Some Odd New Blades Recently Found

[cthompsonx]

View attachment 53868
Found this odd assortment of new DE blade types at a Chinese dollar store in downtown Toronto yesterday. Some notes (I haven't tried any of the blades or razors yet) :

Flagfish DEs - 10/pkg; made in Shanghai; price per pkg: $1 CAD
The Flagfishes are marked Shanghai China. I bought a large handful of these packages.

Flying Eagle DE's - 5/pkg; price per pkg. $1 CAD; marked Stainless Steel Shanghai China; paper wrapper shows Gillette Vector trademark, and illustrates, oddly, how to insert a Vector cartridge into a Vector razor.

Genuine Super Gillette Blue Blades - the 1 blade came in a blister pack with a cheap three piece de razor (Stamped Gillette on the head)- with a plastic handle. Although labelled as a Genuine Blue Blade, it is not carbon steel, nor blue, but is marked on the blade as a Gillette Super Stainless. The price for razor and blade was $2.99. The paper wrapper included the Gillette Vector logo.

Schick DE blades with Chinese packaging - there were two variant packages of Shick blades that each came with a marginally better (all metal) three piece DE razor in a blister pack for $3.99. In each case there were 5 blades in the pack. One blister pack included the Schick's in a white plastic shell, much like Wilkinson Swords, the other in the red paper box shown. The blades in both packages were labelled "Made in Germany"

 

[SavantStrike]

From what I've heard, the flying eagle brand is actually produced in cooperation with Gillette. Apparently there was a flying eagle DE that was a reproduction of an old Gillette (don't remember which one). I could be confusing several stories I read here though so maybe someone else can weigh in. Either way I've wanted a flying eagle DE for a little while now .

I'm interested in those flagfish blades, and the schick DE's. I'm looking forward to reading the review.

 

[cthompsonx]

Just tried both the Flying Eagle and Flagfish Blades and find them unacceptable. They dragged accross my face with a rasping sound and left noticeable stubble after two or three passes. I had prepped with Proroso pre-shave and shave cream - good stuff - and an exceptional razor, my Merkur long-handled HD.

After trying to shave half my face alternating between these Chinese blades and getting nowhere, I swapped in a Lord platinum blade - a good all-purpose blade and finished the job and now have a smooth face.

So the Flying Eagles and Flagfish blades may have some curiosity/collector value - but as far as working blades go, I think not.

 

[soapbox]

Just tried both the Flying Eagle and Flagfish Blades and find them unacceptable.

...

So the Flying Eagles and Flagfish blades may have some curiosity/collector value - but as far as working blades go, I think not.

That's the information I wanted to see. Thanks for the testing and warning!

 

[JEEP]

From what I've heard, the flying eagle brand is actually produced in cooperation with Gillette. Apparently there was a flying eagle DE that was a reproduction of an old Gillette (don't remember which one). I could be confusing several stories I read here though so maybe someone else can weigh in. Either way I've wanted a flying eagle DE for a little while now .

I'm interested in those flagfish blades, and the schick DE's. I'm looking forward to reading the review.

The Flying Eagle Brand razor is a Gillette Tech clone:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=73008


Regards.

Jakob

 

[SavantStrike]

The Flying Eagle Brand razor is a Gillette Tech clone:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=73008


Regards.

Jakob

That's the one.

I'm not sure it's a straight up clone though. I could have sworn I read something once that said Gillette farmed out blade manufacturing to some company that made the Double Eagle.

 

[cthompsonx]

Let's not confuse razors with blades - what I bought was the blades. And though they may have made a decent Tech clone at one point, the baldes were really dull.

 

[MrGuy]

I just used a Chinese Gillette Blue Blade this morning. Not the sharpest blade I have used, but not bad either. I don't think it will make it past two shaves tho.

 

[Dubbya]

From what I've heard, the flying eagle brand is actually produced in cooperation with Gillette. Apparently there was a flying eagle DE that was a reproduction of an old Gillette (don't remember which one).

I'm interested in those flagfish blades, and the schick DE's. I'm looking forward to reading the review.

It's based on the Tech and it's a fairly good representation of it. Basically, it's a slightly more aggressive, to my face, ball handled Tech.

 

[Dubbya]

That's the one.

I'm not sure it's a straight up clone though. I could have sworn I read something once that said Gillette farmed out blade manufacturing to some company that made the Double Eagle.

They may have bought the stamps. There's a company in Mexico that still makes a '50-something VW Beetle. They bought all of the stamps when VW changed production methods in Germany.

 

[Darjeeling Express]

Thanks for checking this out. Very interesting.

 

[cthompsonx]

Not accurate.

The production of VW Beetles in Brazil ended in 1996. Volkswagen sold Beetle sedans in the United States until August 1977 and in Europe until 1985, with private companies continuing to import cars produced by VW in Mexico.

Alas, even Mexican production (by VW, not a third-party) ended on June 30, 2003. The last Volkswagen Beetle (unit number 21,529,464) left the production line in Mexico that day.

 

[Topgumby]

I have a Flying Eagle in a funky pink case with a fish hologram on it. It's an aluminum handle Tech type. The case has a mirror in it, and a slot for holding blades. There is the Eagle logo on the plastic tray inside, some and in English it says "Made in China"

The razor itself has no markings, and it has the two posts for the blade holes, like a Gillette old style.

Any Chinese readers here? I'd love to know what the characters on the box mean.

 

[Stubblefield]

Flagfish. What an odd name.

 

[Dubbya]

Not accurate.

The production of VW Beetles in Brazil ended in 1996. Volkswagen sold Beetle sedans in the United States until August 1977 and in Europe until 1985, with private companies continuing to import cars produced by VW in Mexico.

Alas, even Mexican production (by VW, not a third-party) ended on June 30, 2003. The last Volkswagen Beetle (unit number 21,529,464) left the production line in Mexico that day.

Thanks for the clarification. I was recalling an article that I read in '02 so it was a bit fuzzy.

 

[Robxcarlson]

The Chinese Gillette Super Blues aren't bad at all. I can get great shaves from them in a tech. I got mine from Dridiot on eBay, but they aren't very cheap.
I'd love to try those Schicks.

 

[cthompsonx]

The Chinese Gillette Super Blues aren't bad at all. I can get great shaves from them in a tech. I got mine from Dridiot on eBay, but they aren't very cheap.
I'd love to try those Schicks.

The next time I am downtown (probably tomorrow) I will try and snaggle some of the Schicks for you if you want. Maybe you have some pkgs of oddball blades to trade....send me a PM if ineterested. (I am interested in pkgs of DE blades any era).

 

[Seamaster]

Just posted my thoughts of the Flagfish blades here.

BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID.

 

[g-train]

I have a Flying Eagle in a funky pink case with a fish hologram on it. It's an aluminum handle Tech type. The case has a mirror in it, and a slot for holding blades. There is the Eagle logo on the plastic tray inside, some and in English it says "Made in China"

The razor itself has no markings, and it has the two posts for the blade holes, like a Gillette old style.

Any Chinese readers here? I'd love to know what the characters on the box mean.

I have that same razor and case. Like an aluminum handled tech (maybe shorter?), but with the two posts. I don't have a tech to compare it too, but it's an OK razor, I guess. I've been meaning to ask this Chinese guy that lives in the same house as me what the writing says, but I never see him. The person I bought it from said it's from the 1960s.

 

[fidjit]

mmm, interesting. I was talking to wifey in the car today and was mentioning that there's all sorts of different blades manufactured in some many different places.


She made the suggestions that given my asian heritage, perhaps I should try some blades made in China.

I'm guessing from the reviews here, I might just stick with what's readily available from Israel, Russia etc...