RayClem's Blade Evaluations

Gasman Jerry

Don't forget that if you download an updated spreadsheet to add new blades I have evaluated, you will overwrite your modified spreadsheet unless you save them under a different name. That is a provision used by Dropbox to prevent others from modifying my original spreadsheet.

I see.
My spreadsheet I've had for years. I wouldn't know how to go about saving yours and modifying it.  That's beyond my ability.

Today's shave was Rockwell razor on 6 plate w/Wizamet Blade. BBS! 
What a fine blade.

Off Topic some..., I'd share my spreadsheet with the group to show my selection or razors and such. Burt that's beyond me too. Just call me a cave man. And Ray, I've still never figured out how to do the gaming on this new super computer yet. Maybe someday.

Friday Evening Shave- Merkur Super Platinum

I had initially intended to use the Treet 7 Days blades for this shave, but picked up the Merkur blades instead. Years ago, Merkur blades were made in Solingen Germany and were labeled "ice tempered'. I presume they were made by Giesen and Forsthoff, the manufacturer of Timor blades and Van der Hagen blade, which at the time were also ice tempered. Those blades were some of the worst blades I have ever used. The Van der Hagen blades had the worst showing of any blade in this evaluation series.

Fortunately, Merkur blades are no longer made in Germany and they are no longer ice-tempered. They are Super Platinum blades manufactured in the Czech Rep, presumably by Czech Blades.

I started Friday's shave with the Euromax Platinum blade in the Karve razor. I took a few strokes with the razor and found the Euromax was still reasonably sharp and reasonably smooth. I then replaced that blade with a fresh Merkur blade. I immediately noted an improvement in sharpness and smoothness. I was able to achieve a near-BBS shave using three passes followed by a clean-up pass with buffing strokes. When applying witch hazel after the shave I got moderate feedback.

Based on the results of the shave, I rate the Merkur Super Platinum blades as 4.5 sharpness and 4.25 smoothness. That is the same rating achieved by both the Tatra Platinum and Tiger Platinum blades also made in the Czech Rep. Thus, I assume that all three blades are essentially the same blade with different branding. In the case of the Merkur Super Platinum blades, however, you are paying a premium for the Merkur name. Those blades sell for $75 per 100 blades whereas the Tiger and Tatra equivalents are only $9-10 per 100 blades, respectively. While the Merkur blades can give a nice shave, I would suggest you purchase the less expensive blades. I am glad to report that the current Merkur blades are a huge improvement over the older "ice tempered' blades made in Germany.

For Sunday's shave, I will use the Treet 7 Days blade I missed.

Ray's analyses has resulted in a few discoveries for my shave routine and den.

Namely, 3 blades I have enjoyed and now include in my inventory: Tatara, Wizmet, and Gillette Yellows.

I just used a Gillette Wilkinson Sword blade in my Ukrainian razor with the mild base plate [Smart Helix] and what a great shave with no feedback. I have a few more to sample per my score bullseye [Ray's sheet] where it appears my face, razors, and technique like the sharp & smooth scores of 4.5 with a nod to smoothness as the priority. Permasharp and Gillette Blacks have always been in the rotation. But now I have some other options. The exceptions to my score bullseye are the Astra SP and perhaps the G sword but I think these are razor specific. The Israeli Reds for me have the unique ability to run well in all my razors [ I am a mild razor guy: M1, Karve B, CG Lvl 1, Timeless 68, Carbon -, Wolfie 54, Overlander, GC 68, Feather A2.]

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Ray's analyses has resulted in a few discoveries for my shave routine and den.

Namely, 3 blades I have enjoyed and now include in my inventory: Tatara, Wizmet, and Gillette Yellows.

I just used a Gillette Wilkinson Sword blade in my Ukrainian razor with the mild base plate [Smart Helix] and what a great shave with no feedback. I have a few more to sample per my score bullseye [Ray's sheet] where it appears my face, razors, and technique like the sharp & smooth scores of 4.5 with a nod to smoothness as the priority. Permasharp and Gillette Blacks have always been in the rotation. But now I have some other options. The exceptions to my score bullseye are the Astra SP and perhaps the G  sword   but I think these are razor specific. The Israeli Reds for me have the unique ability to run well in all my razors [ I am a mild razor guy: M1, Karve B, CG Lvl 1, Timeless 68, Carbon -, Wolfie 54, Overlander, GC 68, Feather A2.]

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Tommy

Since you are a fan of milder razors, it sounds like you have figured out that sharp and smooth is the way to go for you. While Astra SP blades are not quite sharp enough for my tough beard nor smooth enough for my sensitive skin, that does not mean they won't work for you. I recognize that my beard is tougher than most and my skin is more sensitive than most. That makes me a suitable candidate for blade evaluations, but it means the I will always rank very sharp and very smooth blades higher in the rankings. I can get a decent shave using blades with a sharpness rating of 4, but since I have sharper blades at my disposal, I prefer to use them.

Ray's analyses has resulted in a few discoveries for my shave routine and den.

Namely, 3 blades I have enjoyed and now include in my inventory: Tatara, Wizmet, and Gillette Yellows.

I just used a Gillette Wilkinson Sword blade in my Ukrainian razor with the mild base plate [Smart Helix] and what a great shave with no feedback. I have a few more to sample per my score bullseye [Ray's sheet] where it appears my face, razors, and technique like the sharp & smooth scores of 4.5 with a nod to smoothness as the priority. Permasharp and Gillette Blacks have always been in the rotation. But now I have some other options. The exceptions to my score bullseye are the Astra SP and perhaps the G  sword   but I think these are razor specific. The Israeli Reds for me have the unique ability to run well in all my razors [ I am a mild razor guy: M1, Karve B, CG Lvl 1, Timeless 68, Carbon -, Wolfie 54, Overlander, GC 68, Feather A2.]

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Tommy

Since you are a fan of milder razors, it sounds like you have figured out that sharp and smooth is the way to go for you. While Astra SP blades are not quite sharp enough for my tough beard nor smooth enough for my sensitive skin, that does not mean they won't work for you. I recognize that my beard is tougher than most and my skin is more sensitive than most. That makes me a suitable candidate for blade evaluations, but it means the I will always rank very sharp and very smooth blades higher in the rankings. I can get a decent shave using blades with a sharpness rating of 4, but since I have sharper blades at my disposal, I prefer to use them.

Ray, as you have pointed out more eloquently than me, each shaver has to figure out what works per his face, tools, and technique. What your survey has done has provided the relative scale to imprint on. It is amazing how my blade inventory fits my score bullseye and filtering on what works has opened up a few other blades that are as good and even better. My only aberration is the Astra greens- and as I mentioned I almost pitched them until using with my att m1. The variables in this process are very interesting - albeit complicated.

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Ray's analyses has resulted in a few discoveries for my shave routine and den.

Namely, 3 blades I have enjoyed and now include in my inventory: Tatara, Wizmet, and Gillette Yellows.

I just used a Gillette Wilkinson Sword blade in my Ukrainian razor with the mild base plate [Smart Helix] and what a great shave with no feedback. I have a few more to sample per my score bullseye [Ray's sheet] where it appears my face, razors, and technique like the sharp & smooth scores of 4.5 with a nod to smoothness as the priority. Permasharp and Gillette Blacks have always been in the rotation. But now I have some other options. The exceptions to my score bullseye are the Astra SP and perhaps the G  sword   but I think these are razor specific. The Israeli Reds for me have the unique ability to run well in all my razors [ I am a mild razor guy: M1, Karve B, CG Lvl 1, Timeless 68, Carbon -, Wolfie 54, Overlander, GC 68, Feather A2.]

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I loved the Israeli reds out of the gate though mine are the German made. They have been consistent for me as well. I am convinced the Overlander is magic and you could get a great shave without even putting a blade in. I am also developing a fondness for the Wizamet blades. I have found the combo of a sharp blade in a mild/medium razor can be a great combo for a great shave. I am starting to keep notes in my app on blade/razor combos and see what combos work best with my mostly aggressive razors. Some aggressive blades have worked well, some have been a bit too much. I just used a Bolzano in my Yaqi 1.50 OC and it was overkill. Even a couple hours after the shave my face was a bit sore if I touched it. Post shave feedback was fine, but I may have gone too deep.

I loved the Israeli reds out of the gate though mine are the German made. They have been consistent for me as well. I am convinced the Overlander is magic and you could get a great shave without even putting a blade in. I am also developing a fondness for the Wizamet blades. I have found the combo of a sharp blade in a mild/medium razor can be a great combo for a great shave. I am starting to keep notes in my app on blade/razor combos and see what combos work best with my mostly aggressive razors. Some aggressive blades have worked well, some have been a bit too much. I just used a Bolzano in my Yaqi 1.50 OC and it was overkill. Even a couple hours after the shave my face was a bit sore if I touched it. Post shave feedback was fine, but I may have gone too deep.
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There is nothing wrong with very sharp blades. There is nothing wrong with very aggressive razors. However, trying to combine them during the same shave can be a bit too much as your experiment proved. For the Yaqi 1.50 OC, you might try the 7 O'Clock Super Stainless green blade as it is not quite as sharp as the Bolzano, but still smooth. If that still proves to be too sharp, I suggest the 7 O'Clock SharpEdge yellow. That is my choice for aggressive razors. When using aggressive razors with a lot of blade feel, blade smoothness can be even more important than sharpness.

I loved the Israeli reds out of the gate though mine are the German made. They have been consistent for me as well. I am convinced the Overlander is magic and you could get a great shave without even putting a blade in. I am also developing a fondness for the Wizamet blades. I have found the combo of a sharp blade in a mild/medium razor can be a great combo for a great shave. I am starting to keep notes in my app on blade/razor combos and see what combos work best with my mostly aggressive razors. Some aggressive blades have worked well, some have been a bit too much. I just used a Bolzano in my Yaqi 1.50 OC and it was overkill. Even a couple hours after the shave my face was a bit sore if I touched it. Post shave feedback was fine, but I may have gone too deep.

There is nothing wrong with very sharp blades. There is nothing wrong with very aggressive razors. However, trying to combine them during the same shave can be a bit too much as your experiment proved. For the Yaqi 1.50 OC, you might try the 7 O'Clock Super Stainless green blade as it is not quite as sharp as the Bolzano, but still smooth. If that still proves to be too sharp, I suggest the 7 O'Clock SharpEdge yellow. That is my choice for aggressive razors. When using aggressive razors with a lot of blade feel, blade smoothness can be even more important than sharpness.
[/quote]

Yes, slightly less sharp would likely work but smoothness is still a must. I have both the Gillette Yellow and Greens. I think I am going to try the Zorrik Super Platinum I got from RayClem with my Lupo 127 next. They are rated 3.5 sharpness with a 4 on smoothness. The Lupo is pretty aggressive and still quite smooth so maybe this will be a winner. My other Zorrik Super Stainless paired well with my Fatip Grande OC though I do believe that is not a super aggressive razor.

Sunday Shave- Treet 7 Days Platinum

There are several brands with similar sounding names. Gillette has four blades sold under their 7 O'Clock brand. Durablade sells 7 AM Hi Platinum. Treet sells 7 Days Platinum.
Today, I am evaluating the Treet blade. Treet produces a wide variety of blades: carbon steel, stainless, and platinum coated blades. Prior to this evaluation, I was always suspicious of the quality of Treet blades, but after several successful tests, that my opinion of Treet has changed. They make blades that can compete with many others in the marketplace.

I began today's shave with the Merkur Platinum blade from the previous shave still in the razor. It was still sharp and smooth. I could have easily used it for another shave or more. When I replaced the Merkur blade with the Treet 7 AM blade, I detected little change in sharpness or smoothness. I continued through my four pass shave including buffing strokes during the clean-up pass. I was easily able to achieve a near-BBS shave. When I applied witch hazel after the shave, I got moderate feedback. This shave was quite similar to the one using the Merkur blade.

Based on the results of this shave, I am going to rate the 7 Days blade the same as the Merkur blade: 4.5 sharpness and 4.25 smoothness. While it is possible that the blade is the same as the Treet Platinum blade, I rated that blade slightly less sharp (4) and slightly smoother (4.5). Thus, they might not be the same blade. The 7 Days blade sells for $9 per 100 blades making it a bargain for those who do not need the very sharpest blades. If the blades last for 7 days of shaving as implied by the name, it would be quite a bargain.

The spreadsheet has been updated.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/71ttt15wy...qo8eb&dl=0

The next group of blades to be tested are all from Derby in Turkey. While most people are familiar with the Derby Extra green and Derby Platinum blades, the Derby BlueBird and Derby Usta blades are less well known. Also Derby has recently introduced two other versions of the Extra blades. One is the Extra blue, which might be only a difference in the number of blades per tuck (blue 10 vs green 5). However, there is also an Extra orange version that indicates it is Platinum coated and does not mention the complex chromium, ceramic, platinum, tungsten and polymer coating used on many of the Derby blades. I will be comparing the BlueBird and Usta blades to the Derby Premium using face-off shaves. I will compare the Extra Blue and Extra Orange blades to the Extra greens using face-off shaves.