AAFES blades, Med preps?

[Rothman]

So I started wondering today if the blades sold at the Army Air Force Exchange are in reality Personna Med Preps. There has been speculation in the past that the blades are made by personna. Most of this is based off of the blade dispenser package and the arrow marking on the blades as they are the same as Personnas, maybe not the med preps but the others they sell. The AAFES blades are made in the USA, it even has made in the USA stamped on the blades.

So, same markings and same container as personnas and made in the USA. What else could they be?

Are there any other blades made in the US?

 

[Rothman]

I think personna is the only one making blades in the US. They are likely the "barbers" that are sold in Dollar stores. Depending on who you talk to, they are not the same as tje labs or meds. I have labs and barbers and to me they are not the same.

Thanks for the information! I had no idea blades other than the med preps were made in the USA. That definitely seems more logical.

 

[Chadao]

I am guessing barber, too. They shaved fine for me,but some folks don't like them. I was at the local QFC (owned by Kroger) and the are selling what looks like the same razor (with the arrow).

 

[dpm802]

The Exchange Select brand blades sold by AAFES are made by American Safety Razor Company, which makes just about every store-branded blade you'll find in supermarkets and drugstores. The only thing that differs from one to another is the packaging and the price, the blades are all the same.

Rumors abound that ASR is owned by Personna, but we've never been able to confirm this.

I was looking at some ExSel DE blades today in AAFES, and I was surprised to see that now they are Stainless Steel. When I just checked the unopened packages I have at home, purchased about five years ago, I see that back then, they were selling Platinum Chrome blades. The price has remained the same ($1.49 / 10pack) but the blades themselves have changed. Downgraded, IMHO. I wonder what's up with that?

 

[mblakele]

The Exchange Select brand blades sold by AAFES are made by American Safety Razor Company, which makes just about every store-branded blade you'll find in supermarkets and drugstores. The only thing that differs from one to another is the packaging and the price, the blades are all the same.

Rumors abound that ASR is owned by Personna, but we've never been able to confirm this.

Maybe you are thinking of some other rumor? I found that one pretty easy to confirm. First I just googled "american safety razor" and the first hit was http://www.asrco.com - page title "Personna | Personna American Safety Razor Company". Then I remembered http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...lade-Quality-Control-Story-and-The-Sharpmeter linking to a 2009 article http://www.qualitymag.com/articles/86297-quality-at-400-blades-per-minute on Personna, which opens up with this:

Personna American Safety Razor is a private-label supplier of consumer razor blades in the United States. “When you go into a Kroger [a Cincinnati-based grocery retailer] and they have a private-label razor, more than likely that is our razor. Our competition is Bic, Schick and Gillette, as well as other private-label manufacturers. We consider ourselves as competing in the overall wet shaving market, and private label is one aspect of that market,” says Kermit Bantz, director of shaving manufacturing at the Knoxville, TN, facility.

I believe that story was written before they lost Walmart, so they may not be the largest supplier anymore. But that is a different question.

 

[dpm802]

Maybe you are thinking of some other rumor? I found that one pretty easy to confirm. First I just googled "american safety razor" and the first hit was http://www.asrco.com - page title "Personna | Personna American Safety Razor Company". Then I remembered http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...lade-Quality-Control-Story-and-The-Sharpmeter linking to a 2009 article http://www.qualitymag.com/articles/86297-quality-at-400-blades-per-minute on Personna, which opens up with this:



I believe that story was written before they lost Walmart, so they may not be the largest supplier anymore. But that is a different question.

Well, that settles it, once and for all. Thanks.

Want to tackle the rumor that Kent shaving soap is re-branded MWF?

 

[mblakele]

Well, that settles it, once and for all. Thanks.

Want to tackle the rumor that Kent shaving soap is re-branded MWF?

A joke? I never had any doubt until you mentioned it. Neither does the wiki: Mitchells_Wool_Fat_Kent_Shaving_Soap, and the wiki rarely kids around.

But is there a controversy? I found a thread from November based mostly on descriptions of the scent.

Just got one of sb2 and the mwf from amazon. Should be here in under a week. Will post when they get in.

The "sb2" is a Kent soap refill. Five days later....

Sitting on my desk are a puck of Kent luxury and MWF. There may be a slight difference in smell. The Kent definitely smells stronger, but as I just got the MWF out of the mailbox and it is just above freezing right now, that may also account for the differences. We'll let em thaw till daybreak then re-test.

Issa the same thing. . . after warming up smells the same.

How Kent manages to describe the MWF scent as "based around Patchouli, enhanced with extracts of Lavender, Pine and Clove on a spicy base of Nutmeg, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Vanilla and Musk" will have to remain a mystery. My puck - excuse me, stick - might have a hint of lavender, but that is about all my nose can pull out of it.

Up next on B&B: rumor has it that P&G owns both Gillette and AoS. But is it true?