Zorrik Super Platnium Blades?

[coffeejn]

I got a sample pack of Zorrik Super Platnium Blades and Super-Max Super Stainless Blue plus for free with my order on 100 Nacet and 7 o'clock green pack. Now the Super-max I have seen in some sites (am I expect at a minimum, a decent shave if not better) but I have never hear of Zorrik, nor have I seen anyone talk about it.

Am I asking for trouble with Zorrik or is this like a Dorco blade? It exists in the wild, but no one goes looking for them, only buy them on emergency or as a last result? I guess I'll try one on Saturday.

 

[sydbarett]

Zorrik is manufactured by Vidyut, the same Company that manufactures Super Max. Its one of the most widely used blades by Indian barbers. The Zorrik stainless is very similar to Dorco, to be used only in a pinch. I have not used the Zorrik Platinums. They may be a tad better.

Do let us know how they are, should you decide to try one on Saturday.

 

[coffeejn]

Well this morning was a test of free samples and new equipment.

Tried the Zorrik and did not bother finishing the shave with it, not bad, but just not sharp enough for me to care. They are smooth however, so a plus on that side. They reminded me of Derby blades for some reason, since they tug (maybe I am been spoiled by Feather blades???). I switched to Super Max and found something significantly worst, only did one swipe and removed them right away (I think they were duller than Zorrik). Glad that they were free but I think I will have to try them in a slant to determine if they are good.

I think the end result is, there is better out there for the same price or less. If the slant does not work, I will PIF them to some one I know to see how he finds them.

I finished the shave with Astra Stainless (received for free from Fendrihan) which was surprisingly good considering I have issues with Astra Superior Platinum. Will keep shaving with the Astra and see how long they last for me.

I lent my RR slant last week and should get it back this weekend, so I will see about trying the Zorrik in that.

P.S. Used the sample from Fendrihan soap, which I found pretty good to in my new Scuttle (a good scuttle is expensive, not sure if they are worth it, but I did get hot lather for the whole shave).

 

[coffeejn]

Just did my morning shave with Zorrik in a RazoRock SS Slant V.3, got a good shave out of it. Whether it's because of the razor or the blade, I am unsure. The RR slant seam to change most cheap blades into a good blade in my opinion. Got a BBS on 2 pass and 1 more for clean up.

I would place the Zorrik as above Derby and about average blade. I would recommend giving them a try if you get them for free or get a sample before ordering bulk, if a bulk order would ever make sense. They do "a job" in a pinch, not sure it would be a great one depending on the razor used, but it will do the task. As far as smoothness, I did not cut myself and I used a shea butter soap (NOT a shaving soap) with a badger brush and scuttle (mostly because someone told me it works, which it does). I noticed it was not as slick as shaving soap, but considering the lack of slickness, I would consider this blade a smooth blade(just as advertised on the package); this is not a bad blade and should be considered if the price is right.

I think there are too many "better/known" blades at the same price point which have more reviews and are more readily available. They might be one of the cheapest claiming Platinum coating, but they are not the sharpest. Than again, sharper does not always mean better. I think this is a blade that is better than most, but will be lost in the group due to availability and packaging. On the plus side, this does not rust as easily (no indicator of any rust after 2 days) as the cheap Russian blades. The Russian brand blade are usually sharper (also cheaper right now due to ruble price drop) and vary in smoothness. On the plus side, they are a LOT cheaper than Gillette 7'oclock blacks and smoother in my opinion, both come from India; so it is possible they come out of the same factory.

For the record, I got rid of the Russian blades because of rust issue. Rapira super stainless were the best blades for me, but they rusted fast (rust started to appear after ~1 day) in the RR slant. The Voskhop liked to remove skin as well as whisker in my case.

Here is the pics of the blade and package (Blade, 5 blade box, blade wrapper):

 

[Snookledon]

I got a Zorrik SP blade as part of a sampler and used it today. Disaster. Very rough shave. If they're made by the same company as Super-Max, maybe I just got a bad blade, because Super-Max has worked for me quite well.

 

[luv2shave]

I don't see this blade even in local stores here in India. So I guess it's not the one blade gone bad case.

 

[Snookledon]

I don't see this blade even in local stores here in India. So I guess it's not the one blade gone bad case.

Good to hear it from somebody who's in a position to know. Since I look forward to my morning shave, having a bad shave - especially on Sunday - is a huge letdown for the entire day. If I get anymore Zorriks in a sampler, I'll forego using them altogether.

 

[Sha]

I use Zorrik blades. Initial sharpness is on pair with Astras, but Zorriks last much longer. Even after 5 shaves Zorrik blade gives very descent result (I use Astras 3 times most).

 

[Quaznoid]

Zorrick the worst blade I ever used.

 

[Grundi]

I used a Zorrik SP blade this morning in a Merkur 20C (mild, long handled, 3 piece), and it was similar to my experience with SuperMax SP blades. Although it was only shave #1, I would say it was middle-of-the-pack for sharpness and smoothness, resulting in a comfortable, close shave shave.

Didn't shave my socks off, but wasn't horrible either.

 

[Grundi]

2nd shave with the Zorrik SP blade, and it went much like the 1st shave - nice, comfortable, and without incident. The shave was better than acceptable; however, there were a couple of areas that needed buffing. Overall, I would say that this is a decent blade.

Razor: Merkur 20C (mild)
Blade: Zorrik SP (1)
Soap: Tabac shave stick
Etc: bowl, brush, water, (and I'm almost sure that I was present sometime during the shave)

 

[Demolition]

Overall, I would say that this is a decent blade.

I have a Zorrik SP that was PIFed to me and I've been pondering whether to try it or not. All of the negative reviews had me spooked, but your experiences are encouraging!

 

[Grundi]

I have a Zorrik SP that was PIFed to me and I've been pondering whether to try it or not. All of the negative reviews had me spooked, but your experiences are encouraging!

Awesome! I would definitely encourage you to try them. My experience is that they are middle of the pack blades, not shave-your-socks-off amazing, but not horrible either. Shaves #2 and #3 are better than shave #1, and all 3 have been good shaves.

And my personal philosophy on trying unknown blades is that I am psyched to try new blades whether they turn out to be good or bad. There's actually something of a personal pride things to say that you've shaved with a truly horrid blade and survived!! Sometimes, like the ELOIS and Zorrik blades, you can find pleasant surprises. Shaving used to be a drudge chore for me, but I'm making mine into an adventure!!

 

[Grundi]

3rd shave with the Zorrik SP blade; a whisker better than shave #2. The results were a very nice shave, but not DFS. Although the blade is comfortable to shave with, there are some areas that require additional attention that other blades seem to take care of during the regular pass.

Razor: Merkur 20C (mild)
Blade: Zorrik SP (2)
Soap: Palmolive shave stick
Etc: bowl, brush, water, etc.

Lasting impressions: If I had purchased 100 blades, sight unseen, I would be happy shaving with these blades for the long term. For me, they're decent and give a good shave.

Before I forget...again...I received these amongst an amazing assortment of blades from @RealPretendPsychic!! Thank you very much, you're awesome!!

 

[Demolition]

First shave with Zorrik Super Platinum...

I used the Zorrik SP blade for a mid-afternoon shave and was pleasantly surprised by its performance.

Opening the wrapper reveals the blade held with four tiny wax blobs. Hot water melted them off easily. For my first shave, I decided on a RazoRock Old Type. Due to the mixed reviews, I chose a mild razor to mitigate any irritation that I might encounter.

However, this turned out to be unnecessary because I ended up with a good, close shave. The WTG and XTG passes were smooth and uneventful. I had some very minor tugging under the chin during the ATG pass. I suspect that this will smooth out on subsequent shaves as the coating wears down.

Like @Grundi, I feel that the Zorrik SP is firmly in the middle range of blades. It's definitely not the worst; there are plenty of consensus candidates for that. If anything, it reminds me of other mid-tier blades such as the Derby Premium, another medium-sharp, reasonably smooth blade.

It was noted above by @sydbarett (and I've read elsewhere on B&B) that Zorrik SPs are made by Vidyut Metallics, the folks who make Super-Max blades. In fact, I've read that Zorrik SPs are just repackaged versions of the Super-Max Platinum which has gotten decent reviews.

Anyway, I'll use the blade a few more times to see if the performance is consistent. If it turns out to be a long-lasting blade with predictable performance, then maybe a box will find its way into my blade stash.


p.s. Like @Grundi, I got the Zorrik SP in a large blade assorment PIF. Many thanks go out to @Earcutter for his incredible generosity! I'm slowly going through the blades that he sent; only about 20 blades left in the sampler, so at the rate I'm going, I'll have a mega-review ready around this time next year!

 

[Juijitsu2010]

Awesome! I would definitely encourage you to try them. My experience is that they are middle of the pack blades, not shave-your-socks-off amazing, but not horrible either. Shaves #2 and #3 are better than shave #1, and all 3 have been good shaves.

And my personal philosophy on trying unknown blades is that I am psyched to try new blades whether they turn out to be good or bad. There's actually something of a personal pride things to say that you've shaved with a truly horrid blade and survived!! Sometimes, like the ELOIS and Zorrik blades, you can find pleasant surprises. Shaving used to be a drudge chore for me, but I'm making mine into an adventure!!

I agree with you....zorik are ok to good blades-platinums- and I have gotten many good shaves frpm them.Ss I told my friend Cork them if they feel too rough and they are perfect!

Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk

 

[Grundi]

4th shave Sunday and 5th shave this morning. For me, the Zorrik SP blade is finished after 5 shaves. It's stayed relatively smooth (no tugging) throughout my 5 shaves, but left too much behind this shave to continue using it. If I can get 4 nice shaves from a blade, especially an unknown/untried blade, then I'm very pleased with it.

Razor: Merkur 20C (mild)
Blade: Zorrik SP (4)
Soap: Vinolia shave stick

@Juijitsu2010, I haven't tried corking a blade (either with actual cork, glass, denim, or palm), but several on B&B have posted that it really helps. I have acquired (but haven't used) a vintage blade sharpener (the pull string type), and I'm in the hunt for the glass sharpener from a flea market (as soon as quarantines are lifted).

 

[Dalejr]

I used one the other day for the first time on a 3 day growth. Very tuggy and not very smooth for me but my skin is not fond of the Supermax brand anyway...