KAI Double Edge Razor Blades – Plainly Superb
A few weeks ago, another wet shaver enthusiast mentioned that he was using these KAI blades and that they were agreeing with his face. Not knowing about this brand of double edge razor blade, I set out to find out more about them. The word on the street was that these blades were top notch. With that in mind I started shopping. After a few queries I opted to buy a set from Amazon.com. I had found a package of 100 for about $25 and placed my order. Somehow, this was logged as 50 blades for that price. I can only assume that I had added those to my wish list and accidentally ordered that set. Nevertheless, here we are.
This morning was test time, with some 3 days worth of beard growth to trim. In short, this is one of the better blades I have had the pleasure of trying.
TEST STAGE:
- State: Out of the shower
- Razor: Merkur 180
- Blade: KAI
- Pre-Shave: None
- Shaving Cream: Rockwell Shaving Cream (Badger brush applied)
- Toner: None
- After-Shave: Rockwell Aftershave Balm
These blades are made in Japan. Japan has a very long history for making superior cutting instruments. Out of the box you will notice that these blades have no stamping or marking on them and are very plain looking. This is but a deception and you will not be disappointed.
The comfort of this blade was totally unexpected. The slicing capabilities were impressive. In so many words, this is one of the better blades I have had the pleasure of working with. No nicks or cuts or any other unpleasantries. The blade feels firm like the ones from Bluebeards Revenge and there is little to no flex and they fit perfect in my Merkur 180. The Rockwell shaving cream was also the perfect companion for this blade as it offered the right protection and lube for a very comfortable shave.
During the shave, rinsing the blade between passes left no residue and the blade was clean. In fact, as the blade is a tad thicker and rinsed out so well, I even used the blades twice. Something I nearly never do because of the drop in performance on that second shave and the very low cost of double edge blades canceling any monetary concerns. But the KAI blades being of such good quality I got a very decent shave on that second usage. I will admit that I did notice a slight drop in the edge sharpness, but completely within acceptable parameters. I have not gone past 2 shaves per blades. My mug is just too sensitive and irritating it not worth it.
Always being concerned with cost, I am not sure that I could justify the hike in price for these blades as a long term solution. But that being said, there is definitely a noticeable improvement in the whole shave experience and if I can find a set of 100 blades at around $20 I would take them over almost any other blades.
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