Polsilver and Wizamet blades?

[Mistertaz]

I’ve got 100 I picked up awhile ago. Nice blades, but I don’t think they’re worth all the hassle. Are they really so spectacularly better than Gillette GSBs?

Maybe I don’t have a “golden face” able to feel the subtle intricacies of Russian razor blade technology.

 

[borked]

I’ve got 100 I picked up awhile ago. Nice blades, but I don’t think they’re worth all the hassle. Are they really so spectacularly better than Gillette GSBs?

Maybe I don’t have a “golden face” able to feel the subtle intricacies of Russian razor blade technology.

Different blades do respond differently in diferent razors, which may be the issue here if you didn't try them in multiple razors

 

[Mistertaz]

Different blades do respond differently in diferent razors, which may be the issue here if you didn't try them in multiple razors

I’m just pretty agnostic to razor blades, as long as they come from the St Petersburg Gillette factory. If it cuts my beard and not my face I’m happy.

I’m also incredibly skeptical that all the blades coming out of St Petersburg are actually different. I suspect it’s all just marketing and there’s only a couple of different blades with lots of different packaging.

 

[borked]

There are different grinds and coating options utilised, which is the variety that we're seeing.
It also is why purist like I chase the vintage blades, they for whatever reason, tend to last longer and give abetter shave.
As an example, I find my vintage Polsilver browns made in Lotz Poland, are a better blade than the modern St Petersburg Russian variety, despite them supposedly made utilising the same machine!
Yet Polish are good at what they do too, just look at their Wodka, superior to the Russian copycat vodka
Go for a potato rather than a grain mash though is my recommendation.
I'm sure @Monsta_AU has his opinion upon this too, I suspect similar

 

[neongas]

I’m just pretty agnostic to razor blades, as long as they come from the St Petersburg Gillette factory. If it cuts my beard and not my face I’m happy.

I’m also incredibly skeptical that all the blades coming out of St Petersburg are actually different. I suspect it’s all just marketing and there’s only a couple of different blades with lots of different packaging.

I remember seeing a razor emporium video where he speculated the blades all run from the same rolls into one grinding and sharpening process. Then they are sorted out into different names/models based on the quality control outcomes ie Gillette factory, the sharpest becomes Nacet, so on and so forth.

 

[Mistertaz]

There are different grinds and coating options utilised, which is the variety that we're seeing.
It also is why purist like I chase the vintage blades, they for whatever reason, tend to last longer and give abetter shave.
As an example, I find my vintage Polsilver browns made in Lotz Poland, are a better blade than the modern St Petersburg Russian variety, despite them supposedly made utilising the same machine!
Yet Polish are good at what they do too, just look at their Wodka, superior to the Russian copycat vodka
Go for a potato rather than a grain mash though is my recommendation.
I'm sure @Monsta_AU has his opinion upon this too, I suspect similar

I’m not the biggest vodka fan… give me whisky or wine any day, but I do quite like Zubrowka bison grass vodka.

I believe that there are differences between blades, but just less so between blades from the same factory. If you’re able to tell the difference, more power to you. My face is just not that sensitive.

 

[Mistertaz]

I remember seeing a razor emporium video where he speculated the blades all run from the same rolls into one grinding and sharpening process. Then they are sorted out into different names/models based on the quality control outcomes ie Gillette factory, the sharpest becomes Nacet, so on and so forth.

I assume they all have the same razor blank, and then probably only have 3 grades of sharpening and maybe 1 or 2 coatings. Then all the razors are permutations of the above with different labels. That’s the only thing which makes financial sense to me.

I still can’t believe no one has managed to interview an employee from the Gillette factory, given the obsession of people on B&B.

 

[Gargravarr]

I’ve got 100 I picked up awhile ago. Nice blades, but I don’t think they’re worth all the hassle. Are they really so spectacularly better than Gillette GSBs?

When I was still using DE razors, I used to be happy with Polsilver SI on occasions when I wanted a less sharp, but smoother shave than Nacets until I discovered the Gillette 7 O'Clock Yellow, which killed everything else for me. (I never got to try GSB.) It always strikes me as odd that there are so many obviously different blades coming out of the same factory.

But then, this is from the perspective of someone who back in the 70s and early 80s used to just buy whatever I could get from the chemist or supermarket, which would always be either Wilkie or unspecified Gillette. At the time, I never really noticed a difference. I certainly would not have bothered going to the the extent of pre-internet measures necessary to obtain anything more exotic.

 

[Mistertaz]

When I was still using DE razors, I used to be happy with Polsilver SI on occasions when I wanted a less sharp, but smoother shave than Nacets until I discovered the Gillette 7 O'Clock Yellow, which killed everything else for me. (I never got to try GSB.) It always strikes me as odd that there are so many obviously different blades coming out of the same factory.

But then, this is from the perspective of someone who back in the 70s and early 80s used to just buy whatever I could get from the chemist or supermarket, which would always be either Wilkie or unspecified Gillette. At the time, I never really noticed a difference. I certainly would not have bothered going to the the extent of pre-internet measures necessary to obtain anything more exotic.

I find 7 o’clock Yellows a bit too sharp, and Astra SPs not sharp enough. GSBs are like Baby Bear’s porridge.

 

[Monsta_AU]

I'm sure @Monsta_AU has his opinion upon this too, I suspect similar

At least when it comes to blades, looking at magnified photography of the vintage blades, the grind is much finer (grindwheels have more stages and final grind is far finer) and so the edge is more uniform, sharper and generally lasts longer. I would not be surprised if the grindwheels of yesteryear were not significantly higher quality also.

The coatings (chromium mostly on vintage, PFTE on modern) is another difference, and PFTE being plastic means that it feels far smoother than it really should. It also rubs off after a few shaves, meaning most modern blades are effectively blunt (or dragging/pulling) after 3-4 uses.

There are certainly some modern blades that are better than others. I have not really bought any of late, so not up with the latest production of most of these, but I would go either Silver Blues or Gillette Platinums for any bulk purchases. Unfortunately most vintage blades worth buying (ie with some quantity) are now effectively gone or priced too high. And by 'priced too high', I mean a 5 pack of vintage Gillette Super Stainless going for more than you can buy a while 100-blade pillar of Astra SP.