Trac 2 options

[SirPaulGerman]

I really like the trac 2 blades, my favorite brand was Wilkinson Super Plus 2 cheap and good at the same time, however they dont sell in the states anymore.

Gillette Cartridge are too expensive so that is a not for me.
The only 2 options are Dorco and Personna ? any other brand ?

Last time I purchase blades; I got the Personna from amazon, the 100 for $12, the price went up to $20

 

[Villalobos]

Have you tried usrazors.com? They have a few different options. I have not tried them as I prefer Vintage Gillette Trac II blades.

 

[SirPaulGerman]

they do have Wilkinson 10 for $17 still too expensive, I may have to try Dorco from dollar general

 

[Villalobos]

Ebay 100 personna 12.99 free shipping

 

[SirPaulGerman]

Ebay 100 personna 12.99 free shipping

I had those before, they are not bad for the price I wonder if they are better than Dorco from DollarGeneral

Someone in the forum made this observation "The bulk Personnas are factory seconds that didn't quite make the cut (my opinion) and for the most part they are ok but every once in a while I found one really bad. I am almost exclusive DE with Personna lab blue, and they are a great blade. Twin blade users will be forced into disposables soon as Gillette handles wear out. Schick ST2 and Gillette sensor 2 (aka good news) seem good options."

what do you guys think ?

 

[Villalobos]

You lost me

 

[pdieten]

There are a few options for twin blades made in Asia. The most pricey would be Gillette India's PII, there are also Gallant, Supermax, Laser, and others. An eBay search for Trac II always turns them all up. I haven't bought any because my Trac is for away from home shaving only and the 15 cartridges I own plus inexpensive local supply of Dorcos and Personnas are plenty enough for that. But they're probably worth a try.

FTR, you can get new Trac handles too from all the same makers. The PII handle is identical to the original US Gillette Trac II handle.

 

[pdieten]

they do have Wilkinson 10 for $17 still too expensive, I may have to try Dorco from dollar general

If you live where Meijer stores are found, their store brand twin cartridges are Personnas, $6.99/10. Not that cheap but if you want to try them that's an available option.

 

[Jimsr]

I like the DG twin blades. They are smooth, and the lube strip is not obnoxious. On. My 74 year old face they are almost as good as th Gillette Trac II’s and the difference in price makes up for the very slight difference.
I would give them a try for the price you can’t go wrong.

 

[shave/brush]

I use Gillette Trac II blades. I can get so many shaves out of a cartridge that I find the price not that bad.

 

[been around]

I picked up a PII handle as a backup and yes it is so close to the Trac II/GII handle that one can't tell the difference. The vector (Asian Atra) handle is a different story. It is half metal half plastic and feels light and flimsy. The packaged Personna branded carts (in the blue 10 pack) are a great alternative to the Trac II/ Atra carts. I feel the Gillette carts are a little better, but for the price I'll stay with the Personnas. Has anyone tried the PII 7 O'clock blades? Opinions?

 

[Mimramman]

PII 7 O'Clock blades in PII handle are pretty close to the Gillette experience IMO and give a good number of shaves. Worth trying if you can get them for a reasonable price in your locale. In the UK the GII Plus with lubrastrip are still readily available in bricks and mortar but un-lubed of any make are not to be had bar some UK supplied PIIs via the bay.

 

[been around]

Thanks for the input Mimramman. PIIs are available from USRazor for a reasonable price depending on quantity, but not in any stores. Trac IIs started out as made in America, then went to Mexico, then South Korea, and now Poland.

My brother sent me some GIIs years ago (80s) while he was stationed in the UK, but the package never said where they were made. At that time I did a side by side with the Trac II and the GIIs were better overall as I recall.

The only store that still sell Trac IIs here is Walmart. $17.49 plus tax for a ten pack. I think I will give the PII a try.

As a side note. I took an Atra and Sensor II (good news) carts apart and the blades are identical. All the holes in the top and bottom blades match up perfectly as well as the spacers. They both give 6 good shaves. It is a shame that the Sensor is so light as it would make a good alternative price wise.

 

[Sabre]

The GII's would have been UK made, production eventually stopped as Berlin became a major production centre. They are probably made in Poland or Brazil now.

 

[been around]

Thanks Sabre. The South Korean blades were the low point of the Trac II, in my opinion. I have yet to try the Polish ones, but have heard good things.

 

[Shavetheman01]

I tried the Personna twin blades which are sold under many labels here. And they were really rough on the skin going ATG and cut me in random spots. Didn't suit my skin type

I got the Dorco twincartridges from a discount store and they are much better. They give me 3 shaves per cart. Not too bad

 

[Jimsr]

On a whim, about a month ago, I ordered some Japanese Schick Super II blades from that auction site. They are Trac II compatible. The cost was about $1.00 a cart. ($14.50 approximately for 3 blisters of 5 cart per blister pack.) I generally use an cart when I need a fast shave or when traveling. I’m impressed, I’m busy testing how long one cart holds up. So far I have 16 shaves on one, and it’s still going strong. The shave is very smooth and comfortable. There is a lube strip but it is not objectionable. I “converted years ago back to “traditional” shaving due to irritation and cost. But I am not getting any from these carts. They remind me of the Japanese Schick Injector twin blades I use in my Injector I their face feel. I really like them.

 

[haiti222]

In possibly explaining the longevity of the Super II blades, I have had occasion to use the Exacta 2 blades sold by Schick in Asia (for about 45 cents a blade). I took note of an online sales description that these blades had a titanium coating on them, and have experienced similar good results and longevity. A titanium blade coating was used on the Personna P74 and it one of the main reasons they had such longevity. I have noticed a lot of improvement in older Gillette, Schick and Bic blades in the last few years.

 

[Jimsr]

Right now I am up to 36 shaves on the Super II cart. It’s still is doing quite well. On my face it seems to prefer a wet lather. It has a lube strip but is not obnoxious. The nicest thing is no irritation.

 

[FaceScraper]

Right now I am up to 36 shaves on the Super II cart. It’s still is doing quite well. On my face it seems to prefer a wet lather. It has a lube strip but is not obnoxious. The nicest thing is no irritation.

Holy smoke thats great. Is there any trick you use to extend the life of the cart like stropping on a denim jeans leg or storing in oil?