NotTheStig said:
I know the provenance of these blades. Smooth, sharp and very long lasting. But are they worth £10 a pack, or even £80-£100 for 50-55? That's what a search for completed listings on ebay has revealed.
I would like to try them (in no particular hurry) but I'm not paying more than a pound a blade, even though I love (some) vintage blades.
So hype aside, what are these blades really like? Is there a blade or two that they are quite similar to (even if not in terms of longevity). Hopefully I will get a lot of responses.
Sure you wanna hear this, NTS? I'm already partially to blame for your 'healthy enthusiasm' regarding old beat up blades.......
Well, the Personna74 is a top blade for me, and I'll get one out as a special treat if I'm using the right razor. These are waaay too sharp for my taste, except in a mild Stahly head or dialed down in an adjustable. These feel about the closest to a Feather, except more forgiving (very smooth). Sharper than the Iridium and SharpEdge....that's for sure. Matter of fact, I'm using a Personna right now in my Executive dialed down one number. Really a fun shave.
Far as being worth the cash......what can I say. Seen em sell for as much as $4 a blade, which is pretty nuts. I can easily get 6-7 shaves per blade and probably more, so there's that to consider I guess. Still, they probably average around $2-3 a piece, which still ain't cheap.
The Personna74 injector blades are even sharper than those old Gillette Platinum Plus ones that you like. They're also even less forgiving, which is why I don't use em. With those things I need to pay more attention to detail than usual. Those blades are also expensive, although not like the DE version.
I'm surprised I never sent you any to sample. I'll mail out some of each this week for your spreadsheet. Pretty unusual blades.
Martin