Overview
The B&B ShaveWiki Comprehensive DE Razor Blade Data Table contains the following comprehensive information for each DE razor blade included:
- Sharpness, smoothness, longevity, and consistency, as averaged from surveyed user ratings on a scale from 0 (least) to 10 (most)
- Price for 100 blades and estimated per face shave
- Thickness and width, as averaged from measurements for a sufficient number of blade samples
- Number of sides with wax and wax removal time, the latter being averaged from blade sample measurements
- Manufacturing data of blade material, edge coating, and manufacturing location
- The comprehensive table is sortable such that clicking on a column heading sorts the rows according to that column's data, and clicking on the column heading again reverses the sorting order
- Blade names are links in the comprehensive table. Each blade name in the first column is a link to the blade's corresponding B&B ShaveWiki page.
Comprehensive DE Razor Blade Data Table
Click here to go to the DE Razor Blade Dimensions Table
| DE Razor Blade | Sh | Sm | Ly | Cy | P100 | NFS | PFS | T | W | NSW | WRT | Mat | EC | ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astra Superior Platinum | 8.1 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 9.3 | 10 | #.# | #.### | 0.090 | 21.95 | 2 | 39 | S | Y | RU |
| BIC Chrome Platinum | 7.8 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 15 | #.# | #.### | 0.100 | 21.89 | 1 | 15 | S | Y | GR |
| Derby Extra | 6.8 | 7.3 | 5.4 | 7.8 | 10 | #.# | #.### | 0.090 | 21.97 | 1 | 16 | S | Y | TR |
| Derby Extra (Pre-2016) | 5.0 | 6.7 | 5.6 | 8.1 | N/A | #.# | #.### | 0.100 | 21.97 | 1 | 15 | S | Y | TR |
| Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Stainless | 8.0 | 8.3 | 7.2 | 9.7 | 10 | #.# | #.### | 0.091 | 21.97 | 2 | 62 | S | N | RU |
| Kai | 9.6 | 9.2 | 8.8 | 9.7 | 35 | #.# | #.### | 0.100 | 22.18 | 0 | 0 | S | Y | JP |
| Shark Super Chrome | 7.3 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 8.8 | 10 | #.# | #.### | 0.094 | 21.94 | 1 | 14 | S | Y | EG |
Table Nomenclature
| Sh | Sharpness (0–10), averaged from surveyed user ratings on a scale from 0 (dullest blades) to 10 (sharpest blades). Sharpness is a measure of how efficiently a blade cuts hair compared to other blades. More sharpness means (a) less drag and tugging due to easier cutting of hair, (b) closer shaves, and (c) less needed strokes and/or passes per shave. |
| Sm | Smoothness (0–10), averaged from surveyed user ratings on a scale from 0 (roughest blades) to 10 (smoothest blades). Smoothness is a measure of how well a blade provides comfortable and bloodless shaves compared to other blades. More smoothness means less irritation and redness and less nicks, weepers, and cuts. |
| Ly | Longevity (0–10), averaged from surveyed user ratings on a scale from 0 (shortest performing blades) to 10 (longest performing blades). Longevity is a measure of performance-based blade usage compared to other blades. More longevity means more strokes, passes, and/or shaves up to when a blade is felt to have significantly dropped in performance. |
| Cy | Consistency (0–10), averaged from surveyed user ratings on a scale from 0 (least consistent blades) to 10 (most consistent blades). Consistency is a measure of how consistent a blade is from sample to sample compared to other blades. More consistency means less variation in sharpness, smoothness, and longevity across blade samples. |
| P100 | Price for purchase of 100 blades (USD), taken as the minimum price found among B&B vendors, Amazon, and Walmart, without any consideration of shipping, and rounded to the nearest $5. eBay was not included due to price volatility. "N/A" is used for blades that are no longer manufactured. Prices were last updated on June 5, 2017. |
| NFS | Number of face shaves, which is an estimated average based on the average longevity rating, since the number of face shaves varies significantly from one person to another |
| PFS | Price per face shave (USD) = P100 / (100 NFS), which is an estimated average minimum price per face shave, since the number of face shaves varies significantly from one person to another |
| T | Thickness (mm), averaged from measurements of blade samples with a digital micrometer having a resolution of 0.001 mm. Blade thickness strongly relates to blade deflections and vibrations, or chatter/flutter, during shaves. |
| W | Width (mm) between cutting edges, averaged from measurements of blade samples with a digital caliper having a resolution of 0.01 mm. Blade width correlates with exposure of the cutting edges in a razor, which affects blade performance. |
| NSW | Number of sides with wax |
| WRT | Wax removal time (s), averaged from measurements of blade samples with a timer having a resolution of 1 s. Wax removal time varies considerably among blades due to wax amount, hardness, stickiness, and placement. |
| Mat | Material • S = Stainless steel • C = Carbon steel |
| EC | Edge coating? • Y = Yes • N = No |
| ML | Manufacturing location • EG = Lord International Company in Alexandria, Egypt • GR = Anoixi, Attica, Greece • JP = Seki City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan • RU = Petersburg Products International in St. Petersburg, Russia • TR = Istanbul, Turkey |
Details
- Surveys were conducted to collect user ratings from members of the B&B community who self-identified as experienced enough with DE razor blades and razors to provide fair opinions of sharpness, smoothness, longevity, and consistency. Tabulated user ratings, statistical analyses, and survey thread links for the blades included here can be found at their B&B ShaveWiki pages.
- User ratings are generally not normally distributed, but it is best to compare blades using means (averages) rather than medians because of the relatively large, typical user rating "resolution" of 1 and the lack of large sample sizes in most cases
- Prices are approximate and not associated with any particular seller for compliance with B&B rules, specifically Rule 7 of the B&B Terms of Usage about how B&B is "not an appraisal or identification service." Approval for the pricing method was granted on June 2, 2017.
- Blade dimensions that may be considered the most important are included, neglecting other measured dimensions due to limited horizontal space and a desire to avoid clutter. Dimensions included here are a subset of those in the DE Razor Blade Dimensions Table, which provides averages of measurements made using numerous samples per blade, rounding the average dimensions to the respective precisions of the measuring instruments employed. Tabulated measurements and statistical analyses for the blades included here can be found at their B&B ShaveWiki pages.
Background
This project was started by B&B member ShavingByTheNumbers when he purchased a digital caliper and a digital micrometer on August 17, 2016, for making accurate and precise measurements of DE razor blades. A blade dimensions table was conceived in writing by ShavingByTheNumbers on August 25, 2016, and was expanded by him into the proposal for a comprehensive DE razor blade table on September 1, 2016. On November 4–5, 2016, periphery and cutout fixtures were made, and shortly afterwards, measurements began to be made and recorded for blade dimensions. Collecting user ratings from the B&B community officially began on January 6, 2017.
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