That they are. They're also damn dangerous if your face isn't accustomed to blade shaving (and you don't do the necessary preliminaries such as oil and decent shaving soap as I didn't). People like me who have used an electric for decades and are transitioning back need to realize that their faces have little bitty bumps that a Feather will plane off in a single stroke and you'll never feel a thing. Then you look at the mirror and call 911.
It's difficult to find any blades made in the United States anymore. Personna is the only brand I know; perhaps there are others but they aren't well-advertised. Baby Bro sent me a Care package full of blades of various origin - he collects them - and prominently on top was a styptic pencil and a box of bandaids. I got the message.
A great shave soap is THE foundation for a great shave.
I’ve been using this brand for 2-3 years - HIGHLY recommended and comparable to the uber high priced stuff. Nice people who own the business, too.:
https://www.stirlingsoap.com/shave-soap/
I discovered this YouTube channel “Nick Shaves” and his reviews are fairly accurate and he explains his final ratings.
https://www.youtube.com/user/ChiCityTimelapse/videos