My personal blade assessment....
Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 7:30 am
- I've been keeping track of my shaves in an app I made on the iPhone.. I have 165 shaves logged with details and an overall rating of each.
With the understanding that the overall rating takes into account a whole load of factors, consider that I have never aborted a shave because of a bad lather and only once for dislike for the razor or software. I have bailed due to a bad blade though. With that in mind..
Of a total of 165 shaves...
Astra Super Platinum - 19 or 11.5% of total shaves (89% four stars or better)
* Five Diamond = 1
* Five Star = 9
* Four Star = 8
* Three Star = 1
* Two Star = 0
* One Star = 0
* Aborted = 0
Isreali Personna (Reds) - 48 or 29% of the total shaves (88% four stars or better)
* Five Diamond = 1
* Five Star = 22
* Four Star = 19
* Three Star = 6
* Two Star = 0
* One Star = 0
* Unrated = 1
* Aborted = 0
Feather Blacks - 31 or 12.7% of the total shaves (61% four stars or better)
* Five Diamond = 1
* Five Star = 5
* Four Star = 14
* Three Star = 7
* Two Star = 4
* One Star =0
* Aborted = 0
Derby - 8 or 4.8% of total shaves (25% four stars or better)
* Five Diamond = 0
* Five Star = 0
* Four Star = 2
* Three Star = 5
* Two Star = 1
* One Star = 0
* Aborted = 0
BlueBird - 22 or 36% of total shaves (55% four stars or better)
* Five Diamond = 0
* Five Star = 7
* Four Star = 5
* Three Star = 10
* Two Star = 0
* One Star = 0
* Aborted = 0
Wilkenson - 13 or 7.9% of total shaves (62% four stars or better)
* Five Diamond = 0
* Five Star = 6
* Four Star = 2
* Three Star = 2
* Two Star = 0
* One Star = 0
* Unrated = 3
* Aborted = 0
Various other blades have been rated, but they were typically one-off's or a small representation. The Rolls Razor had two shaves both aborted as did the Straight.
Razors vary a lot... from Superspeeds to Slants.
It's hard to be definitive because of the number of variables and the fact that ratings are completely subjective, but Astra Platinum & Personna Red's are winners by a pretty decent margin. Though I've used Personna's twice as often as I have used Astra, so a greater Astra sampling would be useful. Wilkenson might be in the mix considering I have three unrated shaves that could easily push the ratings up, but if I didn't rate it, the likelihood of them having been four stars or better is slim. Really surprised at the Feathers. The shaves that got low scores were with the Gillette New Long Comb razor which garnered great scores when paired with the Astra or Personna, so it isn't likely the razor.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming...
With the understanding that the overall rating takes into account a whole load of factors, consider that I have never aborted a shave because of a bad lather and only once for dislike for the razor or software. I have bailed due to a bad blade though. With that in mind..
Of a total of 165 shaves...
Astra Super Platinum - 19 or 11.5% of total shaves (89% four stars or better)
* Five Diamond = 1
* Five Star = 9
* Four Star = 8
* Three Star = 1
* Two Star = 0
* One Star = 0
* Aborted = 0
Isreali Personna (Reds) - 48 or 29% of the total shaves (88% four stars or better)
* Five Diamond = 1
* Five Star = 22
* Four Star = 19
* Three Star = 6
* Two Star = 0
* One Star = 0
* Unrated = 1
* Aborted = 0
Feather Blacks - 31 or 12.7% of the total shaves (61% four stars or better)
* Five Diamond = 1
* Five Star = 5
* Four Star = 14
* Three Star = 7
* Two Star = 4
* One Star =0
* Aborted = 0
Derby - 8 or 4.8% of total shaves (25% four stars or better)
* Five Diamond = 0
* Five Star = 0
* Four Star = 2
* Three Star = 5
* Two Star = 1
* One Star = 0
* Aborted = 0
BlueBird - 22 or 36% of total shaves (55% four stars or better)
* Five Diamond = 0
* Five Star = 7
* Four Star = 5
* Three Star = 10
* Two Star = 0
* One Star = 0
* Aborted = 0
Wilkenson - 13 or 7.9% of total shaves (62% four stars or better)
* Five Diamond = 0
* Five Star = 6
* Four Star = 2
* Three Star = 2
* Two Star = 0
* One Star = 0
* Unrated = 3
* Aborted = 0
Various other blades have been rated, but they were typically one-off's or a small representation. The Rolls Razor had two shaves both aborted as did the Straight.
Razors vary a lot... from Superspeeds to Slants.
It's hard to be definitive because of the number of variables and the fact that ratings are completely subjective, but Astra Platinum & Personna Red's are winners by a pretty decent margin. Though I've used Personna's twice as often as I have used Astra, so a greater Astra sampling would be useful. Wilkenson might be in the mix considering I have three unrated shaves that could easily push the ratings up, but if I didn't rate it, the likelihood of them having been four stars or better is slim. Really surprised at the Feathers. The shaves that got low scores were with the Gillette New Long Comb razor which garnered great scores when paired with the Astra or Personna, so it isn't likely the razor.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming...