a close shave, though. Just not at the expense of comfort.
After all, even with a BBS shave I am still all stubbly and casting a shadow after a few hours. I am still going to need to shave again tomorrow morning.
Never let perfect get in the way of comfortable.
I do not care for "tuggy" blades. They usually seem to make for an uneven shave. I like sharp and smooth. I could give a hoot about blade feel.
My ranking is based on the first 3 shaves from each individual blade. I do not take price, availability, or popularity into account. It is purely based on results... with my face... and my razor.
I will however, add notes, as I see fit, with my observations and opinions.
I used 1 of each blade, organized alphabetically, with at least 3 shaves on each blade. When I reached the end I did it all again with a new blade, for confirmation and perspective.
So, a minimum of 6 shaves, on 2 different blades of each variety. Some good blades were pushed for another day or two just to see what they do. Every so often either to give my face a break or recalibrate my expectations, I would revert to a known good blade for a few days.
If I can get 3 good shaves from a blade, it is good enough. Anything extra is a bonus.
GROUPS:
A = Brilliant! Sharp and smooth. Clean, close and irritation free shave. Consistently excellent from first shave to last.
B = Great! I could happily use any of these every day. Solid performers, just not quite in the "A" group.
C = Pretty good to just OK. Not really bad, but not really great.
D = Not for me. A LOT people like a lot of these. I do not.
F = Hot garbage.
RANKING:
A
Dorco - Titan
Parker - Premium Platinum
Treet - Trig Silver Edge
Wizamet - Iridium Super
Zorrik - Super Platinum
B
Derby - Premium
Dorco - Prime Platinum
Gillette - 7 O'Clock (Green) Permasharp
RK Stainless
Shark - Platinum
Wilkonson Sword (German)
C
Astra - Superior Platinum
Bolzano - Superinox Inossidabile
Gillette - 7 O'Clock (Black) Super Platinum
Gillette - 7 O'Clock (Green) Super Stainless
Gillette - Minora
Gillette - Platinum
Gillette - Silver Blue
Kai - Stainless Steel
Personna - Med Prep
Voskhod - Teflon
D
Gillette - 365
Gillette - 7 O'Clock (Yellow) Sharpedge
Gillette - Nacet
Gillette - Perma-Sharp
Gillette - Rubie Platinum
Gillette - Sputnik
Personna - Platinum (Israel)
Personna - Platinum (Germany)
Petsonna - Lab Blue
Personna - Viking's Sword Polymer
Shark - Super Stainless
F
Derby - Extra
Feather - Hi Stainless
Muhle
Strangelete - Platinum
NOTES:
Astra SP - Meh. They clearly work for a lot of people. I was not impressed. Not the smoothest or cleanest shave.
Bolzano- Had a hard time deciding if these are "B" or "C" group? I guess "C." They could easily be "B." Pretty good though.
Derby Extra- WHY are these so recommended to new shavers? They are neither sharp nor smooth. What a terrible blade. Patchy uneven stubble, lots of tugging, whiskers are not cut so much as torn, irritation, and razor burn. Awful. Maybe, possibly well suited to a very thin beard with fine hair? Even then, you can do better.
Derby Premium- How are these made by the same people that make the Extra? The Premiums are great. Hard time getting the neck close with three passes.
Dorco Prime- My first go around was great. I thought solid "A" group. On the second blade, not so good. Lots of nicks. Very much a "C." So I split the difference and called them a "B." Consistency issues? Shame, that first blade was really good. These are probably worth further exploration. Not from me though, I am done blade testing.
Dorco Titan- I did not mean to order these. I only meant to get the Prime from Dorco. I am glad I did.
As discussed below with the RK Stainless, these are the other exception to my no 4th pass rule. I (often) do a 4th pass on just my throat with these.
Like the RK Stainless these are very much irritation free. Only these are sharp and cut clean and smooth (no tugging). They leave me with a very close shave. I quite like them. I do prefer a 3 pass shave, though.
If I had to shave and put on a tie immediately after, Titan would be a good choice.
Feather- I do not understand the popularity of these. The first shave is awful. Shaves 2 and 3 are pretty good. By shave 4 the performance drops off noticeably. What is the point? I know you can "cork" them or " reverse strop" them, but why?
They cost too much for 2 pretty good shaves and a lot of baggage.
Gillette 7 O'Clock (Green) Permasharp - The only "Gillette" branded razors I really like. Good and sharp, easy to cut a little too close, take care.
Gillette Minora - Pretty high on the list in the "C" group.
Gillette Silver Blue and Platinum - Nearly in the "D" group. Rough shave. Not impressed given the price and reputation.
Gillette (Others) - Range from meh to no thank you.
Kai- Much better than Feather. They are consistent from shave to shave and have a lot of good shaves per blade. I could see how a person could really like these. I find I have to be more careful than I want to, to avoid cuts. They are also expensive and hard-ish to source.
Muhle - Not a good shave. Could maybe be bumped into the "D" group. I do not like them.
Parker - Brilliant! Sharp and smooth. Close, clean, comfortable shave.
Personna Lab Blue- This is the blade I wanted to like because they are made in America. It is not about patriotism. Rather the carbon footprint of international shipping.
I have used more of these than any of my not group "A" and "B" blades.
I find them very tuggy. I feel they are fairly dull. I have to work so hard at getting a good shave that I am hard on my skin. And still, the results are not that good.
Personna Med Prep- These are pretty good. They are nearly group "B." They are also expensive and hard-ish to source.
Personna (others)- I like the Platinum(s) and Viking Sword marginally better than Lab Blue. I cannot tell the difference between Israeli (Red) and German Platinum.
I find the parent companies of Personna to be willfully difficult to communicate with regarding their products.
RK Stainless- This is one of the few exceptions to my no clean up pass rule. I do a 4th pass on just my throat with these, with no irritation. They are pretty tuggy on the first pass. Unlike most other tuggy blades the finished result is just fine.
After trying a bunch of blades I now feel Henson made a good choice issuing these with their razors. (No, I do not believe they are in any way tailored to the Henson, other than branding.) It is not a close shave. As a matter of fact they leave me with the equivalent of a few hours stubble. However, it is a comfortable, irritation free shave. You would have to be pretty careless to have a bad outcome with the Henson and RK Stainless combination. I think that is a great way to start people on their DE journey. So, yes these are oddly high on my list, but never let perfect get in the way of comfortable.
Shark Platinum - Great! A little hard to get the neck real close in three passes.
Shark Super Stainless - Ok, not "super."
Strangelete- I know I have made a bunch of dramatic claims about "good this" and "bad that," but these are truly a crime against the face! Really and truly just awful at a fairly premium price.
Treet Trig Silver Edge - Brilliant! Sharp and smooth. Close, clean, comfortable shave.
Voskhod - Fairly OK. Also fairly inconsistent between just 2 blades.
Wilkinson Sword - Very nice indeed. I see why people like these.
Wizamet- While definitely in the "A" group. These are probably at the lower end of the group. Not quite as sharp and smooth as the rest. Still very much an excellent shave.
These are good for at least 7 days of consistently really good shaves. Maybe more?
These are my go to daily blade. One blade for 7 days of great shaves keeps life simple.
Zorrik Super Platinum - Brilliant! Sharp and smooth. Close, clean, comfortable shave.
I guess that is it. I hope it was not too tedious?
2 each of 36 blade × 3 times each =216 days of shaving. A lot of those were NOT good shaves. Most were passable. Some were great.
I am so done testing blades!
I know this review will not be of the caliber you are all used to. But, I have put many, many months into testing and now a lot of thought into writing this.
ME:
I will start this off by saying, I know it is not the "right" way, but I shave before I shower. I always have. I have my reasons. I am not changing.
I am 48, I shave 7 days a week, no exceptions. My beard is very thick and coarse, but not to any crazy degree. I would say my skin sensitivity is average. Since I shave everyday sensitivity issues can build up if I do not get consistently good shaves.
I shave with cold water.
I am a 3 pass guy.
TECHNIQUE:
I vigorously rub cold tap water on my face for about a minute. That is my pre-shave.
I face lather.
First pass is top to bottom, face and neck.
Then I relather, adding water to brush as needed.
Second pass is top to bottom at something like a 45° angle from the outside to the inside, face and neck. (Starting by ears, then going down towards my throat.)
Then I relather again, adding water to brush as needed.
Third pass is bottom to top at something like a 45° angle from the outside to the inside. (Starting under the ears on my neck, then going up towards my mouth.)
With very rare exception I do not do touch up or clean up passes.
HARDWARE and SOFTWARE:
Razor- Henson AL13 Medium.
Brush- AP Shave Custom brush with 24mm G5C knot.
Soap- Still testing a dozen or so unscented soaps (review to come eventually).
PARAMETERS:
I like a smooth shave.
I define a smooth shave as having my whiskers cut clean and even. I hate it when I am left with patchy stubble that is torn as much as it is cut. I find this more irritating than razor burn. A smooth shave does not have to be BBS. It is nice to have a close shave, though. Just not at the expense of comfort.
After all, even with a BBS shave I am still all stubbly and casting a shadow after a few hours. I am still going to need to shave again tomorrow morning.
Never let perfect get in the way of comfortable.
I do not care for "tuggy" blades. They usually seem to make for an uneven shave. I like sharp and smooth. I could give a hoot about blade feel.
My ranking is based on the first 3 shaves from each individual blade. I do not take price, availability, or popularity into account. It is purely based on results... with my face... and my razor.
I will however, add notes, as I see fit, with my observations and opinions.
I used 1 of each blade, organized alphabetically, with at least 3 shaves on each blade. When I reached the end I did it all again with a new blade, for confirmation and perspective.
So, a minimum of 6 shaves, on 2 different blades of each variety. Some good blades were pushed for another day or two just to see what they do. Every so often either to give my face a break or recalibrate my expectations, I would revert to a known good blade for a few days.
If I can get 3 good shaves from a blade, it is good enough. Anything extra is a bonus.
GROUPS:
A = Brilliant! Sharp and smooth. Clean, close and irritation free shave. Consistently excellent from first shave to last.
B = Great! I could happily use any of these every day. Solid performers, just not quite in the "A" group.
C = Pretty good to just OK. Not really bad, but not really great.
D = Not for me. A LOT people like a lot of these. I do not.
F = Hot garbage.
RANKING:
A
Dorco - Titan
Parker - Premium Platinum
Treet - Trig Silver Edge
Wizamet - Iridium Super
Zorrik - Super Platinum
B
Derby - Premium
Dorco - Prime Platinum
Gillette - 7 O'Clock (Green) Permasharp
RK Stainless
Shark - Platinum
Wilkonson Sword (German)
C
Astra - Superior Platinum
Bolzano - Superinox Inossidabile
Gillette - 7 O'Clock (Black) Super Platinum
Gillette - 7 O'Clock (Green) Super Stainless
Gillette - Minora
Gillette - Platinum
Gillette - Silver Blue
Kai - Stainless Steel
Personna - Med Prep
Voskhod - Teflon
D
Gillette - 365
Gillette - 7 O'Clock (Yellow) Sharpedge
Gillette - Nacet
Gillette - Perma-Sharp
Gillette - Rubie Platinum
Gillette - Sputnik
Personna - Platinum (Israel)
Personna - Platinum (Germany)
Petsonna - Lab Blue
Personna - Viking's Sword Polymer
Shark - Super Stainless
F
Derby - Extra
Feather - Hi Stainless
Muhle
Strangelete - Platinum
NOTES:
Astra SP - Meh. They clearly work for a lot of people. I was not impressed. Not the smoothest or cleanest shave.
Bolzano- Had a hard time deciding if these are "B" or "C" group? I guess "C." They could easily be "B." Pretty good though.
Derby Extra- WHY are these so recommended to new shavers? They are neither sharp nor smooth. What a terrible blade. Patchy uneven stubble, lots of tugging, whiskers are not cut so much as torn, irritation, and razor burn. Awful. Maybe, possibly well suited to a very thin beard with fine hair? Even then, you can do better.
Derby Premium- How are these made by the same people that make the Extra? The Premiums are great. Hard time getting the neck close with three passes.
Dorco Prime- My first go around was great. I thought solid "A" group. On the second blade, not so good. Lots of nicks. Very much a "C." So I split the difference and called them a "B." Consistency issues? Shame, that first blade was really good. These are probably worth further exploration. Not from me though, I am done blade testing.
Dorco Titan- I did not mean to order these. I only meant to get the Prime from Dorco. I am glad I did.
As discussed below with the RK Stainless, these are the other exception to my no 4th pass rule. I (often) do a 4th pass on just my throat with these.
Like the RK Stainless these are very much irritation free. Only these are sharp and cut clean and smooth (no tugging). They leave me with a very close shave. I quite like them. I do prefer a 3 pass shave, though.
If I had to shave and put on a tie immediately after, Titan would be a good choice.
Feather- I do not understand the popularity of these. The first shave is awful. Shaves 2 and 3 are pretty good. By shave 4 the performance drops off noticeably. What is the point? I know you can "cork" them or " reverse strop" them, but why?
They cost too much for 2 pretty good shaves and a lot of baggage.
Gillette 7 O'Clock (Green) Permasharp - The only "Gillette" branded razors I really like. Good and sharp, easy to cut a little too close, take care.
Gillette Minora - Pretty high on the list in the "C" group.
Gillette Silver Blue and Platinum - Nearly in the "D" group. Rough shave. Not impressed given the price and reputation.
Gillette (Others) - Range from meh to no thank you.
Kai- Much better than Feather. They are consistent from shave to shave and have a lot of good shaves per blade. I could see how a person could really like these. I find I have to be more careful than I want to, to avoid cuts. They are also expensive and hard-ish to source.
Muhle - Not a good shave. Could maybe be bumped into the "D" group. I do not like them.
Parker - Brilliant! Sharp and smooth. Close, clean, comfortable shave.
Personna Lab Blue- This is the blade I wanted to like because they are made in America. It is not about patriotism. Rather the carbon footprint of international shipping.
I have used more of these than any of my not group "A" and "B" blades.
I find them very tuggy. I feel they are fairly dull. I have to work so hard at getting a good shave that I am hard on my skin. And still, the results are not that good.
Personna Med Prep- These are pretty good. They are nearly group "B." They are also expensive and hard-ish to source.
Personna (others)- I like the Platinum(s) and Viking Sword marginally better than Lab Blue. I cannot tell the difference between Israeli (Red) and German Platinum.
I find the parent companies of Personna to be willfully difficult to communicate with regarding their products.
RK Stainless- This is one of the few exceptions to my no clean up pass rule. I do a 4th pass on just my throat with these, with no irritation. They are pretty tuggy on the first pass. Unlike most other tuggy blades the finished result is just fine.
After trying a bunch of blades I now feel Henson made a good choice issuing these with their razors. (No, I do not believe they are in any way tailored to the Henson, other than branding.) It is not a close shave. As a matter of fact they leave me with the equivalent of a few hours stubble. However, it is a comfortable, irritation free shave. You would have to be pretty careless to have a bad outcome with the Henson and RK Stainless combination. I think that is a great way to start people on their DE journey. So, yes these are oddly high on my list, but never let perfect get in the way of comfortable.
Shark Platinum - Great! A little hard to get the neck real close in three passes.
Shark Super Stainless - Ok, not "super."
Strangelete- I know I have made a bunch of dramatic claims about "good this" and "bad that," but these are truly a crime against the face! Really and truly just awful at a fairly premium price.
Treet Trig Silver Edge - Brilliant! Sharp and smooth. Close, clean, comfortable shave.
Voskhod - Fairly OK. Also fairly inconsistent between just 2 blades.
Wilkinson Sword - Very nice indeed. I see why people like these.
Wizamet- While definitely in the "A" group. These are probably at the lower end of the group. Not quite as sharp and smooth as the rest. Still very much an excellent shave.
These are good for at least 7 days of consistently really good shaves. Maybe more?
These are my go to daily blade. One blade for 7 days of great shaves keeps life simple.
Zorrik Super Platinum - Brilliant! Sharp and smooth. Close, clean, comfortable shave.
I guess that is it. I hope it was not too tedious?
2 each of 36 blade × 3 times each =216 days of shaving. A lot of those were NOT good shaves. Most were passable. Some were great.
I am so done testing blades!
