Rapira Stainless vs Swedish: twins? Please share your experience

[Luke Sky High]

Hi! Today I had my first shave with a Rapira Swedish Supersteel. Good blade, seemed better than the 7 O'Clock Yellows shaving ATG. But the thing is: when I unwrapped the blade, it had exactly the same blade print as a normal Super Stainless. If they are different how can the boozed folks (hey it's Russia!) at the factory prevent packing the wrong blades? Are this the same blades with different package designs meant for different target markets? Who has tried both?

Both Rapira types have the same stamp in russian language in one side, and the same english stamp on the other side. Look at the photos that I gathered from the net.

Rapira Swedish - english side
Rapira Swedish - russian side

Rapira Super Stainless - russian side
Rapira Super Stainless - english side

I bought 100 of the swedish on ebay from Russia €10 + €5 shipping. But the worst part was yesterday having the Mrs. bashing me about how much cheaper the Rapiras are if bought there and stuffed inside an envelope towards Europe. She even showed me a national online retailer selling a 100 Super SS HERE for 103 rubles = €2.50

 

[Luke Sky High]

UPDATE
Both blades have stated in the paper wrap "do not wipe blade" which means that the blades edges are coated. Until this point I was thinking that coating would be the logical explanation, but apparently both are coated and share the same stainless blade. This is a photo I got from the net.

I'm still waiting for the Super Stainless to arrive and do a side by side shave comparison.

 

[chado006]

I'm wondering the same thing. Actually, I just loaded a Rapira SS in my Aristocrat to try tomorrow since I found a seller on Ebay selling 800 for $50. I really like the Swedish steel ones so am wondering if they compare. From a few discussions on B&B, the Swedish get better reviews but I want to find out for myself.

 

[redtide]

Here is a cheap place to buy Rapira SS.

 

[redrako]

To answer your questions about Swedish Steel Rapira vs. Rapira Stainless, when Rapira's were all the rage if I recall about a year ago. the consensus seemed to be that there were distinct differences between all of the different Rapira lines with most folks having preferences of one over the other. Despite the fact that the blades in your photos have the same printing my feeling was that they are in fact different blades.

Rapira manufactures many blades (Rapira Swedies, Rapira Lux, Voskod, Ladas, Rapira Stainless) and generated a lot of interest with many folks finding great satisfaction with at least one line. The blade that you linked to that your wife recommended appears to be a a salon blade which is a long half blade that is designed to work in a shavette rather than a double edge blade.

As your mileage may vary with all blades, for me the Rapira Stainless are pretty good inexpensive blades whereas the Rpira Swedes seemed a bit harsh.

To provide some more context: As you can see despite a lot of enthusiasm for the different lines of Rapira blades, they are now hardly mentioned anymore. This is not because they are not good blades, but because of some very short-sighted (IMO, greed based) business decisions on the part of the U.S. wholesaler. As I understand it, the U.S. wholesaler effectively undercut his U.S. retailers by cutting a deal with another shaving forum that enabled him to sell a particular blade (Voskhods) at a discounted price, undercutting U.S. shave retailers leaving them with a large amount higher priced inventory. Since that time Rapira blades of all lines are very hard to find in the U.S.

I have no knowledge of what Rapira's business practices were in Europe but I don't see them on any of the english language European shave vendor sites with the exception of Best Shave's Rapira Stainless blades. and Shaving.ie having some Ladas blades.

I'll throw in a warning that it may not be a good idea to buy an unknown blade in bulk. If it works out it's great, if it doesn't it will be a false savings because you'll be paying for something that you won't use. Instead you'd be spending more money on blades that you do like.

Good Luck

 

[Luke Sky High]

In Europe it's cheaper to buy blades from ebay. I have no problem buying bulk blades while I discover which blades are the best. Some blades I give to a friend that helps me finishing my house. I also have a few years a christmas and birthday gifts ready for my brother. For me, quality of a blade is when doing ATG, and the Swedish Supersteel feel better than the 7 O'Clock Yellows.

 

[chado006]

Just used the Super Stainless from a sampler pack today with a one pass, ATG shave since I shaved yesterday. Very nice sharpness and smoothness. I'll shave again on Tuesday and do my regular three pass. We'll see how that goes but I'm guessing it'll be pretty satisfactory. A bulk order of these may be in my future!

 

[targa88]

I'm wondering the same thing. Actually, I just loaded a Rapira SS in my Aristocrat to try tomorrow since I found a seller on Ebay selling 800 for $50. I really like the Swedish steel ones so am wondering if they compare. From a few discussions on B&B, the Swedish get better reviews but I want to find out for myself.

Do you happen to have the link/seller/item #

 

[chado006]

Do you happen to have the link/seller/item #

Sure do: http://www.ebay.com/itm/190781027299?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649