Saw these on the bay from a Turkish vender, and they sell for about $10 per 100.
Does anybody know anything about them?
Mem Super Silver Platinum
Does anybody know anything about them?
Mem Super Silver Platinum
Mem
- Thread starter Alejandro1969
- Start date
This should be blades forums....
I believe the brand was originally by M.E. Mayer of Vienna, Austria (hence the MEM); who also did the "Vest Pocket" Gillette sets. I've seen the "MEM" brand later listed as being owned by Gillette Germany, but I can't verify that for certain.
As for who they're made by now or what they're like to shave with, I can't help at all. I do have this picture of a cool art deco ad for M.E. Mayer, though.
As for who they're made by now or what they're like to shave with, I can't help at all. I do have this picture of a cool art deco ad for M.E. Mayer, though.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #4
Oops I clicked the wrong button in my haste. Can it be moved to the correct forum?
MEM blades are made by Intersilver company from Zemun, Serbia and they have been in production for decades. I just bought a pack of 5 blades this morning on a flea market for 50 dinars which is about 0.45 euros or about 0.6 USD. Since I started using DE I only used BIC and Wilkinson, but I couldn't find any this morning, so I bought MEM. The blades are made from Swedish Sandvik steel and they claim one blade can do a minimum of 20 shaves, also, I've read on a local forum that these blades are sharper than Wilkinson. I'll try them out and write a review here in a week or so, but I doubt they will outperform other blades.
Here you can see pictures from a visit to the company by a team of editors savrsenobrijanje.com, a local website devoted to shaving: http://www.savrsenobrijanje.com/klasicno_brijanje/poseta-super-silver-fabrici-u-zemunu
Second picture from the top is the machine which perforates the steel and the man on the third image is the production manager.
The thing with Serbia and other ex-Eastern block countries is that during the Communist era the things were made to be as good as possible and as durable as possible and many brand names were established as producers of top quality goods, at least compared to what was available on the markets in those days. Then during the 90s production materials were scarce and salaries were often more than a year late, so the quality suffered and then when the old regimes fell and we got democracy and foreign investments most of the things were utterly ruined. Local businessmen who got rich in dubious ways and foreign investors buy old reputable brand names and very often sell pure crap. I'll give you an example which isn't related to shaving, but illustrates the issue: my grandfather can't remember when is the last time he replaced the spark plug on his walking tractor, but it's certainly more than 10-15 years. The new spark plugs made by Super Bosna only last a few months and you have to carry a spare with you. If you want to you can kill them by keeping the throttle at full setting for a few seconds.
With BIC and Wilkinson I can shave 6-8 times (both sides), we'll see how MEM compares to that.
Here you can see pictures from a visit to the company by a team of editors savrsenobrijanje.com, a local website devoted to shaving: http://www.savrsenobrijanje.com/klasicno_brijanje/poseta-super-silver-fabrici-u-zemunu
Second picture from the top is the machine which perforates the steel and the man on the third image is the production manager.
The thing with Serbia and other ex-Eastern block countries is that during the Communist era the things were made to be as good as possible and as durable as possible and many brand names were established as producers of top quality goods, at least compared to what was available on the markets in those days. Then during the 90s production materials were scarce and salaries were often more than a year late, so the quality suffered and then when the old regimes fell and we got democracy and foreign investments most of the things were utterly ruined. Local businessmen who got rich in dubious ways and foreign investors buy old reputable brand names and very often sell pure crap. I'll give you an example which isn't related to shaving, but illustrates the issue: my grandfather can't remember when is the last time he replaced the spark plug on his walking tractor, but it's certainly more than 10-15 years. The new spark plugs made by Super Bosna only last a few months and you have to carry a spare with you. If you want to you can kill them by keeping the throttle at full setting for a few seconds.
With BIC and Wilkinson I can shave 6-8 times (both sides), we'll see how MEM compares to that.
Interesting. I'd love to try those...
I shaved twice with a MEM blade and it was a horror, I barely managed to get two shaves out of both edges. It was so dull that I had to press down hard and pull with a lot of force, new Wilkinson blade glides with almost no resistance and if I press it down even slightly I start bleeding. Just to give you some idea of the force involved - when I was doing final ATG pass on my lower lip I was pulling so hard that I struggled to keep it in place and despite all this I couldn't get a close shave. Other blades feel differently when thy are dull, I feel like they are pulling out my hairs, MEM doesn't do that, it just stretches your face and cuts very little hair. They are absolute rubbish.On a Serbian forum someone wrote that MEM blades are sharper than Wilkinson, which might have been true for the ones he used, I wouldn't be surprised if the quality varies greatly between different series, but still, such level of inconsistency is unacceptable. Don't waste your money on these.
Apparently the version they sell on EBAY is a chinese fake. You can tell it by the wrapping and the price. People at Zemun factory also speak of chinese fakes.
eBay seller says 100% orginal.
You can't blame him. Does not say ORIGINAL.
I bought some from him last week, before you told me they are awful.
You can't blame him. Does not say ORIGINAL.
I bought some from him last week, before you told me they are awful.
The original wrapping looks like this:
http://www.savrsenobrijanje.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/DSCN1527.jpg
http://www.savrsenobrijanje.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/DSCN1527.jpg
I sent an email to the manufacturer inquiring about the eBay blades.
He told me those are surely fake.
He told me those are surely fake.
Yeah, those chinese bastards...
I god this blades from eBay.
Package is different from those shown in Super Silver website. It has bad quality printing.
Not sure if fake or new old stock, what I think is more likely.
Those blades gave me a just OK shave loaded in my Gillette Slim. Felt something like Supermax Stainless.
Would not buy again. Now I have 199 of them to PIF or spent.
Package is different from those shown in Super Silver website. It has bad quality printing.
Not sure if fake or new old stock, what I think is more likely.
Those blades gave me a just OK shave loaded in my Gillette Slim. Felt something like Supermax Stainless.
Would not buy again. Now I have 199 of them to PIF or spent.
I do not think this is a a Chinese fake,although they do exist.This looks like a vintage wrapper,and these blades have probably oxidized....I am looking for a card of 60 of the Serbian Mem blades,will trade 100 Super-Max Blue Diamond Platinum for them,Super-Max best blade !
I tried an original, thanks to a serbian forum member, and they aren't that great. They are okay, but nothing special at all.
I just finished with one this morning, and will rate the Mem as better than average. The first shave was rougher than some, but it smoothed out. I got 5 very nice irritation free shaves from this blade.
So these fakes have been going around since 2013? Guess who didn't read the description on Try-a-Blade 
I will however be trying these out, not immediately but at some point.
I will however be trying these out, not immediately but at some point.
So these fakes have been going around since 2013? Guess who didn't read the description on Try-a-Blade
I will however be trying these out, not immediately but at some point.
If you're brave enough to try them "In the interests of science" this seems to be a good deal - the soap is probably worth more than the blades !! lol
http://www.ebay.es/itm/100-MEM-Plat...hash=item2ca22489a4:m:mclMuHmF-h1_LyXb-qbzk8w
If you're brave enough to try them "In the interests of science" this seems to be a good deal - the soap is probably worth more than the blades !! lol
http://www.ebay.es/itm/100-MEM-Plat...hash=item2ca22489a4:m:mclMuHmF-h1_LyXb-qbzk8w
Haha, noted. I think i'll stick with the ten i got from try-a-blade though, that should suitably scar me
