Platinum Plus vs. Plus Platinum

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by Straight Arrow, Feb 14, 2009.

  1. Straight Arrow

    Straight Arrow Active Member

    As many of us are users and advocates of NOS DE blades, it is inevitable that some interesting private communication about these blades will take place between members from time to time. Just such a discussion has been ongoing between yomuppet and me regarding the merits and characteristics of various old stock blades. What has emerged is a proposal to compare, side by side, two of our favorite blades, the Gillette Platinum Plus;

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    and the Schick Plus Platinum:

    [​IMG]



    We propose to complete a semi-controlled experiment in which anyone else who has access to these particular blades is welcome to participate.

    The Guidelines:

    The experiment will take place over the course of six shaves; three with each blade.

    To reduce variables, the experimenter will use the same razor, brush, soap or cream, and prep routine for all six shaves. Each shave should be completed in the same manner, i.e., number and direction of passes. These choices do not need to be the same for all experimenters. Everyone does not need to use the same tools and techniques. Just choose your setup and method of shaving and use it exclusively and consistently throughout the experiment.

    One more thing. This will be a blind test so we will be enlisting the help of an assistant to load the blade into the razor to assure that the identity of the blade is concealed from us. Due to the fact that the Schick blade has telltale lines printed on the end tabs (see picture above), we will coat the end tabs of both blades with White-out (we tried it...it works and it holds up under water).




    Shave #1A- using unidentified blade "A"

    The shaver will post his impressions based on the blade's characteristics of sharpness and smoothness. Comments on closeness of the shave, number and severity of any nicks or cuts, any tendency toward razor burn, and any other observations should be included.


    Shave #1B- using unidentified blade "B"

    Just as with the first blade, the impressions of this blade's characteristics will be posted.


    Shaves #2A #2B #3A and #3B will alternate between the same two blades. Each blade will be used three times and comments should include how the blade performance changes, if at all, over the course of three shaves.

    At the completion of shave #6 we will open the razor to reveal which blade we have been using for each shave. Then we will make our final observations based on all collected information.

    We hope that many of you will participate in this venture and that some lively and informative discussion will be generated.

    We will begin on Monday 2/16. Feel free to jump in anytime.
    __________________
     
  2. DarkAudit

    DarkAudit Active Member

    Any reliable source other than the bay where I could pick up a pack or two of the Gillettes?
     
  3. MTgrayling

    MTgrayling Rocket Man

    A very interesting experiment that I will be following closely. Too bad Rodd has proclaimed this week to be "Rocket week".
     
  4. Straight Arrow

    Straight Arrow Active Member

    Shave #1

    Shave one---Blade "A"

    My setup for this experiment is:

    '65 SuperSpeed Razor

    I chose this because it is as common as vintage Gillettes can be. I actually prefer the 40s style SuperSpeed but I wanted to use the flair tip with the lower head profile because it just might be one that virtually every Gillette collector has and uses. It's also a great razor.

    Vintage Old Spice Shaving Soap

    I think the OS is at the top of the heap. I like it even better than vintage Yardley. 'Nuff said.


    Gimbels 1000 Pure Badger Brush

    [​IMG]

    I have two badger brushes; an entry level Vulfix (I don't know the model number---it's rebranded for Lee's Safety Razors), and the Gimbels brush pictured above. I chose the Gimbels because it holds water very well, has a dense knot, is not floppy and is not scratchy.

    The Prep

    I did my usual hot towel prep. I always shave before my shower. I fill the sink with very hot water, soak a small hand towel, wring it very slightly, and hold it against my face and neck for about a minute while I lean over the sink supporting myself with my elbows. I re-heat and apply the towel two more times.

    I take the brush out of the water where it has been soaking and give it three good shakes. Then I swirl it on the surface of the Old Spice (which has not been soaked at all) and proceed to build a lather directly on my face.

    The Shave --- Blade "A"

    My method consists of two WTG passes and some final touch up on the jawline and under the chin. I use the "Gillette Slide" which is a downward and slightly diagonal stroke that slices the whiskers. I use short, deliberate strokes with, of course, almost no pressure.

    The blade cut cleanly. No pull, no tug. Absolutely no discomfort. I could only feel a pleasurable tactile perception of the whiskers being cut. I could hear the sound of a very sharp and smooth blade doing its work. There was a very slight "singing" of the blade.

    As I proceeded with the shave I noticed a very miniscule weeper on my neck that I hadn't felt at all when it happened. It stopped bleeding on its own before the shave was over.

    After the shave I rinsed with warm water, patted dry, and admired the look and feel of a very satisfying shave. Of course, with the use of only WTG passes there is some perceptible whisker left on the face which can only be detected if it is rubbed against the grain. I have never sought BBS.

    I'm looking forward to Shave #2 with Blade "B" tomorrow morning.
     
  5. yomuppet

    yomuppet Member

    Hello, and welcome to your evening edition of Platinum v. Platinum.

    The gear:

    razor - Feather Portable (3-piece)
    brush - Rooney Style 1 Small (22mm) Super
    soap - Harris Arlington
    ASB - Nivea Sensitive
    blade - A

    The prep:

    Same as 95% of the time -- shower, 3 swirls on the soap, face-lather up, go to town.

    The shave:

    Very smooth, nary a nick, cut, or irritation. Like Rich, I do not strive for BBS, but for comfort. I have quite sensitive skin, so I've never been able to successfully go ATG. 2 passes WTG, plus as much cleanup as necessary XTG. I generally use a different side of the blade for each side of my face, on each pass (not that that's really important).

    Another thing to note, this blade did not pull, tug, skip, or any of those other negative things that blades sometimes do. All in all, thumbs up.

    Back at you tomorrow with blade B.

    Regards.

    J
     
  6. Straight Arrow

    Straight Arrow Active Member

    Shave #1B

    Shave #1- Blade "B"

    This blade shaved smoothly with no perception of pulling, skipping, or tugging. I sensed a feeling of what I can only describe as a satisfying crunch as the blade cut the whiskers. I did not hear the blade sing like I heard with blade "A". No pain, no discomfort during the shave. I opened a very small weeper on my chin on the first pass that was easily stopped with a little cold water. This shave was nearly as close as yesterday's shave with Blade "A" but not quite there. After the shave I felt a very slight irritation of the skin, not enough to even call it razor burn.

    Overall a very good first shave with Blade "B".
     
  7. yomuppet

    yomuppet Member

    Hello again,

    Blade - B

    Oy, am I disqualified if I think I know which is which? :-D

    I do have to say -- not knowing for certain which blade I'm using has really made me pay that extra attention to the properties and results. Today was smooth, quick, easy, nary a cut. Sound like yesterday?

    But there was a slight, very slight difference, I thought. Barely detectable, even, but I think it was there. The hairs went down a little quicker, with less effort. That's a plus. But also a slight (again, very slight) roughness to the blade compared to yesterday. I want to say it's like a very sharp knife, vs. a scary sharp knife. Imagine the sharp knife having a very smooth edge, and it cuts like butter. Then the scary sharp knife having such a thin edge that it's not quite so smooth anymore, but there are almost teeny little serrations, and now it cuts like the butter's not even there. But, you can still sort of feel a difference between the two if you rub your finger backwards across the blade (not forwards, which would cut you).

    I do not know if that was the best analogy, but it's sort of what this felt like. Looking forward to comparing these more!

    Regards.

    J
     
  8. Straight Arrow

    Straight Arrow Active Member

    Blade "A" Shave #2

    Blade "A" Shave #2

    As with many blades, this one was even better on its second shave. It easily cut through the whiskers, cleanly and smoothly. No perception of any blade struggle. The closeness of the shave equaled it's performance in shave #1. A tiny weeper appeared on my chin during touch-up and was easily stopped with cold water. Unlike yomuppet, I haven't a clue which blade is which.
     
  9. yomuppet

    yomuppet Member

    Round 2, Blade A.

    Great shave again, no change from round 1. Slightest bit slower to cut the hair than blade B. Excellent nonetheless, far better than the swill produced today. Now, about that time machine...

    Regards.

    J
     
  10. DarkAudit

    DarkAudit Active Member

    What I gather so far is if one pops up on the bay, go ahead and grab it. No need to hold out for one over the other. :)
     
  11. Straight Arrow

    Straight Arrow Active Member

    Blade "B" Shave #2

    This shave started out great. First pass A-OK. Comfortable, smooth. Less tactile and auditory feedback than the same blade provided on shave #1. On the second pass I opened up a weeper on my mustache area...nothing serious. However on the clean-up of my jawline I ended up with several weepers. In retrospect I think what happened was that I was not paying close enough attention while using a very sharp blade that is not very forgiving. I was in a hurry because right before my shave I bashed my knee against a metal handle on my dresser drawer inflicting great pain and loss of blood. After providing first aid I had little time left to complete a careful shave.
     
  12. yomuppet

    yomuppet Member

    In light of Rich's bad experience today, I've decided to take the day off. Perhaps tomorrow will be more fortuitous.

    Regards.

    J
     
  13. Straight Arrow

    Straight Arrow Active Member

    Blade "A" Shave #3

    The third time out with this blade was absolutely great. The shave was measurably smoother, very close, and oh, so comfortable. No pull, no weepers. Truly a wonderful shave. Shaves like this are the reason that I am a DE shaver.
     
  14. Straight Arrow

    Straight Arrow Active Member

    Final Results

    Blade "B" Shave #3

    Like blade "A", the third time out with blade "B" was the best. No discomfort. A smooth close shave but not quite as smooth or close as blade "A". No weepers...a very good shave.


    Final Comparison

    Both of these blades provided exceedingly good shaves. In terms of smoothness and closeness I have to give the nod to blade "A". In terms of auditory and tactile feedback, I liked the sound and feel of blade "B"...what I described earlier as the "satisfying crunch" of the blade cutting through the whiskers.

    I would easily recommend either of these blades to anyone who loves the older stock. Choosing one over the other is almost pointless, like choosing between two high quality wines. But if I had to use only one of these two blades for the rest of my life, I would select blade "A" because of its superbly smooth feel and the closeness of the shave.

    As I write this post I still do not know which blade is which. I am now going to go upstairs and open the razor. Be right back!


    AND THE WINNER IS.........................


    SCHICK PLUS PLATINUM :happy096
     
  15. DarkAudit

    DarkAudit Active Member

    Just scored a pack of the Schick at a flea market... along with 6 packs of the Gillettes. :D
     
  16. Straight Arrow

    Straight Arrow Active Member

    Dark, enjoy them both.
     
  17. yomuppet

    yomuppet Member

    I'm only at round 2 on each blade in this particular trial, but I've enough experience with each to give my impressions at this point.

    Blade B - very nice, again a bit quicker to mow down the whiskers, but a slight touch less smooth. Just a touch, mind you.

    The unmasking:

    A: Schick Plus Platinum

    I find this to be a nice blade overall. Quite smooth, good longevity, and zero irritation. I have no complaints about this blade.

    B: Gillette Platinum Plus

    I personally, like this one a bit better than the Schicks, but I can see where some of you might not. This feels to me like a smoother version of the swede, but not quite as smooth as those Schicks. The difference is really minor. The tradeoff is that I find this to be a bit sharper than the Schicks, and mow the hair right down with zero lagging. The Schicks did not tug for me, but they moved across the skin a bit slower than the Gillettes. It may be nitpicking, but I liked these better. Neither blade gave me any irritation, and I'm quite easily irritated (no pun intended).

    Winner: Gillette

    Recommended: EITHER! There is a load of the Schicks up on eBay right now, and the seller said he has access to more. But if a load of the Gillettes comes around, don't turn your nose up at those either. I think these are much, much better than any blade produced today, that I've tried (which is most of them).

    Best regards.

    J
     
  18. DarkAudit

    DarkAudit Active Member

    What was the date on the Gillettes you were using?
     
  19. Straight Arrow

    Straight Arrow Active Member

    The ones I used are not date coded. The patent # is 3071856.
     

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