Gillette Blue Extra

[Rufust445]

...Can this be the old Wizamet plant in Poland? (1990s to mid 2000's) Seems like a well educated assumption. The current newest production is made in Russia according the the packaging information posted by B&B users.

Gillette purchased Wizamet around 1992-3 and continued to produce Super Iridiums, Polsilvers, and "Swedes" there until sometime after P&G purchased Gillette in 2005

The Wizamet plant in Lodz, Poland was then converted to production of plastic razors and cartridges, and the DE blade production was moved to St. Petersburg, Russia. (The big honking glue spots are a trademark of that plant.)

I was not aware of Bleue Extras being made in St. Petersburg, or anywhere for that matter after the Annecy plant closed. Been shaving with an Annecy Bleue Extra this week. Close and clean shaves, but not as smooth as a Shark or a Treet Durasharp Classic.

Even with 10 blades packed in the white plastic dispenser, sliding the first one out took some effort, but did not requre breaking open the case. There was a slight hint of the smell of oil, but to me it was nowhere near as objectionable as glue/wax spots so big they encroach on the edge of the blade.

 

[DE Shaver]

Gillette purchased Wizamet around 1992-3 and continued to produce Super Iridiums, Polsilvers, and "Swedes" there until sometime after P&G purchased Gillette in 2005

The Wizamet plant in Lodz, Poland was then converted to production of plastic razors and cartridges, and the DE blade production was moved to St. Petersburg, Russia. (The big honking glue spots are a trademark of that plant.)

I was not aware of Bleue Extras being made in St. Petersburg, or anywhere for that matter after the Annecy plant closed. Been shaving with an Annecy Bleue Extra this week. Close and clean shaves, but not as smooth as a Shark or a Treet Durasharp Classic.

Even with 10 blades packed in the white plastic dispenser, sliding the first one out took some effort, but did not requre breaking open the case. There was a slight hint of the smell of oil, but to me it was nowhere near as objectionable as glue/wax spots so big they encroach on the edge of the blade.

Thanks for this information.

 

[slickster514]

I was not aware of Bleue Extras being made in St. Petersburg, or anywhere for that matter after the Annecy plant closed. Been shaving with an Annecy Bleue Extra this week. Close and clean shaves, but not as smooth as a Shark or a Treet Durasharp Classic.

I remember reading, or seeing actual posts showing the current Bleue Extra blade being sold in a cardboard box (rather than dispenser), and the backface of the package did say made in Russia.

Am I confusing two types of blades? I'll try to look for the source.

UPDATE:
I didn't have to look far, there's a photo in the thread on the 1st page.

 

[DE Shaver]

I remember reading, or seeing actual posts showing the current Bleue Extra blade being sold in a cardboard box (rather than dispenser), and the backface of the package did say made in Russia.

Am I confusing two types of blades? I'll try to look for the source.

UPDATE:
I didn't have to look far, there's a photo in the thread on the 1st page.

It's my understanding the current Bleue Extra blades (cardboard box) are manufactured in Russia.

 

[texbilly]

Slickster,

I recently received my lot of Bleue Extras:

- 10 blade, white plastic dispensers
- Date coded blades (V-4 in my case, but I'll check again)
- Cardboard placard, same as that in your original post (no point of manufacture on LHS of back)

And FYI, they shave much better than the current, cardboard boxed variety. Very, very close to Swedes in terms of shave quality.

 

[Captain Flint]

Slickster,

I recently received my lot of Bleue Extras:

- 10 blade, white plastic dispensers
- Date coded blades (V-4 in my case, but I'll check again)
- Cardboard placard, same as that in your original post (no point of manufacture on LHS of back)

And FYI, they shave much better than the current, cardboard boxed variety. Very, very close to Swedes in terms of shave quality.

YMMV etc. etc.

 

[DE Shaver]

Slickster,

I recently received my lot of Bleue Extras:

- 10 blade, white plastic dispensers
- Date coded blades (V-4 in my case, but I'll check again)
- Cardboard placard, same as that in your original post (no point of manufacture on LHS of back)

And FYI, they shave much better than the current, cardboard boxed variety. Very, very close to Swedes in terms of shave quality.

Yes, I concur they do shave very nicely. In fact, one of the better blades I currently use (for me that is). I stocked up on them for I can enjoy these Bleue Extra "Swedes" for a long time.

 

[Rutgers Football]

Very nice blade.

I bought the NOS from Ebay and just rec'd the shipment of 300 several days ago. Great service from the UK by the way. Plastic dispenser models.

For reference, I started wet shaving with a de about 14 months ago, and I have purchased 3500+ blades over that time, including iridiums, feathers, red pack ips (hate those by the way), Derby, Treet carbons (love the coated and uncoated), all the 7 'clocks, 7 a.m.s. (awful), Sharps, Lords (platinum and others), modern Gillette thins from somewhere in Asia, Supermax stainless and platinums, etc.

 

[DE Shaver]

Very nice blade.

I bought the NOS from Ebay and just rec'd the shipment of 300 several days ago. Great service from the UK by the way. Plastic dispenser models.

For reference, I started wet shaving with a de about 14 months ago, and I have purchased 3500+ blades over that time, including iridiums, feathers, red pack ips (hate those by the way), Derby, Treet carbons (love the coated and uncoated), all the 7 'clocks, 7 a.m.s. (awful), Sharps, Lords (platinum and others), modern Gillette thins from somewhere in Asia, Supermax stainless and platinums, etc.

Did you try the Treet stainless steel blades? I found them surprisingly good.

 

[ziplepingouin]

I had a pack I bought from Di drugstore in Belgium a couple of months ago.
I decided to try it recently reading all the debate on the origin of the NOS blades.
So after a couple of shaves with this blade in my Mühle R89, I have to say these are really smooooth blades! I would say they are very sharp but smoother than Feather.

I can get these quite easily in Belgium for 2.99€, though I read that these are cheaper in France (closer to 2€/pack).

Anyway very nice blade for a good price, and good thing is that I don't need to stockpile these as I can grab a pack at any time in a local shop...

Overall I would say a good four thumbs up!

 

[DE Shaver]

Yes, it seem the new blades are good as well. An underrated blade for certain.

 

[Tha Baron]

I'm on my second GBE blade and I gotta say they are incredible... I just purchased 200 more!! in fact, maybe I need to update my avatar?!

 

[Tha Baron]

Actually... 200 wasn't going to be enough after I saw that there was a 2000 count auction for the NOS GBE blades! In the listing picture, I noticed that there were some labels on the case of the blades.

Have these "V3" marked blades been successfully traced to a manufacturing plant/period?

 

[slickster514]

Actually... 200 wasn't going to be enough after I saw that there was a 2000 count auction for the NOS GBE blades! In the listing picture, I noticed that there were some labels on the case of the blades.

Have these "V3" marked blades been successfully traced to a manufacturing plant/period?

No, and probably never will. The best educated bet is the Wizamet plant in Poland that also made similar bladed at the period.

 

[Speedwell68]

Well wherever they are made I have just scored a 10 pack of these to try. I hope they are as good as people are suggesting. If not then there is no real loss as they were only £2 delivered off Ebay.

 

[Marc59]

I used Blue Extra in the plastic distributor (it remains in me moreover some some there), and I use now those sold in the box, made in Russia. These last ones are much better. Indeed, the former (sold in distributor) had no same cover: microparticles of rust appeared at the end of the second shaving. Openly the new blades, sold in the box, are much better: 5 in 6 shavings, and the cover does not move. Besides, to us in France, they are 1,60€.

I find them moreover very similar to 7 yellow: same redoubtable sharp edge ... and same smell.

 

[Tha Baron]

I'm set for a while Note that this is only a 1/3 of what I got!!

 

[Chester]

Those are the ones!
Are yours made in Sweden (or marked for Sockholm) or France?
You, sir, are SET!
-- Chet

 

[Tha Baron]

Those are the ones!
Are yours made in Sweden (or marked for Sockholm) or France?
You, sir, are SET!
-- Chet

 

[Chester]

Same as mine. Do we know where these are made?
-- Chet