Two Differnet Kinds Of Feather Blades???

[slickster514]

The yellow and blacks are the same blade, and they are both platinum coated. In fact, they only currently manufacture 1 grade of blade regardless of the exterior packaging. This has been probably answered before, I apologize. I went as far as emailing the Feather Co. and got a response confirming this.

However, there is one guy selling the black stock from Singapore, it is possible that this is old stock because the underside of the cardboard inserts were beginning to tarnish. Just blades perform just the same though. I have learnt that the current stock has a bar code sticker on the outside plastic wrap of each pack, and a lot number stamped on each individual pack. Ntguys on eBay has the freshest stock to my knowledge.

 

[Bulldawg]

This whole issue is confusing to me and I guess it's a YMMV type thing. I have used yellow packs of 10 Feathers exclusively for the past year. I purchased the 5 pack of Feathers in the black pack a few months ago, tried several of the blades, and they didn't perform as well as the yellow packs of 10 even though the overwhelming majority of folks say they're the same Hopefully I'm wrong here and it was some type of placebo effect because my understanding is the yellow 10 packs are no longer being produced.

 

[Gafer]

The yellow and blacks are the same blade, and they are both platinum coated. In fact, they only currently manufacture 1 grade of blade regardless of the exterior packaging. This has been probably answered before, I apologize. I went as far as emailing the Feather Co. and got a response confirming this.

However, there is one guy selling the black stock from Singapore, it is possible that this is old stock because the underside of the cardboard inserts were beginning to tarnish. Just blades perform just the same though. I have learnt that the current stock has a bar code sticker on the outside plastic wrap of each pack, and a lot number stamped on each individual pack. Ntguys on eBay has the freshest stock to my knowledge.

I've purchased from ntguys before and was very satisfied with the product and speed so I may go there when I need a refill on Feather's.

This whole issue is confusing to me and I guess it's a YMMV type thing. I have used yellow packs of 10 Feathers exclusively for the past year. I purchased the 5 pack of Feathers in the black pack a few months ago, tried several of the blades, and they didn't perform as well as the yellow packs of 10 even though the overwhelming majority of folks say they're the same Hopefully I'm wrong here and it was some type of placebo effect because my understanding is the yellow 10 packs are no longer being produced.

Bulldawg, I hope you're wrong. I have 100 Feather's from the Yellow packs and then I'm out. I shave with Derby's through the winter - my dry winter skin can't take a Feather shave every day so I'm good for awhile but if the new ones aren't the same I may have to go on a quest but nothing beats a Feather.

 

[shamus]

Try starting from the first post and then reading all the subsequent posts. They are all written in a pretty clear manner. That should clear it right up for you. For the terminally impatient you might skip right to this bit:



There was a very old non-platinum blade. When they started making platinum coated blades they switched to two different blade markings. They have since unified the markings to be consistent. I, personally, have spoken directly with the manufacturer about this several times.

Joe

Thank you Joe and the rest of the contributors for sorting out this difference in the blades. I had used 10 Feathers in the Yellow Pack, from WCS and then had received a 5 Blade Pack of the "Old Stock" Feather's in the Gray pack. To me there was a noticeable difference in the comfort level of the two types of Blades. The Older Stock Blades in the Gray Pack of 5 were rougher. I had just ordered, via the Bay, 50 Feathers in the Yellow Pack. After I placed my order and paid, the vendor stated that he had run out of the Yellow Pack blades and would substitute the Gray pack Blades to make up the 50 blade order, along with a pack of Blue Birds. I told the vendor, NO DICE, I ordered the 50 in 5 Packs of 10 and that is what was advertised. The vendor then complied and e-mailed me that he would send the 50 blades in 5 packs of 10 in the yellow pack. I guess there are some vendors who are trying to unload old stock that they picked up for a song by substituting the Old for the New. The Old stock that was going to be sent, and I refused had the Feather trademark on the blades. Without your help, along with the other posters who contributed, I would have received Old Stock stainless blades without the platinum coating and using the old grind method. There was a noticeable difference for me between the two types of Feather blades. Thank you again for the fine work and help. Cheers.

 

[mwhals]

Dang! I bought my first DE razor and a 10 pack of Merkur and a 10 pack of Feather Platinum blades on October 16, 2009 from classicshaving.

My feather blades had the platinum packing with the yellow cardboard and white plastic case. I just realized that the blades all say "Hi-Stainless" on them and none of them have the word "platinum" on them.

Apparently as late at October 2009, classicshaving is still selling the older blades in the newer packaging.

Mark

 

[shamus]

You have the newer blades if they are packaged in the white box with the Yellow and Red lettering with black. If they have the Feather Trademark and the Yellow pack is marked Platinum then you have the newer blades. Try to read the post from the beginning.

If you had the black pack of 5 blades with the Feather trademark and H-Stainless on the blade then you would have the Non-Platinum coated blades using the older grind method.

If you had the black pack with "New Hi-Stainless, Platinum on the blade without the trademark...Then you would have Platinum Blades. No problem if you wanted platinum coated blades with the new grind method.

 

[mwhals]

You have the newer blades if they are packaged in the white box with the Yellow and Red lettering with black. If they have the Feather Trademark and the Yellow pack is marked Platinum then you have the newer blades. Try to read the post from the beginning.

If you had the black pack of 5 blades with the Feather trademark and H-Stainless on the blade then you would have the Non-Platinum coated blades using the older grind method.

If you had the black pack with "New Hi-Stainless, Platinum on the blade without the trademark...Then you would have Platinum Blades. No problem if you wanted platinum coated blades with the new grind method.

I did read it from the beginning. I saw where old stock has to be used in America. My blade simply looks like the second one in the original poster's picture. Not that it really matters, because I am thinking about trying Derby next.

Edit: I must have missed it the first time, but I saw where the second picture in the original poster's post is the newest blade, which is what mine looks like. As a result I am using the newer blade.


Mark

 

[shamus]

Well, if you had read the long post from the beginning you would be aware that there are 3 types of Feather Blades out on the Market.

One of the blades is only Hi-Stainless without Platinum using the old grind method.

Another blade was used in the transition phase and is New Hi-Stainless, Platinum Coated, ground using the New Method and this blade would be missing the Feather Trademark.

The final blade, would be the Feather in the white box, With the Yellow, Black and Red colors and the package would be marked Hi Stainless, Platinum blades. This is the current blade and is Platinum coated, Hi-Stainless, using the New grind method and WOULD have the Feather logo/trademark on the blade.

Cheers!

 

[vincent]

One thing about the longevity of the NOS that I bought from Pauldog (unfortunately on another forum). They are very sharp, very smooth and consistently last a week. I now make an habit of changing every Saturday morning. It is easier for an old guy to do thing once a week, I guess. I get a BBS shave just as easily on the 7th day. After trying close to 35 different kinds of blade, I felt that this was the one, even better than the New Feather. I bought a box of 250. At one blade a week, I am now set for five years. Variety mostly come from my soaps now.

 

[Mr B]

[FONT=verdana, sans-serif]Well done! Thank you for an EXCELLENT post!
[/FONT]

 

[ezlovan]

Holy schnikees what a post. I'm so glad I found this before I bought my next 100 pack.....

 

[hedonist222]

Very informative.

Over here in the UAE we have the black, gray and white box.

Apparently I am shaving with 24 year old blades. Thats more than half my age.