RayClem's Blade Evaluations

metal_shavings 


There are quite a few blades that are sharper than the Derby Extra Green (which I rated as a 3) and less sharp than the Wizamet Super Iridium which I rated as a 4.5. It might be that you can find something that is not quite as aggressive than the Lupo 127/Wizamet combination that achieves a close shave without requiring you to be so focused on your technique. 

Of course, you could also try doing what I do with my typical shave. Try using the Lupo 127 for your WTG and XTG passes and then use a less aggressive razor ATG. As soon as the blade evaluation is completed I will go back to my four pass/four razor/four blade shave.  When I shave in that manner I always get a near BBS shave with zero irritation. Too frequently I have not been able to achieve that result with only one razor and one blade.

metal_shavings 


There are quite a few blades that are sharper than the Derby Extra Green (which I rated as a 3) and less sharp than the Wizamet Super Iridium which I rated as a 4.5. It might be that you can find something that is not quite as aggressive than the Lupo 127/Wizamet combination that achieves a close shave without requiring you to be so focused on your technique. 

Of course, you could also try doing what I do with my typical shave. Try using the Lupo 127 for your WTG and XTG passes and then use a less aggressive razor ATG. As soon as the blade evaluation is completed I will go back to my four pass/four razor/four blade shave.  When I shave in that manner I always get a near BBS shave with zero irritation. Too frequently I have not been able to achieve that result with only one razor and one blade.

Certain areas for me require close attention in general, more so with this combo. It is definitely not like the Overlander which I feel you can almost shave on autopilot. I'll look atthe spreadsheet to see what else is in between the Wizamet and Derby that I may have blade wise.

Just finished my 30th jaguar blade shave in the karve with D open comb..amazing blade,must have at least 120 shaves all together,edit:: 5th blade:no nicks, weepers,just smooooothness.
Today I was looking at my tuck collection and my pack of Kai blades fell into the sink..I pick them up and noticed there were five blades,one wrapped blade had 2 dots that I marked with a pen,well I realize that the blade that I complained about getting stuck was not a kai but a rockwell,placed a fresh rockwell blade and could barely get it on,crunch,crunch,and trouble taking off.

Just finished my 30th jaguar blade shave in the karve with D open comb..amazing blade,must have at least 120 shaves all together,edit:: 5th blade:no nicks, weepers,just smooooothness.
Today I was looking at my tuck collection and my pack of Kai blades fell into the sink..I pick them up and noticed there were five blades,one wrapped blade had 2 dots that I marked with a pen,well I realize that the blade that I complained about getting stuck was not a kai but a rockwell,placed a fresh rockwell blade and could barely get it on,crunch,crunch,and trouble taking off.

I am glad the Jaguar blades are working well for you. I rated them 4.5 sharpness and 4 smoothness, which makes them excellent blades. The only problem I had with them is that they are only available in 10 packs, making them rather expensive. I do not like King C Gillette blades for that same reason, even though the blades themselves are excellent.

Although Rockwell has an excellent reputation for most of their razors, the blades do not seem to garner such high praise.  I do not think I have ever used one, if so, it was many years ago. The blades are manufactured in China, which is a fact, not necessarily a negative. The blades are said to be made of Swedish steel, but that does not necessarily mean anything since the exact steel type is not named. In 2017, the Refined Shave web site listed the Rockwell blades as one of the three least sharp blades tested.  That is why I was never interested in trying them. Of course, many years have passed since that test. The blades available today might be entirely different than the ones Refined Shave tested in 2017. Rockwell claims the blades are both very sharp and long lasting, advertising 5-8 shaves per blade. However, I have never gotten 5 good shaves using any blade I have tried.

Please let us know what you think of the Rockwell blades compared to the Jaguar blades.

The Rockwell from what I remember were pretty good,I found myself asking for the 100 pack $21.99 when restocking my aftershaves,they were out and only had the 10 packs,so got a 10 pack $2.99 and the 10 jaguars for $8.99 I’m glad i didn’t look at the $8.99 price or I would have passed.

The Rockwell from what I remember were pretty good, I found myself asking for the 100 pack $21.99 when restocking my aftershaves,they were out and only had the 10 packs,so got a 10 pack $2.99 and the 10 jaguars for $8.99 I’m glad i didn’t look at the $8.99 price or I would have passed.

When you consider that Jaguars are made in Egypt and other blades made by Lord range from $8 per 100 for many brands to $14 per 100 for the flagship Lord Platinum Diamond Edge, the cost of the Jaguar blades is exorbitant. Bolzano Superinox blades are also made in Egypt and sell for $20 per 100 blades. What I cannot understand is why Jaguar claims to be selling to professional barbers and hair dressers, but does not sell in bulk. To me, that makes no sense. If you want to save a few dollars, try either the Lord Platinum Diamond Edge or Bolzano blades. The Lord Silver Star blades are another good option.

https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Platinum-Dou...07VGY9PQK/

https://www.amazon.com/Bolzano-Superinox...01F1CK6TQ/

https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Star-Stain...00AZY1LO0/

I think you will find these blades to be as good or better than Jaguar. Of course, if you are willing to pay more for the Jaguar name, I won't try to stop you. However, if they are so proud of the Jaguar name, you would think they would imprint it on the blades.

The Rockwell from what I remember were pretty good,I found myself asking for the 100 pack $21.99 when restocking my aftershaves,they were out and only had the 10 packs,so got a 10 pack $2.99 and the 10 jaguars for $8.99 I’m glad i didn’t look at the $8.99 price or I would have passed.

If you like the performance of the Jaguar blades, but not the price, you might want to consider the following blades:

Lord Platinum The Diamond Edge

Bolzano Superiox

Lord Silver Star

Like Jaquar, all of those blades are made in Egypt and are sharp and smooth. I do not know which will last longer for your shaves, but at much lower pricing, they do not need to last quite as long before replacement.

The lord blades I’ve been using,along with personnas..at 89 cents per blade with between 25-30 shaves compared to some with only 2-4,some not even 1 plus shipping,they’re a bargain,2-3 cents per shave,though hey I could afford them if they were made of gold,just pisses me off that these blades nowadays are nothing compared to years back,razor burn and cuts are annoying. in canada,for instance those king c gillettes I saw at shoppers drug mart 10 for $17.99,,yeah crazy..amazon is counterfeit china city for razors and blades..some guy bought a pair of tondeo,maybe Jaguar $1400 scissors for 800 and they were counterfeit.It’s gotten to the point I’ll toss everything but the personnas and jaguars,and if the personnas continue being spotty they’re going also.German steel like the good old days is were it’s at.

The Rockwell from what I remember were pretty good,I found myself asking for the 100 pack $21.99 when restocking my aftershaves,they were out and only had the 10 packs,so got a 10 pack $2.99 and the 10 jaguars for $8.99 I’m glad i didn’t look at the $8.99 price or I would have passed.

Razor blade club has 100 Jaguar R1 blades made in Germany for $29.95 and 100 blades or more ship free.

https://www.razorbladesclub.com/razorblades/

Oh my,thanks for the link..jaguars I have enough now for 5 years+ shaving everyday..but I spotted at least 6 blades on that site I want to try.