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Counterfeit Braun cartridges?

I have a Braun Cooltec shaver I got several years ago from a vendor in the US. The Cooltec feature is nice but it drains the battery fairly quickly (so I recharge it often). I also have a Braun cartridge I bought from a guy on eBay soon after getting the shaver, and it looks almost identical to the cartridge I got with the shaver. The long trimmer cutter on it seems to be dull and pulls. I swapped back in the cartridge that came with the shaver (I sterilized it of course), and it seems to trim alot better- no pulling and it's a decent shaver. So, I am wondering, what are the odds the cartridge I bought off eBay is a counterfeit? It looks identical in all ways except the long trimmer has some slight differences in the shape of the guard.
 
I have a Braun Cooltec shaver I got several years ago from a vendor in the US. The Cooltec feature is nice but it drains the battery fairly quickly (so I recharge it often). I also have a Braun cartridge I bought from a guy on eBay soon after getting the shaver, and it looks almost identical to the cartridge I got with the shaver. The long trimmer cutter on it seems to be dull and pulls. I swapped back in the cartridge that came with the shaver (I sterilized it of course), and it seems to trim alot better- no pulling and it's a decent shaver. So, I am wondering, what are the odds the cartridge I bought off eBay is a counterfeit? It looks identical in all ways except the long trimmer has some slight differences in the shape of the guard.
Assuming you mean the replacement head cassette (40B), there are plenty of knockoffs of all Braun's replacement parts (especially on the 'Bay), but since you can get an OEM cassette for less than $20, may be legit. The proof is in the shave (and whether the replacement falls apart), so since yours doesn't seem to be doing the job, that might be an argument for a knockoff (or defective original or perhaps is used). You didn't indicate if it came in the original packaging, which could also be a clue. You will find the shave improves considerably occasionally lubricating the head as well - just a drop of light mineral oil on the foils, or anything like Remington's Shaver Saver spray. Cassette should look like this:

Screenshot 2021-11-19 144204.jpg
 
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The long cutter bar on mine doesn't look the same in terms of the comb configuration as the one in your picture. The comb is a little less chunky in appearance. It's subtle, and I wonder if it isn't simply due to some Chinese factory altering the parts slightly (perhaps a difference in revision?)

I am finding the cassette is improving as I use it. Most of the pulling seems to be due to the long cutter bar, perhaps it is a bit dull or not particularly sharp. The screens are identical on both the old and the new cassette, they don't look like the obvious knockoffs I've seen on eBay (which have symmetrical, round slots, as opposed to the tesselated pattern on the OEM parts).
 
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I bought a new cassette. It is an official Braun cassette. It works better but overall it's not good enough. It misses too many neck hairs as compared to a rotary shaver. I have to shave with a rotary shaver before using the Braun ,then I get a very good shave.
 
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