In my search for a new “go to” razor blade I have previously tried Crystal and Astra blades. This time I look at Dorco. Dorco is a South Korean company that has recently made a play in the razor and blade game by supplying products both under their own name and as an “original equipment manufacturer” (OEM) for companies like Dollar Shave Club.
Dorco Manufacturing?
Some Dorco documentation states that they are made in South Korea, while others say Vietnam. The ST300
As I have done previously, the blades were examined in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Here’s a blade unused (blade edge near the top of the picture):
And here is a used Dorco:
The blades seem to have held up quite well.
The Shaves
I used a Dorco blade in four different razors (vs. my usual three): in addition to using one in a Merkur Progress, a Merkur HD, and a Parker 92R I also used them when I tried the “Micro Touch One” DE (probably made by Weishi) because that’s what came with the razor.
I found the Dorco/MT1 combination pretty good–gentle, non-irritating, and graceful in its degradation. The shave with the Parker 92R was perhaps even a bit better–smooth, consistent, and close without being harsh. However the blade seemed to dull a little more quickly with the Parker, compared to the MT1 (or perhaps it seemed that way because the MT1 is so mild).
On the other hand I did not get as good of a shave with a Dorco in a Merkur Progress adjustable! At mild settings it was acceptable but not very efficient or comfortable. At higher settings the greater blade exposure gave me a closer shave but also bunch of little nicks.
Shaves using a Merkur HD were good: comfortable but perhaps not as close as I would prefer, requiring me to do more clean-up “touch & cuts” than my usual. But entirely acceptable over-all.
Thanks to John at West Coast Shaving for his help with this series of posts.
Decent blade but can’t really use it for more than a couple of shaves before changing it.
If you are looking for nice safety razors I strongly suggest this Irish Company, I have bought mine a few months ago and I am extremely satisfied: https://www.evolutionisland.com
I tried with different blades and work really well.
Newbie looking for closest shave 3 passes at most use murkur hd an kai razors unhappy any suggestion??
I have just checked and stocks of the old Iridium blades are available -http://www.superiridiumblades.com/p/products.html
http://www.shaving.ie/products/iridium-super-blades.html
The new Polsilver Iridium blades seem to be more readily available –
http://www.shaving.ie/products/polsilver-super-iridium-razor-blades.html
http://connaughtshaving.com/polsilver.html
http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Polsilver-Super-Iridium-DE-Razor-Blades-100-Blades_p_1682.html
Have you tried/considered Iridium Super – the old, made in Russia ones
rather than the new Pol Silver Super Iridium from Poland? There is a
difference in my opinion; and a price difference, naturally.
Here is a link http://www.superiridiumblades.com/
Yes I have tried them and I think they are excellent. But, like my beloved blue label Personnas, I don’t think they’re made anymore!
All current Iridium Super/Super Iridium blades are made in Russia, I believe. They used to be made in Poland. The Wizamet brand (W on the label) used to be made in Poland, but was purchased by Gillette and moved to St Petersburg.
Wizamet also made Polsilver in Poland, but now those blades are also made by Gillette in Russia (St Petersburg). Some think the newer Polsilver SIs are different than the Wiz Iridium Super blades. I’m guessing they are the same. (They seem the same to me, but I haven’t tested much.) Bruce on Shaving blog has a bit more detail about these blades. They are both spectacular blades, IMO.
My apologies for an off topic question. My question is, does Teflon have anything to do with DE blades?
Top three worst blades for me:
1. Dorco – Dull as hell does not cut at all
2. Super-Max – Cuts but leaves a bloody mess
3. Lord Platinum Stainless – Falls between the two cuts but with extra effort leading to redness discomfort etc…
Hi Mark, I’ll be interested to know what you’ll think of the German made Wilkinson Sword blades when you get to try them.
For me, these have been the best all rounders by far in my Muhle R89 razor.
I tried those same Dorco ST300s in my own Parker 92R and in my Cadet. I got two good (but not comfortable) shaves with each but the blades seemed to degrade quickly after that. Gillette Sharpedge (yellows) seem to work best for me.
I love the Dorco in my Gillette Superspeed, but it is terrible in my Mergress as well. Don’t know why, but it is. I am using Gillette Silver Blue’s (picked up from West Coast Shaving) in my Mergress right now and I like them even better than my Red Israeli Crystal Personna…whatever those blades are.
That is so weird. I wonder what it is about the Progress/Mergress that the Dorco “doesn’t like?”
Looking forward to read the review of the Feather DE Blade.
Dorco brand is one of my favorites, is very economical and easy to get Mexico. The long duration of this razor is outstanding, I can shave about 10 times to notice a decrease in performance.
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