Treet Blue Special

If you're the sort of shaver that pairs a mild razor with a super sharp stainless steel blade, this blade will probably not work for you. The Treet black carbon steel blade (sometimes referred to as the "black beauty") offers the same feel as vintage carbon steel DE blades during the shave but are of newer production (nation of origin: Pakistan), and are thinner than the original .006" thick carbon steel blades (same thickness as today's contemporary stainless blades at .004").

If you have never used a carbon steel blade before, it is important to note several things: for one, they will not match the surgical sharpness of a coated stainless steel blade. Second, they require a minimum amount of maintenance between shaves in order to prevent rusting of the blade. Normally this is nothing more than rinsing it after the shave, blotting it carefully (do not wipe) with tissue or similar absorbent material, then putting it away for the next shave.

I have used the Treet black carbon steel in several different razors with very good results, including the Gillette Adjustable 195, the Slim, the late 40's Aristocrat and the Schone open comb three piece razor. One razor I tried them in and do not recommend anyone else do so is in the Muhle R41. That was a very rough and uncomfortable shave. What carbon steel blades can do is offer a bit more forgiveness when used in some razors while reducing the tendency to irritate.

These blades commonly ship in a 10 pack tuck, with each blade individually wrapped in a wax inner liner which is held within the outer wrapper. This will aid in storage longevity when they are kept in a suitable, low humidity storage environment.

I am able to get several shaves per blade using a two-pass plus touch up routine, but have not pushed them further. Some users have reported they get upward of 5 to 7 shaves on this blade. That number of shaves given the cost per blade, make it an excellent value.

Whether a carbon steel blade is right for you can only be determined through a trial period, best done by grabbing some samplers. For me, they breathe new life into my vintage Gillette's and offer a nice post-shave feel reminiscent of the day when Gillette double edge razors and carbon steel blades dominated the shaving market.

Prior to using these blades, Treet Platinums were my go-to choice. It's safe to say that has not changed, but I have found my new second favorite blades.

First of all, these blades look cool. I know of no other manufacturer that still produces black/blue blades like this. Sure you can get vintage blades, but I'd rather have something I know I can get again.

But what we're really interested in is performance, appearance could matter less. These blades don't work as universally well as the Platinum version, but in certain razors they blow everything else out of the water. Some specific examples are my Parker 87r, 1954 Gillette SS, and early 1940s Gillette Tech.

A razor they do not work well with is my Merkur 38c, which came as a real surprise to me. That is generally the razor I use to test all my new blades with, but in this instance the two just don't get along. They also didn't get along well with my Merkur 37c.

The sharpness of these blades is slightly lower than the Platinum version, but the smoothness is ever so slightly higher. Again I stress that this figure seems to change depending on what razor they're in.

Longevity is where these blades take a bit of a beating. I get three comfortable shaves out of one, but the fourth is torture. It's truly astonishing how much a blade can transform from one shave to the next. I can easily get 5-6 shaves with the Platinums.

Interestingly enough, I've never seen rust develop on one of these. Then again I never had one in my razor more than a day or so without use.

So my recommendation for these is as follows: Use them in vintage or mild razors if you want to get the most out of both.

This is a really nice carbon steel blade. In fact it's one of the best I've ever used - carbon or stainless.

The blades seem to be very well made and haven't had a dud so far.

I get an excellent shave with these blades, very close and always smooth and irritation free with my Merkur 37C slant bar. I'm especially impressed with the way these babies treat (or Treet) the skin on my neck. No more ingrown hairs or redness at all.

As far as rust goes, I've never seen any, though I suspect the black colouring would stop that. I just take the blade out and give it a flick to remove excess water.

I can get three good comfortable shaves out of one blade and squeeze out a fourth OK shave if I have to. So that's good value for me.

The blades are a sexy black colour and come in the regular board tuck, wrapped in cellophane. The blades are wrapped in wax paper, no glue (YAY) then in a "Treet" envelope. Ten blades to a tuck. So it all pretty standard stuff there.

You should grab a few of these Black Beauties, I think you'll like them.

After reading the broadly, even wildly mixed reviews, this blade was approached with both curiously, anticipation, and trepidation. With even more than normal care was this blade brought up to face...

Remember the first time you ever shaved with an Astra SP, and, after the first couple of strokes, you checked to make sure there actually WAS a blade in the razor,,,and, reassured that there was, you continued, just knowing that a smooth, comfortable shave was on the way?

OK...now imagine the exact opposite. Imagine the first few strokes so bad that you consider stopping and throwing the blade out...left forever to ponder if you hate the product or if you just happened to get a bad blade. A really rough start out of the gate.

But, curiousity prevails and, as there is no actual blood yet, you continue on, despite the initial impressions.

About halfway through the shave, you notice the blade settling dramatically. It never gets smooth, really, it never FEELS smooth,,,but it stops feeling really scary.

I was curious to put this blade to the test, so I did a three-pass ATG, which I almost never do, as it tends to irritate.

Was it the blade, or was it that the nature of the blade made me be extremely careful? My guts tell me it is the blade. I'm usually very careful.

But I got a BBS, without a single cut, a single nick, and not the slightest bit of irritation at all. Long lasting, too. 18 hours later, just the slightest stubble.

Can't ask for anything more? Longevity? It swam in alcohol for a day, then delivered a second shave every bit as nice as the first. For the third shave, a CCS was all it had left in it.

Two fantastic shaves and one decent one. Not great, but not untypical for me. Four is my usual. This blade worked well in razors by Rimei, and a Gillette Old, both of which are finicky, and a Gillette Knack, which plays well with everybody.

I got a couple of these from Toothpick, and I am a believer! The shave is smooth, no nicks, and I found the blade to be mild-yet-sharp. Packaging is attractive, and so is the price. I just bought 200 of these. Big fan.

I have tried these several times, but really they are not for me. I have tried them in a Timor TTO razor and a merkur futur. Both yielded poor results.

The blades are not stainless steel and are quite soft in comparisson to others. They are black, which is cool, but that's where the positives end.

I found the first shave ok, but they were not a sharp as I would have liked (I don't like very sharp blades so that demonstrates these must be fairly dull). The second shave was horrific. The blades just seem to die overnight.

I also found rust within 5 days which was annoying. Overall, not really a great product. Bit of a novelty factor but that's it.

Few blades IMO are worse. Only blades that I think are worse are Merkurs and BIC Chrome Platinum. This blade tugs right off the start on WTG passes. I need something much sharper. I do like the fact that they come in a 10 pack like Feathers, I wish more blades did.

With very limited expectations I ordered a pack. After using three blades in three different razors I am pleased with the performance of the Treet Blues. The first shave is wonderful. The blade is very sharp, almost a Feather, but still forgiving. The second shave is fine but the drop-off in performance is there. A third shave per blade is not a recommendation I would make. The blades just don't hold up to more than 2 shaves, IMO.

That doesn't necessarily mean the blades are bad. I normally use a blade for three shaves so I less is no big deal. Especially when the blade performs so well for the first two.

Bottom line: I would buy these blades in bulk.

Got some of these free with the Treet Durasharp HiTech. 10 in cardboard box, uncoated (blue) carbon blade. In the Feather AS it gave a nice, smooth and close shave. Just a tad below the Durasharp HiTech, but a very good shave. I use a blade twice (once each side), so longevity is n/a to me. The Treet carbon blades are worth a try imo.

Having read the reviews, most notably seeing them as the favorite on the LeisureGuy and scourmanop blogs, I decided to give them a try. I realize they're a very "love it or hate it" type of blade. After a single shave, I think I'm very much in the "Love it!" camp. For those new to it like myself, it is a blued carbon steel blade as a protective finish. I love the way these Black Beauties look, just very old-school looking and classy (as these were initially bought as an alternative to the expensive Gillette Super Blue). And I also appreciate how they're packed - double wrapped in paper, no glue spots on the blade to hold it in place. Just a bit to keep the envelope closed, and a small card stock box to hold them. Very simple, very neat.

As far as sharpness, it's got to be at least on par with my Gillettes. How so? I had a rather simple prep - shower, face lather with Cella, and start shaving. Maybe it's just because Cella is so awesome, but I normally work a little shaving cream onto my face (Proraso, usually) and let it help soften my hair before giving it a hot rinse. I gave myself my normal 3 pass shave: WTG, XTG and ATG, with just a small touch up on my neck, just under my chin. BBS, just the way I like it.

It felt very smooth on my face. Now, it didn't exactly glide across my face, but there was absolutely no drag whatsoever and shaved just how I wished any blade would shave. Not as smooth as a Gillette Swede, but a bit more so than a Super Iridium or a Gillette 7 O'clock yellow. I thought it offered a lot of tactile feedback, without scraping my skin or pulling my facial hair. I washed my face immediately, gave a cold water splash, then hit my face up with my alum block, Pinaud Clubman, and some a/s balm. No sting, no irritation, no stubble. Lovely.

In terms of longevity, they've given me the average life I've experienced from most other blades - three triple pass shaves each. Only Feathers have been my outlier at about 5 shaves per blade. Each time I shook my razor out, then blew away the extra water, sitting my razor on the counter to let all the water drip away. Never experienced rust problems, just a loss of shaving edge. There's always the option of hand stropping, but I currently don't see the reason with the relatively low expense of DE blades.

The cost was $1.79 from the Shoebox Shave Shop for a pack of 10 blades; no discount for buying 100, unfortunately. But they've knocked off 20 cents per pack for the time being.




Shave materials: Cella shave soap, my trusty Merkur long handle classic 23c, and Rooney 1/1 super silvertip brush, Pinaud Clubman aftershave splash, generic alum block, Nivea Extreme Comfort aftershave balm.

This thread has sort of made a comeback, possibly because these blades are doing the rounds on a well known auction site at the moment. I tried them in both my Merkur HD and an Aluminium Gillette Tech. Shaves with the Merkur were not as good as those with the Gillette, maybe because of the lighter touch the Gillette tends to glide better?

I gave these 10 for price because they're cheap (worked out at minimal cost)
For me qualiity was good, though I've used better, so I give an 8
Sharpness the same, 8, I've tried better, I've tried worse
Longevity, 3, they don't last long, as others have also commented
Smoothness of shave. I have given 6 as an average. Used in the Gillette I would give them 8 but only a 4 in the Merkur
Packaging, 10, neat little cardboard box of ten blades, each individually double-wrapped, no blobs of glue on the interior sleeve

I'd add points for 'cool factor' if I could for the black blades

I am mindful that carbon-steel blades were never intended to provide the longevity of stainless steel blades; the Treets harken back to an earlier era, (through to the erly sixties) when blades were intended for 1 or 2 shaves tops.

This was before Wilkinson Sword revolutionized the shaving world with Stainless blades - I remember clearly the ads touting 10 to 14 shaves from a single blade, which was an astonishing (if not a bit exaggerated) claim in those days. The magazine ads pictured group of clean-shaven men who had all used the same blade (a practice which would have been acceptable in pre-AIDs days, but would not be recommended by public health authorities today.) Although much more expensive than carbon blades when first introduced, the emphasis of the stainless blade manufacturers was on price-performance - i.e. the overall cost-per-shave. (Gillette had actually had several patents on stainless technology, but sat on it while they completely dominated the blade market. Wilkinson sideswiped them when they introduced stainless blades into the market; they were, as they say, game-changers).

I remember my Dad agonizing over whether he could afford to ante-up for a package of the new-fangled stainless blades. Blades were a non-trivial part of the weekly budget, and he counted each shave with the first few packages to see if he really got more bang for the buck.

The world, of course, has changed, and few of us (in the developed world, at least) have to agonize over the blade cost per shave. High quality stainless blades are available for pennies for shave, and the big manufacturers have moved on to the proprietary multi-blade systems as their cash cows.

For DE blade users, it isn't so much about cost per shave (or carbon vs. stainless) as it is personal preference. I love these carbon blades, and use them for two shaves (as King Gillette intended). The only problem with the Treets appears to be availability. My supplier in the UK has discontinued them - I know not why. The Treet web-site tells me they are still being manufactured. I will keep looking for an alternate supplier, and intend to order a couple of hundred when I can.

IMHO, the best blades, bar none, as long as they are used for one or two shaves only.

As always, YYMV. In my case, I use a Merkur HD, a hot towel, Proraso pre-shave and shaving cream.

Just finished a second shave with one of these blades, and I'm keeping it to try a third shave with. No sign of rust yet, though I wipe the blade after use, and in this dry winter air rust is not as likely.

This blade is supposedly the same as the Treet Durasharp Classic (yellow and red wrapper), except it isn't coated. The blade table has a glossy, almost mirror-like surface that only could come from some kind of coating. That may explain why some people get as many as four shaves from one.

Not quite as sharp or as smooth as a Treet Classic, but still capable of BBS shaves in my Super Adjustable, set at 4 and 5. I pay extra attention to technique because of its reputation for being not as smooth as other blades, but so far only a hint of a weeper or two.

I've tried this blade with three lather arrangements, Old Spice sensitive in the can, Body Shop Sandalwood, and Old Spice after a 20+ minute presoak in a swimming pool during a workout(makes an effective prep). Each time shave has been BBS, though longer lasting with The Body Shop Sandalwood.

I received these blades as a free sample in an order from Gianni, and I intend to use them up, as a change of pace when I get bored with my stash of Treet Classics.

I was surprised, considering some people don't have anything nice to say about this blade, but it proves the maxim ymmv.

These blades are very sharp and smooth for me. I've used them in a fixed Merkur and in a variety of Gillettes and get consistently good results for 2 shaves - 3 however, is pushing it. This blades is considerably cheap considering it's quality - about $1.50 for 10. For that price, I suggest you try them out, if for no other reason, then for the novelty of a carbon blade.

You can add me to the pro-Treet Blue contigent. I just had my smoothest, most irritation-free shave ever courtesy of these cheap-and-cheerful blades.

To date, my best shaves have been with the erroneously nicknamed "Swedes" (Gillette Platinums), but as we all know, these are hugely more expensive. My worst shaves have been with Derbys and Dorcos, and I know these are popular choices, so once again, we're clearly in YMMV territory.

Yes, they rust, and rust quick, but they're cheap enough to use-and-lose.

FWIW, I invariably get a good shave out of all the blades of the Treet stable, notably Trigs. So I guess if Treets generally treat you well, this is a blade you'll enjoy.

Received a yellow packaged treet blade as a sampler from Razor and Brush.

Super lathered with col conk, specik and proraso. Inserted blade in a merkur slant.

The blade cut almost as close as a feather and was smoother than a derby. Excellent overall shave. Very surprising previous comments. Packaging looks different from the blade I used.

For newbies highly recommended. Extremely forgiving.

I've used this blade in three different razors: an Aluminum Gillette Ball End Tech, a 48-49 Super Speed, and a 65 Slim Adjustable. Three different razors, same blade, different results.

I tried one in The Slim Adjustable nearly a year ago and it tour me up fast. My technique just wasn't ready for anything except for a Derby at that point. I put them away for the next year and just recently tried them again.

The Tech pulled a bit on the first pass, but quickly smoothed out and I was able to get a decent shave with three passes and touch up. Not as good as I've come to expect, but decent.

The second blade was with the 48' Super Speed which really made this blade shine. My usual two pass with touch up delivered a great shave.

For reference I've used Feathers, Gillette Swedes, Derby's, and Crystals. The Derby blade is my go-to.

These were awful blades for me. I got 5 of them as part of a sample pack.

I shaved with one in my Futur and it literally pulled some hairs out and missed the others.

I thought it might have been a bad blade so I picked another one out for my next shave. Same result.

I will never try again.


Tried to date : merkur / derby extra / astra platinum / gilette 7's (green)

I just shaved with these for the first time and they are probably the worst blades I tried. I'm thinking maybe I got a bad blade so I will try another one later by my initial experience with these were not very good; a very rough, uncomfortable shave

These blades work great in my Gillette Tech, but not in my Merkur HD. In my HD, the shave is rough, but I really like them in the Tech - nice and smooth. After about 2 days in the Tech, they start showing rust, but I have not experienced the same in the HD. I received as part of a sampler pack.