I cannot even get through three full shaves with a Feather blade before they become uncomfortable. Thus, I consider them sharp, but not smooth. While Feather blades are quite sharp, they feel rather harsh on my skin. I consider blades that do not cause skin irritation to be smooth. However, I also have very sensitive skin, easily irritated by shaving. These blades easily slice through my beard with no tugging. ![]() The blades that seems to be sharpest are: Feather, BIC Chrome Platinum, Gillette Nacets, 7 O'Clock Blacks, Personna Israeli Reds, and German Wilkinson Swords, and Dorco Prime Platinum STP301. I like blades that will sever the bristles with little effort. I have a very coarse, fast-growing beard. I am not surprised that "average" shavers cannot tell the difference between sharp and smooth, but with my beard and skin, I can tell the difference. I am sure that the early Gillette research was based on "average" shavers that were Gillette's target market at the time. This Drag Theory lead to the development of coated razor blades and specifically the Organosiloxane Gel coated Super Blue Blade (1959). After discovering in his test lab that shavers could not tell the difference in blade sharpness, he was responsible for break-thru research that determined that blade sharpness was not a critical factor in receiving a good shave rather a reduction in drag by hair clinging to the blade causing pulling was needed. He designed the Toggle razor (1955), the Bottom Dial razor (1956), a single edge blade dispenser (1949), the Blue Blade Speed-pak double edge blade dispenser (1948), a rustproofing process, the plastic retail razor case (1949) among others. An MIT Chemical Engineering graduate, he was the lead inventor of the adjustable safety razor and received over two dozen Gillette patents for his work. Mr Shnitzler was the Vice President & Director of Research and Development working at Gillette from 1933 till 1967 and for 10 years thereafter as a consultant. I do not recommend Shark Super Stainless blades as I find they are neither sharp nor smooth, but others may disagree. I cannot even use the blades that are at the dull end of the range, but those with beard that are not so coarse temd to like the Derby Extra blades due to their smoothness. In more aggressive razors with significant blade exposure on the skin, I use mid-sharp blades as the sharpest blades are too rough. In mild razors, I like the very sharpest blades. I have a rather tough beard and rather sensitive skin, so I want a sharp/smooth blade. After trying a variety of blades, you should determine what type of blade works best for you. If you have not already done so, I highly recommend purchasing a sampler pack containing blades that range from rather dull (Shark Super Stainless and Derby Extra) up through the sharpest blades (Feather, BIC Chrome Platinum, Nacets and 7 O'Clock Black) with some mid-range blades included as well. So weather they are worth the price depends on your needs and preferences. ![]() Both the Blacks and Nacets tend to be more expensive than the 7 O'Clock Green and Silver Blue blades (when purchased in 100 packs). I find the Blacks are similar in quality to the Gillette Nacets with the Nacets being just a tad sharper and the Blacks being just a tad smoother. The 7 O'Clock Super Platinum blades made in India and packaged in the Black box are excellent blades if you like very sharp/smooth blades. They should work for most people, but whether they work for you will depend on your beard, your skin type, and the razor in which you use them. I find them to be similar to the 7 O'Clock Green blades. If the blue box SuperPlatinum blades are the same as the Silver Blue blades from Russia, they are good blades, but they are neither the sharpest nor the smoothest.
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