- note, additional tables can be found on the discussion page for this article.
Blade gap, in 1/1000's of an inch [ +/- .001 inch ]
List order: Smallest gap size (mildest) to larger (more aggressive)
Clarification: blade gap, angle, weight, and blade exposure
collectively influence the aggressiveness of a razor. Each individual factors may contribute relatively more or less for each person based on an his/her skin, hair, prep, choice of blades, or technique. Your Mileage May Vary (
YMMV), and
this chart should not be used as a general ranking of aggressiveness, mildness, or efficiency of the various
razors. This page is only a (likely imperfect) listing/ranking of blade gaps.
If instead you are looking for a list of razors ranked by aggressiveness, please refer to our evolving
project here:
Blade gaps, ranked by gap sizethousandths of an inch | millimeters | Razor | weight, grams |
---|
5.5 | .14mm | Fatip Piccolo (Mk 2) (URL) | 73.64 (URL) |
8 | .20mm | Rockwell 6S @ R1 | 113 |
10 | .25mm | Above the Tie (ATT) with M-1 base plate | Kronos/Titan ~ 109g ... Atlas ~ 98g |
11 | .28mm | | |
12 | .30mm | | |
13 | .33mm | | |
14 | .35mm | Rockwell 6S @ R2 | 113 |
15 | .38mm | Merkur Progress 570 @ 1 | |
16 | .41mm | | |
17 | .43mm | Gillette Adj Black handle @ 1 | Long Handle, 67 |
18 | .46mm | | |
19 | .48mm | GEM 1912 | |
| | Rockwell 6S @ R3 | 113 |
| .49mm | Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements (PAA) Double Open Comb (DOC) Satin (URL) | 55.79 (URL) |
20 | .51mm | Ming Sui | |
21 | .53mm | Gem Micromatic | |
| | Gillette New Improved Tuckaway | |
| | Schick Krona | |
22 | .56mm | Gillette Adjustable @ 1 | |
| | Gillette New Norfolk | |
| | Gillette TECH | Fat Handle, 48 |
| | Merkur Classic | |
| | Weishi | |
| | Merkur Progress 570 @ 2 | |
23 | .58mm | Above the Tie (ATT) with R-1 base plate | Kronos/Titan ~ 109g ... Atlas ~ 98g |
| | Gillette NEW | Ball-end, 54; square end, 51 |
| | Gillette Super Speed 1954 - 1968 (Regular) | 58 |
| | Gillette Super Speed 1956 | 58 |
| | Gillette Super Speed (Blue Tip) | 45 |
| .59mm | Gillette Tech, April–June 1957 (C-2) (URL) | 58.90 (URL) |
24 | .61mm | Gem G-Bar | |
| | Gillette Adjustable @ 2 | |
| | Feather Popular | |
| | Rockwell 6S @ R4 | 113 |
| | Weber 3 Piece Stainless w/ DLC Head | 91 |
25 | .64mm | Gillette Aristocrat (US) | late 1940s, 69 |
| | Gillette Knack | 43 |
| | Gillette Ranger Tech | |
| | Gillette Super Speed (black handle) | 46 |
| | Gillette Super Speed (late 1940s) | 54 |
| | Merkur HD Long Handle (38C) | |
| | Wilkinson Croma | |
| | Schick Injector Type L | |
| | Merkur 23C | |
26 | .66mm | Bic Disposable (orange handle) | |
| | Gillette Adjustable @ 3 | |
| | Gillette Aristocrat (UK) | |
27 | .67mm | Gillette FH Tech Canada 1932 (Triangular) | 48 |
| .68mm | Bevel (URL) | 88.65 (URL) |
| .69mm | Rockwell 6S @ R5 | 113 |
28 | .70mm | Gillette Rocket HD (UK) | 72 |
| .71mm | Edwin Jagger (EJ) Kelvin with DE89 Head (URL) | 59.16 (URL) |
| | Merkur HD (34C) | 78 |
| | Merkur Progress 570 @ 3 | |
29 | .73mm | Gillette SS Red Tip (USA) | 70 |
| .74mm | Feather AS-D2 | |
| .74mm | Gillette Adjustable @ 4 | |
30 | .76mm | Mühle R89 / Edwin Jagger DE89L | 73 |
| .77mm | Dorco PL602 (URL) | 12.03 (URL) |
31 | .79mm | Feather Portable | |
| | Rockwell 6S @ R6 | 113 |
32 | .81mm | Gillette Adjustable @ 5 | |
| | Bic Metal | |
| | Gillette Super Speed Red Tip (UK) | |
32 | .82mm | Weber PH/Bulldog stainless steel (see Note) | 91 |
33 | .84mm | Merkur Progress 570 @ 4 | |
34 | .86mm | | |
35 | .89mm | Gillette Adjustable @ 6 | |
36 | .91mm | Above the Tie (ATT) with H-1 base plate | Kronos/Titan = 109g ... Atlas = 98g |
37 | .94mm | Merkur Progress 570 @ 5 | |
38 | .97mm | Gillette Adjustable @ 7 | |
39 | .99mm | | |
40 | 1.02mm | Executive Shaving Braveheart | |
41 | 1.04mm | Gillette Adjustable @ 8 | |
| | Gillette Adjustable (black handle) @ 9 | |
42 | 1.07mm | | |
43 | 1.09mm | Lord L6 | 44.5 |
44 | 1.12mm | Merkur Futur @ 1 | 120 |
45 | 1.14mm | Gillette Adjustable @ 9 | |
47 | 1.19mm | Merkur Futur @ 2 | 120 |
53 | 1.35mm | Merkur Futur @ 3 | 120 |
58 | 1.47mm | Merkur Futur @ 4 | 120 |
63 | 1.60mm | Merkur Futur @ 5 | 120 |
65 | 1.65mm | Merkur Futur @ 6 | 120 |
69 | 1.75mm | Merkur Futur @ 6 .5 | 120 |
? | | Butterscotch Schick Injector | 31 |
? | | Lux | 56 |
? | | Stahly Live-Blade | 164 |
? | | Gillette Super Speed 1953 | 56 |
? | | Gillette Super Speed 1952 | 42 |
? | | Gillette Super Speed 1959 | 55 |
Note:
Gillette Adjustables
- Slim and Fat Boy range from .022 @ 1 to .045 @ 9; Fat Boy (195) weighs 79 gm, Slim Adjustable weighs 70
- the Black handle Adjustable ranges from .017 @ 1 to .041 @ 9 or 1 setting smaller than the Slim or Fat Boy
-
Merkur Slant has a slightly variable blade gap, and is difficult to measure; it weighs 76 gm.
Note: Weber PH
- This gap was reported by 2 members independently from the June 2014 Weber production
Note: Rockwell 6S
- Rockwell 6S numbers have been taken from the Rockwell Razors site:
https://rockwellrazors.com/blogs/journal/78023879-comparing-the-old-vs-new-rockwell-6s
Subjective differences in ranking were limited to +/- .001 measurements (in inches)
so
differences of .001 - .003 (.025 - .076mm) can be considered functional equivalent.
Some of the contributing measurements, as well as instructions for taking blade gap measurements can be seen at this page's
source thread.