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Gillette Russian Blade Report

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I always wonder if they’re all the same blade in different coloured packaging. Probably not, but part of me enjoys imagining Gillette executives reading the debates on B&B and laughing their socks off when someone says Nacets are so much better than 7 O’Clock Yellows.

But I suppose they wouldn’t laugh at all. They would pick up the phone and instruct their minions to increase the price on the Nacet boxes.

I had bought a tuck of Silver Blues to sample, and was thinking the exact same thing...

Maybe they're a little sharper/harsher than the Platinums? I don't know, it seems to be within margin of error to me.
 
The light blue platinums and blacks are my favorites because of the optimal smooth and sharp attributes. It's a shame that both these blades were intended for international markets.
 
I have been evaluating a few Gillette Russian blades. Namely, the Silver Blue, Rubie, Platinum Dark Blue and Light Blue. I have used each blade four times. Every shave has been on 24 hours growth with a new blade. Blade longevity is not a concern since I am one and done with all blades. I used Santa Maria Novella shave cream (a gift from the gods) and my 1948-50 Gillette Aristocrat. Bottom line is that I cannot tell much difference between them. They all give smooth close shaves with no issues. My order of preference is the Platinum Light Blue, Platinum Dark Blue, Silver Blue, and Rubie.
There have been some claims that the Light Blue is the same as the old Swedes and I think there is evidence to support it. Of the blades I just mentioned, the Light Blue is the only one to have directional arrows. The old Swedes that came in the dispenser also had arrows to indicate that the blade could be loaded from either side. However, the new Light Blues are etched and not printed like the Swedes which makes them similar but not identical. Who knows for sure? Anyway I will keep a stock of Light Blues as long as I can get them. If not any of the other blades will suit me just as well.
I like or love every Russian Gillette, but the Rubie ripped my scalp to pieces.
 
That's likely subjective resulting from them not being very sharp. Testing has shown that they have the same resistance(going with that) to cutting as Astra SPs. We all make small adjustments when a blade is not cutting as well as our preferred blade, bigger adjustments can result in irritation. Rubies have a pretty thorough coating based on older SEM images and the price supports that. Like a few similar blades, they work great in blade forward(going with that again) razors.
What is the result of 'thorough coating'?
 
What is the result of 'thorough coating'?
I think I was trying to address the "not very comfortable" post in as few words as possible. I probably meant that the coating initially causes extra resistance causing a person to apply too much extra force resulting in "not very comfortable." Also, some people perceive even the slightest initial resistance to cutting as being the same. The result should be an increase in smoothness and decrease in tactile blade edge feel, until the coating wears off anyway. I haven't used a Ruby in a while.
 
I think I was trying to address the "not very comfortable" post in as few words as possible. I probably meant that the coating initially causes extra resistance causing a person to apply too much extra force resulting in "not very comfortable." Also, some people perceive even the slightest initial resistance to cutting as being the same. The result should be an increase in smoothness and decrease in tactile blade edge feel, until the coating wears off anyway. I haven't used a Ruby in a while.
Thanks. They ripped me.
 
My order of preference is the Platinum Light Blue, Platinum Dark Blue, Silver Blue, and Rubie.
There have been some claims that the Light Blue is the same as the old Swedes and I think there is evidence to support it. Of the blades I just mentioned, the Light Blue is the only one to have directional arrows. The old Swedes that came in the dispenser also had arrows to indicate that the blade could be loaded from either side. However, the new Light Blues are etched and not printed like the Swedes which makes them similar but not identical. Who knows for sure? Anyway I will keep a stock of Light Blues as long as I can get them. If not any of the other blades will suit me just as well.
I think you have it just about right. As to the blades you identify as Platinum Light Blue (the ones with the directional arrows etched on them), in a recent email I received from Bullgoose these blades were denominated as Swedes. This supports your theory that these blades are "Swedes". I have ordered a bunch of these from Razorbladesclub which calls them Gillette Platinum New:
Gillette Platinum New Razor Blades

GILLETTE – PLATINUM NEW​

  • Manufacturer: Gillette
  • Country: Russia
  • Coating: Platinum

Gillette Platinum New is slightly better for me than Gillette Platinum Laser Marking (the ones you refer to as Platinum Dark Blue) though the difference is
slight:
Gillette Platinum Laser Razor Blades

GILLETTE – PLATINUM (LASER MARKING)​

  • Manufacturer: Gillette
  • Country: Russia
  • Coating: Platinum
 
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lasta

Blade Biter
Sorry about that, there seems to be bad batches of every blade out there. I have had terrible luck with Astra Platinums for years and just finally found a pack that are actually sharp enough to work. I have also had bad Wizamets which I don't think anybody believed me on.
Absolutely agree!

I have two batches of Platinums (light blue). The first batch was excellent, nearly indistinguishable from GSBs. The second batch is just not sharp enough. I've opened multiple tucks to confirm.
 
... there seems to be bad batches of every blade out there...
I'm brand new to the forum and only a few weeks into learning DE and wet shaving -- but I've been wondering if there are extra good or extra bad batches of a blade.
I've read all the ratings/reviews here and I read conflicting opinions about the same blade. The Gillette dark blue Platinums I purchased seem to be very sharp - very close to feathers at first and by 2nd-3rd shave sharper than feather on 2nd-3rd. But so many posts here describe them as middle of the road blades. And many posts here rave about how sharp BIC chromes are. The BIC chromes I bought tug on my coarse beard and don't get any better on 2nd or 3rd shave. I'll pull the BIC out mid shave and pop in a Dark Blue Platinum and slice right thru the same beard. So I don't know if I just got a great batch of Gillette Platinums and a duff batch of BIC Chromes or if it's just my technique (or lack thereof) and/or my specific skin/beard/prep etc?
 
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I'm brand new to the forum and only a few weeks into learning DE and wet shaving -- but I've been wondering if there are extra good or extra bad batches of a blade.
I've read all the ratings/reviews here and I read conflicting opinions about the same blade. The Gillette dark blue Platinums I purchased seem to be very sharp - very close to feathers at first and by 2nd-3rd shave sharper than feather on 2nd-3rd. But so many posts here describe them as middle of the road blades. And many posts here rave about how sharp BIC chromes are. The BIC chromes I bought tug on my coarse beard and don't get any better on 2nd or 3rd shave. I'll pull the BIC out mid shave and pop in a Dark Blue Platinum and slice right thru the same beard. So I don't know if I just got a great batch of Gillette Platinums and a duff batch of BIC Chromes or if it's just my technique (or lack thereof) and/or my specific skin/beard/prep etc?
There is a lot more going with blade design than is easily visible; number of bevels, angle of those bevels, overall bevel height, coating process, etc. As much as I like to talk about these and compare different blades from recent to my collection of vintage blades, you need a broad foundation to stand on. It's best to try different blades and use the ones that are currently working for you, but don't wright off the ones you don't like! There are a lot of factors at play that influence how a blade feels and how it performs, razor design being the big one(and technique). Also, Gillette discovered 50 years ago that shavers can't reliably discern between sharpness and smoothness. Many people perceive blades being sharper than they are due to how effective the coating is. As for the defective blades out there, they aren't that common, but they are real and you have to just bin a suspect blade and try another. There was a whole run of bad Voskhods a couple years ago where one bevel was visibly different from the other and many people wrote off Voskhods due to this. There are also fake blades and yes, it doesn't make any economic sense, but they are out there and possibly more common than defective blades. Oh, also dross! Factory defects that are snuck out and sold on The Bay to unsuspecting people. That should cover the basics.

Welcome to B&B, I haven't seen your post in newbie checkin yet so please post one if you haven't. Don't be afraid to ask any question.
 
I will agree that out of the 4 blades mentioned in the original post the Rubie is the roughest, but also the sharpest with my whiskers. Never had the will to buy them by the 100. Have 5 packs brought by a colleague from Moscow 14 years ago. And 2 packs bought online recently. All other 3 models I have hundreds and hundreds.
 
I am surprised at the consistancy given all the variables involved in the manufacturing process. That is even within the same manufacturer much less the same brand. Batch to batch ect.
 
I will say that the Gillette 7 O'clock Black takes smooth to yet another level. Unfortunately, at $35 per-hundred, so does their price.

I find the Rubie to be very close to the smoothness of the Black's for practically half the price, at $20 per-hundred.

On the subject if Rubie's, I noticed that they have recently disappeared from the listings and searches on Amazon?

They seem to be rarer to find online and when you come across them, they are now running between $30 - $35 for a hundred.
 
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