Thread: What makes a blade "good"?

I have read on the forums that German, French and some older American blades are made of good quality steel - but to stay away from some of the Czech stuff (might have been elsewhere) My question is this: What makes a blade "good". How do you know its a good blade if it isnt from Dubl Duck, Thiers, Dovo... ect. I just bought a new razor and how will I know if its not a piece of crap?

Two main criteria are:
1) The quality of steel -- If the steel is good, it won't chip as you hone it to a very thin edge. This is particularly an issue with Rockwells.
2) The grind -- Generally, if a blade is a nice full-hollow singer, it's a good sign. They wouldn't waste the effort of a good grind on crappy steel.

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

-- Generally, if a blade is a nice full-hollow singer, it's a good sign. They wouldn't waste the effort of a good grind on crappy steel.

Oh, sure they would. One word ... Zeepk

Originally Posted by EnGarde

... How do you know its a good blade if it isnt from Dubl Duck, Thiers, Dovo... ect. I just bought a new razor and how will I know if its not a piece of crap?

Shave with it. There are some markers to quality like where it was made and by whom, but I think it's more a case of each one being its own animal.

X

Totally agree with the quality of the shave as one aspect of a great razor. The other criteria for me is how easy is it to hone and how long does it maintain it's edge. Lynn

Razors that are made in Solingen Germany or Sheffield England will give you fairly good odds for a great shave.

Glen

For the most part, if it's new, you usually get what you pay for as long as you're not spending a ton of money on fancy scales(nothing against nice scales, but they don't affect the shave). If it's used, look for English, German, Swedish, or American and you should be fine. The problem is that it's not like a new car, you can't take one out for a 'test shave'.
-Fred

Originally Posted by gglockner

Razors that are made in Solingen Germany or Sheffield England will give you fairly good odds for a great shave.

Glen

Unfortunately, there are blades that are advertised as Solingen steel even though they were made elsewhere (Pakistan). So if you see a new "Solingen steel" blade and it's not a Dovo, chances are, you came across one of those.

One final note. One company markets their blades as Sheffield steel even though they're made in France. That's TI. Therefore this marketing technique doesn't always lead to bad results, but as our ancestors used to say: caveat, emptor.

You may want to consult with more experienced people here before making your first purchase. Doing this with Nenad got me my best shaver.

I really agree with Lynn. The less time I spend honing and the more time I spend shaving really makes for a good blade to me.


PS Don't forget Spain. With the Fillies.

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

One final note. One company markets their blades as Sheffield steel even though they're made in France. That's TI. Therefore this marketing technique doesn't always lead to bad results, but as our ancestors used to say: caveat, emptor.

According to the "Thiers-Issard Story" on classicshaving.com. The TI blades are manufactured in france, but the steel is imported from sheffield. So the blades are indeed english steel.

Good point Tox. What I was really trying to say that most of the work on the blade, including their lead-hardening is done in France. In this case, it's actually a good thing. They make lovely blades. There's a 95% chance that my next blade will be a TI, as I've made a firm commitment not to restore any more blades until I get a TI. Yeah Nenad, you can start laughing AGAIN now