I have a complex history with Gillette 7 O'clock blades. When I first dabbled into wet-shaving I was initially drawn to the idea from a cost savings aspect. As such, I avoided most Gillette blades out of hand. Then one day an internet vendor dropped a free blade sample of the old Gillette Blue labelled 7 o'clock blades in an order. I was hooked.
As is typical in my world as soon as I found a blade I really liked they went out of production. Luckily I had dabbled in looking at a few other 'high-end' blades and discovered Polsilvers. Between my existing supply of the Blues and my new stash of Polsilvers I had my high end urges covered. I mentioned costs savings earlier in this post and it still holds true today that I like to pinch a penny so I tend to only use my high-end blades a few times a year, and I've discovered a variety of lower costing blades that give me <almost> as enjoyable a shave as those two blades. I like this system since it gives me something to look forward to a few times a year, but I still get great shaves year-round from the other good blades in my collection.
So where do the Black labels come into this story? Well, if you are a Polsilver fan you may already know. I love them. Delightful shaves. The price isn't great but for the sole purpose of keeping a small supply for a few weeks a year, it wasn't bothering me. What started bothering me was the constant 2-3 year cycle of the 'will they won't they' of the Polsilver production history. Now, I come down on the side of the idea that somehow P&G will always have these in supply somehow, but frankly, I got tired of worrying about it. So I went looking for another blade 'just in case'.
That is how I landed on the Gillette Blacks. I had used one or two years ago when I first landed on the Blues. I remember liking them, just not quite as much as I liked the blues. I decided to revisit them, and ordered a tuck just to see. What I discovered was a sharp and efficient blade that was very comfortable. In fact, I discovered they matched up so well with my SLOC razor ( a razor I didn't own way back when I first looked at all these high-end blades ) that they provided a shave that fits my criteria for that 'high-end' feel I like to have. By the way, it's not just the SLOC they feel good in but they shine in it.
So, I've discovered a blade that makes me 98% as happy as a Polsilver or a 7 O'clock Blue ( I'm down to one single remaining blade of the Blues ... that may be my Christmas shave ). I <think> these blades are a little more secure in the supply chain as I've never seen them out of production since I got into the hobby. Just in case when I got a $10 off deal on Amazon I grabbed 100 of these Blacks for about $7 ( after savings ) so I am covered for a long time. I may never use them all up, but having them makes me happier to use my Polsilvers up at a quicker pace, so I may increase my frequency of using my higher end blades.
Before anyone says anything I know I could spend $50 and get 250 Polsilvers ( something like a 7-8 year supply of mostly every day shaves for me with their longevity ), but where's the fun in that
? I've also investigated many of the other P&G blades and while I found a few very nice blades ( some of which I procurred a small stock of ) they weren't quite as good all-around as the Black labels to me. And 'no' - I don't subscribe to the idea the current GSBs are relabelled 7 O'clock blues but that is another thread.
TL DR - Gillette Blacks are good blades. Almost as good as my very favorite blades in the world, but at a better price and a more secure supply chain.
As is typical in my world as soon as I found a blade I really liked they went out of production. Luckily I had dabbled in looking at a few other 'high-end' blades and discovered Polsilvers. Between my existing supply of the Blues and my new stash of Polsilvers I had my high end urges covered. I mentioned costs savings earlier in this post and it still holds true today that I like to pinch a penny so I tend to only use my high-end blades a few times a year, and I've discovered a variety of lower costing blades that give me <almost> as enjoyable a shave as those two blades. I like this system since it gives me something to look forward to a few times a year, but I still get great shaves year-round from the other good blades in my collection.
So where do the Black labels come into this story? Well, if you are a Polsilver fan you may already know. I love them. Delightful shaves. The price isn't great but for the sole purpose of keeping a small supply for a few weeks a year, it wasn't bothering me. What started bothering me was the constant 2-3 year cycle of the 'will they won't they' of the Polsilver production history. Now, I come down on the side of the idea that somehow P&G will always have these in supply somehow, but frankly, I got tired of worrying about it. So I went looking for another blade 'just in case'.
That is how I landed on the Gillette Blacks. I had used one or two years ago when I first landed on the Blues. I remember liking them, just not quite as much as I liked the blues. I decided to revisit them, and ordered a tuck just to see. What I discovered was a sharp and efficient blade that was very comfortable. In fact, I discovered they matched up so well with my SLOC razor ( a razor I didn't own way back when I first looked at all these high-end blades ) that they provided a shave that fits my criteria for that 'high-end' feel I like to have. By the way, it's not just the SLOC they feel good in but they shine in it.
So, I've discovered a blade that makes me 98% as happy as a Polsilver or a 7 O'clock Blue ( I'm down to one single remaining blade of the Blues ... that may be my Christmas shave ). I <think> these blades are a little more secure in the supply chain as I've never seen them out of production since I got into the hobby. Just in case when I got a $10 off deal on Amazon I grabbed 100 of these Blacks for about $7 ( after savings ) so I am covered for a long time. I may never use them all up, but having them makes me happier to use my Polsilvers up at a quicker pace, so I may increase my frequency of using my higher end blades.
Before anyone says anything I know I could spend $50 and get 250 Polsilvers ( something like a 7-8 year supply of mostly every day shaves for me with their longevity ), but where's the fun in that
? I've also investigated many of the other P&G blades and while I found a few very nice blades ( some of which I procurred a small stock of ) they weren't quite as good all-around as the Black labels to me. And 'no' - I don't subscribe to the idea the current GSBs are relabelled 7 O'clock blues but that is another thread.TL DR - Gillette Blacks are good blades. Almost as good as my very favorite blades in the world, but at a better price and a more secure supply chain.
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