Vintage Blades

[wamo]

I just won an ebay bid for a Gillette Superspeed and it comes with five packs of vintage Don Juan blades.
Do old blades deteriorate over time? If they look good could I possibly shave with them?

 

[Link1]

I really want some vintage Gillette blades.

 

[Toothpick]

I don't think they would deteriorate. inspect the blade carefully though. any sign of rust or corrosion don't use it.

I've used several vintage blades. I just give them a once over, if they look good I use them.

 

[wamo]

Cool, thanks Toothpick!

Does anyone know anything about Don Juans? I've never heard of them.

 

[rebos]

Try them. If they drag on your face and don't seem to be cleanly mowing down hairs then don't use 'em.

 

[BBS Kirk]

I have tried a vintage blade before and it just tugged at my thicket. It made my eyes water. Laughing.

Kirk

 

[wamo]

Thanks guys.

I guess I'll just give 'em a shot if they look good. If it doesn't work out they'll make a good decorative addition to my desk that doubles as a cluttered museum to all my interests.

 

[Gary H]

I have the following blades landing in my mail box on Tuesday I will send a few your way if you want to try them out. I am pretty sure they are at least 70 years old. I am curious myself how well a really old DE blade will work out.

 

[Toothpick]

Cool, thanks Toothpick!

Does anyone know anything about Don Juans? I've never heard of them.

I've heard of them but that's all I know. They exist

 

[wamo]

Nice haul Gary!

 

[Col Wilburforce Buckshot]

Before trying vintage blades I would get a Tetanus shot.

 

[rahgnar.s]

The first blades I used were vintage Gillette blues, they came with the Gillette Tech I got off the bay. They worked well and were a great start (Granted I don't know much about the brand you speak of but hey... if they look good use them

It worked out okay in my case, but I'm not going to lie +1 to Col Wilburforce's advice.

Before trying vintage blades I would get a Tetanus shot.

 

[Gary H]

I have a pretty good stockpile of Enders razors for my Enders speed razor and use one every once in a while. These old blades work excellent but are only good for one quick shave each otherwise it's a terrible tug shave.

 

[Jeff_H]

Don Juan razor blades were produced From 1912 until 1926. Production was halted in the second quarter of 1926 because the shave was so incredibly close that many men began to believe they were irresistible lovers. When the president of Don Juan Razor Blades LTD, Senor Juan Julio deCastro, was humiliated by his wife who slept with a lowly gardener who had been transformed into a love machine by a blade produced in his very own factory; he could take no more. He halted production the next day and the Don Juan blade was relegated to the annals of history and urban legend. Juan Julio deCastro spent the rest of his life and fortune trying to repurchase every blade he could find. He succeeded in removing the vast majority of the from the market, but several cases remained just out of his reach. The last known quantity of any significance was owned by JFK in 1959. After his assassination it's rumored the FBI stored the remaining blades in Warehouse 13, allowing the limited use of the blades only for covert missions deemed to be of the utmost importance of our national security.

If you decide to shave with one, consider yourself forewarned.

 

[wamo]

That would make sense Jeff, the world population started skyrocketing right around 1920. I'd wager mankind's new found virility was a direct result of the Don Juan blades. I mean, what else could it have been?

Originally Posted by Col Wilburforce Buckshot
Before trying vintage blades I would get a Tetanus shot.

I was thinking a whiskey shot to steady my hand...

...and bolster my nerves.

 

[wamo]

I have a pretty good stockpile of Enders razors for my Enders speed razor and use one every once in a while. These old blades work excellent but are only good for one quick shave each otherwise it's a terrible tug shave.

I usually do a three pass BBS shave once a week. The rest of the week is just one pass maintenance so I'm thinking I could sneak a Juan in there for one and see how it works out.

 

[one cut]

 

[phillylion]

I'm currently using a pack of Gillette Blues I got with the purchase of a Super Speed. I was apprehensive at first but it's turning out fine. In fact I really like the shaves I got from them--real smooth and close. Only negative--the 2 that I've used so far only seemed to last for a couple shaves each. So I would definitely use them, after giving them an inspection.