Vector 316L × Gillette Perma-Sharp safety razor blade pairing data — three shaves on the same physical razor. The pairing averaged 46.0/50 (47 / 46 / 45), tying Astra Superior Platinum and Personna Stainless Steel at the top of the database. Each session gave back exactly one point on a different axis, with the first directional signal — mild long-stroke tugging — appearing on the third use.
Vector 316L × Gillette Perma-Sharp (TL;DR)
Across 3 shaves the Vector 316L × Gillette Perma-Sharp pairing scored 46.0/50 (per-shave 47 / 46 / 45). Closeness held a flat 7 (conservative 2-pass: WTG → ATG, no XTG, SS not BBS) on the 0.76 mm gap. Irritation eased from 10 to 9 at Shave 2 (mild alum sting on ATG areas); smoothness eased from 10 to 9 at Shave 3 alongside the first long-stroke tugging of the run. Audible feedback and lather compatibility stayed flat at 10. The only skin events were both in Shave 3: one ATG weeper on the neck (pairing signal) and one mouth-corner nick (technique). The tested pack was manufactured in Russia (Gillette / P&G) and imported through P&G Turkey. This series used an ARKO stick face-lathered, so the top-of-table tie against the six Proraso entries carries a lather confound; against the two Wilkinson runs (same ARKO) the comparison is single-variable. Pairing data transfers 1:1 to the Vector TC4. This is pairing data, not a rating of the blade in isolation.
Conducted by a single ORMIXA tester (one skin profile) on the Vector 316L — the material variant used is logged per entry of the blade compatibility database. Session-by-session notes follow ORMIXA’s published pairing rubric. This article documents pairing data — never a rating of either product in isolation.
On the Vector 316L with the standard 2-pass routine (WTG → ATG, target SS), the Vector × Perma-Sharp pairing opened near the top of the rubric and held there for two sessions before easing on the third. Pairing total rolled up to 46.0/50 (47 / 46 / 45), with each point back landing on a different axis — irritation at Shave 2, smoothness at Shave 3 — while closeness, audible feedback and lather compatibility stayed flat. This is a data point in the Titanium Safety Razor Blade Compatibility Project; additional pairings appear here as each third-party blade passes through the same test cycle on the Vector platform (material variant logged per entry).
About the Companion Blade — Gillette Perma-Sharp Identification
Gillette Perma-Sharp is a stainless-steel double-edge blade sold under the Gillette brand. The pack tested here is a Turkish-market retail unit. Provenance is verified directly from the box, never from common knowledge:
- Country of origin: Russia — the box bottom states “Üretim Yeri: Rusya” (Turkish: Production Place: Russia).
- Importer: Procter & Gamble Tüketim Malları Sanayi A.Ş. (P&G Turkey), Nida Kule – Kuzey, Ataşehir, Istanbul — the box states the pack was imported by this entity.
- Brand owner: a Procter & Gamble / Gillette brand; the pack carries the Gillette mark and the PERMA-SHARP™ product name.
- Box text: “PASLANMAZ ÇELİK BIÇAKLAR YAKIN TIRAŞ” (Turkish: Stainless Steel Blades Close Shave). All remaining panels are printed in Turkish.
- Pack: a 5-blade pack of stainless-steel double-edge blades, each individually wax-paper wrapped with an additional card sleeve per blade.
The test pack was a retail pack purchased for evaluation. ORMIXA has no commercial relationship to Gillette or any blade vendor. None of the above is a quality judgement of the blade; it is identification context for the pairing that follows.
Test Conditions
- Tester: ORMIXA — one skin profile, fixed rubric
- Razor: ORMIXA Vector 316L stainless (0.76 mm gap)
- Pre-shave: no hot towel; no pre-shave oil; face rinsed with tap water ~6 s
- Soap: Turkish ARKO shaving stick, face-lathered (brush applied directly to face)
- Brush: ORMIXA Harbor — 6061 Aluminum Axis, Tactical Gray, Split, Pearl Burgundy Synthetic
- Bowl: ORMIXA Titanium Shaving Bowl, Double-Wall Lather Bowl — Silver (used for soaking the brush and holding water; foam built on face)
- Pass pattern: WTG → ATG (2-pass; XTG skipped, target SS not BBS)
- Post-shave: alum block
- Sessions: 3 shaves at a 72h cadence
- Conditions: 30 °C / 75% humidity (all three sessions)
Lather change from earlier entries: this series used an ARKO shaving stick face-lathered. The previous six entries (Astra through Derby) all used Proraso Sensitive bowl-lathered. The two Wilkinson entries used the same ARKO stick and face-lathering method as this run. See Methodology Notes for the confound implications.
Results also apply to the Vector TC4 — same blade gap and head geometry. See the methodology for material-specific perception differences.
Test Period Summary
3 shaves total. All three sessions ran on a 72h cadence. Pass pattern: WTG → ATG (2-pass) each session.
Shave 1 — Fresh
2026-08-09 · 72h growth
- Closeness
- 7/10
- Smoothness
- 10/10
- Irritation
- 10/10
First blade from the pack. Sharp on contact with wide angle tolerance, long strokes smooth. WTG crisp, ATG forgiving. Zero nicks, zero weepers. Alum mild across the whole face. Touch: SS (2-pass, BBS not targeted).
Shave 2 — 72h
2026-08-12 · 72h growth
- Closeness
- 7/10
- Smoothness
- 10/10
- Irritation
- 9/10
Sharpness and angle tolerance held. WTG still crisp, ATG still forgiving. Zero nicks, zero weepers. The one change: alum produced a mild sting on ATG areas that settled quickly, and irritation eased to 9. Touch: SS.
Shave 3 — 72h
2026-08-15 · 72h growth
- Closeness
- 7/10
- Smoothness
- 9/10
- Irritation
- 9/10
WTG still crisp, but long strokes showed mild tugging for the first time in the run. ATG produced one weeper on the neck; one nick at the mouth corner was a technique event (self-reported accidental movement). Smoothness eased to 9. Alum still in the mild band. Touch: SS.
3-shave scores at a glance
| Shave | Closeness | Smoothness | Irritation | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — fresh | 7 | 10 | 10 | SS |
| 2 — 72h | 7 | 10 | 9 | SS |
| 3 — 72h | 7 | 9 | 9 | SS |
Closeness, Smoothness and Irritation shown above; the full rubric also scores Audible feedback (10/10/10) and Lather compatibility (10/10/10). Pairing totals by shave: 47 / 46 / 45; average 46.0/50.
Day-by-Day
Shave 1 (2026-08-09, 72h growth)
First blade from the pack on the Vector 316L. The edge landed sharp on contact: immediate cut, wide angle tolerance, long strokes clean with no drag. Each blade came individually wrapped in a card sleeve over wax paper.
WTG was crisp across the whole face. ATG followed with good angle forgiveness — the cutting plane held without fuss, and the pass finished clean. Zero nicks, zero weepers across both passes. That puts the opening session among the cleanest in the database.
Alum went on mild with no localised sting. At 30 minutes the skin read lightly tight; at 4 hours, fully relaxed.
Touch: SS. Scores: Closeness 7 / Smoothness 10 / Irritation 10 / Audible 10 / Lather 10.
Shave 2 (2026-08-12, 72h growth)
Second blade from the pack. Sharpness and angle tolerance held — on-face contact was the same as Shave 1, with WTG crisp and ATG forgiving. Smoothness, audible feedback and lather compatibility all tracked the opening session.
The one change sat on the comfort axis: alum produced a mild sting on ATG areas that was absent in Shave 1. It settled quickly to mild, but the difference was enough to move irritation from 10 to 9. Zero nicks, zero weepers.
At 30 minutes the skin read lightly tight; at 4 hours, fully relaxed.
Touch: SS. Scores: Closeness 7 / Smoothness 10 / Irritation 9 / Audible 10 / Lather 10.
Shave 3 (2026-08-15, 72h growth)
Third and final blade from the tested pack. WTG was still crisp, but long strokes picked up a mild tugging sensation for the first time in the series. Shaves 1 and 2 both logged long strokes as smooth; this was the first session where the edge gave feedback on extended passes. Smoothness eased from 10 to 9 on the same session.
ATG produced two skin events, of different kinds. A weeper appeared on the neck during the against-the-grain pass — confirmed on post-session review as not a technique slip, so it counts as a pairing signal. A nick at the mouth corner was logged at the time as an accidental movement and is recorded as a technique event, kept outside the pairing signal.
Alum stayed in the mild band, with a slight sting on ATG areas matching the Shave 2 pattern. At 30 minutes: lightly tight. At 4 hours: fully relaxed.
The in-session note is worth recording in full: three uses did not reach this blade’s limit. Touch was still SS at the end, alum stayed inside the mild band, and audible feedback and lather compatibility held flat at 10. The long-stroke tugging is an edge giving its first feedback, and that is a different thing from an edge at its endpoint.
Touch: SS. Scores: Closeness 7 / Smoothness 9 / Irritation 9 / Audible 10 / Lather 10.
What Worked in the Pairing
Angle tolerance stayed wide across all 3 shaves
The standout handling characteristic of this pairing on the Vector 316L is angle forgiveness. Across all three sessions the blade sat in the 0.76 mm gap with a wide cutting plane, making ATG passes straightforward. The session logs recorded the pairing as forgiving on ATG every session, and ATG angle tolerance held even on the third use when the edge had started to give feedback on long strokes.
Sharpness opened at the top of the rubric
Shave 1 posted 47/50 with smoothness, irritation, audible feedback and lather compatibility all at 10. That is the highest single-session score in the database, tied with the opening sessions of Astra SP and Personna Stainless Steel. The edge was sharp on contact with no drag.
ARKO stick lather matched cleanly
The face-lathered ARKO stick held its slickness through both passes at every session. Lather compatibility scored a flat 10 across the series. Because this is the same lather method used in the two Wilkinson runs, the comparison against those entries is single-variable on the blade.
Friction Points in the Pairing
Shave 3 brought the first long-stroke feedback
The primary friction signal is the mild tugging on long strokes at Shave 3. Shaves 1 and 2 both logged long strokes as clean; on the third use the edge gave its first resistance on extended passes, and smoothness eased from 10 to 9. The same shape appeared in the Derby Extra run at Shave 3, but lighter: Derby’s tugging covered the whole ATG surface and the total had dropped to 41, where this pairing still sat at 45.
One ATG weeper on the neck at Shave 3
The sole non-technique blood point of the series came on ATG at the neck during Shave 3. Post-session review confirmed that it was not caused by hand positioning. It is logged as a pairing signal. The mouth-corner nick on the same session was self-reported as an accidental movement and is kept separate.
Closeness sat at 7 — set by the 2-pass protocol
Closeness held a flat 7 every session. That is a property of the test design: the conservative 2-pass routine (WTG → ATG, no XTG) targets SS, and BBS was never attempted. Reaching closer would need an added XTG pass outside the protocol.
Difficult Areas (Pairing on this skin profile)
- Jaw / jawline: clean across all 3 shaves — no nicks, no weepers.
- Neck: clean on Shaves 1 and 2. One weeper appeared on ATG at Shave 3 (pairing signal, confirmed not technique).
- Upper lip / under nose: clean across all 3 shaves — no blood points either pass.
- Adam’s apple / under chin: clean across all 3 shaves. The mouth-corner nick on Shave 3 was a technique event.
Pairing Recommendation for Vector 316L Owners
If you already run a Vector 316L, here is how this blade behaves on it. The data supports the pairing under these conditions:
- You want a forgiving ATG pass — the angle tolerance stayed wide across all 3 sessions, with the blade sitting in the gap without fuss.
- You want a high opening sharpness — Shave 1 posted 47/50 with four rubric axes at 10, tied for the highest single-session score in the database.
- You use an ARKO stick or similar face-lathered soap — lather compatibility held a flat 10 across the series.
Conditions where the data does not support this pairing for you:
- You want to push a single blade well past 3 shaves at peak sharpness — the edge showed its first feedback (long-stroke tugging) by Shave 3 on this pairing.
- You target maximum closeness / BBS — this run produced SS closeness (7) on a conservative 2-pass; reaching closer would need an XTG pass outside the test protocol.
- You need a head-to-head blade comparison against the Proraso entries — this series changed the lather variable, so the top-of-table tie carries a confound (see Methodology Notes).
Note: this is pairing data on the Vector 316L specifically. ORMIXA makes no recommendation about Gillette Perma-Sharp blades in isolation, or on razors outside this database. Other Vector pairings and future ORMIXA × Gillette Perma-Sharp series may differ.
Video Evidence
Three sessions, raw footage, no edits:
- Shave 1 of 3: youtu.be/Dk5ViweMGBU
- Shave 2 of 3: youtu.be/VgO_hl-VM0A
- Shave 3 of 3: youtu.be/GV3epiSCrF8
Cross-Pairing Reference
Where this pairing sits against the other Vector × DE-blade pairings tested so far (5-metric average out of 50):
| Pairing | Avg / 50 | Trend | Best window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vector 316L × Astra SP (green) | 46.0 | flat, no decay | Shaves 1–3 |
| Vector 316L × Personna Stainless | 46.0 | stable, mild S3 efficiency signal | Shaves 1–3 |
| Vector 316L × Gillette Perma-Sharp | 46.0 | flat with mild S3 long-stroke signal | Shaves 1–3 |
| Vector 316L × Feather Hi-Stainless | 44.0 | flat on all five axes | Shaves 1–3 |
| Vector 316L × Gillette Nacet | 42.7 | clean, mild S3 dip | Shaves 1–2 |
| Vector 316L × Gillette Silver Blue | 42.7 | 2-shave golden window | Shaves 1–2 |
| Vector 316L × Derby Extra | 42.0 | shallow uniform decline, stays in band | Shaves 1–2 |
| Vector TC4 × Voskhod Teflon | 40.0 | S2 dip, partial recovery | Shave 1 |
| Vector 316L × Wilkinson Classic | 35.7 | monotonic decline | Shaves 1–2 |
| Vector 316L × Wilkinson (India) | 35.3 | monotonic decline | Shaves 1–2 |
The cleanest comparisons in the table are against the two Wilkinson runs — both used the same ARKO stick face-lathered, the same Vector 316L, and the same 2-pass protocol. Blade is the only variable that changed. Under the same conditions the Perma-Sharp pairing held SS touch and zero weepers through Shaves 1–2, alum in the mild band throughout, while both Wilkinson pairings fell out of their window by the third shave (Classic 35.7 / India 35.3).
The 46.0 ties Astra SP and Personna at the top of the table, but those runs used Proraso Sensitive bowl-lathered — blade and lather both changed. The flat 10s on the lather axis here say this pairing works with an ARKO stick face-lathered; they do not say this blade outperforms the ones tested with Proraso. The same caveat applies in reverse to Nacet (42.7), Silver Blue (42.7), Feather (44.0) and Derby (42.0) — those are Proraso rows, and a numeric comparison carries the lather variable.
→ Full Vector Blade Compatibility Database
Methodology Notes
Transparency about the boundaries of this 3-shave run:
- Lather confound: this series returned to a Turkish ARKO shaving stick lathered directly on the face. The previous six entries (Astra, Silver Blue, Nacet, Personna, Feather, Derby) all used Proraso Sensitive bowl-lathered. Against the two Wilkinson runs (same ARKO, same face-lathering method, same razor) this pairing is a clean single-variable blade comparison. Against the Proraso rows, blade and lather both changed, so any numeric difference or tie carries both variables and should not be attributed to the blade alone.
- Single-razor data: this pairing ran only on the Vector 316L, so blade-vs-razor causation is not isolated. A comparison body (e.g. the Vector TC4 running the same blade) would be needed to separate razor contribution from blade contribution.
- Three uses did not reach the blade’s limit: testing stopped at three uses with the third still at SS, alum in the mild band, and audible feedback flat. The long-stroke tugging is the first directional signal, which is a different thing from an endpoint. A three-use window is the only claimable range; nothing about maximum blade life is claimable, which would also violate ORMIXA editorial scope.
- Nick classification rests on the in-session note: the mouth-corner nick at Shave 3 was logged at the time as an accidental movement. This cannot be independently confirmed from the video, so the attribution is labelled rather than presented as objective. The neck weeper was confirmed on review as not technique-driven.
- Closeness is protocol-capped: the conservative 2-pass (no XTG) targets SS. A 3-pass run with XTG would be needed to probe DFS/BBS on this pairing.
- Brush differs from the Proraso-series runs: those used various ORMIXA brushes (badger and synthetic, 24–26 mm); this run used a Harbor synthetic. The soap and razor are held constant within each lather group, so the brush is a minor lathering-tool difference, not a scored variable.
Pairing Verdict
After 3 shaves of the Vector 316L × Gillette Perma-Sharp pairing: 46.0/50 — a high-ceiling, forgiving pairing whose first directional signal appears as a mild long-stroke tug on the third use.
The shape of the series is a high opening with a shallow, even decline: each session gave back exactly one point, and each on a different axis (irritation at Shave 2, smoothness at Shave 3), while closeness, audible feedback and lather compatibility stayed put. Angle tolerance was the constant — the blade sat in the 0.76 mm gap with a wide cutting plane every session, making ATG straightforward even on the third use when the edge had started to give feedback.
Skin events were few and of two different kinds, both in Shave 3: a weeper on the neck during ATG (pairing signal) and a nick at the mouth corner (technique). Shaves 1–2 ran clean: zero blood points, alum mild.
The 46.0 ties Astra SP and Personna at the top of the database. Under the same ARKO lather conditions it outpaced both Wilkinson pairings by >10 points. Against the Proraso rows the tie carries a lather confound — the number belongs to the pairing (blade + lather + razor), and the blade’s isolated contribution is unresolved.
Vector TC4 owners: this pairing data transfers 1:1 to your razor. The cutting geometry is identical — only the in-hand feel differs.
Sources
- American Academy of Dermatology — How to shave (shaving with the grain & lather to reduce irritation)
- Cleveland Clinic — Razor Burn (friction, dull blade & against-the-grain as irritation causes)
- scienceofsharp — Quantifying Sharp (blade-edge apex geometry & sharpness measurement)
- AZoM — Grade 316/316L Stainless Steel (low-carbon grade & molybdenum corrosion resistance)
- ORMIXA blade-test shave logs — one skin profile, fixed rubric; method in the blade compatibility test methodology
Disclosure
Internal lab pairing test. Not sponsored. ORMIXA does not receive commercial consideration from Gillette or any DE blade vendor for pairing data or scoring.
ORMIXA products are sold by ECE Innovate Homes LLC and manufactured by Guangzhou Yanyang Technology Co., Ltd. under trademark license.
ORMIXA does not sell razor blades. This was a retail pack purchased for evaluation. Gillette has no commercial relationship to ORMIXA, ECE Innovate Homes LLC, or Guangzhou Yanyang Technology.
If you think manufacturer-conducted testing biases the methodology, fair concern. Video evidence is linked above for every session, the pairing rubric was published before testing started, and the database includes Vector pairings with blades whose makers are direct competitors. Send your own pairing data — we’ll compare.
Related
- ← Back to the full Vector Blade Compatibility Database
- Same origin, same average — Vector 316L × Astra Superior Platinum →
- Same lather, clean comparison — Vector 316L × Wilkinson Sword Classic →
- The razor used in this test — Vector 316L →
Frequently asked questions
- Does the Vector 316L pair well with Gillette Perma-Sharp blades?
- In a 3-shave test the pairing scored 46.0/50 (47 / 46 / 45), tying Astra Superior Platinum and Personna Stainless Steel at the top of the database. Each session gave back one point on a different axis, with the first directional signal — mild long-stroke tugging — appearing on the third use. Touch held SS throughout and alum stayed mild. This is pairing data, not a rating of the blade in isolation.
- How many shaves does Gillette Perma-Sharp last in this pairing?
- On the Vector 316L the data covers a 3-shave window. All three sessions held SS touch and alum in the mild band. The first edge feedback (long-stroke tugging and smoothness 10 to 9) appeared at Shave 3, which is a directional signal, not an endpoint — the in-session note recorded that three uses did not reach the blade limit. A 3-shave window is the claimable range; blade-life count is outside what this data can answer.
- How does Gillette Perma-Sharp compare to Astra on the Vector 316L?
- Both pairings scored 46.0/50 with per-shave totals of 47 / 46 / 45, and both blades originate from Russian P&G/Gillette production. However, this Perma-Sharp run used an ARKO stick face-lathered while the Astra run used Proraso Sensitive bowl-lathered, so blade and lather both changed. The numeric tie is between two pairings (blade + lather + razor), and the blade contribution in isolation is unresolved.
- Why does this test use a different soap from the earlier entries?
- This series returned to a Turkish ARKO shaving stick face-lathered, the same lather condition used in the two Wilkinson entries. The previous six entries used Proraso Sensitive bowl-lathered. Against the Wilkinson runs the comparison is single-variable on the blade; against the Proraso rows, blade and lather both changed. The lather difference is documented as a confound throughout the article.
- Does this pairing data apply to the Vector TC4?
- Yes, 1:1. The Vector 316L and Vector TC4 share the same head geometry and 0.76 mm blade gap — only the in-hand weight and feel differ, so the cutting behaviour of the pairing transfers directly.
- Is ORMIXA recommending Gillette Perma-Sharp blades?
- No. ORMIXA does not sell razor blades and makes no recommendation about Gillette Perma-Sharp blades in isolation or on razors outside this database. This article documents how one third-party blade performed when paired with the Vector 316L — pairing data only, per ORMIXA editorial scope.