I hate to sidetrack this thread, but for completeness I wanted add what I found.
As I feared, finding the DB/A Platinums is just as hard and limited as the LB/E ones. Unfortunately, including shipping to NA they are roughly double the cost.
The Eye Test. King C Gillette and other P&G blades.
- Thread starter South Dakota Guy
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As I feared, finding the DB/A Platinums is just as hard and limited as the LB/E ones. Unfortunately, including shipping to NA they are roughly double the cost.
To me, both dark blues seem to shave exactly the same, though worth noting they have different UPC numbers. Light blues are different.
Also, the DB in Arabic I got from a vendor called safetyrazorplace on Amazon in the US. Don’t know if their whole stock is that way or if they sell them interchangeably.
That's the problem, I only considered sources where I could see pictures, or descriptions, of the specific ones. The retailers seem to acknowledge that the Arabic ones are a premium, but I don't trust them all to deliver. They can just claim they are all the same while charging a premium price. I found 30 for 9.99, since I don't really need them, I will go that route first. Thanks
Rhody
I'm a Lumberjack.
Interesting thread. Love the pics too although I find it hard to know what exactly I’m looking for. Some glaring jagged edges are apparent but I’ll say I like astra ss and notice a huge drop off with sp pretty uncomfortable for me.
Mwah I can get platinum light blue for 18-20 euro / 100 that is a nice difference compared to Kcg.
Well, I can get them for 18 freedom bucks. Take that Euro trash
Joke, please don't take that wrong. I am just jealous how easy they are to get like some in Euroland are jealous of N American aftershave. What, you don't want our forbidden aftershave?
I am very happy that stirling start to be more available on the continent lol.Well, I can get them for 18 freedom bucks. Take that Euro trash
Joke, please don't take that wrong. I am just jealous how easy they are to get like some in Euroland are jealous of N American aftershave. What, you don't want our forbidden aftershave?
Now hoping that the captains ships will sail to these gory shores who need some cleaning.
but yes from America shipping importing and taxes is expensive to say the least and sometimes impossible.
otoh I just saw gillettes platinum lb on Amazon which seem to have a print instead of the etching on mine. And yes print is different from db.
so migh be curious to pay 27 pleuros for 150 to give it a try since the blades will most likely be good to use anyhow.
though with my blade/2 weeks I probably have stock for 20 years anyhow
@South Dakota Guy FWIW, it's been 2 years that I've been wearing glasses and my eyesight is not 20/20 anymore
and so I'd like to ask you to explain to me in layman terms which one of those blades you find to be the smoothest.Unfortunately the nice pics above tell me literally nothing. I appreciate your efforts hugely and am sure the pics tell a lot to the ones who know how to "read" them, but I'm not one of those guys. Ahem...
BTW, could you add a Feather to your comparison, as I happen to use them almost exclusively, I'm really curious.
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- #52
I mostly look for smoothness at the shave edge. I find the bevels interesting but I am not terribly knowledgeable about how they effect the blade. What my eyes tell me is that most of the Russian P&G blades have a ragged edge and yes I feel it. Even one of my favorites , the Wizamet, doesn't look completely smooth. I think that is where coatings can play a major role. Every Lord blade I have looked at and this includes Sharks have a smoother edge than the Russian P&G blades. In the end, you just have to try them for yourself and see how they work for you. I have done the Feather in another thread Feather VS Kai. Spoiler alert, Blade F is the Feather.@South Dakota Guy FWIW, it's been 2 years that I've been wearing glasses and my eyesight is not 20/20 anymore
Unfortunately the nice pics above tell me literally nothing. I appreciate your efforts hugely and am sure the pics tell a lot to the ones who know how to "read" them, but I'm not one of those guys. Ahem...
BTW, could you add a Feather to your comparison, as I happen to use them almost exclusively, I'm really curious.
Hey @South Dakota Guy, I really appreciate it, this is so educative! Thank you! I'm assuming, by looking at the other thread, that both Feather and Kai are super-smooth. Am I making the right conclusion?
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- #54
As with all things shaving related, different people interpret shaving things differently. I think that I am overly sensitive to blade feel compared to many people. An Astra SP is definitely a no-go for me, too rough. My perception of the Feather and Kai is that the Feather feels sharper and it has a very slight roughness to it. The Kai feels smoother to me. That is my perception only. I wouldn't call a Feather a rough blade but it isn't as smooth as my smoothness champ, the Personna Israeli Red. Again that is my perception. I could shave with both of the Japanese blades daily.
There are some people on this forum that believe the King C. Gillette blades are rebranded Gillette Platinum, dark blue box, blades. I really like these blades but don't like the price.
Also I was able to get 7 great shaves from one KCG blade. On the 8th shave I had to toss it midway. Currently trying my other Gillette blades for longevity. I rarely get more than 3-4 shaves from any blades. Including the Wizamet's whom I also hate their price.
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- #57
If you buy the Wizamets from Wizashave in bulk then the price isn’t bad. $45 for 250 blades equals 18 cents a blade. My last purchase I bought 500 to get 10% off and it worked out to 16 cents a blade. So you are looking at $18 or $16 per hundred. That isn’t bad if the blade is one of your favorites. How much are KCG blades, 50 or 60 cents a blade? The thing is of course if you don’t know if you like them or not, then you could end up with a bunch of blades that you don’t like. I get 8 shaves from a Wizamet so they are a good buy for me at 2 cents a shave. If you only get 4 shaves then they aren’t as good a deal for you.
I hear you. I only got 3 good shaves from the Wizamets. But I don't plan to keep buying KCG blades either. Maybe occasionally If I have cash on me I might pick 1 box at the time. I like the Wizamet blades but I prefer my less expensive blades better, like the Astra SS. Although I will probably pick up another 100 blades of either Gillette Yellows, GSB or Nacets. Testing these blades for longevity. But I still have to keep trying the Wizamets since I still have 3 blades left. Maybe 3 shaves from that Wizamet was a fluke. But most of the blades I use get tossed after 3-4 shaves.
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- #59
People’s beards are different. Some people also do 4 passes plus touch ups. Some people do one or two passes. There’s a lot that goes into blade longevity and it’s different for everyone. I have a feeling that Gillette will never offer the KCG blades in anything larger than a 10 pack. They are making too much money doing it the way that they are. If you can get eighty shaves from a pack of KCG blades it’s still cheaper than cartridges. I know once you described the blade tugging. I have never experienced that. I wonder if it’s because my beard isn’t very tough or if it’s because I religiously shave daily, usually to a BBS finish.
I'm a daily shaver also. In the past I used to take weekends off. But when I switched over to double edge razors back in June of 2019 I started shaving everyday to make sure I got the hang of it. And I have not taken a day off since.
I always do three passes and some touch-ups around my chin. I have a mole of my chin so I shave that area very carefully.
I always do three passes and some touch-ups around my chin. I have a mole of my chin so I shave that area very carefully.
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