Bad pack of Red IP's?

[pezdaddy]

Bought a pack of 100 last year and I have gotten consistenly smooth, irritation free shaves with my '57 Super Speed. Opened a new pack Monday morning and the blade was extremely rough. Know, I know sometimes a blade will hit its stride after the first shave, but this felt like I was shaving with a piece of broken glass. I pitched it after I was done and grabed a fresh blade yesterday out of the same pack. Same thing! The blade was extremely rough and I couldn't finish the shave at all with it. I switched to a different razor (11C) with an Astra in it and was fine.

What gives? Is it possible I got a box of bad blades? I've never had a problem with these, so I am a little concerned about ordering another 100 (I'm down to my last 2 boxes). If I was just one I wouldn't be too concerned. But two in a row from the same box?!

 

[DE Shaver]

But two in a row from the same box?!

I don't think two bad blades in a row is likely. It seem your batch that isn't reflective of your previous batch for whatever reason. Has anything else changed? Soap? Razor? Procedure? If nothing has changed, I would open a new pack and see if the blades are better.

 

[Rocketeer]

I had a similar "bad blade" experience with IPs recently. I bought a slew of different blades, including 2 boxes of IPs. The first one was so bad, the only reason I didn't pitch the box and swear-off IPs is that they usually get very good reviews here. With so many other blades in my self-assembled sampler, I have yet to go back to the IPs, although I remain curious as to whether this was a fluke bad blade. I'll pull another one out of the pack soon.

Given the fact you are on your last two boxes, this implies you went through 18 boxes (90 blades) without a problem. So either something else changed -- bade blade, you damaged it somehow without realizing it, there is a QC problem -- or this was just a fluke.

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FOLLOW-UP TO ORIGINAL POST: Okay, it is now two days later. My post got me curious enough to dig that pack of IPs out and give them another shot. I used them yesterday and today. While not a horrid blade like my first experience, I still do not find them smooth enough for regular use. Definitely, for me anyway, no where near the smoothness of a Shark Super Chrome. So I will relegate these to the status of "I know I can get a socially acceptable shave out of them if I have to", but they will not be in my normal rotation of blades.

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[TimeWeaver]

Okay... So WCS has been out of stock on this blade in sets of 100 for some time, and just got them back in stock a few days ago.
Anyone used this new stock yet? Are they the same, or has quality changed either better or worse?

 

[Darjeeling Express]

Okay... So WCS has been out of stock on this blade in sets of 100 for some time, and just got them back in stock a few days ago.
Anyone used this new stock yet? Are they the same, or has quality changed either better or worse?

Very, very curious on this myself.

 

[PanchoVilla]

After 20 or so blades from my WCS box of 100, I just now had to ditch my 1st blade after a shave. Once before I replaced a blade after 2 shaves. I'm not too worried about it. These things happen.

I'm also not a big conspiracy theorist about changes in production.

YMMV

 

[iamdarkangel2005]

Guys, the production that WCS has its the last the he currently has. As you all know, I have been receiving the new production. I guarantee is the same blade.

I have been a little hush hush on this, but now WCS will have the new packs as well. So you can enjoy them in his shop as well as Lee's Safety Razors.

As stated in the Israeli Personna Guide, the production of previous blades were probably made in 2005~2006.

Hope this helps,

Dark