Gillette Platinums?!

[GreekGuy]

Mitsimontsa,

Thank you for your excellent and detailed descriptions. This was MUCH needed.

I also find the Blue Platinums and the silver Blues very similar. I'm glad you compared the Silver Blue to the Feather. From my experience, I found these to be even sharper than Feathers, which is near blasphemy. I'm glad that you have a similar experience and I'm not the only one. I agree that they are an incredibly sharp blade which gives an incredible shave, when used in a skilled hand. But make feathers seem easy to use in comparison.

 

[Mitsimonsta]

Thank you for your excellent and detailed descriptions. This was MUCH needed.

You are most welcome.

I also find the Blue Platinums and the silver Blues very similar.

It's the easiest way to describe it. My personal belief that it is virtually the same blade, just higher quality and therefore sharper. The Silver blues might be a 2-part hone, whereas the Dark Platinums only feel like one. Again, only a microscope will tell us.

I'm glad you compared the Silver Blue to the Feather. From my experience, I found these to be even sharper than Feathers, which is near blasphemy. I'm glad that you have a similar experience and I'm not the only one. I agree that they are an incredibly sharp blade which gives an incredible shave, when used in a skilled hand. But make feathers seem easy to use in comparison.

Feathers scare me, but I have nightmares about the Silver Blues.

Something I have noticed is that all the different brands have different grind angles. This was very apparent to me when I went and loaded the Mostochlegmash-produced blades. The grind angle is definitely different to the Gillette blades, and therefore I also had to adjust my angle with the Voskhods. The Feathers are different again.

The thing that scares me about the Silver Blues is that it is the same, well known angle I use with all Gillette blades, yet a sharpness which can destroy your face. Where I can really attack with a GBE and get a close and smooth shave with zero irritation, the Silver Blue would have me heading to the hospital if I did the same as I do with a GBE.

Look, they are expensive but only a hair more than Feathers on a per hundred basis. I think they are better value than Feathers too - you don't get any smoothness from a Feather.

 

[pup22]

Just got some Silver Blues in today and took one for a spin in my '40s no-notched SS.

Very impressed. I really like Bleues, but these seem to be damn sharp. Just a hair under too sharp. I agree that they offer a bit better shave vs. a Feather. I get weepers all the time with Feathers, but blood-free shave with these. I will be testing them out in a Progress so I can get the exposure down really low and see how that works.

I hope I might be able to buy some up before the last stocks disappear....

 

[nosedog]

Just got some Silver Blues in today and took one for a spin in my '40s no-notched SS. Very impressed. ... I hope I might be able to buy some up before the last stocks disappear.

This post was almost exactly a year ago, and the Silver Blues are still available at the two vendors mentioned above (razorbladesandmore and italianbarber). Good to see not everything disappears quickly.

 

[Useless shaver]

Mitsimonsta, great info! Thanks mate!

 

[jwilock]

John;

It's very simple.

OFFICIAL NAME: Gillette Platinum.
ORIGIN: Russian made at PPI St. Petersburg, main distribution appears to be Eastern European.
B&B NICKNAMES: I call them Dark Platinums, some call them Dark Blue Platinums or Navy Platinums (as in Navy Blue). Someone I know likes to call them Silver Platinums as the word 'Platinum' is printed in Silver ink.
SOURCE: eBay, seller in Malta, I think he is expatriate US citizen by the name. I got 2,000 blades delivered to AU for USD10c/blade.
PERSONAL SHAVE SYNOPSIS: Good in most razors, EJ/Muhle head and the Adjustable Gillettes (Fatboy/Slim) would be the pick, relatively sharp (some say between an Astra SP and a 7OC Yellow) however there is no real smoothness to the blade. This is compensated for by a complete lack of roughness, so it works nicely. Also have had good reports from Redtip users who like this, one person I know bought a lifetime supply (5K blades) and he has a RedTip. I found open-comb razors exhibited roughness and neck irritation when loaded with this blade (NEW).
OVERALL: Good value blade with a decent longevity for me, certainly worth trying at the price.

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OFFICIAL NAME: Gillette Platinum.
ORIGIN: Current stock is Russian made at PPI St. Petersburg and shows the glue spots, main distribution appears to be Western European - Spain, Portugal and Greece have been mentioned by B&B members. These blades have been thought to be produced at the famous Lodtz, Poland facility before it was converted to Mach3 manufacturing and all Gillette DE production moved to St. Petersburg.
B&B NICKNAMES: I call them White Platinums, some call them Cardboard Swedes or CardboardPlatinums. Some sites online call these Gillette Platinum Classic. As you may notice, these are a cardboard box on a cardboard hangar, which is similar to the packaging that the Swedes used to use, except they are in a cardboard box instead of a plastic dispenser.
SOURCE: I got mine from eBay, 5packs x 5blades (25 total) for a cost of well over $1 per blade as they are very expensive, and then Spanish postal costs are very high.
PERSONAL SHAVE SYNOPSIS: Some have said that these are the current spiritual successor to the Swedes, and I would say that I understand those sorts of statements. The White Platinums excel where the Dark Platinums failed, namely in open-comb razors. Effortless, smooth shaving. Improved over the Dark Platinums in the other razors too, but in something like a Fatboy there was not much improvement at all.
OVERALL: Great shaver, I'd say it was in the region of a 7OC Black for shave experience but less irritation afterwards. However it is not worth $1.25/blade when I can get 7OC Blacks for much, much less (USD35c/blade delivered)

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OFFICIAL NAME: Gillette Bleue Extra.
ORIGIN: The NOS blades I don't think anyone has any real answers but Lodtz is thrown about, as is a factory in France. NOS versions (pictured left)are in a plastic dispenser, and manufactured around 1999-2001. The current production (pictured right) are PPI St. Petersburg made, and come in a cardboard box on the same cardboard hanger as shown in the picture. They are available in France for €2,50 per 10-pack.
B&B NICKNAMES: GBE is pretty much the standard moniker around here.
SOURCE: I got mine from 'rareup31' via eBay, 2 cases (20 boxes of 10 dispensers with 10 blades per dispenser) for a total of 4,000 blades. I paid about USD15c/blade delivered. That sources is now gone, although WCS and shaving.ie both have these in the NOS production, albeit at a higher price.
PERSONAL SHAVE SYNOPSIS: I have to say that my best shaves come from a Bleue in a Slim set to 6, and going WTG/XTG on that setting. Blade does not sing at all, but gives feedback against your skin, and you never feel like you will ever nick yourself. I have said before that I tend to shave with 'Gay abandon' with these blades, and I mean that in the pre-1960's meaning.
OVERALL: For me, one of the best blades ever produced. I can shave with my stash exclusively until I am 140 years of age. I turned 32 on Friday just gone.

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OFFICIAL NAME: Gillette Silver Blues.
ORIGIN: Originally made in Czechoslovakia, later PPI St. Petersburg. Packaging is a dead ringer for the Dark Platinums, except the blue ink is a lighter yet richer blue. The Dark Platinums is a darker & dirtier blue.
B&B NICKNAMES: Silver Blues.
SOURCE: Currently David @ razorbladesandmore. I believe italianbarber in Canada has these also. They apparently bought up the last of the stock from the distributors, these are not being produced anymore.
PERSONAL SHAVE SYNOPSIS: The easiest way to explain these is that Gillette told PPI to turn the sharpness '7' setting on the Dark Platinums all the way to 11 and call them 'Silver Blues' instead. If Feathers scare you, don't even think about these. Sharp, relatively unforgiving but rewarding when you get them right. I found some smoothness where I only find sharpness with Feathers.
OVERALL: I've had one shave with these, in the Slim. I wimped out and went WTG only set on 3. I have stored it, want to load it up in my NEW for the second shave. These are no longer produced and expensive.

Great writeup, and I agree with everything you've said. I bought about 150 GBEs (only about 100 eft after sharing some of these "goodies" with others. Also bought 100 Silver Bues, which I happen to love and I think is only underappreiated becasue they are now expensive, when can find them at all.

 

[Mitsimonsta]

This post was almost exactly a year ago, and the Silver Blues are still available at the two vendors mentioned above (razorbladesandmore and italianbarber). Good to see not everything disappears quickly.

Hey Gav - yes these don't have the reputation of Swedes so nobody had gone crazy. Not sure of the quantities involved but I am glad they haven't gone. Hoping to get a few hundred more soon.

Mitsimonsta, great info! Thanks mate!

You are most welcome. I have some other posts regarding the evolution of the blades and where they were made - in this thread you are more likely to be interested in the difference between the Dark Platinums and the White Platinums. I was lucky enough to speak to someone who worked for a factory who cleared it up for me.....

See This thread for some more info.

Great writeup, and I agree with everything you've said. I bought about 150 GBEs (only about 100 eft after sharing some of these "goodies" with others. Also bought 100 Silver Bues, which I happen to love and I think is only underappreiated becasue they are now expensive, when can find them at all.

They were underappreciated as there were still Swedes and SI's in plentiful supply. Now they are becoming harder to find and the GBE's are the next best thing.

That said, the next one to go onto the underappreciated block will be the Dark/Maltese Platinums. People head to the 7OC Blacks and I think the Dark Platinums are a better all-round blade at a cheaper price. That said the main vein of them in Malta is gone and only small amounts remain. I've got 2000 sitting under my bed at home in plastic

 

[Jussi]

Hmm. That thread has finally opened what the "YMMV" here means. I mean, I've now shaven through my initial sampler and found that the Silver Blue really suits me best. I find it smooth, forgiving and an easy blade to shave with - one that I did feel was safe and comfortable. Feathers, then, did feel as sharp (not sharper, just as sharp) but had this "danger element" in them - they reminded me that they are sharp in a little harsh way. They're OK but not for my morning shaves (I have to be full awake to use Feathers). Astra SP's are, for me, OK but they have to be ordered around a bit more than Silver Blues - i.e. they need some force, whereas Silver Blues work by gravity only. 7'o clock yellows, then, are pretty much neck to neck with Astra SP's to me.

Other blades I won't mention here - those, I think, are references that most are used to seeing here and the rest were significantly worse. All in all, I'm a new DE-shaver (OK, I begun my shaving with a DE razor back in the days when I was a kid, before getting caught into a whirlpool of Sensors, Mach3's, straight razors and Fusions) and I don't feel Silver Blues as nightmarish or in any way rough - I was surprised to see them seen as scary blades. They've given me nothing but smooth and carefree shaves with zero nicks so far. Three passes and BBS, when Astra SP's and Yellows clearly benefit from that extra across pass.

I shall be stocking Silver Blues ad infinitum, if possible. I must admit, though, that it's a wee bit ironic to switch Fusion to DE and then notice that the new favourite is made by the very same zaibatsu and carries the very same Gillette-logo. Well, I guess that just explains why Gillette is Gillette - they know what they're doing, although their prices and inventions are occasionally a "bit" off.

 

[Notimetoulouse]

Monsta I've found this seven years after it was first posted by you. All I need to know in one place. Thanks for that!

 

[Mopar Mark]

Gillette Bleue Extra.
ORIGIN: The NOS blades I don't think anyone has any real answers but Lodtz is thrown about, as is a factory in France. NOS versions (pictured left)are in a plastic dispenser, and manufactured around 1999-2001. The current production (pictured right) are PPI St. Petersburg made, and come in a cardboard box on the same cardboard hanger as shown in the picture. They are available in France for €2,50 per 10-pack.

FYI
Lodz never produced any plastic dispenser DE blades....
Dispenser DE Blades 1st produced in UK, then France, then Argentina, followed by Mexico, then Czech Republic & lastly St Petes

 

[mata_66]

Gillette Bleue Extra.
ORIGIN: The NOS blades I don't think anyone has any real answers but Lodtz is thrown about, as is a factory in France. NOS versions (pictured left)are in a plastic dispenser, and manufactured around 1999-2001. The current production (pictured right) are PPI St. Petersburg made, and come in a cardboard box on the same cardboard hanger as shown in the picture. They are available in France for €2,50 per 10-pack.

FYI
Lodz never produced any plastic dispenser DE blades....
Dispenser DE Blades 1st produced in UK, then France, then Argentina, followed by Mexico, then Czech Republic & lastly St Petes

Sorry to bother you @Mopar Mark , according to your knowledge Gillette Bleue Extra from 1998 in a plastic dispenser (T3, I have a few of these blades) were made in the Prago Union DIU plant in the Czech Republic and not in Lodz, Poland?
Also the 'Swedes' came in dispensers and I always thought they were made in Poland before they retooled.

 

[Mopar Mark]

Sorry to bother you @Mopar Mark , according to your knowledge Gillette Bleue Extra from 1998 in a plastic dispenser (T3, I have a few of these blades) were made in the Prago Union DIU plant in the Czech Republic and not in Lodz, Poland?
Also the 'Swedes' came in dispensers and I always thought they were made in Poland before they retooled.

Thats what I said,

Lodz/Poland never produced any plastic dispenser DE blades....

Dispenser DE Blades 1st produced in UK then France, then Argentina, followed by Mexico, then Czech Republic & lastly St Petes.

I personally was involved in the refurbishment of this equipment in Gillette UK when it returned from France & was also involved in the Installation of this equipment into Czech, removal & installation into St Petes

 

[mata_66]

Thats what I said,

Lodz/Poland never produced any plastic dispenser DE blades....

Dispenser DE Blades 1st produced in UK then France, then Argentina, followed by Mexico, then Czech Republic & lastly St Petes.

I personally was involved in the refurbishment of this equipment in Gillette UK when it returned from France & was also involved in the Installation of this equipment into Czech, removal & installation into St Petes

Thank you very much for the exhaustive and super valuable information!