I have no idea about blades really ...
- Thread starter Mark1966
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- Feb 15, 2011
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- Western Australia
Did you just buy a load? You wanna off load a few? I've tried a Gillette Super Silver but can't say I was too impressed. Mind you I had no idea where the blade came from or if it was vintage or an Indian rip off.
Monsta_AU
...can I interest you in some vintage blades?
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Okay, mentioned in no particular order....
PIC 2
Top left, card of Gillette Super Stainless: these are the direct ancestors of the metal dispenser Super Stainless, which then begat Spoilers. Should be really good blades, I expect they have a good life to them but may not be as sharp as Spoilers. Never had the opportunity to shave with them but I would expect them to be better than most of the modern blades we get today, including PermaSharps and Silver Blues.
Top right, Wilkinson Sword Classic: These are relatively modern, but are the more desirable of the productions as they are British made. Any Wilkinson dispenser with a black printed insert card should be UK made and produced at a higher quality. The newer Wilkinsons (Black dispenser, white insert card) are Solingen made and ther Germans are not as sharp, smooth or long lasting as the Brits. They look like this: http://www.martjet.com/media/catalo...e95/w/i/wilkinson-sword-razor-blades-f_wm.jpg
The Wilkinsons below that in the single dispenser look older, likely to be UK made. The rest look to be a mixed bag, wouldn't be able to comment unless I could see blade markings etc. The 'Embassy' blades look the most interesting to me but again they are probably rebranded. Those 'Smith' blades look old enough to be carbons. Astor are a known brand but I have no knowledge or experience with them.
PIC 3
Okay, this gets interesting
Top left, 3x Wilkinson dispensers: The top one I am not sure about but the blue printed wrapper - never seen one like that before and they are not current production at all. Second one down with the black printed wrapper is a Super Sword Edge blade, just like the sealed one below it. It's a bit different print to the one on Pic 2. The bottom two are the second best Wilkinson blade around after the Light Brigades (or printed with 'Chromium Edge').
Personna Super Stainless twin pack below the Wilkinsons: Very good blades, ancestors of the Personna Super Stainless I sent in the travelling Vintage blades. Should be a good shave or 10.
Various Gillette 'Blue' blades: All are carbon steel and I don't recommend shaving with them. Nice collectable but unless kept in very dry conditions they are probably blunted with the ravages of oxidisation.
White cardboard boxed Gillette Super Stainless: Should be very good quality blades and were UK made - note the crown printed on the box and have a guess why. They made a super platinum in similar box also with a crown but printed blue. Those are worth buying on sight.
White plastic dispenser Gillette Super Silvers: Good but not as good as the boxed version. Note the dispenser between them - that's a pack of my GBE's. Datecode matches!
PIC 4
The Personna's are from the boxes in the other pic, otherwise I wouldn't worry about anything on here. Never been a fan of the Gillette Thin blades - vintage or not. The pack at top is early-mid 1980's I reckon, the wrapped blades bottom right are 70's.
Those Yellow Gillettes are French and look interesting to me but I have no idea if they are good.
PIC 2
Top left, card of Gillette Super Stainless: these are the direct ancestors of the metal dispenser Super Stainless, which then begat Spoilers. Should be really good blades, I expect they have a good life to them but may not be as sharp as Spoilers. Never had the opportunity to shave with them but I would expect them to be better than most of the modern blades we get today, including PermaSharps and Silver Blues.
Top right, Wilkinson Sword Classic: These are relatively modern, but are the more desirable of the productions as they are British made. Any Wilkinson dispenser with a black printed insert card should be UK made and produced at a higher quality. The newer Wilkinsons (Black dispenser, white insert card) are Solingen made and ther Germans are not as sharp, smooth or long lasting as the Brits. They look like this: http://www.martjet.com/media/catalo...e95/w/i/wilkinson-sword-razor-blades-f_wm.jpg
The Wilkinsons below that in the single dispenser look older, likely to be UK made. The rest look to be a mixed bag, wouldn't be able to comment unless I could see blade markings etc. The 'Embassy' blades look the most interesting to me but again they are probably rebranded. Those 'Smith' blades look old enough to be carbons. Astor are a known brand but I have no knowledge or experience with them.
PIC 3
Okay, this gets interesting
Top left, 3x Wilkinson dispensers: The top one I am not sure about but the blue printed wrapper - never seen one like that before and they are not current production at all. Second one down with the black printed wrapper is a Super Sword Edge blade, just like the sealed one below it. It's a bit different print to the one on Pic 2. The bottom two are the second best Wilkinson blade around after the Light Brigades (or printed with 'Chromium Edge').
Personna Super Stainless twin pack below the Wilkinsons: Very good blades, ancestors of the Personna Super Stainless I sent in the travelling Vintage blades. Should be a good shave or 10.
Various Gillette 'Blue' blades: All are carbon steel and I don't recommend shaving with them. Nice collectable but unless kept in very dry conditions they are probably blunted with the ravages of oxidisation.
White cardboard boxed Gillette Super Stainless: Should be very good quality blades and were UK made - note the crown printed on the box and have a guess why. They made a super platinum in similar box also with a crown but printed blue. Those are worth buying on sight.
White plastic dispenser Gillette Super Silvers: Good but not as good as the boxed version. Note the dispenser between them - that's a pack of my GBE's. Datecode matches!
PIC 4
The Personna's are from the boxes in the other pic, otherwise I wouldn't worry about anything on here. Never been a fan of the Gillette Thin blades - vintage or not. The pack at top is early-mid 1980's I reckon, the wrapped blades bottom right are 70's.
Those Yellow Gillettes are French and look interesting to me but I have no idea if they are good.
Mark1966
Canberra dwelling Happy Clapping Bean Counter
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RM - thanks. A couple of them are worth trying then which is great.
Cheers
Cheers
Monsta_AU
...can I interest you in some vintage blades?
Staff member
Forum Administrator
Grand Society
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2011
- Location
- Guildford.nsw.au
I would definitely be testing out the older Wilkinsons.... I am actually a bit jealous of you! Not had the opportunity to really get into them much.
The English Super Silvers I think would be the pick of the bunch, and the boxed Super Stainless would be second.
The English Super Silvers I think would be the pick of the bunch, and the boxed Super Stainless would be second.
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2011
- Location
- Western Australia
Good God Mark, you've out collected RM! Is there any challenge left?
By the way you've got a lot of diversity in soaps, aftershaves and also in your blades but.....nothing like that with your brushes. Thankfully I might be able to help you with that.