Question on blade technology

[ee32]

I returned to wetshaving after over 30 year hiatus.

Blades seem to be better. Do you think blade technology is different and better than years ago?

Obviously the coating technology has improved. But what about edge technology? Sharpening, etc? I see reviews with microscope magnification, I wonder if a comparison was made between old and new blades.

Thanks.

 

[jpkunst]

Funny that you think blades are better now. Some "shaving pundits" are of the opinion that blade technology peaked in the 1970's/1980's and went downhill after that.

I have no opinion on the subject myself, I only started shaving with a DE about a year ago.

 

[talibeard]

Hard to say; using DE blades for 2 decades now and I still have a few packs of 30+ year old Schicks that belonged to my grandfather that are absolutely great. On the other hand I use some recent blades that are at least as good while others (NOS & recent) simply don't work for me at all.

 

[ee32]

Hard to say; using DE blades for 2 decades now and I still have a few packs of 30+ year old Schicks that belonged to my grandfather that are absolutely great. On the other hand I use some recent blades that are at least as good while others (NOS & recent) simply don't work for me at all.

Thanks for your input.

I assume that a lot of the coatings are new, and since they are somewhat expensive to produce, their addition would have some benefit.

Probably the steel is no better than back then.

 

[scottish steve]

I'm sure they have the technology to make blades that'd blow our minds, but have opted to make good - very good blades much cheaper instead. I mean, with CNC machines able to tool steel to an accuracy of +/- 0.1mm and modern abrasives, the sky's limit. What really gets me though, is how good the edge of a straight can be with just a piece of leather and some paste. It blows the socks off any DE blade I've ever tried

 

[Stubblefield]

Hard to say; using DE blades for 2 decades now and I still have a few packs of 30+ year old Schicks that belonged to my grandfather that are absolutely great.

If those are Plus Platinums then those are very nice blades indeed. The Kronas and the Chromiums are not bad either.

 

[talibeard]

If those are Plus Platinums then those are very nice blades indeed. The Kronas and the Chromiums are not bad either.

They are platinums allright.

 

[brz90]

I returned to wetshaving after over 30 year hiatus.

Blades seem to be better. Do you think blade technology is different and better than years ago?

Obviously the coating technology has improved. But what about edge technology? Sharpening, etc? I see reviews with microscope magnification, I wonder if a comparison was made between old and new blades.

Thanks.

I'm one of those who generally thinks the old blades were better and thirty years or more takes you back towards the height of de blade technology. I happily use a fair number of modern blades which I think are truly excellent but the old Wilkinson Swords and Gillette Platinum Plus and Personna and Schick equivalents in the early seventies used special steel stock, coating formulas, production technology as well as quality control processes that I think were probably better as well as more expensive than it's possible to get today.
There were economies of scale back then when pretty much everyone was shaving with de blades that just wouldn't work today.

 

[Left Coast DJ]

Platinum coating FTW!

 

[ee32]

I'm one of those who generally thinks the old blades were better and thirty years or more takes you back towards the height of de blade technology. I happily use a fair number of modern blades which I think are truly excellent but the old Wilkinson Swords and Gillette Platinum Plus and Personna and Schick equivalents in the early seventies used special steel stock, coating formulas, production technology as well as quality control processes that I think were probably better as well as more expensive than it's possible to get today.
There were economies of scale back then when pretty much everyone was shaving with de blades that just wouldn't work today.

was the British Wilkinson. As it was my father's. Seems we were pretty much on target seeing the comments today about them.

Thanks.

 

[dpm802]

And what's the deal with Derby?

CHROMIUM-CERAMIC-PLATINUM-TUNGSTEN and POLYMER COATED EDGES.

Do we really need all that? And with so many steps in the manufacturing process, how can they make them so cheaply?

 

[rm71]

And what's the deal with Derby?

CHROMIUM-CERAMIC-PLATINUM-TUNGSTEN and POLYMER COATED EDGES.

Do we really need all that? And with so many steps in the manufacturing process, how can they make them so cheaply?

My guess is economies of scale and labour costs in Turkey are probably lower than in other parts of Europe?

 

[iamdarkangel2005]

Great topic! I have yet to tried out an older blade but someone who has is probably squire from SMF. He has some great review under the microscope and probably has dealth with this before.

Regarding the Platinum, i think this is better. I guess the coating makes a difference in quality.

While Derby has so many coating, perhaps that is why people with sensitive skin get irritated easily. I really wonder why they would go through this process as I think is just over doing it.

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