Wednesday 9th March
Ganders Goat Soap w/Hop, Sage & Birch
Palmolive Shaving Stick (Grated)
Omega 10098 Boar 27mm
Muhle Rocca Birch & Treet TJAX
Pinaud Lilac Vegetal
Gosh! That was a surprise ...
The TJAX is a new blade from Treet and billed as a stainless blade on the packaging. Reading up further on their website, I'm finding it is has chrome hardened edges. So, a Chrome blade. Having learned that, I tried to keep my mind from setting on my assumptions. I tend to find Chrome blades a bit meh, not finding sufficient blade feedback for my liking and usually finding them a little dull; rating them somewhere between "acceptable" and "good" but noting that I don't particularly like them.
Immediately, I found the TJAX super-smooth and after the first pass was very pleasantly surprised to find the finish almost where I'd expect a good stainless blade; so would rate them somewhere between "good " and "very good". I was immediately put in mind of the SuperMax Chrome blades rather than, say, Lord yet there was a tad more feedback than either of those houses - where SuperMax has a 0/10 blade feel, as in you just can't feel it, Lord might be 1/10 ... TJAX is, maybe, 3/10. That sufficient feedback furthermore put more in mind of many subcontinent Platinum blades.
In summary, while I prefer blades with more feedback and so generally say that I like a simple stainless blade (or carbon, of course), I enjoyed the smoothness. It's probably not the sharpness of other Chrome blades that I find lacking, but the sheer void of blade feedback doesn't help me get the best from a pass. Anyway, that's me ... not the blade. The TJAX is smooth and safe - you could probably throw it around your face with some abandon, but it gets you shaved.
I'll enjoy using the rest of the pack, I'm sure, but whether I'd restock is another matter. The end result is so close to many subcontinent Platinum blades that I'd rather reach for one of those. Naturally, Treet's own Platinum is a blade that I consider a good cut above this blade. That, or the Gillette Winner Special Platinum or the SuperMax Blue DIamond Platinum.
Overall, I'd put this at about 8.5/10 which is exactly where I have the Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum and the SuperMax Blue Diamond Platinum. Comparison to other Treet blades, well ... the Classic is an 8/10 in my books and the Durasharp a 9/10 but they're both carbon. The Treet Platinum is a straight-up 10/10 for me and their Trig Silver Edge (also a stainless blades) 6/10.
I have the new Treet Trim to try tomorrow. Will it be more Trig or TJAX?