In our daily lives we use a lot of amazing tools. Seen and used singularly, the craftsmanship and time that went into crafting them can be easy to overlook. But as with many things, all it takes is a shift in perspective, like a high-altitude photo of some strange landscape, to trigger newfound awe.

Case in point is this collection of well-honed kitchen knives — 72 in all. The slicing, dicing, and julienning power that they collectively contain is incredible. All told, the picture above encompasses:

• Total blade length: 618.75 inches
  
• Total weight: 567.9 ounces

Here are 72 pairs of scissors, all different colors, shapes, and sizes, each one suited to a different task. When viewed together like this, they look like birds or a tightly-packed school of fish, all swimming according to some hive mind that they implicitly understand. When you’re using a simple pair of scissors, you might not give it a second glance, but seeing them like this, they almost seem alive. This school of scissor fish clocks in at:

• Total length: 667.68 inches
  
• Total weight: 354.71 ounces
  

Imagine the strength needed to wield 72 axes, and imagine the work they can accomplish. Swinging an axe may seem like an aggressive act, but when you arrange 72 of them like so, fitting perfectly around each other, a genuine beauty takes shape. From handheld hatchets to tree-chopping behemoths, the axe is a product of perhaps 8,000 years of human heritage and evolution. And yet, the original was such a perfect design that it hasn’t changed much. Together, these fireplace-filling tools represent:

• Total length: 133.73 feet
  
• Total weight: 197.78 pounds

Large and heavy isn’t synonymous with powerful. Sometimes instead of zooming out you have to zoom way in, as we see here on a single Philips Norelco Shaver 9300. There’s a profound similarity between this and the previous photographs: 72 blades are here, too. All six dozen of them are contained within the 8-direction contouring heads, with super lift & cut action for an incredibly close shave. It’s unquestionably beautiful — and, seeing it in the context of all these other blades, that beauty becomes even more apparent. And it happens to come in a far more portable package:

• Length: 6.5 inches
  
• Weight: 5.6 ounces

While it may be an impossible task for you to gather 72 kitchen knives, scissors, or axes, you can feel what it’s like to hold the beauty and power of 72 blades in the palm of your hand with the Philips Norelco Shaver 9300.

This post is a sponsored collaboration between Philips Norelco and Studio@Gawker.

Photos by Ralph Smith.