Objective Blade Sharpness Testing

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by mark_s, Mar 15, 2012.

  1. mark_s

    mark_s Active Member

    I understand that what I consider to be a "sharp" blade, could very likely be different from what another face considers to be "sharp". And, at the risk of stirring the pot here, I'm going to say that with all of the variables (face prep, whisker growth, personal skin sensitivity, razor weight, cutting head angle, soap, etc), it's my opinion, that any of us that say a blade is "sharp", or "aggressive", or "tugging" or "not aggressive", should be appending a disclaimer of sorts to the statement.

    I liken this to shooters who say a particular gun is more "accurate" or less "accurate" than another. Virtually any modern gun is more accurate than the person firing it. Now, the statement "I find gun X to be more accurate in my hands is understandable, and makes sense, because of things like sensitivity to recoil, grip angle, shooter's ability, eyesight, etc.

    So, with that said, what's the real bottom line on sharpness testing, if we take the "what feels sharp" out of the equation? Has any lab or testing agency ever used something like this device (link below to test blades?

    http://www.catra.org/pages/products/razors/redst.htm

    Honestly, I don't even know if that would be an appropriate testing device, but it's something along those lines that I'm thinking of.

    To be clear, I am not disputing the fact that all of us may perceive certain blades to be sharper, or better, or worse than others. But, those assessments are all under wildly varying circumstances.

    I'm going to stick by my recently reached conclusion that the differences between new blades are so minor, that virtually any of them will provide a good, clean, comfortable shave, unless I see objective test results from a machine doing the tests in a controlled way.

    Is there any such data available?
     
  2. Slipperyjoe

    Slipperyjoe Rusty Metal Tetanus

    There was just a thread on this topic http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/blade-sharpness-comparison.27306/ .. What you've just said I think pretty much sums it up nicely. The only really objective difference I found is in the thickness of blades. Super sharp blades like feather also tend to be thinner than most. Also there might be some quality differences in certain sub market brands. Pretty much a mileage issue I'm afraid ..:(:)
     
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  3. mark_s

    mark_s Active Member

    Thanks for the pointer to the other thread. I wonder too, if you exclude re-branding, how many different blade manufacturers there are?
     
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  4. Slipperyjoe

    Slipperyjoe Rusty Metal Tetanus

    Saw something on that also on one of the shaving blogs think it's here ..http://www.bruceonshaving.com/?s=how+many+brands+of+de+blades .. more than a hundred maybe...
     
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  5. Slipperyjoe

    Slipperyjoe Rusty Metal Tetanus

    Mark I just had another look at this article on How many blades in the link I gave you and somehow something has been changed.. or so I think. Towards the bottom of the page, somewhere between the poker ad and the shavepocalypse, there's something about blades. I do remember reading a good spot he wrote entirely on the different brands and how many there were but that was then and this is now. So the question for the moment at least, remains a mystery ..:scared003: I'll keep my eyes peeled for more info...
     
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  6. mark_s

    mark_s Active Member

    Thanks! Even if things are pretty substantially different today, I'm still astounded. I'd have guessed DE blade manufacturing to be done by far fewer companies, in a lot less countries. Great info, and a cool source I'd never have found otherwise!
     
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  7. Slipperyjoe

    Slipperyjoe Rusty Metal Tetanus

    Right now about a billion DE shavers in the world bro.. and alternatives like the straight. Most are in Asia but our little share of the market is growing and in the business world, that matters..
    Ya.. though a bit heavy on his pocolypse, Bruce can be interesting at times...
     
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  8. Blobster

    Blobster Member

    Maybe with the possible exception of a Feather I personally can't really tell the difference between one DE blade or the other. It is without doubt the most subjective wet shaving subject. Although many swear by a certain blade, how often have you read that the blade in question has gone out of production and the perceived qualities can be nothing more than a statement of exclusivity. All this aside I'm surprised that nobody as a far as I know has done a long term double blind test with a number of blades. It's ideal double blind material as you really can't tell which blade is being used.
     
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  9. Slipperyjoe

    Slipperyjoe Rusty Metal Tetanus

    So far Blobster I also find the blades that I've tried to be remarkably similar. But there is a fellow on another forum who has done a more detailed blade analysis of many different brands of blades..right down to near microscopic photos of the blade edges. From that perspective at least, there does appear to be a noticeable difference even between one company's blade model and another. On SMF there's a section "Squire's Blade Review" which although I don't think involves actual double blind tests, nevertheless seems to garner a certain measure of analytical objectivity IMO.. or at least he tries to lol...
     
  10. Blobster

    Blobster Member

    Yes I've seen those photos, Slipperyjoe. Remarkable bit of photography and a lot of work! There are definitely difference in how they're manufactured, I'm just not convinced it really makes that much difference when loaded in a razor. Although my main blade stash is Sharks I've got a number of different blades and I honestly can't tell which one's which and I always forget which one I've loaded.
     
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