100 Kai Stainless Steel Double Edge Safety Razor Blades (20 x 5) , Made in Japan

I feel it’s critical to first provide a proper context before giving a blade review. As we all know, almost all blade reviews vary wildly between 1 and 5 stars. And without any sort of context, they’re neither helpful nor meaningful. This also means that my results may be totally different from yours, based on different variables. Please do yourself a favor and buy some sample packs if you’re new to DE shaving. I purchased a customizable pack from Maggard Razors.EQUIPMENT: Above The Tie Slant Bar razor with Kronos handle, PAA CK-6 and Declaration Grooming shave soaps, Dirty Bird original scuttle (water heated to 170º F), synthetic brush.CONTEXT: Thick coarse beard, very sensitive skin. Shave every other day after showering in the morning. 5-pass shave.I’m fairly new to wet shaving. Previously, I used a Panasonic ES-LV61-A with shaving cream. I think it’s the best electric on the market (or was when I bought it 3 years ago). But I eventually wanted to get into wet shaving. I chose a slant razor because I read they’re ideal for thick beards and sensitive skin. From everything I’ve read, slant razors tend to work optimally with blades that are on the sharp end of the mild to sharp spectrum.COMPARISONS: I bought around 10 sample packs that varied between mild and extremely sharp, with all but one irritating my face.The Kai was the first blade that felt like it sliced through my whiskers rather than cutting through them. Now I understand why people love wet shaving. It was the first blade that cut noticeably closer than my Panasonic! It’s also less irritating than any of the other blades I’ve tried. In fact, I probably would have given up on double-edge wet shaving if it wasn’t for the Kai blade! My experience has been that it’s just as sharp as a Feather but far smoother. And I’d rank the PolSilver Iridium in 2nd place. It’s not quite as sharp or quite as smooth.CON: They’re relatively expensive when you compare them to say, the Astra. But to be fair, that’s comparing apples to oranges. The Kai is a far sharper AND smoother blade. And at $35.00 for 100 blades, that breaks down to around 35¢ a blade, or 6¢ a shave at 6 shaves per blade. Shaving every other day breaks down to 3¢ a day. That's right — I get 6 shaves out of each blade. TIP: Use a hairdryer on the blade after washing it to minimize oxidation.

Different razors for different faces and all that...but for me these razors are worth every penny. I'm comparing to Astra Platinum, Gillette Silver Blue, Gillette Platinum, Feather, Persona Med Prep, and Merkur. I have sensitive skin and a very coarse heavy beard. I've being trying for decades to escape lingering razor rash (cartridges, Norelco, Panasonic, all kinds of creams and aftershaves). So why Kai?1) They leave no irritation, rash, or razor burn even in daily use (only other with no irritation is Silver Blue)2) They shave closer than anything else, especially in tricky places. Simply the closest shave I have ever enjoyed.3) They are consistently excellent blade to blade -- no quality control issues or variance4) They are just beautifully honed, high quality, stainless steel. No coatings or PTFE to wear away and, in the latter case, that accumulate in organisms throughout the world with unknown effects5) They last twice as many shaves while staying sharp and still shaving closer than anything else without irritation! I can get 8 shaves out of them easily.They are not the most comfortable while actually shaving -- they are not uncomfortable -- but some, like the Astra feel smoother while shaving and then leave a nasty rash afterwards (and don't shave as close). Sure, the Kai are twice the price of others, but since they last twice as long and shave better they are actually a great value. Just for the pleasure of having no rash, they are worth it. Highly recommended to try.

After bouncing around between DE blades I finally settled on Kai. I have sensitive skin so finding my “go to” blade involved a lot of trial and error. I was wary of trying the sharper blades because in my mind that automatically made them unsuitable for sensitive skin. I came to find that, for me, that was not true. I tried Feathers and liked them. But when I popped a Kai into my Progress razor, I got my best shave yet. It’s certainly sharp but also thicker than most DE blades. Kai is high quality Japanese steel and it’s just what I needed. Between the added thickness and better quality, my shave is smoother and fewer passes are needed for the desired result. Yes they are more expensive than most blades but for me it’s worth it. It’s still a fraction of what I paid for crummy cartridge blades. Obviously ymmv, finding the “right” blade is a subjective process. But for anyone with sensitive skin I would recommend at least trying the Kai. The quality, sharpness, and relative thickness may be what your face is looking for. Happy shaving! 🪒

These blades are much thicker than the generic DE's I have been able to find hidden in the drug store. They last a few shaves and you can stretch their longevity a bit if you use a blade drier. I have thick, coarse facial hair that grows in 5 different directions but they might last longer if this is not the case for you. If you need a decent moderate shave and looking to save $$ these are the ones to get. Look elsewhere if you are shaving-obsessed and want something wicked sharp.