The longest lasting blade in history (?)

[mrscottishman]

Hello to all,
I was looking the internet over and came across this link to an old Personna 74 commercial. The 74's were tungsten coated and are said to the longest lasting blade ever made. You can still buy them NOS, but call your banker, they ain't cheap.

http://adland.tv/commercials/personna-74-tungsten-steel-1972-030-usa

How long does one blade last? Oh, I hear a month or two and then they shave like normal blades. I would like to try one, maybe someone will leave me their used one in their will. (yes I am kidding about the will part, don't flame me)

mrscottishman

 

[Huxley]

It's common knowledge, they can last up to or even over 30 shaves.

Shame they're not made any more.

 

[Stubblefield]

The claim is (somewhat) on the money. The average seems to be around 30 days around these parts. I can usually get 20 from one.

Goby has proposed "use a blade for a month" with the 74. I'm in.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=130300

 

[bhsher]

Hello to all,
I was looking the internet over and came across this link to an old Personna 74 commercial. The 74's were tungsten coated and are said to the longest lasting blade ever made. You can still buy them NOS, but call your banker, they ain't cheap.

http://adland.tv/commercials/personna-74-tungsten-steel-1972-030-usa

How long does one blade last? Oh, I hear a month or two and then they shave like normal blades. I would like to try one, maybe someone will leave me their used one in their will. (yes I am kidding about the will part, don't flame me)

mrscottishman

Wow, that's pretty amazing!

 

[Huxley]

Tell you what i would love to see, a cobalt shaving blade.

I wonder how much people would be willing to pay for that badboy.

 

[mrscottishman]

Tell you what i would love to see, a cobalt shaving blade.

I have a Schick FX Diamond cartridge razor. I used it years ago. It seemed to last somewhat longer than the normal cartridge but I thought it wasn't the sharpest cartridge around. Probably they used micro diamonds to coat the edge resulting in a duller but a little more durable edge. In industry we found that even diamonds wear out and often the "glue" that holds them dissolves and lets them comes off. It is a little like water wearing a hole in a stone where it drips or runs.

HAGS (Have A Great Shave)
mrscottishman

 

[DunEdinRanger]

What would the going rate be for one of these NOS packages of Tungsten 74's?

 

[omarwashington]

Hello to all,
I was looking the internet over and came across this link to an old Personna 74 commercial. The 74's were tungsten coated and are said to the longest lasting blade ever made. You can still buy them NOS, but call your banker, they ain't cheap.

http://adland.tv/commercials/personna-74-tungsten-steel-1972-030-usa

How long does one blade last? Oh, I hear a month or two and then they shave like normal blades. I would like to try one, maybe someone will leave me their used one in their will. (yes I am kidding about the will part, don't flame me)

mrscottishman

wow! that commercial was Epic!! everything about it the music, narrator etc. looks like it was featured in the 1972 super bowl VI commercials

 

[mrscottishman]

What would the going rate be for one of these NOS packages of Tungsten 74's?

There is an auction on evil bay where 3 packs of 10 are at $13.50 plus shipping at this time, but I expect them to go considerably higher. There are stories of old timers that saw this coming (discontinued 74's) and bought up big stocks. Wonder what is really out there? Might be interesting if some of us pitched in or someone just bought some at one of these auctions and then divided them up for a portion of the cost. We could start the 74 club.

there I go again,
mrscottishman

 

[Stubblefield]

What would the going rate be for one of these NOS packages of Tungsten 74's?

About a buck per blade. Given their longevity (and smoothness), I believe that to be a steal.

One of these days I'll put together a shave-off with the 74, the Wilk LB, and the Schick Plus Plat. Add the Gillette Spoiler and all the bases would be covered, I think.

 

[mrscottishman]

The last razor she will ever need.

http://lustertv.en.made-in-china.com/product/GoyxtqibbLWM/China-Lady-Infinity-Razor-LTP1248-.html

I also have some sea coast lots I am selling in Tennessee.

mrscottishman

 

[Thebigspendur]

I have a Schick FX Diamond cartridge razor. I used it years ago. It seemed to last somewhat longer than the normal cartridge but I thought it wasn't the sharpest cartridge around. Probably they used micro diamonds to coat the edge resulting in a duller but a little more durable edge. In industry we found that even diamonds wear out and often the "glue" that holds them dissolves and lets them comes off. It is a little like water wearing a hole in a stone where it drips or runs.

HAGS (Have A Great Shave)
mrscottishman

Remember that in years past and actually now too they use sapphire and diamond as a stylus to play vinyl records. Sapphire is mighty hard when compared to vinyl and diamond is ridicuously harder yet the sapphire lasts 50 hours and diamond 1000 before it wears and has to be replaced.

I don't think those blades ever had any diamonds on them. Nowadays they use a process called DLC or Diamond like carbon to put a coating on watches which is highly scratch resistant and this is the latest in high tech coatings.

 

[Huxley]

As already said diamond isn't that great for producing a sharp edge which is why you don't see it used much.

I was thinking cobalt because the 74's used tungsten and over the years cobalt bits came along which are tougher and drill that bit better so in a blade i can imagine it would be rather sharp.

 

[haiti222]

To clarify, the Personna 74 used tungsten in the steel and titanium as a coating. The Personnas made right after they discontinued the 74 still used Tungsten steel (how much I don't know). They also came in a red package and the back label mentions tungsten, platinum, and chromium (but no titanium)...Indeed someone on ebay has been selling injector blades in the black plastic Personna 74 injector, but in the newer (non-titanium) blister pack. I wonder what blades are really in those packages???

Also, I have found the other 70's Personna and Private Label ASR blades to be very good but clearly not as good as the 74's. That is the opinion that blind testers had back then as well. They did not put the titanium in store brands, but used platinum and/or chromium only.....After the Levereged Buy Out where Phillip Morris cut them loose after an attempt to sell them to BIC failed, quality seemed to slip in the 80's and 90's...

There is a new blade from india that claims to be titanium coated....can't wait for the reviews......

 

[mblakele]

Has Squire (or anyone) else ever analyzed these blades? I'd love to compare the grind to feathers, for example.

http://shavemyface.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29705 (but shavemyface is throwing errors for me, right now).

 

[DunEdinRanger]

There is a new blade from india that claims to be titanium coated....can't wait for the reviews......

You wouldn't happen to know the make and model of the blade would you?

 

[Stubblefield]

Also, I have found the other 70's Personna and Private Label ASR blades to be very good but clearly not as good as the 74's. That is the opinion that blind testers had back then as well. They did not put the titanium in store brands, but used platinum and/or chromium only.....After the Leveraged Buy Out where Phillip Morris cut them loose after an attempt to sell them to BIC failed, quality seemed to slip in the 80's and 90's...

Some of the private label blades they made at the time are almost as good as the 74, as you point out. I know they made them for KMart, not sure about Sears and the like. I have some platinum chrome ASR blades that shave almost as well as the 74--the seem as smooth, but they give up a bit in the longevity department.

Their newer blades are hit and miss--I don't mind the Crystals, but they are not what I would consider smooth.

To my knowledge, the only NOS blade that Squire ever reviewed was the Wilkinson Light Brigade--and now that it is discontinued, the Swede. He mentioned that he felt it misleading to review a blade that was not readily available. Of course, he picked probably the best NOS blade to review, so it was a wise choice.

 

[bigstick]

I have a Schick FX Diamond cartridge razor. I used it years ago. It seemed to last somewhat longer than the normal cartridge but I thought it wasn't the sharpest cartridge around. Probably they used micro diamonds to coat the edge resulting in a duller but a little more durable edge. In industry we found that even diamonds wear out and often the "glue" that holds them dissolves and lets them comes off. It is a little like water wearing a hole in a stone where it drips or runs.

HAGS (Have A Great Shave)
mrscottishman

I was using the FX Diamond cartridge until a couple of weeks ago. I was getting about 4 weeks of shaves from it. I will admit that I have a high tolerance for razor burn though. It was going out to buy new cartridges and not finding them that sent me to the cabinet for my INVICTA straight again. When I tire of it, it will be back to the DE razors of my youth, not the latest wiz-bang multi-edge wonder.

 

[Hansel]

Anybody have a link to a place where I can pick up a few of these?

 

[cfriend]

I'm more interested in the narrator's pronunciation. He says "per-sah-nah," I've always said "per-so-nuh." Learn something new every day, I guess!