Sputnik Razor Blade Review
I personally have had very good results with both Russian blades as well as Teflon coated blades, so I was very much looking forward to testing the Sputnik Razor Blade.
After doing a little research, it is no surprise that the Sputnik Razor Blades are made by Gillette. At first it surprised me just how many safety razor blades Gillette is involved in, but now I almost expect the name.
5 Sputnik Razor Blades - Create Your Sampler (86 Brands Available)
- 1. Choose the Blade that You Prefer from the Menu Beside (Click on the 3 dots to expand the list) and Add it to the Cart
- 2. Go Back and Add more Blades to Create Your Sampler
- 3. Confirm the Order
I also found it interesting that they made a point to state that “Teflon is a registered trade mark of Dupont” right on the tuck. Teflon is the “name brand” of polytetrafluoroethylene, I am was just surprised that they didn’t go with some sort of knock off formula.
Fresh out of the pack the sharpness measured 52. For information on what this means check out Razor Blade Sharpness Testing. You can click this link to see a Razor Blade Sharpness Comparison Chart with the other blades tested so far.
A reading of 52 is not very sharp. This is in the realm of the Merkur (53) and Bolzano (52), both of which I did not particularly enjoy. I had Sputnik recommended to me based on the fact that I really like Voskhod razor blades (another Russian PTFE coated blade) but the Sputnik is not nearly as sharp out of the wrapper (Voskhod is 42).
Note that I shave my head as well as my face and have a pretty thick growth – except for the top of my head. This means that one of my shaves might equal two of someone that just shaves their face, or even more if they have a thinner beard.
The first shave with the Sputnik Razor Blade was decent. It was not quite as sharp as I would have liked it to be, but I enjoyed the shave all the same. It was definitely smooth and I could feel the cutting getting easier by the time a was finishing up my face.
After the first shave, the sharpness increased to 43, which is a pretty high increase. As of right now most coated blades have increased their sharpness after the first shave, the average seems to be about 10%. The Sputnik razor blade sharpened up by about 18%. For me personally this is more of a negative as I prefer a more consistent shave.
The current hypothesis is that the blade edge becomes more exposed as the coating wears off. This results in a sharper cutting edge, although the smoothness may decrease as the coating disappears.
While the first shave was decent, the second shave was fantastic. It was smooth and sharp the whole way through, and it’s a good thing I had to go to work or who knows what else I would have started shaving.
After the second shave the sharpness measured 44, which for all intents and purposes is the same as after shave one at 43. It seems to be very common for a DE razor blade to gain level or two of sharpness after the first shave and the level off a bit.
Initial Sharpness = 52
Average Sharpness = 46
Edge Retention = 0.85
Smoothness = 5/5
Overall Subjective Rating = 4/5
While the first shave was decent, the second shave was fantastic and it averaged out to me as a really good shaving experience. My only critique is the fact that it seems to have a pretty thick coating starting off, but after it wears off a bit it is great.
Personally I find the Voskhods to be more like the second Sputnik shave right out of the wrapper, and with the very low price of Voskhod it is unlikely I will actively seek out more Sputnik razor blades. That said, I had 2 very close and irritation free shaves, and if I had to shave for something like a wedding or an important meeting I would be certainly comfortable using this blade.
Check out more Razor Blade Reviews or look into how the Razor Blade Sharpness Testing works.
Have you tried Sputnik Razor Blades? Be sure to leave your overall rating, the community appreciates your vote!
