Educate Me On Carbon Steel Blades

[sandmountainslim]

What was the norm before Stainless blades became available?
The old Gillette Blue Blades and the earlier blades look like they would rust after the first shave. Is this the case?

What did people do to preserve their blades for more than one shave or did they? Did they remove the blades and thoroughly dry them after every shave?

Gimme a history lesson, fellers!
Wp

 

[maurerc]

I used to get one shave per blade although some men got two.

 

[PaulX608]

I still remove, rinse, and dry my blades between shaves. I toss them after three.

 

[82R100]

I suspect if you loosened the razor, rinsed it in very hot water, then left it open, things would dry pretty quickly.

If you've ever had the pleasure of working with an institutional style pass-through dishwasher, raising the washed item to a high temperature ensures that it dries quite quickly on its own.

See in the illustration below how the head is turned 90° to help things dry.

- Chris

 

[Rufust445]

I started the first pass of a fourth shave this morning on a Treet Blue Special before switching to a new one. The Treet Blue Special is a virtual clone of the Gillette Blue Blade, made on modern machinery.

After each shave I turn the razor as shown in the illustration above and let the water drain toward the side of the razor and blade, away from the edge. No problem with rust, the gunmetal blue/black coating protects everything but the edge from rust.

Only problem I've had is that the edge wears out sooner, possibly from microscopic rust on the edge, besides wear and tear.

The Treet Blue Special comes in a PTFE coated version known as the Treet Durasharp classic. This blade is smoother and lasts a bit longer. It's the only blade of its kind, a PTFE coated carbon steel blade. I can get four shaves, five if I push it.

 

[haiti222]

I rinse the blade with an alcohol compound after every shave to displace the water. Although I have tried the 91% Isopropyl Alcohol from Walmart, I have found Benjamin's Kananga Water Works better (65% Alcohol, Super-strong Ylang Ylang smell). I pour it over the blade into my palm, flip the razor to get the other side wet too, let the razor dry, while then using the Kananga as an A/S or cologne.............

 

[john parker]

With the reds and blues I use to get about two shaves. Then took the blade out, "honed" it against a piece of glass, and went for one more. It worked (sort of), as I recall. But at that time and age I only did one pass per shave.

 

[sandmountainslim]

Interesting.
Thank you gentlemen.
Does anyone have a link to the "Treet" blades which are copies of the Gillette Blue? I have one vintage Blue Blade that was given to me with a razor purchase but prefer to keep it rather than try to use it.
Wp

 

[Rufust445]

Interesting.
Thank you gentlemen.
Does anyone have a link to the "Treet" blades which are copies of the Gillette Blue? I have one vintage Blue Blade that was given to me with a razor purchase but prefer to keep it rather than try to use it.
Wp

Old carbon steel blades are NOT for shaving. Their shelf life is next to nothing compared to stainless steel blades.

Do a search in Google on shoebox shave shop, it's the only place I know of currently where the Treet Blue Special, a.k.a. "Black Beauty," is available. While you're at it, pick up a pack of Treet Durasharp Classics. Same blade with a PTFE (teflon) coating instead of the gunmetal blue.

Treet Classics are also are also available at a very good price from another vendor in the UK who is banned from this site. I had a post edited for mentioning the guy's first name.

These carbon steel blades are a love 'em or hate 'em affair. They work for some people, but not everybody. Try a sample pack of each before you stock up. Both the Treet Blue Special and the Classic are in the review section of this site, with mixed reviews.

 

[john parker]

Not for shaving now, maybe!! But I DID shave with them! Beat the alternative: broken glass!

 

[haiti222]

I have seen different things written about whether or not the Treet Black is coated or not.

Gillette seems to have coated all their carbon steel blades by sometime in the 70's.. The Super Blue Blade was first coated with Silicon in 1958 then with PTFE sometime in the early to mid-60s. The Gillette Thins and even Regular Blue Blades were coated by the mid-1970's if not earlier (These coated blades do NOT have the picture of King Gillette on the Package). Less than one regular blue blade in 1000 on ebay is the coated one.....You can tell by the patent numbers on the blade and by the 70's era Gillette logo being on the packaging. I have one in a metal dispenser, but most come in a blister pack with individually wrapped blades (just like the Thins of the the time period). The Thins that are coated (70's through early 90's) are like the Dura Sharp Classic, a non-blued carbon steel blade with PTFE coating.