I can order all sorts or DE blades over the Internet, but when I go into the local grocery stores and drug stores, there are rarely any DE blades. If they do carry them, they are a generic, store brand blades. I bought some from the grocery store, which were a generic brand called Top Care. Top Care puts out all sorts of generic products, from potato chips (crisps), to soda pop. A 10-pack of these blades was $2.49, so I bought a pack. On the way home, I also stoped at a Family Dollar store (or maybe it was Dollar General) and they had a 5-pack of their own store brand for $1. I haven't tried the Top Care ones yet. Has anyone tried any of these generic blades and are they exceptable in a pinch? I am a newbie and I do have a sample pack that I bought off of Amazon. I will probably buy a large volume of whichever one I like best, but I was just wondering about what I might do in the future if I was in a situation where I ran out and just needed something until an order came in...
Generic, grocery store DE blades?
- Thread starter Kentb
- Start date
Most generic or store-brand blades are made by one of two manufacturers: American Safety Razor (aka ASR or Personna, an American company) or Dorco (made in Korea). Check for the country of origin labeling in small print on the back of the card somewhere, and you will then know which they are.
In my experience, the ASR blades are just OK, but nothing more than that--not very sharp, not very smooth, but useable. When I was just starting out, though, I went through a 10 pack of them as my first blades and managed to shave with them without major problems. I have also tried Dorco blades, in a Dorco-branded pack. They were noticeably duller than the ASR blades--useable, but just barely, and I have very fine facial hair. They were extremely smooth, though, I'll give them that.
Another option is to go to your local WalMart and pick up a pack of Wilkinson Sword DE blades (Yes Virginia, WallyWorld does stock DE blades! You may have to hunt for them a bit, but I've never been in one that didn't stock them.) I have no experience with them personally, but have read reviews here that say they are slightly better than either the generic ASR or Dorco blades. A 10-pack will run you less than $2.00.
If there happens to be an Indian (as in from India, not Native American) grocery store in your area, they may also stock DE blades. My local Indian grocer stocks Treet Durasharp blades, and they're not bad at all. They will also probably have some fine Indian shaving creams (Godrej, Dettol, etc.) and the cheapest alum blocks you'll ever find.
Good luck in your blade quest, and keep us all informed.
In my experience, the ASR blades are just OK, but nothing more than that--not very sharp, not very smooth, but useable. When I was just starting out, though, I went through a 10 pack of them as my first blades and managed to shave with them without major problems. I have also tried Dorco blades, in a Dorco-branded pack. They were noticeably duller than the ASR blades--useable, but just barely, and I have very fine facial hair. They were extremely smooth, though, I'll give them that.
Another option is to go to your local WalMart and pick up a pack of Wilkinson Sword DE blades (Yes Virginia, WallyWorld does stock DE blades! You may have to hunt for them a bit, but I've never been in one that didn't stock them.) I have no experience with them personally, but have read reviews here that say they are slightly better than either the generic ASR or Dorco blades. A 10-pack will run you less than $2.00.
If there happens to be an Indian (as in from India, not Native American) grocery store in your area, they may also stock DE blades. My local Indian grocer stocks Treet Durasharp blades, and they're not bad at all. They will also probably have some fine Indian shaving creams (Godrej, Dettol, etc.) and the cheapest alum blocks you'll ever find.
Good luck in your blade quest, and keep us all informed.
+1 on the WalMart Wilkinsons. I've tried them, I don't LOVE them but I wouldn't hesitate to use them if I needed them and, truth be told, they do beat out several of the brands in my sample pack. Functional but far from luxurious. But what would you expect for $1.79, champagne and caviar? Nah! they're just Pepsi and potato chips.
Wilkinsons are very good blades in my opinion. They're great for traveling, since you can pick them up at any walmart, which is just about anywhere. Per blade, they're my most expensive blade that I regularly will use, beating personna labs at 13 cents each. I don't like the personna blades that come from generic packages as much as wilkinsons, both the higher price, and the quality of the shave.
A cheap blade to consider is Rapira from Russia. I get mine from bestshave.net at around 6.5 cents each. They're my second favorite blade, second to the aforementioned labs.
A cheap blade to consider is Rapira from Russia. I get mine from bestshave.net at around 6.5 cents each. They're my second favorite blade, second to the aforementioned labs.
The TopCare blades are made by ASR. You got these at Wegmans, right? Just about every store-branded blade is made by ASR, and they are the same from store to store, varying only by packaging and price. At $2.49, for a 10-pack, they are a bargain compared to what other stores charge.
As for performance, they will do fine in a pinch, but I wouldn't expect anyone to settle on these for their go-to brand when there are so many better blades available via mail-order. (Never mind the price. I judge blades on performance, and even the most expensive blades are affordable when purchased in bulk.)
As for performance, they will do fine in a pinch, but I wouldn't expect anyone to settle on these for their go-to brand when there are so many better blades available via mail-order. (Never mind the price. I judge blades on performance, and even the most expensive blades are affordable when purchased in bulk.)
- Thread starter
- #6
Yes, Wegmans. Central New York's grocery store. They seem to do everything right!
Anyway, thanks for the information. I have checked out a couple other links in this forum on the same topic and others agree with what has been written here. Servicable, but not great.
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