Hi folks,
I am restocking my favorite blades and have run into an issue I'm hoping the community can help me solve. Without getting too far into the weeds, here is the situation: I've finally depleted my original stock of blades purchased in my early days of wet shaving. It's taken about ten years to get through that first overzealous blade ordering binge!
Over time, I identified my favorites (Gillette Platinum, Silver Blues, Astra SP, and 7o'clock sharp edge) and want to buy a new supply of them. The problem is, when I reordered a new batch of the Gillette Platinums, they were nothing like the ones I had purchased years ago. They ripped up my face something fierce even though I was using the same razor (EJ DE89) and same cream (Proraso green). I tried blades from different tucks and had the same problem. I figured something changed with "the formula" or with the quality control.
So I visited the Razor Blade Club site to order the other blades on my short list only to discover that it's not so simple. For instance, the GSBs now come in "new" and "old" versions and the Astras come in "ink marked" or "lazer etched" versions. The prices differ too, so I'm assuming it's more than a packaging change. I want to avoid the problem I ran into with the Gillette Platinums.
So what is a once-in-a-decade blade buyer to do? I'd like to order the blades that will deliver the performance I enjoyed, but which one version is the right one? I've perused the B&B forums to try to find out if the differences are indeed a change in manufacturing specs or if the difference is merely in packaging. I was particularly surprised to not find any discussion of the old and new GSBs since they are so popular here. Of course it's entirely possible I missed it -- but trust me, I looked hard before starting this thread.
Anybody have any insights to offer? I figure if this community doesn't know, than nobody will
-Sully
I am restocking my favorite blades and have run into an issue I'm hoping the community can help me solve. Without getting too far into the weeds, here is the situation: I've finally depleted my original stock of blades purchased in my early days of wet shaving. It's taken about ten years to get through that first overzealous blade ordering binge!
Over time, I identified my favorites (Gillette Platinum, Silver Blues, Astra SP, and 7o'clock sharp edge) and want to buy a new supply of them. The problem is, when I reordered a new batch of the Gillette Platinums, they were nothing like the ones I had purchased years ago. They ripped up my face something fierce even though I was using the same razor (EJ DE89) and same cream (Proraso green). I tried blades from different tucks and had the same problem. I figured something changed with "the formula" or with the quality control.
So I visited the Razor Blade Club site to order the other blades on my short list only to discover that it's not so simple. For instance, the GSBs now come in "new" and "old" versions and the Astras come in "ink marked" or "lazer etched" versions. The prices differ too, so I'm assuming it's more than a packaging change. I want to avoid the problem I ran into with the Gillette Platinums.
So what is a once-in-a-decade blade buyer to do? I'd like to order the blades that will deliver the performance I enjoyed, but which one version is the right one? I've perused the B&B forums to try to find out if the differences are indeed a change in manufacturing specs or if the difference is merely in packaging. I was particularly surprised to not find any discussion of the old and new GSBs since they are so popular here. Of course it's entirely possible I missed it -- but trust me, I looked hard before starting this thread.
Anybody have any insights to offer? I figure if this community doesn't know, than nobody will
-Sully