Lord "Platinum" blades-clever use of false advertizing!

[kingfisher]

Anybody ever notice that th "Lord Platinum" blade is really a stainless steel blade? When you open the package, it clearly says stainless steel right on the blade.

Then if you take a closer look at the packaging, it says "Lord Platinum" and then in smaller print below the word "platinum" the word "class" appears.

In other words, Lord is saying that the blades are "nice" rather than that they're platinum-coated blades.


FWIW, I am beginning to think that I like stainless steel blades at least as well as platinum blades, anyway. For example, I think the Astra SS blade is slightly superior to the Astra SP, and I kinda like the SuperMax "Sunrise" blade (which is a stainless blade) slightly better than their SuperPlatinum blade.

I just think it's funny how Lord wants you to think you're buying a platinum blade when they're really selling you a stainless blade.

 

[Chester]

I guess that I always thought that "platinum" blades had a kind of platinum edge treatment (like a vapor-deposited coating), but were not actually made of platinum. At least this is what I thought Schick and Gillette meant about their Plus Platinum and Platinum Plus blades (respectively). I'll have to poke around for the old advertizements. It could be that maybe nobody does platinum coatings anymore.

It's a great observation about "class", though. Never noticed that. How ... um ... "classy"?
-- Chet

 

[dcobranchi]

All blades are stainless steel. The Pt blades have a microscopically thin Pt coating on them. Ditto the Teflon coatings, ceramic coatings, etc. IMO, it's mostly a marketing gimmick.

 

[mmack66]

All blades aren't stainless steel, but most of them are, and as stated, no blades are made out of platinum, just platinum coated. I think it is more than a marketing gimmick, because it makes the blades shave smoother.

I believe that Personna Reds say "Platinum Coated" on the blade.

 

[xillion]

While both blades look the same I find that the Platinum Class blades are much smoother on my face than the Lord Stainless.

There was a similar thread to this the other day here. Here is the image I posted in that thread.

 

[the_edski]

WE WANT ALL PLATINUM BLADES!!!

In seriousness, its just a thin coating as already stated. If it was actual platinum for the whole blade, we wouldn't be talking about how DE blades are so much cheaper than carts...

 

[americanarmsdealer]

WE WANT ALL PLATINUM BLADES!!!

In seriousness, its just a thin coating as already stated. If it was actual platinum for the whole blade, we wouldn't be talking about how DE blades are so much cheaper than carts...

Umm...yes.

 

[Scott0079]

There is 100% a difference between Lord Platinums and Lord Super Stainless.

 

[kingfisher]

I understand that Shen a blade says platinum that it is only a super thin coating. But what I'm suggesting is that Lord is putting their uncoated steel blades in a wrapper that says platinum on it, but they're using the word platinum as part of a phrase to imply high class. Rather than, for example, actually putting a platinum-coated blade inside.

 

[Go Forth]

The current price for platinum is $1,700/oz. 1 oz = 28.35g. A blade weighs approx 0.57g. So, a platinum blade would be worth $34. It's a very soft metal, though, and would be completely useless.

 

[GladiusGSF]

The coating process used on razor blades is called "sputtering". While it is labeled "Stainless" it does, in fact, have a sputtered edge coating of platinum...just ask the producer...they will respond to questions about their products. You CAN feel the difference between coated and non coated blades.

 

[talibeard]

But what I'm suggesting is that Lord is putting their uncoated steel blades in a wrapper that says platinum on it, but they're using the word platinum as part of a phrase to imply high class.

From what I know from Lord your conclusion is simply not correct. The printing on the blade is about the base material used and as they use two different kind of stainless steels the printing tells you which one is in the wrapper; Super Stainless is one and Chrome (also a stainless steel but with a much higher chrome contence) is the other. The Platinum Class blade is a blade made of the Super Stainless variety but with added coatings.

Now I never took one apart for spectro-analyses so I will have to go on the information I received from the company but I think your claim is based on your interpretation of the information on the package; if you have real data to confirm your conclusion I would be more than interested...

 

[kingfisher]

I stand corrected, then. The blade certainly looks exactly like the one in the other wrapper, based on Xillion's photo, above, but I have to admit that I've never tried any other Lord brand offerings.
I was not particularly impressed by this blade anyway, so I guess I'll just ditch the whole idea of Lord blades. Because if the coated one is better, and this one really is coated, then I have no desire to try the uncoated one.

But thank you, gentlemen, for the education, and I apologize for my unfounded speculation (although I think in the end it produced an entertaining thread).

 

[talibeard]

I was not particularly impressed by this blade anyway, so I guess I'll just ditch the whole idea of Lord blades. Because if the coated one is better, and this one really is coated, then I have no desire to try the uncoated one.

I must say that the Platinum Class is not my prefered Lord blade either though I recently found out they seem better for me in more aggressive razors. I prefer the 'normal' Super Stainless as a better and longer lasting blade. In my experience the coated blades are not necessarily the best blades; with some brands they are (for me, YMMV and all) and with others they are not.

But thank you, gentlemen, for the education, and I apologize for my unfounded speculation (although I think in the end it produced an entertaining thread).

It was entertaining for sure, but I thought you maybe were onto some secret here....