Gillette 7'O Clock Permasharp Shaving Blades - 50 Blade Saloon Pack

A great combo of sharp, smooth, and longevity

First off, let me say that I did not buy it here at Amazon, but locally here in singapore.<br /><br />Exceptional, is what i would call it. I'm certainly impressed.<br /><br />To-date, i've used Gillette Platinums (blue,white box), Gillette 7 o'clock Super Platinums (black packs), Gillette 7 o'clock Super Stainless, Voskhod, Astra SP, Concord, Croma, amongst a few others.<br /><br />I would place the Gillette 7 o'clock Permasharps at the same top tier with Gillette 7 o'clock Super Platinum (indian), and the Gillette Platinum (russian).<br /><br />But any blade, like a woman, needs the right approach to bring out her/its best. Hence, i'll describe my shaving regimen. (a better regimen might bring out even more from this blade perhaps.)<br /><br />1. I always have a hot shower before shaving, thus bringing out the hairs more.<br />2. I use the Rex Ambassador safety razor at a (extremely mild) setting of 1, thus contributing to the smoothness of the shave.<br />3. I use a combination of shower soap (bar) with sunflower oil (cooking), hand-lathered till the lather is thin but dense, not watery. No brushes, shaving creams, shaving soap, scuttles, etc....completely unnecessary.<br />4. I only go with-the-grain except for my neck. (which would certainly contribute to the longevity of the blade).<br /><br />My stubble is hard and wiry and i do daily face and head-shaves. I also do a once-weekly body shave, and a daily front shave from chest to netherregions.<br /><br />After the shave, i pat-dry the blade with a microfibre cloth, and then strop it against the cloth on all 4 sides a couple of times each.<br /><br />Ranking<br />_______<br /><br />Sharpness -<br />1. G 7oc Sp<br />2. G 7oc Permasharp tied with Gillette Platinum<br /><br />Smoothness -<br />1. G Permasharp (gets smoother on 2nd and 3rd day) tied with G Platinum<br />2. G Super Platinum<br /><br />Longevity (for both head and face-shaves in terms of days) -<br />1. G 7oc Permasharp - 8 and counting<br />2. G 7oc SP - 8<br />3. G platinum - 6-7<br /><br />I judge the blade's longevity in terms of the degree to which i can get a clean shave with a single swipe. I always do a 2nd swipe just to get any tiny stubble that might be left behind, but the first swipe must perform at 95%. So when i say that a blade lasts for 6 days, i mean that i get 95% only after 2 swipes and not 1.<br /><br />So, in sum, i definitely recommend this blade. I just picked up 300 yesterday, and will pick up more up to a thousand the next time i go to the shop where i get it from here in singapore. (cost : $9.00 sgd per 100 blades here.)