South African Lion blades

[Steve Crane]

The only brand of DE blade you can usually find locally anymore are these Lion ones.

I prefer these Russian made Gillette Minora blades.

They were previously quite easy to find but now I can only find them at my local pharmacy. I think they may have a last box in stock; they keep putting out two or three packs at a time and I buy them all whenever I'm there. I guess they'll run out sometime and I'll be reduced to the Lions or to buying from online sellers in Europe or America. I should probably just offer to buy their remaining stock and let them start carrying Lion blades for others that use them. The owner mentioned to me one day that they only keep them for people that use them in those hair trimmer thingies.

I see a mention of someone here trying the Lion blades and saying they're like the cheap blades that Walmart has or the American Personna, but not having tried those I don't have an opinion on that.

Any other South Africans on here that might have a source of other blade brands?

 

[Pardus]

Hi Steve,

My local (Pretoria) "Game" retailer sells the Greek-made Bic DE blades at a very reasonable price. Even better priced than Lion blades I have seen elsewhere.

______

Leon

 

[DunEdinRanger]

I have no idea how good those Lion Blades are but the packaging sure looks cool.

 

[Chrisp]

Steve I used to get Super Max blades from Clicks (UK brand), but not sure if they still stock them as I haven't been in SA for over 2 years. I found them to very good, long-lasting & gave a nice smooth shave compared to the Minora & esp. the Lion blades. If you can't find them, I guess you'll have to order them from an online vendor which opens up a whole new world of DE blades. See if you can get a sample pack first & then bulk-order the ones you like (keeping in mind the ZAR/US$ exchange).

 

[Steve Crane]

I think I may have seen the Super Max blades in both DE and some cartidge types. Will pop by Clicks and see if I can find some. In the meantime I tried a local place here in Strand, South End Stores, that sell just about anything (they have a hardware & auto parts store, a bicycle parts store and a general dealer) and found they still have a stock of the Minora blades and bought five packs. I will probably head back and buy some more to add to my stock, particularly as I have just inducted my eldest son into DE shaving so we will be going through blades more quickly than before.

 

[SRock]

Hi Steve,

My local (Pretoria) "Game" retailer sells the Greek-made Bic DE blades at a very reasonable price. Even better priced than Lion blades I have seen elsewhere.

______

Leon

Welcome to B&B Leon! Be sure to check in at the Shave Clinic and Newbie Check In.

 

[Steve Crane]

My local (Pretoria) "Game" retailer sells the Greek-made Bic DE blades at a very reasonable price. Even better priced than Lion blades I have seen elsewhere.

Never thought of looking for blades at Game. I don't usually associate them with toiletries, more hardware and electronics.

 

[Shane_IL]

I was visiting my parents in Pretoria in December and found them at Dischem for about R16 or R17 (around $2) a pack (of 5). I tried the lions too, weren;t too bad for me, weren't too great either. They're the same as the Gillette 7 O'Clock Platinum blades (black wrapper) if you ever get desperate you could always buy those online.

 

[rompip]

Recently started wet shaving.
Online try www.fineandfabulous.co.za for Personna (Israeli) and Derby blades. (They also stock Proraso / Muhle creams and razors).

Clicks stock Supermax and Lion blades.
Dischem stock Bic and Lion blades.
Makro stock Gilette Minora's. (Bic as well I think).

In Sandton City there are two interesting stores stocking shave products.
The Wish collection stock Trumpers and Castle Forbes and Edwin Jagger products.
Sharp Edge Sharp Shooter (www.sharpedge.co.za) stock Merkur and Muhle razors and sets. Derby, Merkur, Giesen and Forsthoff and Israeli Personna blades as well as Dovo straight razors and shavettes.

 

[Jacquers]

Hello Saffers!

Checkers stocks SuperMax blades and Shaving Cream and Lion Blades
PnP stocks blades as well (SuperMax and Bic)
I've seen Minora's at some corner Cafes

Here are some other online traders you can get some very nice supplies from:

RiverValley Trading: http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/seller/306126/RiverValleyTrading

ShaveHavenSA (Copia): http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/seller/2951086/ShavehavenSA

Metelerkamps stocks some Proraso creams and soaps

 

[Boge]

I have a tuck of the new Gillette made Minora Platinum blades and like them a lot, alas only one vendor in the USA sells them and cheap thay ain't.

 

[Jacquers]

I have a tuck of the new Gillette made Minora Platinum blades and like them a lot, alas only one vendor in the USA sells them and cheap thay ain't.

Those are the ones we have as well, they aren't cheap here either. R15 for 5. There are better blades available for cheaper.

How much are they is the USA?

 

[Boge]

...How much are they is the USA?

http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Gillette-Minora-Platinum-Blades-100-Blades_p_1226.html


http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Gillette-Minora-Platinum-Blades_p_970.html

 

[malocchio]

Those prices are horrible !....You can still get Wizamet Lodz Polsilvers,one of the finest ,smoothest,long lasting blades ever made far cheaper than that.

 

[thetarn]

I decided to try wet shaving about a year ago. Got an el-cheapo lion DE razor (R10!) with a pack of Lion blades, from Checkers. They worked fine.

Once those ran out, my colleague gave me a sample pack of some or other platinum blades (awesome!). Since then I got some supermax blades until everyone in my town stopped stocking them. Have since switched to those Minora blades. I hate them. Absolutely hate them.

Maybe I am doing something wrong but whenever I get the razor near my face (not even pulling it yet!), I end up with a nick. A nasty one that never stops bleeding. Every little bump in my skin becomes a bloody crater.

I am in no way a connoisseur/shaving-grand-master here. But after a year of fairly cut-free and clean shaving, I feel like it can only be the blades that are to blame. Maybe in combination with the cheap razor?

 

[malocchio]

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/503446-South-African-LION-revisited

 

[Linus]

I decided to try wet shaving about a year ago. Got an el-cheapo lion DE razor (R10!) with a pack of Lion blades, from Checkers. They worked fine.

Once those ran out, my colleague gave me a sample pack of some or other platinum blades (awesome!). Since then I got some supermax blades until everyone in my town stopped stocking them. Have since switched to those Minora blades. I hate them. Absolutely hate them.

Maybe I am doing something wrong but whenever I get the razor near my face (not even pulling it yet!), I end up with a nick. A nasty one that never stops bleeding. Every little bump in my skin becomes a bloody crater.

I am in no way a connoisseur/shaving-grand-master here. But after a year of fairly cut-free and clean shaving, I feel like it can only be the blades that are to blame. Maybe in combination with the cheap razor?

Makro sells SuperMax blades, I managed to get a pack of 20 x 5 blades for R130 so I should be good for the next two years give or take. The Lion blades are no good, I cant comment on the Minora blades. Some say the Bic blades are good, I still have to give it a go.