Hey everyone. Next up for review is the Gilette 7 oclock sharp edge (yellow). While shaving this morning I was trying to decide how to describe it and there are only so many different ways to describe sharpness and smoothness. In an attempt to better quantify the performance of these blades I have decided to go with a numerical scale of 1-10. For sharpness I will simply be trying to measure the degree to which the blade cuts through the hair. Smoothness, however, is a lot more encompassing. It will include how easy the blade was for me to use, the degree of confidence it inspires, and inversely the amount of irritation experienced. I hope this system will better convey my impressions of the blades, as well as potentially helping someone else who is trying to make a blade decision. Lets get to it.
First I would like to go back and rate the blades I have tried thus far.
Derby
Sharpness=5..It is still a razor blade after all. For the most part this blade cuts nicely, but when I get to the thick course hair around my chin, the derby struggles.
Smoothness=10.. This razor inspires alot of confidence and I am able to shave in nearly any direction without a hint of irritation
Astra SP
Sharpness=5..Most people consider the astra a step up in sharpness to the Derby, however, for me it feels identical around the chin.
Smoothness=9.. The astra is a very smooth blade that is very easy to shave with. I only knocked it down a point from 10 because my first shave with an astra left me pretty chewed up.
Personna Lab Blue
Sharpness= 8.. This blade was a significant step up in sharpness over both the derby and the astra. It sliced through my course hair very easily.
Smoothness= 8.. While I did get a good shave in with out really any irritation, my neck was red for 5 min post shave, and I could tell during the shave that I had to be very careful or I would end up irritated. It simply did not inspire as much confidence as the previous two.
Gilette 7 oclock sharp edge (yellow)
Sharpness=7.. I was very impressed with the degree of sharpness. To me this blade felt like the perfect spot for daily shaving. Yes it might take 3 passes to get BBS, and you might want to go with something sharper for special occasions when you really have to have the BBS, but with my usual 2 I was able to get it very close.
Smoothness=10.. For me, this is where this blade shined. It was every bit as easy on my neck as the derby. I executed a pass WTG and one XTG with out a single red spot or weeper.
The combined sharpness and smoothness of the gilette today made it the front runner in the blade hunt as of now, but stay tuned as I continue the search. Again I appreciate everyone's advice and thoughts that are helping guide me along this excursion.
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