What's with glue on Feathers

[HereticHermit]

I have seen tiny glue dots on couple of blade in 2s or 4s but I haven't seen any blade have two blobs as big as on Feathers.
Them dots have been part of manufacturing process for long time and didn't really bothered our grandpa's and their sons. I don't wish to represent here the emasculated matrosexual male these times are trying to make us, but why the heck Feathers just keep on doing those annoyingly big blobs? Is Feathers a part of some DuPont safety program cartel wanting us to live in a safety peranoia?
If you didn't or forgot to plan beforehand then very act of wanting to change a new blade during shave is fraught with dangers. While removing the blade from screw top plate, blade is stuck underneath pretty solid. Even if you are able to shake the blade loose and down the head stem, you still have to grapple with wrapper of still packed blade. The blade is firmly attached and glued to the wrapper and your are pushing your luck for some disaster to happen.
I don't want to think it is big deal but how do you stay safe other than planning before? That sticky thing doesn't wash away even in hot water.

 

[matwho]

I use hot water and an old toothbrush and it comes right off. Polsilver SIs are just as bad.

 

[John Rose]

Gillette Silver Blue is the worst I've seen for those blobs. They go right over the edge.

...Them dots have been part of manufacturing process for long time [...snip...] but why the heck Feathers just keep on doing those annoyingly big blobs?...

Um... It's part of the packaging, rather than the manufacturing process.
The italicized text in this Gillette ad should explain all:

The business of no contact with the folded edge of the wrapper appears to be true of other brands too.

 

[TexLaw]

Gillette Silver Blue is the worst I've seen for those blobs.

+1 to that!

 

[DE Steve]

It's wax, not glue, and it serves multiple purposes.

Leave it on.

 

[BigJ]

It's wax, not glue, and it serves multiple purposes.

Leave it on.

+1! It comes off during the first shave (likely the first pass), so I don’t worry about the wax!

Others here hate any blade with wax dots. YMMV for sure.

 

[Runnin_Ute]

I hear a lot of complaints about this, yet I am a big fan if Gillette Silver Blue blades which have them. Never had them near the edge of the blade. In fact, I used a brand new GSB this morning. When I flipped the blade all the wax was gone. And I had it on top when I put the blade in. (I use TTO razors)

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[HereticHermit]

Um... It's part of the packaging, rather than the manufacturing process.
The italicized text in this Gillette ad should explain all:

Thanks, I stand corrected, it is rather part of packaging process. The advert puts it across nice and thick why do they use this process.

 

[HereticHermit]

It's wax, not glue, and it serves multiple purposes.
Leave it on.

I too thought it is wax and tried gently swirling the razor in enamelled mug full of hot water but it refused to dissolve completely so used a pair of forceps and held the blade under hot water running out of storage geyser. the glue cleared some more but there was still enough on blade to clamp itself underneath the razor head.
I don't know any wax holding out against water hot enough to near boiling point.

 

[DE Steve]

I too thought it is wax and tried gently swirling the razor in enamelled mug full of hot water but it refused to dissolve completely so used a pair of forceps and held the blade under hot water running out of storage geyser. the glue cleared some more but there was still enough on blade to clamp itself underneath the razor head.
I don't know any wax holding out against water hot enough to near boiling point.

Pure carnauba wax is good for 200 degrees F before melting.

(This thread is freakin hilarious... haha)

 

[HereticHermit]

Pure carnauba wax is good for 200 degrees F before melting.

(This thread is freakin hilarious... haha)

Glad, you got your jollies

 

[VerbaVolant]

Glue? What glue?

 

[Mopar Mark]

Our official name at work, is Blade anchoring jelly, which is a Vaseline type substance. As said it job is to hold the blade central to the wrapper to prevent the blade facets from touching the edge, during transport & prior to use.

The Vaseline is applied hot to a transfer wheel, which transfers the dot the the blade inner wrapper or single wrapper. The blade is then positioned onto the wrapper & against the Vaseline. As it cools, it holds the blade in position.

Some wrapping machines(Bosch, Hesser), use a cold type vaseline. Typically cold type machines leave a larger spot for anchoring.

Although it’s possible to get spots out if position, this is soon noticed.... so down to poor operator

 

[HereticHermit]

Our official name at work, is Blade anchoring jelly, which is a Vaseline type substance. As said it job is to hold the blade central to the wrapper to prevent the blade facets from touching the edge, during transport & prior to use.
The Vaseline is applied hot to a transfer wheel, which transfers the dot the the blade inner wrapper or single wrapper. The blade is then positioned onto the wrapper & against the Vaseline. As it cools, it holds the blade in position.
Some wrapping machines(Bosch, Hesser), use a cold type vaseline. Typically cold type machines leave a larger spot for anchoring.
Although it’s possible to get spots out if position, this is soon noticed.... so down to poor operator

Thanks Mopar that explains the science behind. So it is neither wax nor glue but a chemical based jelly!

I am assuming Feathers use the cold process application. My batch of Blades has two big blobs that just about touch each other in the middle hence my annoyance about the size, not the packaging utility of them. To pry apart such blade from wrapper with bare fingers is a safety issue. I have seen four tiny dots on few Blades and that’s just about fine. Why can’t Feathers pay attention to something as trivial as this and look at their process from safety point of view.

BTW do you know how much hot the water needed to be to wash away this Blade anchoring jelly?

 

[Badgerstate36]

I find the dots to be annoying but its really not THAT big of a deal. To me, its more annoying when trying to get the blade out of the wrapper than anything else.

 

[Mopar Mark]

Thanks Mopar that explains the science behind. So it is neither wax nor glue but a chemical based jelly!

I am assuming Feathers use the cold process application. My batch of Blades has two big blobs that just about touch each other in the middle hence my annoyance about the size, not the packaging utility of them. To pry apart such blade from wrapper with bare fingers is a safety issue. I have seen four tiny dots on few Blades and that’s just about fine. Why can’t Feathers pay attention to something as trivial as this and look at their process from safety point of view.

BTW do you know how much hot the water needed to be to wash away this Blade anchoring jelly?

Hi,
Sorry I don’t recall the exact melting point, but seem to think it was close to 100f....
Temperature wasn’t something that often needed checking or should I say it was not a problematic area. I do remember that if the heater was left on & machine was idle for a few days the Vaseline would get burnt, leaving black deposits, so Vaseline was cleaned out & replaced

 

[Clay S]

Hi,
Sorry I don’t recall the exact melting point, but seem to think it was close to 100f....
Temperature wasn’t something that often needed checking or should I say it was not a problematic area. I do remember that if the heater was left on & machine was idle for a few days the Vaseline would get burnt, leaving black deposits, so Vaseline was cleaned out & replaced

100f, or 100c? Blades would be all over the place here in summer at 100f

 

[Mopar Mark]

M

100f, or 100c? Blades would be all over the place here in summer at 100f

Maybe it was 150F, temp wasn’t something I really noticed...

 

[Cino]

I place the jelly side against the base plate because the base plate is easier to clean than the cap. If your coffee maker has a hot water dispenser, the hot water stream rinses the jelly right off. There's no need to scrub.

 

[ShavingByTheNumbers]

Wax spots are annoying. Some are easier to remove than others. I wish that more DE blades didn't come with them.