Counterfeit or is Wilkinson giving a nod to the old West?

[Chandu]

Saw these on Amz today.

I guess you need a jigger of Old Crow as an A/S if you use these. Or perhaps they are counterfeit and it's a photshop by folks that cannot spell salon. The writing above the bar code tells the story I'm afraid.

 

[silverlifter]

Lots of blades are sold as "saloon packs", it isn't a typo.

 

[Chandu]

Lots of blades are sold as "saloon packs", it isn't a typo.

This cat is not buying a saloon pack.

 

[luvmysuper]

Salon Pack, or Barbershop Pack is typically an American Term.
There are many countries where the term is actually "Saloon Pack" and is used the same way we might use Salon.
India for one uses "Saloon" instead of "Salon"

 

[Bglayer]

I've got hundreds of those Indian Gillette Wilkinson swords they all say saloon on them my second favorite blade behind the Nacet.Sharp and smooth.

 

[Chandu]

Uncle.

I had no idea that "saloon" was an accepted term with razor blades. Clearly, I need to be more wordly. I don't need any Wilkies though. Bought 100 of the German ones a couple of months ago. That box mentions not, Barbershop, Salon, Saloon, Speakeasy or anything.

 

[Jopo]

Uncle.

I had no idea that "saloon" was an accepted term with razor blades. Clearly, I need to be more wordly. I don't need any Wilkies though. Bought 100 of the German ones a couple of months ago. That box mentions not, Barbershop, Salon, Saloon, Speakeasy or anything.

Same in Vietnam:

 

[DrStrange]

Wilkinson was located in Pall Mall back in the days when they
were actually making those swords featured in their logo.

 

[zoidberg]

Lots of blades are sold as "saloon packs", it isn't a typo.

They are for the Indian market and when I went to India, the term 'saloon' is the term to differentiate blades for the consumer market and professional market.

So blades that come with the term 'saloon' are for the barbershop.

 

[Bglayer]

They are for the Indian market and when I went to India, the term 'saloon' is the term to differentiate blades for the consumer market and professional market.

So blades that come with the term 'saloon' are for the barbershop.

The plot thickens.Somebody from India or who was in India was surprised that i used this blade more than once.I thought it was because they were so cheap maybe it's because being made for barbers they are designed for only one shave?They do seem a little thinner than most blades but i could be wrong on that maybe somebody on B&B knows more?

 

[BigJ]

Wilkinson was located in Pall Mall back in the days when they
were actually making those swords featured in their logo.

View attachment 1416463

Great photo!!

 

[APBinNCA]

The plot thickens.Somebody from India or who was in India was surprised that i used this blade more than once.I thought it was because they were so cheap maybe it's because being made for barbers they are designed for only one shave?They do seem a little thinner than most blades but i could be wrong on that maybe somebody on B&B knows more?

Sounds correct to me, but what is puzzling about this is the fact that they are still in cardboard tucks of 10 instead of 50 loose, wrapped blades. The US has the equivalent of the Saloon Pack, they are just boxes of 100 loose blades. Why they are 50 in India I don't know, but there are other brands that sell Saloon Packs, as you would expect. Zorriks for the Domestic market for example which are also known as Super-Max elsewhere.

 

[Marcus52]

As long as the package doesn't say say "Slaughterhouse" or "Abattoir", you'll probably be OK.

 

[RayClem]

The term saloon is similar to the term salon. In the Old West, the saloon was often the place where cowboys could get a drink, a meal, a bath, a shave and haircut, a bed for the night, entertainment, and perhaps procure female company. A cowboy could easily spend his entire pay in one spot.

Today, in the States, those functions are now broken into separate businesses and haircuts are obtained in either barbershops or hair salons. Due to health regulations, getting a proper barber shave with a real straight razor is no longer possible. Even finding a barber who gives shaves with a shavette is difficult.

Once barbershops were frequented by men and women went to salons. Now there is little distinction between the terms.

In India where the Gillette Wilkenson Sword blades are made, barbershops were often called saloons. Thus, a saloon pack is a bulk pack of razor blades often purchased by barbers who use a lot of blades in the course of their business. However, wet shavers have found such bulk packs to be a convenient and inexpensive way to purchase blades.

 

[zoidberg]

The plot thickens.Somebody from India or who was in India was surprised that i used this blade more than once.I thought it was because they were so cheap maybe it's because being made for barbers they are designed for only one shave?They do seem a little thinner than most blades but i could be wrong on that maybe somebody on B&B knows more?

This particular blade and most blades which come from India are intended to only be used once.

I spent a few months in India (on the east side) and from what I observed, I'd a huge proportion of men will only shave in a barbershop. The cost of a disposable razor is about the same as a barbershop, so many men will go to the barbershop once every two weeks or whatever and get the barber to hack down the growth. The tool of choice is a shavette that uses double edge blades snapped in half, and the blades are intended to be used once and thrown away.

Indian barbers will also use DE blades to tidy up backs and and sides, and again they will use half a blade and throw it away.

From what I gathered, the only two blades which were intended for the consumer market (ie to be used for shaving one's face using a DE razor more than once) are the MIC Gillette Wilkinson Sword (sold in tucks of 5 blades) and the Black Gillette 7'Clock Super Platinum. These could be both bought in 'consumer' stores, but the other Indian blades mentioned in this thread could only be bought in a specialist store, ie ones that the barbers would buy their blades from.

 

[Babou]

Blade India

 

[kaufdrop27]

Price is right. How do they shave?

 

[Dapper Gent]

For me personally, the Gillette Wilkinson's were lousy. Tugged, weepers and burn. Some people however like them. Don't confuse them with the German made Wilkinson Sword Classics. They on the other hand (IMO) are great and well worth the slight extra cost.

 

[LMcC]

I’m with @Bglayer that I find the Gillette Wilkinson Sword blades to be a runner up to the Nacet in terms of sharp and smooth. That said, I usually get 5 shaves from the GWS and I haven’t brought a Nacet past 9 or 10 shaves, but it could likely do more. If a blade makes it a week, I usually toss it out of respect.

 

[Jopo]

Salon Pack, or Barbershop Pack is typically an American Term.
There are many countries where the term is actually "Saloon Pack" and is used the same way we might use Salon.
India for one uses "Saloon" instead of "Salon"

Both, it seems: