I like BIC Chrome blades and I'm slowly working my way through my stock of 50 of them. To answer your question, I've not found a bad one yet. I would guess that something else is causing your poor results, though I have no way to know that for sure.
Bic Chrome - Did you ever get a dud?
- Thread starter JWK1
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Major YMMV territory!
I've tried different blades in my mild razors i.e., Tech, Super Speed, Fatip SB, etc.. and have tried different blades in my blade forward and agressive razors i.e., ATT Windsor, ATT Aluminum (the most blade forward razor I've ever tried).
Some blades work and some don't in all my razors. And to a major degree!
The only anomaly is the Kai just because it's wider than all the other blades.
The specific head design on each razor leads me to that experience.
But I guess our whiskers, skin, shave prep, etc., are all different. So I'm certain that those factors play a role as well.
Big variables for some and apparently not so much for others. But the beauty of this hobby are the endless options for experimentation.
I must have, first one from a new 100 pack was not good. Uncomfortable during 1st shave, very uncomfortable on first pass 2nd shave, changed to a Permasharp, rest of shave excellent.
Happened to me three times with different blades...couldn't cut my whiskers...just kinda tugged and pulled at them. Have never used a Bic Chrome since. Oddly enough, I did buy 100 Bic Astors as I found them to be excellent.
Note:
The first shave with a Bic chrome platinum is not the greatest. It shines from the second shave on!
I say this for those that just tried them out for a single shave.
The first shave with a Bic chrome platinum is not the greatest. It shines from the second shave on!
I say this for those that just tried them out for a single shave.
I used it a couple of times and never again, I want distance from them.
I'm pretty sure there are a bunch of fake Bic blades floating around on ebay and getting pif'ed on the forums.
I've used two blades from two batches of yellows. They were the worst blades I've ever used. Felt very similar to many no-name China blades. Just stopped on my face. I pif'ed them to @Steinmetzify and he cut his face open with these garbage blades.
Then, I tried a Bic Red from RBC, and it was average smooth and incredibly sharp.
So, get em from a reputable dealer, I guess.
I've used two blades from two batches of yellows. They were the worst blades I've ever used. Felt very similar to many no-name China blades. Just stopped on my face. I pif'ed them to @Steinmetzify and he cut his face open with these garbage blades.
Then, I tried a Bic Red from RBC, and it was average smooth and incredibly sharp.
So, get em from a reputable dealer, I guess.
This is why I'd say to anyone reading these forums to pay ZERO attention to recommendations of any shaving products. Everyone is speaking to their own experiences which are as often as not the polar opposite to the next fellow's opinion. It's rather hilarious at times and this thread is a great example. If you're buying anything on ebay, you're taking a risk especially as the chinese counterfeit just about everything and ebay doesn't care. Happens a lot on amazon as well, apparently although that's where I bought both packs of 100 Bics as well as the recent blade purchases I made. All of them were fine. I've actually never run across a blade as bad as some of you seem to often get no matter the brand.
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- #29
That's something I hadn't considered: counterfeit.
I got my 100 blades from amazon. Plenty of counterfeit stuff comes out of amazon. I think this is pretty well known by most people who have dealt with them a lot. Now you have me wanting to try some blades from a reputable source. What is "RBC"?
I wonder just how much money is made in counterfeit blades that cost $10-12 per hundred anyway? The market isn't as big as maybe some of us think. B&B is not an accurate representation of the DE/SE shaving market. It's a bunch of loons, like us. I don't know the stats but I would guess the lion's share of the Western world shaves with carts and electrics. What makes more sense to counterfeit would be cartridges. Way more money in those.
- Thread starter
- #31
I ahd bad exp with bics, like 30 % of them were like saw blades, sharp, but not smooth
So I stopped using them, when they were good, they were best blades ever
Time to retry them...
So I stopped using them, when they were good, they were best blades ever
Time to retry them...
Yes, that's why I mentioned the "Western world". I think a lot of what we still call Third world countries shave with straights and other more basic razors vs. electric or carts.
Seeing as though I've been shaving with a DE for as long or longer than a lot of guys doing it now have been alive, I think there are technique issues with a lot of people based on what I've read in these forums the past month. I mean, in the thousands of DE blades I've used over the decades, I can't remember running into bad ones except for when I was starting with no one to teach me how to shave. I used to get a lot of nicks and weepers as a kid and into my 20's until I started figuring out how to not kill myself. Bad blades or bad me?
Rbc = razorbladesclub in sweden. Very reputable.
I had my second shave with a BIC this morning. The first shave was alright, but any issues stemmed from user error/being in too big of a hurry.
Today's shave was very good, very close, very smooth.
I'm debating whether or not to buy a 100 pack; I've got years and years and years of blades that are known good and I probably won't live long enough to use them all.
Today's shave was very good, very close, very smooth.
I'm debating whether or not to buy a 100 pack; I've got years and years and years of blades that are known good and I probably won't live long enough to use them all.
Having travelled and worked before my retirement extensively in what you refer to as “Third World”, the percentage of straight shavers is negligible, at least one brand of DE blade can be found in larger supermarkets together with a fair share of cartridge razors, but the majority of razors that are sold in supermarkets are the cheap disposable type.
Troubling sometimes how people in these countries get addicted to throw-away stuff that then does not get properly disposed off.
Hell-bent on repeating our old mistakes rather than learning from them.
B.
Recently, I tried BiCs when I was looking for an alternative to Feathers and Russian made blades.
BiCs work quite well for me, not as good as Feathers, but close enough.
In my view, they start off at a slightly lower level than Feathers, but degrade at a lower rate, so that there is a crossover point after a number of shaves (maybe 5-6) when the BiCs start working better than Feathers at a comparable number of shaves.
I take great care of my pre-shave routine, so I can squeeze easily a week out of Feathers and probably 2-3 more days out of BiCs, but being a creature of habit, I tend to replace blades the same day every week anyway.
I do not share one member’s opinion about titanium razors, after my Mühle R41 that I had used for years and a short Rocca interlude my last razor purchases where steel Tataras (Nodachi and Adjustable) followed by the Titanium Nodachi that I currently use. I appreciate the feather-like precision that this razor offers, compared to steel razors it feels to me like comparing a surgical scalpel against a Bowie knife.
I have never come across any BiC duds, am a bit sceptical about the “fake” BiC theory, but - for what it is worth - I bought my BiCs from a well-known vendor in Spain.
B.
BiCs work quite well for me, not as good as Feathers, but close enough.
In my view, they start off at a slightly lower level than Feathers, but degrade at a lower rate, so that there is a crossover point after a number of shaves (maybe 5-6) when the BiCs start working better than Feathers at a comparable number of shaves.
I take great care of my pre-shave routine, so I can squeeze easily a week out of Feathers and probably 2-3 more days out of BiCs, but being a creature of habit, I tend to replace blades the same day every week anyway.
I do not share one member’s opinion about titanium razors, after my Mühle R41 that I had used for years and a short Rocca interlude my last razor purchases where steel Tataras (Nodachi and Adjustable) followed by the Titanium Nodachi that I currently use. I appreciate the feather-like precision that this razor offers, compared to steel razors it feels to me like comparing a surgical scalpel against a Bowie knife.
I have never come across any BiC duds, am a bit sceptical about the “fake” BiC theory, but - for what it is worth - I bought my BiCs from a well-known vendor in Spain.
B.
Yeah, I occasionally find one blade in a tuck that's noticeably worse than the rest. Same razor, soap and everything else, but the blade is just more dull or ground funny or something.
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