You could always start again or add to it with a second review of the blade.

One piece of advice I have been given is to shave with a tuck of five of the same blades before pronouncing on them as one can get a dud blade occasionally. If all 5 blades are crap then you know that they are not for you. The only blades I have not followed through on this with are feather because they were so vicious on my skin and Derby which were blunt as old Harry. I wish I had stuck with the Derbys now though and may try them in another razor.

I ordered two of each blade for this reason. Testing 5 blades would take an incredibly long time plus the costs add up when you're ordering 5 blades instead of 2. Although two blades might not be enough for a fair assessment, I think that I'll easily find the right blades for me given the number of different ones that I plan on testing. It just won't be the most scientific approach.

I've been working my way through a rather large sample pack. I've been posting the ongoing test on the Shower and Shave of the Day thread. This is probably a better place to give an update on the results so far. I use the same razor, a Merkur 34c, for all testing. Below are two photos (please excuse the focus). The first photo shows the blades yet to be tested. I will add one more blade to this - the Voskhod with teflon coating, which was not in the sample pack. The second photo are the ones I've tested as of this morning. When I'm done I'll post a more detailed summary of the results. However for now - here is an informal ranking. In the second photo, the blades on the right are the very good to excellent blades (Astras by far the best). The four in the center are the blades that I would call "ok". They gave a decent shave but for one reason or another they also had issues (sharpness, smoothness et cetera). The three on the left are the "poor" blades. Originally I was going to give each blade a three shave test. But I figured that if the first shave was not comfortable or poor in quality why bother with additional shaves. Although some blades like the Wilkinson gave a better shave on the second try than the first. But again a blade should perform well from the very start. The Astras and the Lords both did that - excellent shaves - first, second and third shave. I will say the Dorco ST 301 is also a very nice blade. For being so inexpensive I really liked it. It may move up in the ranking. I hope to have five or so blades in the top ranking. I will then test each of those again to get the final top 2 or 3. My wife thinks I'm a bit crazy doing this, given all the blade reviews already out there. However, as we all know, this is a very personal part of shaving - each face and razor is different. But she does admit - this at least keeps me off the streets and out of trouble.

Absolutely true. I think that this is also why it's important to establish some sort of frame of reference with blades. Some people hate Feathers and love Sharks. For me, Feathers are the cream of the crop while the Sharks are totally unsuitable for even a single. My three reference blades are the Astra SP, Feather, and Vijay stainless. It looks like we could end up having similar preferences because I really enjoy the Astras as well. However, I'm actually hoping to trade away my remaining Astras by the end of testing because whether it's the platinum coating or something else, they seem to kind of irritate my face no matter what.

Unless your face hates super sharp blades, I think the best is yet to come for you. Nothing can hold a candle to the Feather or SharpEdge in terms of sharpness - I can't even feel those blades against my face when shaving, so Feather is actually a very apt name for the blade. I've also heard good things about Nacet and while I didn't particularly enjoy the Gillette Silver Blue, it's still a really popular blade. Voskhod didn't feel a whole lot sharper than Astras to me, but they are somehow nearly as comfortable as the Feather and the SharpEdge, so it's a good thing you'll be testing those out too since they're also very popular for a good reason.

I kept coming back to those Astras, because so many people like them but they are really not for me. I am currently really enjoying a 7 o'clock black, super platinum, in a medium aggressive razor; a little Velvet de razor which I love and I'm getting some of the best shaves I've ever had. I didn't like the same blade in my Gillette Slim, it was still a great shave but, I think, because the Slim is a milder set razor, I couldn't feel the blade on my face quite so well.

I've come to use the Astra SP as the benchmark to compare other blades. I still have a number of excellent blades to test. It will be interesting how this all comes out. A number of blades left to test are highly rated so I may well find a couple that I like better than the Astra SP. The Voskhod blades seem to be a unique blade. So many of the reviews highly rate them. That's why I decided to order on pack of five to test. We'll see. I'm really trying to keep an open mind.

Just shaved - continuing through my sample pack. This morning I used the Shark Super Stainless. These seem to get mixed reviews from folks. Just based on today's shave with my Merkur 34c, Vie Long horse hair brush and Cella soap - they were ok. It was a decent, comfortable shave and fairly smooth. However the blade doesn't seem to be very sharp. Took some repeated clean up on a couple trouble areas on my neck. Clean up that I didn't have to do when I used the Astra SP, Lord Platinum or even the Dorco ST 301 blades. I will rate these blades in middle of the pack. My sample pack also includes the Shark Super Chrome. A future shave will determine their status.

note: Posted this in the Shower and Shave of the Day section as well.

Nov 30: Just finished shaving. Its nice being retired now - I can get up have a bit of breakfast, a couple cups of coffee, watch the morning news and then go in and have a long, leisurely, hot shave at my own pace. In my previous life it was up slam bam shower, shave, dress, no breakfast, coffee to go, and out the door. Anyway to today's shave. New blade again (still have 8 more to test) - this time it is the BIC Chrome Platinum. My SOC boar brush is soaking, Merkur 34c and bowl standing by and Barrister & Mann Taiga soap ready to go. This is my only B&M soap but it produces some of the best lather I've seen. Its a misty northwest day here on the Olympic Peninsula. When I let the dogs out this morning I could smell the woods. I have hundreds of douglas firs, red cedars, hemlock, et cetera surrounding the house. So the Taiga was appropriate. I have two more B&M soaps (Sandalwood and Lavanda) on order, but with the holidays I don't expect the shipment any time soon.
Ok - on to the blade. It was a pretty good shave. The BIC is made in Greece and runs about $17 per 100. Not too sharp but a smooth and I would say soft, comfortable shave. Three passes with no irritation and little clean up. I would place these along side the Dorco ST 301 which I have tried and really liked. Still the Astra SP and Lord Platinum I rate as better. As of today my top blades are (starting in order with the best): Astra SP, Lord Platinum, Dorco ST 301, and the BIC Chrome Platinum. Tomorrow will be another adventure with another new blade.

It sounds like you live in a wonderful place. This was an interesting review; I have always stayed away from the Bic razor blades because of my memory of the first Bic throw away razor. It wasn't a good memory; I was never sure whether you had to use them first before you threw them away

I remember those disposables - terrible. This BIC Chrome Platinum did give a good shave. Not a great shave but a good one. Of the blades I still need to try there are a number that I have no doubt will drop the BIC down in the ratings. Still have Feather, Gillette Silver Blue, Gillette 7 O'Clock, Nacet, and Personna - all of which have large followings. I also have a single pack of Voskhod blades coming. Plus the other things that makes my testings a little bit suspect - I only use one blade one time. That one blade could be an anomaly when compared to the norm for that brand. That's why - once I get down to 5 or so that I like the best - I will run them through one more time to get to the top 2 or 3.

As for where I live - its beautiful but remote. I'm a few miles outside of Port Townsend, Washington. No four lane roads and only three traffic lights in the whole county. I'm on a high bluff looking north out over the Straights of Juan De Fuca and the main shipping lane from Seattle to the orient. 5 acres with a lot of trees - very big trees. I can see the Olympic Mountains off to one side and the Cascades off to the other - covered in snow now. At night all I hear is the wind and waves down below. Also have a bald eagle's nest on the property. The adults come back every year and hatch one or two young ones. They've actually had lunch (salmon they catch) on my deck a few times. Big birds that make a big mess.

I was following your reviews in the shave of the day thread but I'm glad that you're posting them here because it makes them much easier to find. I also really like that you include pictures of your full setup and if I could take a half decent picture myself, I'd like to do the same. I'm also surprised that you didn't rate the Bic very low because although I haven't heard too much about them, what little I did hear wasn't positive at all. I'm really looking forward to seeing your opinions on the popular blades that you mentioned and if you ever feel like renting your garage out to someone, I will be happy to pay you in blades and soaps. Your area really does sound very beautiful, especially being surrounded by those mountains.

Blade: Shark Super Chrome

I wasn't expecting much from this blade after how terrible the Shark stainless was, but I was sort of surprised by it. Like the Shark stainless, it just wasn't sharp enough for me but it wasn't as uncomfortable as the Shark stainless or the Personna red. I don't know why it is that the comfort level of a blade doesn't always feel strictly dictated by its sharpness, but I've already seen this before in blades like the Voskhods and even the Vijays.

After testing all of these blades, I've realized that I can pretty much conclude if a blade is a pass or a fail depending on how well it can handle the toughest area of my face, which is the goatee area. In this regard, the blade failed because it was getting stuck trying to cut through my coarse chin and mustache hair. I spent as much time trying to work my way across my chin on the first pass as some guys spend on their entire shaving routine. Despite all of the trouble that the blade was giving me, I never really had any serious irritation as with the Shark stainless. I also initially thought that I didn't get a single nick although the corner of the blade caught my nose at one point, and ultimately I did have a tiny weeper on my neck that I noticed after applying aftershave balm.

Overall, I could actually see this blade working for a lot of people who don't have particularly stubborn facial hair. I personally benefit from sharper blades so while I wouldn't rule out using this blade again, I think that there are better choices at the same price point such as the Voskhods. I do have a tiny bit of discomfort but I think that it's mostly at the same level that I normally have after shaving with any tool, whether it be an electric or a cartridge razor. I think that I will push this blade for at least one more shave and hopefully cut the time in half because right now, shaving with a Shark takes me longer than it would take the average guy to wake up, brush, shave, shower, get dressed, and eat breakfast although to be fair, I've always been a disgustingly slow shaver in spite of the tools at hand.


Sharpness: 5.5/10

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As an aside, I thought about changing my criteria for rating blades but I only have two more left in my sample pack, so I guess I'll just stick to rating sharpness for now. If I ever get another sample pack, I'll probably also start rating comfort level and longevity as I will be using blades for as many shaves as I can instead of tossing after only one or two shaves. After my last two blades, I'm going to go back and try everything again and maybe just post the scores for these categories.

Wow! That sounds like you live in God's own country! I would love to see an Eagle, one day. I won't take this thread off topic, but what a wonderful sounding place. Nice.

Dec 2: Shaved this afternoon getting ready for date night. Even though all I'm doing is going to a local bar to watch the Huskies play Colorado. New blade - Gillette Silver Blue. Merkur 34c, SOC boar brush, bowl, and a new soap - Taylor Sandalwood. Finished with a bit of Fine Platinum. The Silver Blue is a very nice blade. Very close shave just a little irritation under my chin. I rate this blade in my top three so far in the 18 blade sample pack test. Astra SP and the Lord Platinum being the other two top blades. 6 more blades to test. By the way - Taylor Sandalwood is excellent. Great lather!

Dec 6: Another new blade tested with today's shave. 5 left to go. It was the Nacet Stainless from Russia. They go for about $20 per 100. Again using the same razor for all tests - the Merkur 34c. My standby favorite brush the SOC boar and my favorite bowl (my only bowl). The stand with the Edwin Jagger Chatsworth razor and my very first brush from 1968 is for looks. Its a Macy Associates pure badger - still in great shape. I included them in the photo just because they look great. Have not tried the Chatsworth yet. Onto the blade. I just had a down right excellent shave. Very smooth, no nicks, and very soft feel on my face. 2 passes with a little touch up was all I needed. No burn when I threw the Thayers Witch Hazel on. I'm putting these blades in my top category with the Astra SP, Lord Platinum, and Gillette Silver Blue. I'm going to have to go back and retest these top blades to get a final ranking but for now the Nacet (based just on this one shave) is second behind the Astra SP. Also the Taylor soap "Rose" was quite nice - excellent lather - scent a bit flowery (duh - its Rose). The wife likes it.

I was expecting a bit more from the Nacet. I rank the Astra SP as a solid middle of the road blade at the sweet spot for price and performance. Any worse and I wouldn't consider using the blade again. Hopefully I'll be able to try a Nacet soon myself so that I can see how they compare. Now I'm really curious to see how you feel about Feather and the yellow SharpEdge. I was thinking that Nacet would be on their level but apparently not if they rank behind Astra SP.

That's why I will need to go back through the top blades and try each one again. The Astra SP was the first blade I tested which was many weeks ago. The Nacet really gave we a great shave today. A second test - I'm sure - will change the rank order of some of these. I was saving the Feather for last as so many like it. The one blade I have order and has not arrived yet is the Voskhod. I really want to try it as well.

Blade: Wilkinson Sword (German)

After a series of bad blades, it was a treat to use this fantastic blade today. I've mentioned that my upper lip and chin are problem areas due to having especially coarse hair there, but this blade mostly glided through without any issues. There wasn't any tugging or pulling whatsoever, and even though I was aiming for a comfortable shave rather than a close one, I still managed to get a reasonably close shave with minimal effort. This is exactly what I want in a blade the Wilkinson delivered. I would rank at as one of my top picks among Feather, 7 O'Clock SharpEdge, and Voskhod. However these blades are almost as expensive as Feathers and the SharpEdges were still slightly better so unless these last much longer, there isn't any real reason to pick them over those two.

It's also worth noting that the blade didn't feel as smooth as the Vokhod, yet it was smooth enough for me so this isn't really a point of criticism. It will come down to how smooth and comfortable they remain after a few shaves. I have a tiny bit of razor burn under my nose that I noticed in the shower because I got lazy and didn't apply pre-shave today, which is usually a recipe for razor burn since I have such dry skin. I forgot how much a good shave can help to brighten the mood a little and the Wilkinson really did the trick.

My only major criticisms are pretty moot points: I don't like blades with the wax dots and these blades also share their name with the Indian Wilkinsons, which are supposedly terrible and I'm concerned that a vendor could end up sending me the Indian blades instead, intentionally or not. That gives Voskhod the edge but I'll be able to reach a verdict once I test all these blades again and measure longevity. I'm still leaning towards the SharpEdge or Voskhod as my top pick at the moment.



Sharpness: 8.5/10

I like Wilkinson Sword blades too. They are very inexpensive for 100 on ebay !!!