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The real story on DE blades

Gentlemen,

I've been using a DE for about five months now. Not sure I get a better shave, but I still enjoy the process and the neat scraping sound every morning.

I write, however, on the issue of blades. I live in Geneva, Switzerland and have, until now, only used Merkur blades (approx. $3.75/10 blades) and Gillette Bleu which I buy very inexpensively just across the border in France (approx $2.50/10 blades). I find more inconsistency in the Merkurs than the Gillettes. Today I bought some Wilkinson Traditionals for about $8.00 for the heck of it, and will use them soon.

I recently was back in the US last month and everywhere I could I checked out the DE blades that were sold, from Target, to WalMart, CVS, Duane Read, and several smaller private pharmacies. What struck me was, first, that many shops just didn't seem to stock DE blades, and secondly, that none that I saw sold recognized brands.

Given the limited number of DE blades for sale I am tempted to assume that it has a very limited following and that, given that reality, it is unlikely that there are more than a handful, if that, actual producers in the USA. It's mostly a packaging issue.

My second question is on the Gillette DEs. I've seen them in Europe in Bleu, Platinum, Silver. Is there really a difference? I would think that where there is so little choice in DE blades there is not much sense in producing different quality blades for consumers. The only store I've seen that carries more than one choice is the small pharmacy near our village and the only had Gillette Silver (Germany) and the Wilkinsons; and the total number of packages on sale was five, now four. My impression is that DE shaving is no popular here in Europe than in the USA and folks here generally shave less in general.

Can anyone make any sense of this.
 
Despite our strong following on this and other message boards DE shaving in the US is almost non existant and you experience finding blades over here is the norm. Walmart carries american made personnas (some love them, some hate them) and there are also american made gillette blades though these are considered very bad. Most other blades you see I've been told are merely relabeled US personnas.
Now all that said id say 90% of us american DE shavers prefer none american made blades and order: israeli personnas, derby blades, feather blades, merkur blades, and swedish made gillettes from ebay and lots of other online shops.
 
Common sources of DE blades in the US are online shaving stores (West Coast Shaving, Italian Barber, etc.), eBay, and Amazon. I particularly like blades made in St. Petersburg, Russia, my favorite being Gillette Silver Blues. Wilkinson blades are made in various locations; some are very good.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
Common sources of DE blades in the US are online shaving stores (West Coast Shaving, Italian Barber, etc.), eBay, and Amazon. I particularly like blades made in St. Petersburg, Russia, my favorite being Gillette Silver Blues. Wilkinson blades are made in various locations; some are very good.
Where did you dig up this thread! Wow! Has to be some kind of record!
 
I've done the same thing a few times. Lol
Good question. I usually hang out over in the soap forum and was visiting over here. I am used to the oldest posts in a thread being on page 1 and the newest ones being on the highest-numbered page. So I went to the last page and ended up back in 2006! Did something change, or did I accidentally click on something that reversed the order of the messages??
 
Good question. I usually hang out over in the soap forum and was visiting over here. I am used to the oldest posts in a thread being on page 1 and the newest ones being on the highest-numbered page. So I went to the last page and ended up back in 2006! Did something change, or did I accidentally click on something that reversed the order of the messages??
Nothing new under the Sun the saying goes. This forum has been around a long time. Most questions have been asked before. I for one prefer that someone at least goes through the process of searching for answers before just asking the same old questions that have been asked a hundred times before. It shows that they are willing to put in the work. I also like seeing old shared experiences brought forward for new members to experience. Old knowledge isn't bad knowledge. Then again I am an old fart.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
Nothing new under the Sun the saying goes. This forum has been around a long time. Most questions have been asked before. I for one prefer that someone at least goes through the process of searching for answers before just asking the same old questions that have been asked a hundred times before. It shows that they are willing to put in the work. I also like seeing old shared experiences brought forward for new members to experience. Old knowledge isn't bad knowledge. Then again I am an old fart.
I'm an old fart and just the opposite: I'm usually the "maroon" that asks the same question that was answered long before...and maybe even answered by ME!
 

JCarr

More Deep Thoughts than Jack Handy
This may have been an issue 14 years ago, but today, in this modern pandemic-stricken world, double edge Razor Blades are easily acquired through strange and fantastical sources like...online shopping. Also, if you happen to be out at your local supermarket, you may want to grab the store manager and have he or she point out where the shaving supplies are located. The barbarism of the early 21st century resulted in a severe lack of selection when it came to DE razor blades...that is...until parcel post delivery came into its own with the advent of UPS and FedEx.

No longer will the wet shaving masses be held captive by the likes of obscure and sub-par double edge razor blades...not when two-day delivery of just about any blade made in the world is a commonplace situation.

Mail call! Shave on!

In the dark days of wet shaving, there was a place called...Geneva, Switzerland...
 
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You don't buy DE blades from stores.
You buy them from eBay.
The selection and variety there is practically endless.

My impression is that DE shaving is no popular here in Europe

You mean that there are men in Europe who bother to actually shave? :)

All I see in my country is Che Guevara lookalikes roaming the streets :)
 
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