All These Different Gillette Blades

[Dominic]

There are so many different Gillette razor blades. You know what I'm going to ask. To be honest, I can't figure out how there can be very many differences between blades. I've tried a few. Feather was super sharp and shaved great. Personna and Dorco don't seem to be as sharp as Feather but still give a great shave. "Razor sharp" is relative, I guess. Derby was literally painful to use. I threw them out. So, there are a lot of brands, and they may or may not be different. (For example, I couldn't tell you the difference between Dorco and Personna.) Then you have Gillette manufacturing a thousand varieties (give or take ). It's just hard to believe Gillette is doing more than making blades and just putting different names on the same blade. (OK maybe a few difference but not as many different varieties as they have.) OK, let 'er rip. I'm prepared.

 

[pdieten]

The owner of one of the shave vendors that carries these lines posts on a different forum. Once long ago he commented that there are a few different "specifications" of blades, but not as many as there are packages. Therefore, it must be that the same specification is offered with a couple different packages.

The specific example mentioned is that Gillette's best specification for Russian-made blades is a platinum blade. It gets the Gillette Platinum name for sale in Europe, which IIRC is currently being sold in royal blue boxes with white letters. I believe this same specification is what goes into the King C. Gillette blades sold in the USA. I should expect that, for example, Astras are probably a lower specification.

But part of the reason we find more differences between them is that, first of all, individual blades may vary just a bit from run to run and even within individual runs; and second, human beings are analog organic devices and it is impossible to keep everything about one's daily shave precisely identical from day to day.

Also, don't forget that there are multiple different Gillette plants. Some made in Russia, some in India, some in the far east, etc. There should obviously be differences between the products out of the different plants.

 

[Sisyphos]

Maybe it is like this: When a they renew/open a new production line with new grinding equpment then the name of blade is one (very sharp) and as grinding stone wears they rename the blades something different (smooth ) and so one.

 

[ivan_101]

The owner of one of the shave vendors that carries these lines posts on a different forum. Once long ago he commented that there are a few different "specifications" of blades, but not as many as there are packages. Therefore, it must be that the same specification is offered with a couple different packages.

The specific example mentioned is that Gillette's best specification for Russian-made blades is a platinum blade. It gets the Gillette Platinum name for sale in Europe, which IIRC is currently being sold in royal blue boxes with white letters. I believe this same specification is what goes into the King C. Gillette blades sold in the USA. I should expect that, for example, Astras are probably a lower specification.

But part of the reason we find more differences between them is that, first of all, individual blades may vary just a bit from run to run and even within individual runs; and second, human beings are analog organic devices and it is impossible to keep everything about one's daily shave precisely identical from day to day.

Also, don't forget that there are multiple different Gillette plants. Some made in Russia, some in India, some in the far east, etc. There should obviously be differences between the products out of the different plants.

Did you see this post The Eye Test. King C Gillette and other P&G blades. - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/the-eye-test-king-c-gillette-and-other-p-g-blades.609797/post-11333976 Here @South Dakota Guy shows photos. The King C. Gillette has a different bevel compared to the light blue Platinum.

 

[Whilliam]

The only absolute in blades seems to be Feather. There's almost unanimous agreement that they (and maybe Kais) are the sharpest blades available. (But, here I'm inviting contrary opinions. Hhahaha.)

All else would seem to be a battle of opinions, subject to too many variables. Hence, blade samplers, as we all have different skin, different beards, different soaps, different razors and different standards.

B&B would be awfully boring without them.

 

[BigJ]

…

B&B would be awfully boring without them.

+1! Trying ’new’ (to me) blades is great fun for many of us!!

 

[BigJ]

The owner of one of the shave vendors that carries these lines posts on a different forum. Once long ago he commented that there are a few different "specifications" of blades, but not as many as there are packages. Therefore, it must be that the same specification is offered with a couple different packages.

The specific example mentioned is that Gillette's best specification for Russian-made blades is a platinum blade. It gets the Gillette Platinum name for sale in Europe, which IIRC is currently being sold in royal blue boxes with white letters. I believe this same specification is what goes into the King C. Gillette blades sold in the USA. I should expect that, for example, Astras are probably a lower specification.

But part of the reason we find more differences between them is that, first of all, individual blades may vary just a bit from run to run and even within individual runs; and second, human beings are analog organic devices and it is impossible to keep everything about one's daily shave precisely identical from day to day.

Also, don't forget that there are multiple different Gillette plants. Some made in Russia, some in India, some in the far east, etc. There should obviously be differences between the products out of the different plants.

Great insights!

 

[razorhead63]

+1! Trying ’new’ (to me) blades is great fun for many of us!!

Me too!

 

[Multum in parvo]

Try some Bic, if you like them you have a Feather sharp blade at a fraction of cost.
No worries about 20+ different labels as they only come in yellow (Chrome Platinum) or red (Astor) and many say that it is the same blade regardless of packaging.

 

[ivan_101]

Try some Bic, if you like them you have a Feather sharp blade at a fraction of cost.
No worries about 20+ different labels as they only come in yellow (Chrome Platinum) or red (Astor) and many say that it is the same blade regardless of packaging.

Feather sharp? Naah. Not with my whiskers.

 

[Multum in parvo]

Feather sharp? Naah. Not with my whiskers.

I have to try them side by side again but last time I convinced myself as far as to buy 200. They work great in my Merkur 34g that I have always found a bit mild.