Has there ever been a documented case of a counterfeit razor blade?
Counterfeit Blades?
- Thread starter DonMac
- Start date
I've seen a lot of speculation, but never anything definite. I'll be interested to see if others have, and how such a case has been "documented."
Are you implying that a change in the wrapper/box, smudged ink on the blade, or an unsatisfactory shave don't constitute documentation?
Are you implying that a change in the wrapper/box, smudged ink on the blade, or an unsatisfactory shave don't constitute documentation?
Nope. Just saying I haven't seen it. The worst I've seen are a bunch of Amazon reviews claiming a certain seller's Feather DE blades shave poorly, but no real documentation of any concrete evidence of counterfeiting. That isn't to say such evidence doesn't exist, but I haven't seen it. If you've got the goods, please share.
There might be re-sell of QC rejects?
I have seen fake Super Iridiums. They have spelling errors on the boxes.
Last edited:
Thecounterfeitreport.com has a lengthy and detailed write-up, with pictures, of fake vs real Fusion cartridges. Google "fake razor blades". There are also many accounts of fake Mach3 cartridges. ICE.gov has a story of a Florida man, Jeffrey Telsey, whose company DBA JCA enterprises sold counterfeit Chinese-made replacement cartridges to Meijer. The fakes appeared in the stores, and that started the trail of investigation in 2008. Telsey was sentenced to 30 months and more than $400,000 in restitution and fines.
My most educated guess is that given the much higher markup on cartridges, particularly Fusion and Mach3, those are magnets for counterfeiters. Duplicating the mass-produced DE blades and wrappers for such low selling prices would not seem to attract counterfeiters, but the growing popularity of DE, along with the hard-to-follow Internet distrubution chain, is making that happen. Google "counterfeit double edge blades" and there are examples of real and fake, side by side.
My most educated guess is that given the much higher markup on cartridges, particularly Fusion and Mach3, those are magnets for counterfeiters. Duplicating the mass-produced DE blades and wrappers for such low selling prices would not seem to attract counterfeiters, but the growing popularity of DE, along with the hard-to-follow Internet distrubution chain, is making that happen. Google "counterfeit double edge blades" and there are examples of real and fake, side by side.
Well there you go. Color me edified. Thanks, guys.
Perhaps they did those Iridium's with an old typewriter with a busted 'P'? 
Ugh. After following your suggestion to Google "counterfeit double edge blades," this safety razor shaving newbie feels like he might have just learned his first hard sharp lesson about the seedy underside of the DE world. I found a site claiming that the market is awash with counterfeit Feathers from Thailand. And here just today I received my very first "stock-up" order of DE blades, which I expected to last me for at least a year--100 Feathers(?) from a seller in Thailand
. I haven't tried one of the blades yet, or even opened the package to look at them, but the packaging looks completely identical to a 10-blade packet I got from a completely reputable seller, other than they come in 5-packs vs. the 10-pack. Here I thought I was doing good for myself by deciding on Feathers as my go-to blade and then stocking up at a good price.That could be a red flag, since the five-blade packaging is completely different from that of the ten-blade. But since you already have the genuine article, at least you've got a basis for testing the other blades to see how they compare.
Ten:
Five:
That could be a red flag, since the five-blade packaging is completely different from that of the ten-blade. But since you already have the genuine article, at least you've got a basis for testing the other blades to see how they compare.
Ten:
Five:
Yep, that's what I gathered. Both of mine are the yellow packaging. If the new ones are counterfeit, they at least did a damn fine job copying the packaging from the genuine yellow version. I guess I'll just have to try one and see. And if they shave just as well as the others I guess it won't matter if they're fake or not. If they don't, then I guess I'll just chalk it up to experience and lesson learned. Wouldn't be the most expensive such lesson I ever learned.
I'm sorry if you got burned. I did a little checking before posting, and every account I've seen is that the ten-blade packs come in yellow, and the five-blade packs are in grey/black. I haven't seen any mention that five-blade packs come in yellow, as well (and in my personal experience, they don't), but I'll stand corrected if someone knows of an exception.
This is nuts. Here I said I've never seen any clear cases of counterfeiting, and it looks as though it's rampant. And for such an inexpensive product (excepting cartridges). I guess I've been lucky. Or, I've been duped and didn't even know it.
This is nuts. Here I said I've never seen any clear cases of counterfeiting, and it looks as though it's rampant. And for such an inexpensive product (excepting cartridges). I guess I've been lucky. Or, I've been duped and didn't even know it.
I bought some 5 blade Feathers in Yellow, last year. 20 packs of 5. They shave great.
I appreciate the sympathy. Also appreciate you and the other posters in this tread for even bringing this issue to my attention. I had very similar thoughts to yours--it doesn't make sense to me that there would be much motivation to counterfeit such a cheap, somewhat niche product like DE blades. I was slightly suspicious at finding the Feathers for half what some sellers were charging, but dismissed it based on that reasoning plus the fact that I'm totally new to DE blade pricing and so don't know if such price differences are common.
BTW the ad for the ones I bought didn't specify that they were 5 packs, so I couldn't have figured it out from the ad.
And the plot thickens: on Amazon I just found another ad from the same seller for 5 packs in the black and grey packaging.
Oh well. For all I know the ones I got are actually real. I'll try shaving with one tomorrow, and I think I'll be able to tell. The genuine Feathers seemed so right for me from the very first shave. I tried 7 different other blades before Feather, and a couple came close but Feather just hit my sweet spot instantly.
Edited with update: I went ahead and opened one of the packs and examined one of the blades. The paper wrapping and blade itself look identical to the other ones to my eye. I'll shave test it tomorrow morning.
Last edited:
Are we better protected from these weird counterfeiters if we buy through a trusted merchant, like WCS or Maggards? The extra pennies spent might give reassurance.
I have seen fake Super Iridiums. They have spelling errors on the boxes.
I must admit, this is shocking to me. Who would bother to fake a product that sells for pennies?! Where do they get the fake blades? I have seen similar fakes when buying Pokemon cards for my kids (several years ago), but those were much more expensive. Sad ...
Where did you buy them?
- Thread starter
- #19
It would seem that the safest route would be to buy from somewhere where you have some recourse. Amazon has their 100% guarantee of satisfaction and customer reviews of the product, and Ebay has sellers who have a rating and buyers who have left feedback. To buy from a new Ebay seller with only a few feedbacks or an independent ad where a high end blade is being offered for a super low price might be risky.
Remember the old axiom: "If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is."
Remember the old axiom: "If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is."
I purchased some Atra Plus carts on Amazon. They're made in China, but aside from that, there is nothing unusual about the packaging or product. They shave quite well. I have some Sensor Excel carts I bought at Walmart, and they're made in Brazil. Some sell on Amazon, supposedly from Germany. I have some 7 O'Clock PII carts that were made in India, and of course I have some Silver Blue DE blades that were made in Russia. Is the country of manufacture an automatic sign of legitimacy or lack thereof? Is China a red flag, or are there some legit Gillette carts from China? This is all quite confusing.
Similar threads
