Are Try a Blade/Sampler Packs Effective Given Manufacturer Blade Changes and all the Old Inventory Still for Sale

[Lane101]

Hi Everyone, Just wondering out loud if blade sampler packs and Try a Blade services are really effective given how manufacturers often change production processes in combination with all the old inventory floating around that is still for sale?

From many posts out there it seems that sometimes, without the inner case or tuck packaging, it may not be possible to determine when a blade was made. Just saw a post regarding Dorco blades where the sampler packaging did not have the information needed to determine if the blades were newer Vietnamese or older Korean production. Lots of confusion around the Derby blade manufacturing change in 2016 with pre-2016 inventory still available for sale. Astra SP shift to laser etching has also generated a lot of confusion. The result could be an inaccurate assessment of blade performance due to samples that no longer represent the quality of current production. This could go either way.

I've only purchased 100 packs given prices of $7 to $12 (for my brands) that are only a few dollars more than the samplers. All three of my blade brands, Derby, Astra SP and Dorco have seen major changes in blade quality/manufacturing over the past few years with the result that in a sampler pack it could easily be impossible to know if the blades provided would be the same as those in a current inner pack of 100. Without the full tuck and in some cases full 100 pack packaging it would be impossible to figure out when the blades were made.

What has your experience been? Have you run across sample blade with performance that was significantly different from the subsequently purchased 100 pack? How often have you disregarded sample blades due to poor performance and later purchased a 100 pack thanks to great reviews that were consistent with the subsequent bulk pack blade performance?

 

[Maxima1]

The production runs go on for years. Even now, given Dorco as example, they still have the old "New Platinum" version stock sold alongside the new HQ run.

 

[tamahagane]

Just wondering out loud if blade sampler packs and Try a Blade services are really effective given how manufacturers often change production processes in combination with all the old inventory floating around that is still for sale?

IMHO yes because the manufacturing equipment is not scrapped every time a new version of a blade comes out. Moving production country without the equipment affects the blade quality (i.e. Egyptian Bolzano), moving the equipment (i.e. German Personna) does not.

What has your experience been?

That the vast majority of blades are inconsistent. OTOH, my current Feathers shave exactly the same as my very first in 2013, the only difference being the oversized glue spots.

Have you run across sample blade with performance that was significantly different from the subsequently purchased 100 pack?

Yes, but not different from all 100.

How often have you disregarded sample blades due to poor performance and later purchased a 100 pack thanks to great reviews that were consistent with the subsequent bulk pack blade performance?

Never, because reviews from non-experts don't tell you much. Example:
On my face, Feather is the only blade which can shave me once a week without issues. Again, Feather is too harsh for daily shaving - but your face might be different. Maybe you can shave off your weekly stubble with a Baili blade. For me, that would be as comfortable as getting an irezumi using tebori technique.
A blade review which compares the sharpness of different blades would make sense if the reviewer sticks to standardized methodology like in

Objective sharpness measurement

The forum seems to agree that there are multiple factors influencing satisfaction with a blade. However, there are also some attempts to measure sharpness here and here, although there already exists a standard which defines sharpness (not razor blades per se) - ISO 8442-5:2004 . Is anybody...

www.badgerandblade.com

but then I guess the "review" would be called otherwise and published otherwise.

 

[Grundi]

What has your experience been? Have you run across sample blade with performance that was significantly different from the subsequently purchased 100 pack? How often have you disregarded sample blades due to poor performance and later purchased a 100 pack thanks to great reviews that were consistent with the subsequent bulk pack blade performance?

I personally love sampler packs of blades, especially for the variety of different blades to try.

When I first started DE shaving, I tried a sampler pack of blades, and also received some sampler packs from very gracious B&B'ers. I've learned quite bit about which blade and manufacturer coating performs well in my razors and which ones my face likes. There are always nice surprises to be discovered. However, unless you choose the blades yourself, the pack will be filled out with a bunch on meh blades (that shave decent, but not special)

 

[BigJ]

I personally love sampler packs of blades, especially for the variety of different blades to try.

When I first started DE shaving, I tried a sampler pack of blades, and also received some sampler packs from very gracious B&B'ers. I've learned quite bit about which blade and manufacturer coating performs well in my razors and which ones my face likes. There are always nice surprises to be discovered. However, unless you choose the blades yourself, the pack will be filled out with a bunch on meh blades (that shave decent, but not special)

+1! Trying blades is one of the fun parts of ‘traditional’ wet shaving!

Plus, you get to ‘travel’ the world from your bathroom during the Pandemic!!

 

[old_school]

@Lane101

Good question!

I have acquired Dorco ST300's of unknow origin so ordered a tuck from Razorbladeclub which indicate Vietnam in the description along with some Derby greens to compare with my Derby Blues I received from IB. The greens I have shave better than the blues 3 blades into the comparison which seems weird to me so the evaluation is ongoing.

Also picked up a tuck of Treet Durasharp Blues to compare to Yellows.

But The Great Blade Exchange curated by the always elegant and dapper @dmshaver is the first and easiest choice for trying new blades. I've found it a tremendous resource for winnowing the breadth of possibilities. Then I'll get tucks from a retailer for more extensive evaluation.

I think all three sources of small samples are worth while for anyone.

 

[Kyle89]

Totally worthwhile. The 2 blades I bought 100 packs with were from those sample packs. Sometimes manufacturers do change stuff over time but people tend to figure these things out and speak about them on forums such as this, so a little bit of research can go a long way in preventing a situation of having 100 of an inferior product due to a change.

I've tried quite a few tucks of blades as to where I did not like the blade from a sample pack, but at a later date revisited them and they worked perfectly fine. This was attributed to using different razors/improved technique though and not a change in manufacturing.

It's all part of the fun!

 

[thegeneral]

Razorbladesclub actually sells a lot of the Russian Proctor Gamble blades in the old variation and new variation. Old has ink printing and new version is laser etched.