The Official Guide to Israeli Made DE Blades

[letterk]

While there is plenty of information on B&B regarding the Israeli made DE blades, there continues to be confusion and misinformation being spread. Here is my attempt to summarize everything we know about these blades.

American Safety Razor has a manufacturing plant in Israel. In fact, most, if not all of their manufacuring is now overseas. The Israel plant happens to be producing some very nice blades. This plant makes a number of different blades, to different specifications, depending where they're being sold and per customers requirements. The blades listed below all come from the Israli plant and are different unless otherwise stated.

My apologies to the owners of the photos of which I swiped.

Crystal or "Israeli Personna" or "IP"

These are the original Israeli blades. They were discovered on ebay packaged in unbranded boxes of 100 blades. The individual blades are wrapped in white and blue wax paper that says "Super Platinum". The blades themselves say "Super+ Platinum" and may or may not include "Made in Israel". At the time of discover, we knew that they were made in the American Safety Razor Isreali plant. ASR owns the Pesronna name in the US, so it logically made sense to call them Isreali Personna or "IP" blades.

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=13313

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=13314

We have since learned that these blades are sold in the States under a few different brands, two of which are Crystal and Navarro.

Here is one example of the outer packaging, branded as Crystal. They have since redesigned the packaging and I will post another photo shortly. The internal packaging is identical to the non-branded blades above.

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=13311

These blades may be sold under other brands in the US, but Crystal and Navarro are the only ones that have been confirmed by ASR. If the inner packaging looks the same with the white and blue wax paper, and they say "Super+ Platinum" on the blade, and they say "Made in Israel" on the packing, they could very well be the same blade. If they don not include all of those markings, they are most likely not the same blade.

Red Pack Personna

These blades have brought a lot of confusion. They are made in the same plant in Israel, but are quite different from the Crystal blades. The confusion comes from the packaging. They are marked "Personna" and "American Safety Razor, Verona, VA". While they say Personna, they are not the same blade as what people typically (incorrectly) call Personna (see above). To make matters worse, while they are made in Israel, and the case states so, they are not marked that way on the individual packages. To top it off, ASR claims they know nothing about these blades. They are not made, distributed, or sold from Verona, VA or any other American Safety Razor division, plant, or distributor. They may be NOS, counterfeit, grey market, etc... who knows. Because ASR in the US doesn't claim these blades as theirs, and they own the brand Personna, I prefer to refer to them as Red Pack Israeli blades.

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=13312

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=13315

Tesco

The Tesco blades have been very well regarded, and their origin was kept secret for quite some time. They are unmarked and wrapped in a plain white wax paper. Because they have no markings, it was difficult to get any reliable information regarding their place of origin. That is, until a few inspired individuals did some investigation, put some bits of information together, and figured out they're made in the same ASR plant in Israel. Again, these are not the same blades as the Crystal or Red Pack. They are made to a different specification. They are distributed by a distibutor in England. Because they are unmarked, we think these are the same blades as those sold in a number of other chain stores in Europe, like Boots, Asda, etc...

As some may now see, these blades probably should be called Israeli Personna as they are indeed sold under that brand name!

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=13318

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=13316

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=13317


Finally, to make matters worse, there are other blades of different origins that are sold under the Personna brand. I only covered the ones made in Israel.

[Jim]

Thanks John, well done.

[rodd]

great info. I love the red pack Israelis!

[Ltltony]

Great job. Thanks for the clarification John!

[toeknee]

thanks for the info:thumbup1:
right where did i put my car keys i,m off down to tescos:001_smile

[jpkunst]

I believe the Dutch HEMA blades (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=45001) come from the same plant. They look exactly the same as the Personnas in the last picture, branded as HEMA instead of Personna. I can send you a pack if you want.

Best wishes,
Jan Pieter

[copperhead]

Very informative. Well done.

[Ltltony]

John,
Any chance you might start stocking the TESCO version?

[RichGem]

Thanks John, great work.

FYI, the Crystals I just got from you do not have "Made In Israel" on the blade. But, everything else is dead on.

EDIT: Instead of "Made in Israel," they have just a patent number in that location.

[Lucius]

Great post. This should be a sticky.

[letterk]

I believe the Dutch HEMA blades (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=45001) come from the same plant. They look exactly the same as the Personnas in the last picture, branded as HEMA instead of Personna. I can send you a pack if you want.

Best wishes,
Jan Pieter

Jan, I'd love to check them out. If you're up for a blade swap, PM me.


John,
Any chance you might start stocking the TESCO version?

Potentially, if I can find someone willing to work with me. The blades are distributed by Personna UK, and they are not allowed to sell to this market, and vice versa with American Safety Razor, USA. I could always buy direct from one of the sellers, Boots, Asda, etc..., but it's cost prohibitive. I'm working on another chanel and may have some information soon.


Thanks John, great work.

FYI, the Crystals I just got from you do not have "Made In Israel" on the blade. But, everything else is dead on.

EDIT: Instead of "Made in Israel," they have just a patent number in that location.

Yeah, I've seen them marked both ways. I thought the latest were coming with the Made in Israel on the blade, but I didn't have a blade handy to check. If you buy your blades from me, they're legit.

[RichGem]

Yeah, I've seen them marked both ways. I thought the latest were coming with the Made in Israel on the blade, but I didn't have a blade handy to check. If you buy your blades from me, they're legit.

No worries here about that. I just thought it might be useful info for the IP section.

[King of Kailua]

Interesting to hear how a specific manufacturing plant will go through different "runs" to create several brands. I was a bit confused about the "Personna's". Thanks for providing the information.

[Ltltony]

Potentially, if I can find someone willing to work with me... I'm working on another chanel and may have some information soon.

Fantastic!
Thanks John.

[DunEdinRanger]

Thanks, that clears up a lot of confusion, except how does ASR not know who makes the Red Pack Personnna blades?

[letterk]

No worries here about that. I just thought it might be useful info for the IP section.

Indeed. I updated the post.


Interesting to hear how a specific manufacturing plant will go through different "runs" to create several brands. I was a bit confused about the "Personna's". Thanks for providing the information.

I think a large part of the differences come from the coatings.


Thanks, that clears up a lot of confusion, except how does ASR not know who makes the Red Pack Personnna blades?

I scratch my head as well. They either don't know or don't want us to know. It's possible the plant is selling blades behind their back.

[King of Kailua]

I scratch my head as well. They either don't know or don't want us to know. It's possible the plant is selling blades behind their back.

This is interesting because the Red Packs seem to be the cheapest blades on the market that I've found.

[jon619]

My father-in-law is in Israel as we speak... with a request to return with razor blades... I'll post pics upon his return in a month if he's successful in finding some...

[St.Nick]

What category do these fall under??? Tesco?

[Cheezeweggie]

Excellent post.

Seems odd that the red pack Personna blades are made in Israel, but they dont know about it at corporate. I just hope "they" keep making them because they turned out to be my favorite. I guess I better stock up on them real soon just in case.

A sticky for sure !

[RichGem]

This is interesting because the Red Packs seem to be the cheapest blades on the market that I've found.

I wonder if the red packs could be "seconds" or some such (very minor defects?) that ASR doesn't want to acknowledge as being theirs (since not of the same quality) and yet are still willing to sell. Just a thought.

[BroJohn]

I wonder if the red packs could be "seconds" or some such (very minor defects?) that ASR doesn't want to acknowledge as being theirs (since not of the same quality) and yet are still willing to sell. Just a thought.

RichGem --

If they were 'seconds' why would the mark the blades 'PERSONNA' in large type, and wrap them in branded papers?

I don't think they're seconds (unless they're actually made by Gillette :lol:). But it is odd that corporate is unaware --wouldn't be the first time senior mgmt is clueless about their own company. I think it might have slipped through the cracks at corp communications/PR or whatever they call it.

-- John Gehman

[RichGem]

RichGem --

If they were 'seconds' why would the mark the blades 'PERSONNA' in large type, and wrap them in branded papers?

I don't think they're seconds (unless they're actually made by Gillette :lol:). But it is odd that corporate is unaware --wouldn't be the first time senior mgmt is clueless about their own company. I think it might have slipped through the cracks at corp communications/PR or whatever they call it.

-- John Gehman

Good points there, John. I was just thinking off the top of my head, but what you said makes good sense. Maybe it's some nefarious plot by some other company to hijack the personna name for their own product. More likely, as you said, a case of the management not having all the facts.

[Mottern Man]

What category do these fall under???

Waste bin.

At least for me.

[tvphotog]

Nicely done. Very well researched with some new, previously secret information. Now that the mask is off, however, you will have to resign from the Mossad.

And here we never knew we had someone on the inside.

Best,

[OldSaw]

Thanks John.

[Raj]

Well done. A good analysis and summary of the "Israeli blades".
Raj.

[iron maiden]

+1 on that, Thanks for the post John....very informative.

[letterk]

Good points there, John. I was just thinking off the top of my head, but what you said makes good sense. Maybe it's some nefarious plot by some other company to hijack the personna name for their own product. More likely, as you said, a case of the management not having all the facts.

I doubt it. I worked from the sales rep all the way up to the product line manager. The story was the same. No one in the US knows (or will admit) to knowing about them.

[letterk]

What category do these fall under??? Tesco?

Interesting find. They certainly look like the Tesco variety, but in the US? Where did you find them?

[St.Nick]

Interesting find. They certainly look like the Tesco variety, but in the US? Where did you find them?
99 cent only store in Yorba Linda,Ca. Should be at most 99cent only stores in SoCal.

[kwk285]

All I know is that I got 100ea of Crystals and Red Personnas. I found those two blades are far superior to me than any of the other blades that I have tried.

[Mottern Man]

Waste bin.

At least for me.

Wait a tick, I missed the made in sticker. :confused:

I thought they were the run of the mill Wal-Mart style.

[comfortablynumb]

What about the Dollar General Made In Israel blades, where do they typically fall?

[stobes21]

I doubt it. I worked from the sales rep all the way up to the product line manager. The story was the same. No one in the US knows (or will admit) to knowing about them.

You said ASR owns the Personna brand name here in the US, is it possible that the same Israeli plant makes blades for a different company that owns the trademark in other countries? I suppose that would make the blades somewhere between gray market and black market.

I know there was some confusion a while back about who owned/made Wilkinson Sword branded stuff in the US because of differences in trade name ownership across the pond. I'm wondering if we may be running into something similar here?

[scottish steve]

That packaging seems spot on for the Swedish G's. I haven't tried the "Tesco" blades but the ones in Boots The Chemist are exactly the same as the Tesco ones and I've an untried packet of each in my cabinet. Will now give them a try. They're not as sharp as the Gillettes (against the thumb) and seem just a wee bit duller than the White WS, so I just stuck with the Gillettes, but they might have a better texture. I personally found the polymer-coated WSs a bit uninformative compared to the Platinums.

[letterk]

What about the Dollar General Made In Israel blades, where do they typically fall?

Got a picture?


You said ASR owns the Personna brand name here in the US, is it possible that the same Israeli plant makes blades for a different company that owns the trademark in other countries? I suppose that would make the blades somewhere between gray market and black market.

I know there was some confusion a while back about who owned/made Wilkinson Sword branded stuff in the US because of differences in trade name ownership across the pond. I'm wondering if we may be running into something similar here?

Yes, ASR owns the Personna brand in the US. Sure, it's possible the Israeli plant makes blades for other companies that own the brand in different countries. For instance, Personna UK.


99 cent only store in Yorba Linda,Ca. Should be at most 99cent only stores in SoCal.

Interesting. As I said, the Israeli plant makes different blades for a large number of vendors. I'll have to go find some and see.


That packaging seems spot on for the Swedish G's. I haven't tried the "Tesco" blades but the ones in Boots The Chemist are exactly the same as the Tesco ones and I've an untried packet of each in my cabinet. Will now give them a try. They're not as sharp as the Gillettes (against the thumb) and seem just a wee bit duller than the White WS, so I just stuck with the Gillettes, but they might have a better texture. I personally found the polymer-coated WSs a bit uninformative compared to the Platinums.

Well, they're not Gillettes, that's for sure. We're not sure where those are made, but they theoretically could be made in Israel.

[pibeandres]

Awesome article!

[scottish steve]

Well, they're not Gillettes, that's for sure. We're not sure where those are made, but they theoretically could be made in Israel.[/QUOTE]

I was talking about the picture of the big plastic box? That seems to be the same as the SwG's. (didn't mean to be unclear) That sort of snap-out dispenser seems to me to be the safest and most secure way to present blades. Just tried the Tesco blades this morning in a Futur. They feel duller than either Merkur or SwG's, about the same as the White WSs, but very smooth. Not a bad result and skin-friendly but I was wondering if they would perform better in a Slant? The Slant seems to put more tension on the blade, which is great for some parts of the face, but not others. I like how the Futur seems to allow the blade to follow the contours a bit more and I'm sure this micro-resonance has a lot to do with its distinctive noise. But would a smoother (tho less sharp) blade work better with the higher tension of the Slant do you think?

[Shave Cat]

I doubt it. I worked from the sales rep all the way up to the product line manager. The story was the same. No one in the US knows (or will admit) to knowing about them.
Which I really find strange since ASR's name and location (as distributor) are printed on the red Personna blade wrappers. Seems to me if ASR really has nothing to do with the red pack Personna blades, they would take legal action. Of course, maybe they are investigating.

-Clarke

[kevo]

Thank you, this was a very helpful post for someone who was confused about subject matter

[43moon]

After working through my sampler pack and settling on the Red Pack Personnas, I was thrilled to discover that they were so cheap. Sadly my little sample pack ran out before my order of 200 blades arrived, so I was forced to use some of the other blades that didnt work so well for me and my SS until they arrived. Now that I found my baseline, I am looking forward to testing some other combos.

With the performance that the Red Pack Personna delivers for me in my 47 SS combined with the low price, I am willing to believe that these are actually made in heaven. ;-)

[uberlegit]

My father-in-law is in Israel as we speak... with a request to return with razor blades... I'll post pics upon his return in a month if he's successful in finding some...

I just returned from a 10-day Israel stint with razor blades in mind but came back empty-handed. They were remarkably difficult to find; in the end I found maybe two brands I was unfamiliar with but didn't purchase, both with packaging that did not seem familiar. It's possible that:

A) They were re-branded blades from the same manufacturing facility;
or B) The manufacturer does not have an Israeli distributor, and the blades originated elsewhere.

Either way, I hoped to find the "genuine article," but found only disappointment (at least regarding blades, the rest of the trip was spectacular.)

[mikelward]

So it sounds like the unboxed Super * Platinum blades (shown on the left) in the sample pack I just bought are in fact the famous Israelis!

Do you think this blue 100-pack Personna Platinum stainless steel blades is likely to be the Super stars as well?

[jholen]

Thanks for the clarification! I was super confused after unwrapping my "Crystals" to not see any such logo on the blade.. it all makes sense now, or more sense than just a few minutes ago! Great work!

[Stubbles]

Do you think this blue 100-pack Personna Platinum stainless steel blades is likely to be the Super stars as well?
Well, I have a box of these. One one of the smaller sides they say: "Superior Technology from American Safety Razor Co., U.S.A" but the EAN Code search of 8850662161081 at http://www.ean-search.org/perl/ean-search.pl?ean=8850662161081
returns : "Issuing country: TH" which looks more Thai than Israeli to my untrained eye.

But according to http://www.adams1.com/pub/russadam/new.html:

Does the EAN number indicate the country of origin of a product?

No it doesn't. The 3-digit prefix code indicates which numbering organization has allocated the bank of numbers to the company. For example, a company may have it's headquarters in South Africa. The EAN organization in South Africa has the code "600", but all the products of the company may be manufactured in England. The English-made products would still have the "600" prefix code. The prefix code is a way to have 70-plus EAN member organizations issuing numbers without having to worry about duplicate numbers. A list of country codes can be found here.

So we're still ignorant but in more detail.

[mikelward]

Thanks for looking into that Stubbles.

If you have a box, why not just open it up? We should be able to tell by the appearance of the blade wrapper or the blade itself. :-)

Cheers!

[brz90]

On Personna UK's website there are eleven different varieties of blade listed, though some of the listings appear to be just quantity based, ie 250's wrapped or 2000s unwrapped.
More to the point the unmarked blades that look like Tescos or Boots come in two varieties - coated or uncoated. So the blades that look the same might not be the same at all!
There are also some old fashioned rounded three hole carbon steel blades.
They seem to be intended for OEM wholesale and redistribution or medical use. But in 250s for someone who likes them they might be a good deal.
http://www.personna-uk.co.uk/productSearch.asp?item=12&button2=Go!&offset=0
A pic:
http://www.personna-uk.co.uk/images/prodImages/60-0138.jpg

[Stubbles]

Thanks for looking into that Stubbles.

If you have a box, why not just open it up? We should be able to tell by the appearance of the blade wrapper or the blade itself. :-)
Cheers!
Sorry, I thought you had seen them. I was in the mindset that given the photos of all the different types on here that physical appearance wouldn't be the deciding factor (because they look different again).

FWIW I'd place them between a Dorco & a Derby for aggressiveness.

NB: the wrapper is just plain white paper. They come in a standard cellophane-wrapped white plastic box of 5.

[mikelward]

That looks the same as the Red Personnas (http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=13315).

Thanks a lot for posting that!

In case I didn't mention, the blades were on sale at hbbb.com.au.

[Jarmo P]

Yes stubbles, the blade look like red Personnas. They are good forgiving blades.
Glad I have them from John in cardboard packages of 5 instead plastic ones.

[RecentRunes]

Re: Boots blades. This is very depressing. Was going to give them a go, but having a look in my local Boots, their own brand razors appear to be re-packaged Wilkinson Swords (German made), and the WS' dont agree with me.

Might have to try out the Tesco's ones tho'.

RR

[Aevum]

actually, the last report was that boots replaced their israely made with korean made dorcos, which are as dull as my witt,

btw, stubbles, thanks, i know a shop that has the same personnas you mentioned at 75 cents a 10 pack,
http://www.casa-rodriguez.com/index.php?ver=detalles&secc=1&prod=10915

the thing is that 75 cents is a bit short for a for an mail order, now im a bit more confident,

as for my dealings with blades in israel, i look around when i go visit my brother, i found personna 10 pack, but there were horrible, i suspect that the blades themselfs were not personna, and my brother found some eddison blades, which were a israely manufacturer which rebadged US personna products, he didnt like the results either, it seems that isrealy made blades are mostly for export,

[iamdarkangel2005]

Hello All,

I have being confused as well, but I have finally found out what was done with this blades.

PERSONNA RED BLADES = LORD PLATINUM CLASS BLADES. :eek::w00t:

The personna blades come in same packaging as Lord Blades, but since there would be a problem on packaging, customers removed since it would day "Made in Egypt" thus comflicting the true Irsaeli Personna blades which are "Made in Israel". The Red Personnas were manufactured under a private label for the American Safety Razor years ago but were discontinued due to conflict of interest. What ever is circulating around are left overs of the blades order a while back.

I think, you can officially call them Lord Personnas as this were not approved by the Original Israeli Personnas ( SUPER Platinum). Although this are great blades, these are not recognized by American Safety Razor anymore.

The lord Platinum Class Blades are actually the same blades as personna red but with their original label which is LORD. I hope this helps this case and hope that someone does let me know about what to call the RED Personnas... Now that is the question!

Please see attachment for review... This is what I am talking about regarding packaging!

Hope this helps with confusion! :).

Have a great day guys!

Dark

[Ltltony]

John,
Any chance you might start stocking the TESCO version?
Potentially, if I can find someone willing to work with me. The blades are distributed by Personna UK, and they are not allowed to sell to this market, and vice versa with American Safety Razor, USA. I could always buy direct from one of the sellers, Boots, Asda, etc..., but it's cost prohibitive. I'm working on another chanel and may have some information soon.


Hey John,
Any progress on this front?

[doctorsimon]

very informative. thank you.

[letterk]

Dark, interesting information. Where did you get it? I'll have to check, but I think the Red Personna blades I'm getting are still being made. I remember seeing a date on the external packaging.


Hey John,
Any progress on this front?

Unfortunately, someone got to someone and my lead dried up. I'm working on another method.

[iamdarkangel2005]

Letterk,

I got information from a reliable source and I am 100% sure it is reliable. Where do you get your Red Personnas, perhaps you might want to ask them where they make them. I have being wanted to get the Red Personnas, but unable to :(.

I think that should be enough proof about the Lord Personnas :).

Have a great day guys!,

Dark

[Aevum]

another confirmation as for the plastic pack personnas, 18.65 euros for a 200 blade pillar in 20 packs of 10 blades,
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee57/Aevum1/P1000990.jpg
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee57/Aevum1/P1000991.jpg

the come in the same blue and white pillar,

[iamdarkangel2005]

Aevum,

Nice find! Who is the maker of these blades? As far as I know, Lord stopped production on the Personna. I guess another company is not manufactoring the new ones.

Those look nice ;),

Dark

[letterk]

Letterk,

I got information from a reliable source and I am 100% sure it is reliable. Where do you get your Red Personnas, perhaps you might want to ask them where they make them. I have being wanted to get the Red Personnas, but unable to :(.

I think that should be enough proof about the Lord Personnas :).

Have a great day guys!,

Dark

The Red Personnas are made in Israel and packaged in Mexico. Are you saying you haven't tried the Red Personnas?

[iamdarkangel2005]

John,

Yes, that is correct! I have to try them out.

Though it is true, this are not intended for American Saftey Razor Co. Since they are packaged in Mexico then something is going on... Uhmm.. :). Great info, thank you letterk :).

Dark

[letterk]

John,

Yes, that is correct! I have to try them out.

Though it is true, this are not intended for American Saftey Razor Co. Since they are packaged in Mexico then something is going on... Uhmm.. :). Great info, thank you letterk :).

Dark

Yes, they are a bit weird and I'm not sure what is going on between the Israeli plant and ASR. As you said, ASR knows nothing about them and doesn't seem to want to.

[Aevum]

i spoke to the woman in the shop, she has no idea where they are made, all i know is that they come in a 20 pack with 10 blades per loader, in the blue and white pillar pictured before, and at 18,65 euros for 200 blades, im happy as a pig in shit (if you excuse my french),

[iamdarkangel2005]

Aevum,
It would be nice to see where thouse come from. I recently got some Lord Dispensers and loked some what to that of the personna, but they are 1/2 the quantity. Is there any info in the package its self?

Though, I find them to be very expensive. :).

Dark

[Shave Cat]

John,

Yes, that is correct! I have to try them out.

Though it is true, this are not intended for American Saftey Razor Co. Since they are packaged in Mexico then something is going on... Uhmm.. :). Great info, thank you letterk :).

Dark
Dark,

What I also find interesting is that the wrappers of my red pack Personna blades has "American Safety Razor" with a Virginia address printed on them. According to the ASR website, their North American headquarters is in New Jersey, with facilities in Tennessee, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. I know, at one time, their headquarters was in Virginia, but I no longer find a reference to that location on their website. I know, if I were American Safety Razor, and my name was appearing on an unauthorized product, I would be trying to get to the bottom of this.

-Clarke

[letterk]

Dark,

What I also find interesting is that the wrappers of my red pack Personna blades has "American Safety Razor" with a Virginia address printed on them. According to the ASR website, their North American headquarters is in New Jersey, with facilities in Tennessee, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. I know, at one time, their headquarters was in Virginia, but I no longer find a reference to that location on their website. I know, if I were American Safety Razor, and my name was appearing on an unauthorized product, I would be trying to get to the bottom of this.

-Clarke

There still is a facility in VA.

And yes, the funny thing is ASR doesn't care about them.

[sol92258]

There still is a facility in VA.

And yes, the funny thing is ASR doesn't care about them..

it's like they're red-packaged step-blades, or something....:biggrin:

[Aevum]

they ride the short "red" bus,

the weird bit is that the pillar says they are made from swidish steel,

[ecohawk]

That was really helpful. Thank you.

[Aevum]

maybe theres someone out there sitting on a huge NOS shipment somewhere....

[iamdarkangel2005]

Perhaps,

Or maybe there is a manufacturer in Mexico and sending out that merchandise!

Uhmm.... Who knows!

[grasslander]

Thanks John, great info. I just ordered a pack of 5 to try from that exact guy on ebay, and I was hopeful since they say Made In Israel right on the blade, that these should be the original, much celebrated ones - now I know, and I'm really looking forward to trying them:) Now here's another idea - how much do you know about all the various Gillettes? I'm too new to this to write a post myself (or maybe I just haven't dug through the posts enough), or perhaps I'm the only one who's confused - I've wanted to try the green pack Russian Gillettes (Super Stainless, I believe?), because their reviews are so good on here, and they come in the all paper/cardboard packaging that I want, but I seem to read a different actual country of manufacture everywhere I find them! LOL Plus, I can't seem to find just a pack of 5 anyplace - who wants 50 of something they may not end up liking? I know, me neither! LOL Thanks again for a great post! Ryan

[Aevum]

weird, red personnas dont say "made in israel" on the blade,
the Blue personnas, aka Isreali personnas do,
dont confuse the 2/3 personna blades out there

IP/Blue Personna -> a bit sharper, but a bit less smooth, say "made in israel"
Red Personna -> a bit less sharp, but smoother and nicer, only print saying anything about leocation states that they are distributed from Virginia, USA,
4 Arrow (due to print on blade) US Peronnas - Smooth as bathtub liquier, sharp as someone who drinks that same liquier on a regular basis, i suspect they are made out of recycled PBR "beer" cans,

[cv2_r]

Thanks, Letter K, for the intro to Israeli blades.

1. What is the best Israeli blade around?

2. And, if anyone can answer this one, much appreciated, - 'are there DE blades that are thicker than others? I believe Gillette blues, up to 1960, were thicker than today's thin blades, which apparently are not ideal in vintage razor....many thanks.

[Aevum]

1) there is no best, some like the Blue personnas better, and some like the Red personnas better, actually, for me, BP go best with the vision, while the RP go best with a HD merkur,

2) yes, they use to be thicker, thats why some vintage blades are sometimes better shaves then actual blades, the change in composition and manufacturing process, aswell as cost cutting as profit margins went down has thinned out the blade,

[RichGem]

- I've wanted to try the green pack Russian Gillettes (Super Stainless, I believe?), because their reviews are so good on here,



If you mean the Gillette 7 o'Clock blades made in St. Petersburg, PM me and I'll send you a pack.

[PeachyKleen]

Interesting thoughts Dark...

If ASR could just admit that Egyptian's and Israeli's were both excellent blade manufacturers, this could be the dawn of a new age of peace in the Middle East.

DE Shavers could bridge the gap of misunderstanding, bringing Jews and Muslims, Arabs and Israelis closer together and with a closer shave.

I am not sure if Badgers are Kosher or Halal, but for the sake of peace and a bilious lather, we may have to make an exception!

Anyone notice that the religious extremists on both sides tend to have beards?
Shave for Peace!

[apswartz]

Wow! I see! No, wait! It is still so confusing! :sosp:

[letterk]

Thanks, Letter K, for the intro to Israeli blades.

1. What is the best Israeli blade around?

2. And, if anyone can answer this one, much appreciated, - 'are there DE blades that are thicker than others? I believe Gillette blues, up to 1960, were thicker than today's thin blades, which apparently are not ideal in vintage razor....many thanks.

The "best" is very personal. I can't answer that question.

[Island Brian]

Get this. They guy who sells the white Israeli blades - the "Crystal blade" - on Ebay (dssokhey) is running a sale. He's lowered the price from $9.99 to $4.99. BUT! He increased the already unreasonable shipping/handling from $7.50 to $9.75 (from New York), so he recaptures $2.25, bringing the savings down to $2.75.

Maybe this is a well known and trustworthy seller, but between that and his hysteronics I am reluctant to buy from him. I tried the blade in a sampler and liked it, but I am loathe to patronize this fellow, who's listing says: "DO NOT BE CONFUSED BY CERTAIN UNSCRUPULOUS PERSONS TRYING TO USE THE POPULARITY OF THESE ISRAELI PERSONNA BLADES TO EARN A BUCK! READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE:" and points to this thread, which actually gives a lot of information about the Red IPs, but not too much about the "Crystal blade" IPs that come in the white package.

Please let me know your thoughts on this seller and his practices.

[Aevum]

the crystals are the blue personna, their slightly sharper, but not as smooth, and around $12 to $15 shipped is the normal ebay price for a box of 100,

personaly, i like reds better, and i can source them localy here, so no problem,
if you dont like what a guy is selling on ebay, dont buy from him, it wouldnt be the first guy to put unresonable prices on the bay,

[letterk]

Get this. They guy who sells the white Israeli blades - the "Crystal blade" - on Ebay (dssokhey) is running a sale. He's lowered the price from $9.99 to $4.99. BUT! He increased the already unreasonable shipping/handling from $7.50 to $9.75 (from New York), so he recaptures $2.25, bringing the savings down to $2.75.

Maybe this is a well known and trustworthy seller, but between that and his hysteronics I am reluctant to buy from him. I tried the blade in a sampler and liked it, but I am loathe to patronize this fellow, who's listing says: "DO NOT BE CONFUSED BY CERTAIN UNSCRUPULOUS PERSONS TRYING TO USE THE POPULARITY OF THESE ISRAELI PERSONNA BLADES TO EARN A BUCK! READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE:" and points to this thread, which actually gives a lot of information about the Red IPs, but not too much about the "Crystal blade" IPs that come in the white package.

Please let me know your thoughts on this seller and his practices.

Actually, he points to this thread (http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5501). To give Deb credit, the Red packs actually say "Personna" on them while the Super+ blades do not. If you didn't know anything about the blue blades, you'd be abt to call the red blades Israeli Personnas.

[Island Brian]

Actually, he points to this thread (http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5501). To give Deb credit, the Red packs actually say "Personna" on them while the Super+ blades do not. If you didn't know anything about the blue blades, you'd be abt to call the red blades Israeli Personnas.

I think I got it. I ordered both because I have sampled and liked them both!

Thanks, Gents.

[kmccullum]

I went to the ASR web site www.personna.com and looked at the contacts page. I noticed that Verona, VA isn't for the wet shaving division. It's for their Industrial/Specialty division. If they are being 'Distributed' by the Verona plant, perhaps that's why the Cedar Knolls, NJ location has no knowledge of them. But if this were true it would indicate poor communication between divisions.

[Aevum]

or that the red personna blades arent ment for shaving,
but i still like them,

[letterk]

I went to the ASR web site www.personna.com and looked at the contacts page. I noticed that Verona, VA isn't for the wet shaving division. It's for their Industrial/Specialty division. If they are being 'Distributed' by the Verona plant, perhaps that's why the Cedar Knolls, NJ location has no knowledge of them. But if this were true it would indicate poor communication between divisions.

No, my rep went up the chain and no one is saying anything about them other than "we don't know."

[iamdarkangel2005]

Umm...

That is very intersting... Keep digging, we might find something ;).

Have a great one!

Dark

[iamdarkangel2005]

Ok guys!

The Red Personna are officially not manufactured in Israel but in another country. Still digging where exactly. Will update soon! I am very close. Want to give the right info before I make my final word.

Dark

[letterk]

Ok guys!

The Red Personna are officially not manufactured in Israel but in another country. Still digging where exactly. Will update soon! I am very close. Want to give the right info before I make my final word.

Dark

How did you get that information? The external and internal case packaging clearly states made in Israel and packaged in Mexico. My latest case was dated 2004, clearly before anyone really cared where they were made, so I'm not sure why they would lie about that. It also makes me wonder if they are in fact still made. This would also explain why ASR doesn't know anything about them now. Regardless, there appears to be a large source, so we shouldn't run out any time soon.

[iamdarkangel2005]

LetterK,

From what I have gathered, these items are "NEW OLD STOCK". I know that new packaging will be appearing very soon and this will be dated this year. I guess that is why the blades are at a very good price. Regarding the information :), i am a good investigator JEJEJE. I haven't even seen the external packaging, not even 1 single box yet. I have some samples coming soon so I will post some more findings :).

Have a great one guys,

Dark

[letterk]

LetterK,

From what I have gathered, these items are "NEW OLD STOCK". I know that new packaging will be appearing very soon and this will be dated this year. I guess that is why the blades are at a very good price. Regarding the information :), i am a good investigator JEJEJE. I haven't even seen the external packaging, not even 1 single box yet. I have some samples coming soon so I will post some more findings :).

Have a great one guys,

Dark

That may very well be true, don't know myself, but that doesn't explain why everything points to being made in Israel, but you claim they aren't.

[rav]

Guys,

If there is a lot of questions about the origins and where these are made, should we be using them? I mean we don't know what quality control processes are in place, their history, etc.

Or am I being paranoid?

[Aevum]

dont worry, no one here has gotten aids off them, as far as i know....
and they seem quite consistant, they are my day to day blade,

if you feel a bit paranoid, you could spray them with some sort of disinfectant before using,

[mountaineer]

Ok, you just freaked me out a bit talking about AIDS from blades! :eek: hah.

I have been using these blades from my sample pack and just ran out this morning so I was searching for what they actually are. Thanks for this thread, it helped me out tremendously, these seem to be the blades for my face, as long as I don't catch any communicable diseases from them!

[Aevum]

sorry about the aids thing, it was kind of a dark humor joke,

as far as i know, DE blades are usualy machine cut and sharpened from premade metal sheets or strips, the human interaction in DE blade making is basicly to feed the sheet/strip in to the machine, it seems very unlikly that an operator with an infeccious disease could contaminate a blade, becuase theres no human interaction during the cutting and sharpening process, plus, most blood born diseases die out when exposed to the elements, contact has to be human to human, or atleast mantain a constant humidity, so, never use a DE blade that was in a humid/wet wrapper, and you should be safe,

[mountaineer]

Yeah, I figured it was a little dark humor. :) It sure didn't stop me from ordering a 100-pack today!

[Oel]

On german Xbay you can get the red Personnas with the chinese (or maybe japanese?) letters. These blades perform suprior compared to the other red Personnas to me. Not sure if the seller ships to the USA, but maybe someone is inerested in them and wants to ask the seller for shipping to the USA. For me, these are the real red Personnas smooth and sharp. They cannot be found very often and worth a try.

[iamdarkangel2005]

Good Morning Guys,

So After a long investigation and information given by my sources here is what I have found.

1. There are 3 types of Red Personna Blades. The 3 come from different places and all have different looks. But there is a newer design for 1 of them which is the current one sold from old stock.

a. The first one is the Red Pack from Egypt which was not produced in a large quantity and ASR discontinued that item a few years ago. The box was design differently and the blades had the same wrapping paper as the Lord Blades. The blade which was used for this was this model was the Lord Platinum. This was the beginning of the Red Pack Personna.
I have included a picture which should be the first one. (Pictures in Order)

b. After ASR and Lord Departed ways, ASR made kept the same package and but replaced the blade which is the popular one. Again, this blade is not from Israel but actually from ASR themselves. The blades are sent to Mexico and Package there and then back to US, there could be many other plants but I don't currently know. I am also told that there are some blades which are designed in Israel and made there, but the stainless steel comes from Verona. Here is the next one. #2

c. The third one is the well known package which everyone knows as RED Pack IP. Again, this is the same Blade but Package was Redesign to the current Look. Now this was the blade and package standard for a few years. I am not sure the origin but like the #2, the stainless steel comes from US sent to Israel and Packaged in Mexico and sent back to US.
Here is the picture #3


2. So, I mention that there will be a new design. No one has seen this before and it is what I call a "For your eyes only" :). JEJEJE:w00t::tongue_sm

The package has changed and now with the Personna Letters which actually belong to personna ( it has the word Platinum) and on the main package it does contain ASR 1875. It does say NEW/NUEVO/NOVO on the package and it even has an UPC code on it. I may say that this looks much better and attractive. Blades are currently sold to Latin America, Middle East and US. Guys! Enjoy and let me know what you think of the information.

3. I must also appologize for making people so affraid, it was not my intention. I am doing this for information and origin to post the right info. I have to thank all the guys who exchanged samples as this gave me more info towards this result.

Thank you guys and have a great day!

Dark!

[Etoyoc_Rebmos]

Is this finally the end of the mystery?

Thanks Dark.

[iamdarkangel2005]

Yes Coyote,

This will be my final though!

Hope this is informational!

Dark

[Aevum]

Good Morning Guys,

So After a long investigation and information given by my sources here is what I have found.

1. There are 3 types of Red Personna Blades. The 3 come from different places and all have different looks. But there is a newer design for 1 of them which is the current one sold from old stock.

a. The first one is the Red Pack from Egypt which was not produced in a large quantity and ASR discontinued that item a few years ago. The box was design differently and the blades had the same wrapping paper as the Lord Blades. The blade which was used for this was this model was the Lord Platinum. This was the beginning of the Red Pack Personna.
I have included a picture which should be the first one. (Pictures in Order)

b. After ASR and Lord Departed ways, ASR made kept the same package and but replaced the blade which is the popular one. Again, this blade is not from Israel but actually from ASR themselves. The blades are sent to Mexico and Package there and then back to US, there could be many other plants but I don't currently know. I am also told that there are some blades which are designed in Israel and made there, but the stainless steel comes from Verona. Here is the next one. #2

c. The third one is the well known package which everyone knows as RED Pack IP. Again, this is the same Blade but Package was Redesign to the current Look. Now this was the blade and package standard for a few years. I am not sure the origin but like the #2, the stainless steel comes from US sent to Israel and Packaged in Mexico and sent back to US.
Here is the picture #3


2. So, I mention that there will be a new design. No one has seen this before and it is what I call a "For your eyes only" :). JEJEJE:w00t::tongue_sm

The package has changed and now with the Personna Letters which actually belong to personna ( it has the word Platinum) and on the main package it does contain ASR 1875. It does say NEW/NUEVO/NOVO on the package and it even has an UPC code on it. I may say that this looks much better and attractive. Blades are currently sold to Latin America, Middle East and US. Guys! Enjoy and let me know what you think of the information.

3. I must also appologize for making people so affraid, it was not my intention. I am doing this for information and origin to post the right info. I have to thank all the guys who exchanged samples as this gave me more info towards this result.

Thank you guys and have a great day!

Dark!


I´ve seen 2 of those 3 designs,
the first is the oldest one, top left pictures, i got them from a chinese bazar, they are horrible, rough and shaving with them was unpleasent,
the other ones i´ve tried the upper right ones, which are my favorite,

now, you are missing the 4th package design, which is like this,
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee57/Aevum1/P1000990.jpg
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee57/Aevum1/P1000991.jpg

[iamdarkangel2005]

Aevum,

Where are those sold? I still haven't seen those yet. I haven't had a chance to see it in person yet. Does anyone know the origin of that one? I guess i missed that one...

Thank you for your input!

Dark

[Oel]

You can get them here:

http://www.rasurpur.de/shop/shop.html

This is a german dealer. To see these Personnas you need to klick on "Rasierhobel und Klingen" and then scroll down the page. Click on the Personna-dispenser pic at the bottom of the page to enlarge.

There are also chinese blades out there as seen here
http://www.importia.com/foto/persona2.jpg

and here

http://www.importia.com/foto/persona4.jpg

These chinese blades are double wrapped, fixed with four little spots of glue in their wrapper and for me they perform a little superior compared to any other red personnas I have tried.

Here are also chinese Personnas, note the difference between the left and the right package:

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/1jjw-1-jpg.html

You can see the red outher wrapper and the white inner wrapper on this pic.

[Aevum]

i picked up a 200 pack, comes in a blue and white pillar, picked them up in a barber supply shop in a mall here in madrid, 19 euros for 200 blades,

[rav]

You know I tried the Red Personnas in the sampler pack and really liked them. However, the question about their origin still keeps on coming up and I just can't get my head round, buying them in bulk if I don't know where they come from. Maybe my thought process is simple, but why wouldn't someone just turn around and say, yeah they are manufactured by XXXX and distributed by YYYY and we are one of the re-distributors.

It's one of those, that if they can be sourced, then someone should know definitively where they are made. I just have the thought that if we don't know where they are made how can we be sure about their quality control etc.

Surely, it shouldn't be that hard for the retailers to ask their suppliers to tell us what factory and company made them? Someone has to be sourcing them from the factory.

Anyway, I suppose I've said my bit and I better try those Dorcos and Derbys again, those were the other two in the sample pack that I liked.

[letterk]

You know I tried the Red Personnas in the sampler pack and really liked them. However, the question about their origin still keeps on coming up and I just can't get my head round, buying them in bulk if I don't know where they come from. Maybe my thought process is simple, but why wouldn't someone just turn around and say, yeah they are manufactured by XXXX and distributed by YYYY and we are one of the re-distributors.

It's one of those, that if they can be sourced, then someone should know definitively where they are made. I just have the thought that if we don't know where they are made how can we be sure about their quality control etc.

Surely, it shouldn't be that hard for the retailers to ask their suppliers to tell us what factory and company made them? Someone has to be sourcing them from the factory.

Anyway, I suppose I've said my bit and I better try those Dorcos and Derbys again, those were the other two in the sample pack that I liked.

It's been said many times, but here it is again. They're made by the American Safety Razor plant in Israel. They're packaged in Mexico. They're imported to the US, probably "grey" market, which is why ASR in the US doesn't want to claim them.

[Dharion]

There are also chinese blades out there as seen here:drool: They came in as a sampler (added by the online retailer) to my Merkur Progress. Aside from the mighty feathers these are my all time favorite. Just bought a cheap 100 pack for 8,90€ (plus 2,5€ shipping).

[rav]

It's been said many times, but here it is again. They're made by the American Safety Razor plant in Israel. They're packaged in Mexico. They're imported to the US, probably "grey" market, which is why ASR in the US doesn't want to claim them.

Thanks LetterK,

I'm sorry I must have missed the information that you presented here.

This makes perfect sense and is something that I have seen with other companies and grey items.

Thanks again for re-stating this information. I will be trying the Red Personna's again and will not hesitate to buy them if they become my go to blade.

Rav.

[Oel]

:drool: They came in as a sampler (added by the online retailer) to my Merkur Progress. Aside from the mighty feathers these are my all time favorite. Just bought a cheap 100 pack for 8,90€ (plus 2,5€ shipping).

I got them toot and these are my favourite!!!:thumbup:

[expatCanuck]

The former editor in me wonders if we could change this thread title from "Iraeli Made" to "Israeli Made"?
Please?

[iamdarkangel2005]

JAJAJAJA!

Yes, I just noticed. I guess we are so into not noticing... to me i read it like Israeli...

But I guess everyone understands.

Dark

[iamdarkangel2005]

Hello Guys,

I want to wish you guys a Merry Christmas and hope you get all your wishes come true.

So I thought I had finished my investigation, but I have to add one more thing!

I presented to you the new design of the red pack personna, but actually that would be the old design for Latin America for 2007!. The 2008 is now what I see to be the 2008-2009 design. It has the official personna USA logo and this blades do say: Blades Made in Israel. My though is that the steel belongs to ASR and then sent to Israel then back to US Finished. These are the Official Red Packs for US 2008-2009.

Box Design was actually changed a little bit and made a few adjustments. This new box lacks a UPC code and has both designs on each side.

I will now be carrying and distribute the new 2008-2009 Stock. Thank you guys for your constant support and Merry Christmas!:w00t:

See Pictures Below:

[Rousey]

Thanks for the review of the Israli blades John; as a Brit I regulary shop in Tesco and was only looking at their DE blades the other day and wondering who makes them and what they are like. Now I know; I shall pick up a pack with my next grocery shop.

Cheers, Rousey

[Ltltony]

I'm still holding out hope that John will find a source for the "tesco" blades.

[Aevum]

arent newer Tesco blades made by Dorco ?

[iamdarkangel2005]

Aevum

As far as i know Dorco doesn't make Tesco Blades. Those come from Personna and they are the ones that come in bulk of 250, I called them barber blades. But they are personna and they are sharp.

Dark

[Aevum]

sorry, i mistook them for the boots blades, use to be IP, now dorco,

[iamdarkangel2005]

If Tescos are new from Dorco. Then I will have on next order ;).

Thank you for the info. Do you like them in 10pks or 100?

Dark

[bubalu]

I have not thought about Personna blades in a while since the Americans and the IPs gave me the same mediocre performance in my SS. I now have a Fatboy and I have discovered that the American Ps are fantastic used in this device. So, this brings me back a few years ago when it seemed to me that the American Personnas, IPs, ASR Walmarts, CV's, Albertson's or whatever ASR performed the same given that they are identified as platinum chrome or platinum or chromium. My question: Is there absolute proof that these blades made in different countries are made to different specs? Or, are these really the same blades (same specs) made in different countries, but in different packaging?

[iamdarkangel2005]

Babalu,

To your answer! It is hard to say, but Squire from another forum has posted detail information and review each blade and finds different specifications. Though, I can say my self that these Personna Blades are all different from each other. We have the US Personnas, The Crystal or Super+ Israeli, and the Red Packs, plus the bulk packaging. Different countries do different specifications, but i give you he information and you can decide yourself. That is why there is lots of confusion on which personna is the best.

I am not sure if I can post the link, but here it is for the detail reviews: Squire Details (http://www.shavemyface.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29705)

You see the reviews by these names: Crystal, Red Personna

Hope this is helpful!

Dark

[bubalu]

Babalu,

To your answer! It is hard to say, but Squire from another forum has posted detail information and review each blade and finds different specifications. Though, I can say my self that these Personna Blades are all different from each other. We have the US Personnas, The Crystal or Super+ Israeli, and the Red Packs, plus the bulk packaging. Different countries do different specifications, but i give you he information and you can decide yourself. That is why there is lots of confusion on which personna is the best.

I am not sure if I can post the link, but here it is for the detail reviews: Squire Details (http://www.shavemyface.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29705)

You see the reviews by these names: Crystal, Red Personna

Hope this is helpful!

Dark

Thank You! This is very good.

[porman]

I have the Personnas in the last photo of the first post.

I was wondering what you guys think of them, if anyone has tried them. They're pretty cheap and can be found in supermarkets in Sweden.

[motero57]

Hello Porman

Those are also the ones I use. I am able to buy them for 0,75 cent € for 1 pack of 10 plades. It is also cheap here in Spain.
I like them, they are smooth buy I do not go further than 3 shaves per blade.
Regards,

[porman]

I don't even go more than two shaves on those.

If I'm lucky two per each side of the blade. They're cheap as well. I get them for about 29 Swedish crowns (2.90 Euro) a pack.

[letterk]

I have not thought about Personna blades in a while since the Americans and the IPs gave me the same mediocre performance in my SS. I now have a Fatboy and I have discovered that the American Ps are fantastic used in this device. So, this brings me back a few years ago when it seemed to me that the American Personnas, IPs, ASR Walmarts, CV's, Albertson's or whatever ASR performed the same given that they are identified as platinum chrome or platinum or chromium. My question: Is there absolute proof that these blades made in different countries are made to different specs? Or, are these really the same blades (same specs) made in different countries, but in different packaging?

I have high level confirmation that these blades are made to different specifications depending on the customer.

[Aevum]

2,90 euros a pack is expensive, here in spain they cost arond 1.10 to 0.90 euro a pack at some shops, and go down to 75 cents a pack if order from casa rodriguez,
i get 2-3 shaves out of them, but at 9 cents a blade, i dont really care,

[porman]

It might be expensive for you, but I merely converted the cost into euros which might be a bad idea, since that currency is very different in value in various countries.

Let me try again. For the same price I get those blades, I get four litres of milk or one beer at a mid priced bar.

[iamdarkangel2005]

Porman,

So it is expensive? It does sound like I would rather get the milk or the beer instead of the blades. JAJAJAJA!

I would choose milk!

Dark

[porman]

Milk is actually kind of cheap in Sweden.

30 Swedish kronor isn't that much.

10 Personna = 29 SEK
5 Gillette platinum = 55 SEK
10 Merkur = 50 SEK
10 Feather = 50 SEK

Btw, what are the Personna's on the bottom of the picture called?

[iamdarkangel2005]

If I recall correctly,

I think they are call Tesco's, but for the single wrapping which comes in bulk of 250. Those are called USA Personna for Barbershops. Any barber will know what they are! Please correct me if I am wrong on the Tesco's.

Dark

[Aevum]

my brother leocated the factory somewhere north of haifa, in israel, but they dont seem to respond well to local customers, all their product is dedicated to export,

[nrek619]

If I recall correctly,

I think they are call Tesco's, but for the single wrapping which comes in bulk of 250. Those are called USA Personna for Barbershops. Any barber will know what they are! Please correct me if I am wrong on the Tesco's.

Darknoob question.....I see you have some of these on your Bay store. wondering if you shaved with these and what other DE razor would you compare them to?

[DunEdinRanger]

my brother leocated the factory somewhere north of haifa, in israel, but they dont seem to respond well to local customers, all their product is dedicated to export,

That sounds rather clandestine and nefarious.

[iamdarkangel2005]

Nrek619,

I didn't understand your question on the personna blade. Do you want me to compare to razor or the blade? The blades are compared to the Walmart Personna.

Yes, I have shaved with that blade. Too sharp, I got a cut accross my upper left lip. I was at work with a line on my face for about 4 days till it healed.

Hope this answers your question!

Dark

[greenbackcut]

Thank you. Well done.:smile:

[Aevum]

aslong as you´re not picking up those horrible blades that cost 2 shekel in shook ha carmel in tel aviv, i picked up a pack of those last year and after the first pass the entire pack ended up in the trash,

[naknik]

aslong as you´re not picking up those horrible blades that cost 2 shekel in shook ha carmel in tel aviv, i picked up a pack of those last year and after the first pass the entire pack ended up in the trash,

I'm buying them at the drug store !
they are super stainless steel , polymer coated .
here's a pic :

[Shadoglare]

Are the new "red pack" Personna blades now being sold in the WalMart packs?

This is a photo of the pack I bought from WalMart a month or so ago, that I was not real impressed with. But I got a sample-pack from West Coast a couple of weeks ago that has the red-pack Personnas in it, and they look like the same blades.

I also noticed that the WalMart pack still states "Dispense in direction of arrows" when there are no arrows on the blades - this totally confused me at first :tongue_sm

Anyway, I was wondering if they came from the same birthplace or not, as I was not real happy with them and was wondering if I should even bother trying the reds or not.

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk137/Stargaze71/Shaving/wmart_pers.jpg

[Shadoglare]

Are the new "red pack" Personna blades now being sold in the WalMart packs?

Just now noticed a difference in the blades - these WalMart ones, even though they look nearly identical now to the red-pack ones, have "Made in USA" printed along the side. The red-pack ones I received have the "ABCD" marking.
I guess I will still have to give the red-packs a chance after all :tongue:

[Fnord5]

Finally, someone corrected the spelling of Israeli.

Been driving me nuts for months.:tongue:

[VR6ofpain]

Are the new "red pack" Personna blades now being sold in the WalMart packs?

This is a photo of the pack I bought from WalMart a month or so ago, that I was not real impressed with. But I got a sample-pack from West Coast a couple of weeks ago that has the red-pack Personnas in it, and they look like the same blades.

I also noticed that the WalMart pack still states "Dispense in direction of arrows" when there are no arrows on the blades - this totally confused me at first :tongue_sm

Anyway, I was wondering if they came from the same birthplace or not, as I was not real happy with them and was wondering if I should even bother trying the reds or not.

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk137/Stargaze71/Shaving/wmart_pers.jpg
I am glad someone else noticed this. How did your Walmart "red style" Personnas shave compared to the old Walmart "arrow" Personnas? I bought a pack of the new one's thinking they were Red Packs in disguise, but no one seemed to know what I was talking about. Glad to see you noticed a difference. I had not even noticed the dispenser still mentioning the old arrows! Nice catch.

I'll still give them a try, but it doesn't sound like I need to buy their whole stock anymore.:biggrin:

[thunderball]

Very interesting thread...hadn't seen it until now. I am just working my way through a few of the different blades talked about here so this is all good info. :biggrin:

[mmack66]

I am glad someone else noticed this. How did your Walmart "red style" Personnas shave compared to the old Walmart "arrow" Personnas? I bought a pack of the new one's thinking they were Red Packs in disguise, but no one seemed to know what I was talking about. Glad to see you noticed a difference. I had not even noticed the dispenser still mentioning the old arrows! Nice catch.

I'll still give them a try, but it doesn't sound like I need to buy their whole stock anymore.:biggrin:

That would be good if they are the same as the Red IP's. Though they are so inexpensive on eBay they aren't that much of a deal.

[VR6ofpain]

That would be good if they are the same as the Red IP's. Though they are so inexpensive on eBay they aren't that much of a deal.
I have never even used a Red IP (used to be a big fan of the ISP's sold under the Crystal name), but that would be cool to be able to pick them up in the dispenser. I hate paper wrapped blades (too much stuff to throw out), but all the blades I use come this way. The dispenser is so much better.

[Shadoglare]

They're not the same blade at all, although in appearance about the only way you can tell the difference is the WalMart one says "Made in USA" on the side, while the Israeli one has "A B C D" printed in the same spot.

So far my experience with the "red box" version has been much better than the WalMart version. The red box ones are very consistent and seem to last 2-3 shaves at least, while the WalMart ones I've had be dull right out of the pack, and ones that gave an amazingly smooth shave on shave 1 would start hacking into my face in the middle of shave 2.
As far as how they compare to the "arrow" versions I can't say as I've never used those ones...



I am glad someone else noticed this. How did your Walmart "red style" Personnas shave compared to the old Walmart "arrow" Personnas? I bought a pack of the new one's thinking they were Red Packs in disguise, but no one seemed to know what I was talking about. Glad to see you noticed a difference. I had not even noticed the dispenser still mentioning the old arrows! Nice catch.

I'll still give them a try, but it doesn't sound like I need to buy their whole stock anymore.:biggrin:

[VR6ofpain]

As far as how they compare to the "arrow" versions I can't say as I've never used those ones...
From your description it sounds like the "new" Walmart blades shave the same as the old arrow ones...badly.

I am in less of a rush to try these now. Thanks for the review.

[freddy88]

Getting back to the original packaging of the IP Reds...they remain one of my two favorite blades (the other is the Derby). What I have found interesting is that the men who like the IP red packs also tend to like the Derbys. I really dislike Crystals and am, unfortunately, mega-disappointed in the Feathers. The men who really like Feathers and/or Crystals are usually not too crazy about IP red packs or Derbys. My question is, are there stock beard types? Perhaps one's beard isn't as particular as one might have thought. Therefore, where the IP red packs are made or where the original metal comes from doesn't say as much about the quality of the blade as does a particular beard type. Are there particular beard types (as in a beard type fits into an A, B, C, D, E, or F blade)? Just wondering. :001_huh:

[blackfoot]

Getting back to the original packaging of the IP Reds...they remain one of my two favorite blades (the other is the Derby). What I have found interesting is that the men who like the IP red packs also tend to like the Derbys. I really dislike Crystals and am, unfortunately, mega-disappointed in the Feathers. The men who really like Feathers and/or Crystals are usually not too crazy about IP red packs or Derbys. My question is, are there stock beard types? Perhaps one's beard isn't as particular as one might have thought. Therefore, where the IP red packs are made or where the original metal comes from doesn't say as much about the quality of the blade as does a particular beard type. Are there particular beard types (as in a beard type fits into an A, B, C, D, E, or F blade)? Just wondering. :001_huh:

I doubt it. Personally, I like the Red Pack Israeli but am not crazy about the Derbys. I think the YMMV factor may be too active to make this kind of generalization. I wish you could. This would be great.

[freddy88]

I doubt it. Personally, I like the Red Pack Israeli but am not crazy about the Derbys. I think the YMMV factor may be too active to make this kind of generalization. I wish you could. This would be great.

Hey Blake, Thanks for another angle on this. :biggrin:

[blackfoot]

Hey Blake, Thanks for another angle on this. :biggrin:

Ironically, your post has me considering revisiting the derbys. Not now, but later.

[43moon]

Love my Reds, can't stand Derbys at all. I have tried using them a few times and they are just not for me.

[Incubus]

What category do these fall under??? Tesco?



I think those are the blades I'm looking for. I bought some when I first started DE shaving and the store is having problems with their supplier. I'll have to try the Dollar stores now.

[tlanning]

John,

Yes, that is correct! I have to try them out.

Though it is true, this are not intended for American Saftey Razor Co. Since they are packaged in Mexico then something is going on... Uhmm.. :). Great info, thank you letterk :).

Dark

This is why the reds are as cheap as they are????????MAYBE?

[pcb01]

Personnas (chrome platinum) are sold and branded by both Rite-Aid and WalMart in my area. The look identical, but my experience is that Rite-Aids are much superior. Neither hold a candle to the Israeli Reds or Crystals, though, IMHO.

[Jatte]

i got a pack of razor blades at a n antique store, it has the same logo as crystals on the blade but says made in england...

what are they ???????????????????????/

[billc508]

Thanks, that clears up a lot of confusion, except how does ASR not know who makes the Red Pack Personnna blades?

As we speak, I am looking at a package of my Israeli red pack blades and the labeling on the wrapper says "Distributed by American Safety Razor Co. Verona, Va." The blades say Personna Platinum Chrome. They give a very good shave in my opinion and seem to be about the same as the ones in the blue and white wrapper. I think the red packs are made more for the international trade since the blue and white wrapper is symbolic of the colors of the Israeli flag and the red pack is more politically neutral. I know it sounds odd but I did four tours in Israel, yes we have American bases there too, and everything in that part of the world has a political dimension. bc

[alejandro]

In South Florida there is a local chain of pharmacy stores called Navarro Discount Pharmacy (http://www.navarro.com/). The reason why I'm letting you know this, is because in letterk's first post in this thread, he tells us:


We have since learned that these blades are sold in the States under a few different brands, two of which are Crystal and Navarro.

So I went to my local Navarro and bought a pack of Navarro DE blades, aka Crystal or IP blades. The price was $1.77 for the 10 pack. A bargain considering that the "Premire Value" brand of blades was $4.99 (these were made in Korea). They also carry Wilkenson, but they were out...I don't remember how much they go for. It is nice to know that if I ever run out of blades, I can get good quality ones a few blocks away for a decent price.

Here is what the package looks like:

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/files/2/3/0/5/8/1_front.jpghttp://badgerandblade.com/gallery/files/2/3/0/5/8/3_inside.jpg

I also took the oppurtunity to buy my $4 Lord safety razor (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=34663&highlight=navarro), although I have no plans to test it out anytime soon. :wink:

Alex.

[jdlewallen]

I love the first ones up there - the "IP"s.

Haven't tried the "red packs", but hated the Derbys...too dull, I think, for my beard.

[DunEdinRanger]

Thanks for posting this Alex.

Always good to know where to get good, cheap blades when traveling to Miami.



In South Florida there is a local chain of pharmacy stores called Navarro Discount Pharmacy (http://www.navarro.com/). The reason why I'm letting you know this, is because in letterk's first post in this thread, he tells us:



So I went to my local Navarro and bought a pack of Navarro DE blades, aka Crystal or IP blades. The price was $1.77 for the 10 pack. A bargain considering that the "Premire Value" brand of blades was $4.99 (these were made in Korea). They also carry Wilkenson, but they were out...I don't remember how much they go for. It is nice to know that if I ever run out of blades, I can get good quality ones a few blocks away for a decent price.

Here is what the package looks like:

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/files/2/3/0/5/8/1_front.jpghttp://badgerandblade.com/gallery/files/2/3/0/5/8/3_inside.jpg

I also took the oppurtunity to buy my $4 Lord safety razor (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=34663&highlight=navarro), although I have no plans to test it out anytime soon. :wink:

Alex.

[taffy]

Been using the red pack lately and find them very very good for the price that i can get them here in the uk.

[eugene42]

Hey guys,

I live about 30 miles away from the plant. This thread has really piqued my interest. I don't currently wet shave but I've been lurking on this site for a week (after somebody from here commented on the gizmodo article) and reading up about it.

If it turns out some of the most appreciated safety razors are being manufactured less than one hours drive from me, what excuse do I have? :tongue_sm

So would you like me to do some investigative reporting?
The only info I could find is here: http://www.personna.com/personna/blades/corporate/contacts/ (click on the "locations wordwide" tab)

Called that number, got straight to a guy on the plant floor! I asked whether its possible for me to acquire some as a consumer and he said he isn't allowed to tell me much but that he'll take my number and somebody will phone me back.

I don't mind driving down there actually even. If you have any questions or stuff you'd like to find out, tell me and I'll try my best. We shall get to the bottom of this! :001_cool:

[mblakele]

I believe you should tell them that you are writing an article, and ask for a tour. By all means follow through with the article, as well.

[ferroburak]

Hey guys,

I live about 30 miles away from the plant. This thread has really piqued my interest. I don't currently wet shave but I've been lurking on this site for a week (after somebody from here commented on the gizmodo article) and reading up about it.

If it turns out some of the most appreciated safety razors are being manufactured less than one hours drive from me, what excuse do I have? :tongue_sm

So would you like me to do some investigative reporting?
The only info I could find is here: http://www.personna.com/personna/blades/corporate/contacts/ (click on the "locations wordwide" tab)

Called that number, got straight to a guy on the plant floor! I asked whether its possible for me to acquire some as a consumer and he said he isn't allowed to tell me much but that he'll take my number and somebody will phone me back.

I don't mind driving down there actually even. If you have any questions or stuff you'd like to find out, tell me and I'll try my best. We shall get to the bottom of this! :001_cool:

They are good blades but.. they're tricking us somewhat..

[iamdarkangel2005]

^^^^
Tricking Us???

I guess Eugene wasn't able to find out anything.. still waiting on his findings.

[eugene42]

Export market only, won't talk to me. Quite mysterious. Sorry. :(

[pras]

So there is still no resolution to the origin of these blades? Maybe since this thread started a couple of years ago, John may be able to try and re-investigate through his sources. Maybe there is some updated info.

Who knows?

[shamus]

The mystery continues....Personna, ASR are very quiet.

[iamdarkangel2005]

I thought I had solved the issue, but I guess not.

[sandmountainslim]

I thought I had solved the issue, but I guess not.

I THINK you solved it.

Red Pack's are made in Palestine by contract from ASR and are packaged in Mexico and are for export market only.

Correct?

Wp

[eugene42]

With all due respect, they are made in Israel.

[iamdarkangel2005]

Sandmountain,

actually not correct. Made in israel and packaged there. Different packing is then selected for the locations which are headed to. The ones I carry are made for me and USA distribution. The other ones I posted are packaged for mexico and south America. But finally these are Israeli made.

What I can all tell you right now is that demand is so high in other locations that I do not have much inventory. It might take some time till we have some more all over USA stores. Mainly WCS, Lee's and me!

Hope this clears all confusion. Take care guys!!

[pras]

With a resolution I was referring to ASR acknowledging these blades.

[iamdarkangel2005]

Pras,

To complicated to answer this. ASR does have knowledge of these blades. Though like I said before, since they are targeted in different locations of the world they only list the main information of the Headquarters in the packing.

If you notice on all blades it will say: Distributed by:

On these models that I carry, the ones made for UK, and the ones made for South America.

Hope this helps! Though still think there will be more about this.

Dark

[iamdarkangel2005]

Just an update!

This blades will now also be stock very soon. These blades were specially design for me since the package was made previously. The difference on these blades is that they have more blades per box. 10 blades instead of 5. This also has more information about the blades as previously explained. It even has the ASR logo.

Enjoy! 10pc Red Pack Personna (http://m.plixi.com/p/45740053)

[dynamo]

thanks for the info!

[drivingiron2]

Stock up?!!! With my favorites. How much is too much? I used to like Gillette "sweedes" until I got IP super+ in my Futur and bakelite. I hope to make my mind before I buy in bulk.

[Kbone]

Here's what West Coast Shaving says about Red Pack personnas:
Clarification on origin and labeling: The labeling states "Product produced, assembled and packaged with blades made by American Safety Razor Company - Since 1875. Staunton VA 24482, USA." The packaging is made and assembled in Mexico. Additionally, it states "Imported and distributed Personna International de Mexico." The blades are made in Israel, imported to Mexico where they do the final packaging.

[lungho]

I'm not saying you're wrong but I can't seem to bridge the logic. Why would a company send a ton of finished blades across the ocean to be packaged? It seems more logical that the packaging would fair better in shipping than un-packaged finished blades.

[Go West Young Man]

I'm not saying you're wrong but I can't seem to bridge the logic. Why would a company send a ton of finished blades across the ocean to be packaged? It seems more logical that the packaging would fair better in shipping than un-packaged finished blades.

I'm guessing that it has to do with performing just enough work in a NAFTA country to qualify for preferential tariffs and duties in North America, or something along those lines.

The Israeli plant manufactures all sorts of blades, it's probably simpler for them to put a bunch in a box in generic paper wrappers then move them to a low-labor-cost area to finish up the packaging according to local requirements rather than have to start and stop production lines depending on where the goods are going to end up.

[JonM]

I´ve seen 2 of those 3 designs,
the first is the oldest one, top left pictures, i got them from a chinese bazar, they are horrible, rough and shaving with them was unpleasent,
the other ones i´ve tried the upper right ones, which are my favorite,

now, you are missing the 4th package design, which is like this,
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee57/Aevum1/P1000990.jpg
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee57/Aevum1/P1000991.jpg

These are the ones I use as well. However, I got mine from an eBay seller for $18.75 for 100 (10 packs of 10) with free shipping. In fact, the listing is still up for them since he seems to have them in large supply. I can vouch for them. They're great blades.

[nero82]

Just read this whole thread because the red packs were my favourite blade out of my sampler a couple years back, so I bought 100 of them. They were the odd ones that came in the cardboard sleeve with each pack of five tucked into a cardboard "tongue" cut out of the sleeve. Now... I'm even more confused lol :D
Hopefully the "red packs" the store I got them from are the same now. They seem to be the "new design" red cardboard box.
Now if you will excuse me I need to go have a shave to clear my head.
*walks off mumbling about crystalredpackisraelipersonnaplatinumnewboxoldstyl eCONSPIRACY*

[ChrisF]

I got some Israeli Persona that look exactly the same as the picture for the 'Red' Persona, but the outside package they came in is black.
Is this just a packaging issue or are they some sort of different kind of persona?

[Alphonse]

"red personja"

[Arved]

Ok, you just freaked me out a bit talking about AIDS from blades! :eek: hah.

I have been using these blades from my sample pack and just ran out this morning so I was searching for what they actually are. Thanks for this thread, it helped me out tremendously, these seem to be the blades for my face, as long as I don't catch any communicable diseases from them!

Good "How It's Made" on DE Razor blades on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/e9PnTPIKd3g

[markmc]

I wasn't confused until now. I tried a sample pack, decided on the Red IP and ordered 100 Red IP UK packaging from you. I tried the first one today and it appears they are the Tesco blade instead of the Red IP going by the OP. White wax paper with absolutely no markings on the blades. Have you ran into this before?

[xillion]

Here is some info posted by John, letterk, in a recent thread regarding Israeli blades.


I was asked to pop in and provide more information. The information I posted in the original guide was correct on that date. Since then, much has happened. I don't think anything shown here is fake. I have yet to see any fake Crystals. There are, however, a few different variations. Over the years, I've seen probably 5 or so changes in packaging. Some came happened right after another. Right now, if you order Crystal from ASR, you can get at least two different versions, depending on where they are made. We have a special way of ordering to ensure we receive the correct blades. But even with that, things are changing. Now that ASR is owned by Energizer, they have access to BIC processing trade secrets and all their manufacturing processes will be upgraded. So Crystals today may not be the same as Crystals tomorrow.

Original thread:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/305788-Crystal-Israeli-in-plain-white-wrapper-Are-these-fakes

[El Judio Bravo]

Why, I don't know. But they demand our love. Even when they eat up each other, buying companies that look good and then changing the products into something the customer base doesn't like. Just when we get stuff more or less figured out they make us look elsewhere. I have a bit less than 700 blades on hand. Maybe I should buy more A) in case I live long enough to need them, and II) before they really do spring the Shavepocalypse on us and further choke the garbage dumps with non-biodegradable detritus made from a source that is too valuable -not to mention toxic- too burn or turn into plastic that isn't recycled. Insert profane exclamation of disgust here.

[drlvegas]

I wasn't confused until now. I tried a sample pack, decided on the Red IP and ordered 100 Red IP UK packaging from you. I tried the first one today and it appears they are the Tesco blade instead of the Red IP going by the OP. White wax paper with absolutely no markings on the blades. Have you ran into this before?

I just received my order of the same from WCS. WTF???

[malocchio]

Isn't the MEM CO. Israeli ??

[Carlanga]

Times might have somethings to do with it, but I bought a 100 blade box from Sam's Club for $9.99. Each pack has 5 blades and each pack says 'Made in Israel', the blade itself doesn't say it though. The pack box is red, but different than the one on the OP, the blade wrapper & blade look to be the same though.
Having bought the pack from Sam's Club should give these authenticity as original blades. If you guys want pics let me know.

[bryan1980]

Times might have somethings to do with it, but I bought a 100 blade box from Sam's Club for $9.99. Each pack has 5 blades and each pack says 'Made in Israel', the blade itself doesn't say it though. The pack box is red, but different than the one on the OP, the blade wrapper & blade look to be the same though.
Having bought the pack from Sam's Club should give these authenticity as original blades. If you guys want pics let me know.

I'd love to see some pics, I had no idea that Sam's sold DE blades.

[Carlanga]

I'd love to see some pics, I had no idea that Sam's sold DE blades.
Here are the pics, they come in 2X 50 blade boxes opened so you can see each pack and wrapped in transparent film. They are also selling the Personna M5 Magnum w/ 16 cartridges for $18.

[HoosierTrooper]

I'm going to check my local Sam's Club to see if they're stocking the Personna blades. If all of them start carrying these that could be huge.

[bryan1980]

Wow, those are indeed Red Personnas! I just ordered 100 from WCS, so I'm good for right now. It's neat to have such a good blade available locally.

[coolbus18]

John, first let me thank you for this sticky and second, I really dig those Crystals and will be ordering more soon.

[canadave]

Hi,

Apologies if I missed it in reading through this thread, but....can anyone tell me where I could buy online (I live in eastern Canada) the blue-and-white-packaging/Super Platinum/Made In Israel/IP/Crystal/whatever blades, rather than the various forms of red packed Personnas that are floating around? :)

I see these on eBay...are these legitimately the same as those old blue-and-white packaged Made In Israel "Super Platinum" Personnas? Or at least the successor to those? (I see the platinum coating has been apparently changed to chromium nitride):

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/50-CRYSTAL-ISRAELI-PERSONNA-CHROMIUM-NITRIDE-DBLE-EDGE-RAZOR-BLADES-free-ship-/251135578780?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a78d8d29c

[cubfanbob]

> Apologies if I missed it in reading through this thread, but....can anyone tell me where I could buy online (I live in eastern Canada) the blue-and-white-packaging/Super Platinum/Made In Israel/IP/Crystal/whatever blades, rather than the various forms of red packed Personnas that are floating around? :)

West Coast Shaving has them for $12.00 per 100.

http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Red-Personna-Israeli-Double-Edge-Razor-Blades--UK-Packaging-100-blades_p_1268.html

[canadave]

Thanks, but those are the RED Personnas. I'm looking for the "blue IPs" or equivalent.

[xillion]

Canadave,

The packaging has changed and the IPs no longer come in the blue and white wrapper. The blades themselves are no longer printed.

Here is the word from John of Westcoast, member letterK.


I was asked to pop in and provide more information. The information I posted in the original guide was correct on that date. Since then, much has happened. I don't think anything shown here is fake. I have yet to see any fake Crystals. There are, however, a few different variations. Over the years, I've seen probably 5 or so changes in packaging. Some came happened right after another. Right now, if you order Crystal from ASR, you can get at least two different versions, depending on where they are made. We have a special way of ordering to ensure we receive the correct blades. But even with that, things are changing. Now that ASR is owned by Energizer, they have access to BIC processing trade secrets and all their manufacturing processes will be upgraded. So Crystals today may not be the same as Crystals tomorrow.


See this thread for more info:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/305788-Crystal-Israeli-in-plain-white-wrapper-Are-these-fakes

[canadave]

Thanks. I wound up ordering these from here:

http://www.razorbladesandmore.com/content/100-israeli-personna-double-edge-blades

[faisal]

Could you please tell me about these blades.

http://www.fendrihan.com/precision-doubleedge-razor-blades-made-personna-israel-p-453.html?cPath=116_4

As my brother is in Canada, so I want to ask him to buy these for me from Honest Ed's store as they are cheap at that store, but I don't know whether these are really made in Israel.
Please tell me more about these precision blades.

And availability of other blades at Honest Ed's store will be very helpful.

One thing more that I want to confirm.

Please tell me whether any double edge razor like merkur 23c, shaving soap like Palmolive etc would also be available there.

[faisal]

Could you please tell me about these blades.

http://www.fendrihan.com/precision-doubleedge-razor-blades-made-personna-israel-p-453.html?cPath=116_4

As my brother is in Canada, so I want to ask him to buy these for me from Honest Ed's store as they are cheap at that store, but I don't know whether these are really made in Israel.
Please tell me more about these precision blades.

And availability of other blades at Honest Ed's store will be very helpful.

One thing more that I want to confirm.

Please tell me whether any double edge razor like merkur 23c, shaving soap like Palmolive etc would also be available there.

Sorted it out a little bit myself by reading the fendrihan product detail. It says that " its Made by Personna International Israel Ltd. in Nazareth Illit, these blade are very similar, if not identical, with the IP, TESCO and Crystal blades". The difference in brand names is due to the fact that most blades produced by Personna Israel are sold under private labels by various international retailers and distributors.

Still saying that its similar to IP, tesco and crystal blades but not the same blade ??? Why not he says that its the same blade but different packing.
How would it perform as compared to Red pack IP. if any one has used it then plz tell.

[LarryDarrell]

Great Post
I agree with you that the Tesco and Boots OB blades are almost certainly the same. Out of the blister pack, the plastic case and wrappers are identical, down including the piece cardboard on the top printed to look like a DE blade. Boots cost a little more but the blades seem identical.

[Bob L.]

Well, after reading through all of this I can only say - confused, befuddled, and amused. Someone needs to teach this company about managing their brand and product identities.

I've been very happy with my Crystal Platinum Chrome blades. They come in a black and grey bubble pack with a bit of red splashed around for graphic impact. Hope they are still around a year from now when I run out of them.

[BigNickel]

I purchased these (http://www.italianbarber.com/10-personna-platinum-double-edge-blades-1-pack-of-10-10-blades) from italian barber and the blades contained are packaged similar to the Tesco blades on page 1: in plain wax paper, however there is no ink on the blades at all; they are perfectly clean. I wonder if anyone has run into blades like this? For the record the first one out of the pack gave a great shave.. sharp, close, and comfortable.

[xillion]

I purchased these (http://www.italianbarber.com/10-personna-platinum-double-edge-blades-1-pack-of-10-10-blades) from italian barber and the blades contained are packaged similar to the Tesco blades on page 1: in plain wax paper, however there is no ink on the blades at all; they are perfectly clean. I wonder if anyone has run into blades like this? For the record the first one out of the pack gave a great shave.. sharp, close, and comfortable.

The wrappers of UK Personna, plastic ten pack, were changed to white and the blades are no longer printed.

316021

[cubfanbob]

The wrappers of UK Personna, plastic ten pack, were changed to white and the blades are no longer printed.

316021

These are exactly the blades that West Coast Shaving sells as "Red Personna Israeli Double Edge Razor Blades - UK Packaging" - $12 per 100. I have purchased 300 of these and find them the equal of the red wrappers.

[BigNickel]

The wrappers of UK Personna, plastic ten pack, were changed to white and the blades are no longer printed.

316021

Thank you for the answer!

[TheFanOFDEShaving]

Could you please tell me about these blades.

http://www.fendrihan.com/precision-doubleedge-razor-blades-made-personna-israel-p-453.html?cPath=116_4

As my brother is in Canada, so I want to ask him to buy these for me from Honest Ed's store as they are cheap at that store, but I don't know whether these are really made in Israel.
Please tell me more about these precision blades.

thefan79 here. I thought I'd weigh in on this thread. Yes, Precision DE blades are really made-in-Israel Personna blades. Energizer has confirmed this to me in a series of emails. I remember these from back in 1996-1997 at Wal-Mart. Back then, I was a cartridge shaver, and I tried their cartridges for Atra and Trac II razors (pure garbage, by the way). As a new DE shaver, though, I'll say these Precision (Israeli Personna) blades are great. I get five shaves per blade.

[thefan79]

Okay. I am back as thefan79. One question. Other than Honest Ed's, who else sells Precision blades at a brick and mortar store in Canada?

[thefan79]

Are the blades sold with the Personna name on them in stores in the US the Israeli blades?

[badgerparade]

The wrappers of UK Personna, plastic ten pack, were changed to white and the blades are no longer printed.

316021

Oddly, I just received a box of these from the Traditional Shaving Company, and while the packaging looks like yours, the blades are printed:

333607

On the other hand, I picked up a box of the Boots blades (still marked Made in Israel on the back of the cardboard packaging) and the blades are blank:

333609

So maybe the factory in Israel is making branded blades for their own boxes and blank blades for Boots, Tesco, etc? Though sometimes shipping the blank blades to the UK in their own branded boxes for reasons unknown. (Sorry for the blurry pics).

[Seattle]

Those Boots Blades look like Israeli Crystals.

[mjclark]

Those Boots Blades look like Israeli Crystals.

Those Boots blades were the first ones I ever used and I didn't realise how good they were until I tried other blades.
I've got four left and I'd be excited if they really were ​Crystals...

[mblakele]

Those Boots blades were the first ones I ever used and I didn't realise how good they were until I tried other blades.
I've got four left and I'd be excited if they really were ​Crystals...

I have shaved with both, and I believe they are the same. Not my favorite blade, but better than many.

[badgerparade]

Hmm, according to the very first post in this thread, the Boots blades (which are the same as Tesco blades) are not the same as the Crystals or Personna Reds. :confused1

[Seattle]

Is there a difference between Crystal Stainless and Crystal Platinum Chrome?

I had some Crystals I got in Germany and was pretty happy with them. Not sure if they were platinum or stainless. The blades had no markings. Then I got the Stainless blades and notice not a close cut, its a rougher cut and am only getting two shaves out of them. I'm donating them. I suppose these are different blades?

Also, in Germany I saw the same packaging of blades, but the card did not say Crystal. Same color package no Crystal branding. On the back of the card, had same info as the Crystal packaging. They were half the cost of Wilkenson blades at the same store (about 2 Euros for a pack of 10).

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[thefan79]

In an email from Energizer today, they finally are claiming the red pack Personnas as their own.



The site they are referring to in the mail is westcoastshaving, as I sent them the link to the Red Pack Personnas so they could see a picture of the package.

[thefan79]

Also, I'd like to add that Navarro blades are no longer available.

[The Dean]

Is there a difference between Crystal Stainless and Crystal Platinum Chrome?

I had some Crystals I got in Germany and was pretty happy with them. Not sure if they were platinum or stainless. The blades had no markings. Then I got the Stainless blades and notice not a close cut, its a rougher cut and am only getting two shaves out of them. I'm donating them. I suppose these are different blades?

Also, in Germany I saw the same packaging of blades, but the card did not say Crystal. Same color package no Crystal branding. On the back of the card, had same info as the Crystal packaging. They were half the cost of Wilkenson blades at the same store (about 2 Euros for a pack of 10).

334248334249


Just to add to the confusion. My Crystals blades said Stainless Steel--just like the first picture. Once opened, there is a blue piece of cardboard on top of the blades that reads 10 Double Edge Blades. Made in Israel

Each blade is wrapped in white paper with blue lettering which reads Super Platinum. The blades themselves say Super Platinum.

[Doofry]

Very interesting read, many thanks!

[mjclark]

I just picked these up from ASDA in Newton Abbot for £1.89.
Personna blister pack with Tesco-style blade box containing the plain single wrapped blank blades:

335957

Don't know whether this helps or just makes things more confusing, so I'm still going to pretend they're Crystals... :biggrin1:

[badgerparade]

I just picked these up from ASDA in Newton Abbot for £1.89.
Personna blister pack with Tesco-style blade box containing the plain single wrapped blank blades

Interesting variant! I guess this decisively links the Tesco and Boots blades with the Personna name. Did these Asda ones say where they were made on the packet?

[mjclark]

Interesting variant! I guess this decisively links the Tesco and Boots blades with the Personna name. Did these Asda ones say where they were made on the packet?

336007

[El Judio Bravo]

Tesco, Boots, ASDA, and on the continent, HEMA, seem to sell the same blades.

[Cholli]

The same blades you can get in Germany called "Streamline" in a supermarket chain. 1,89€, distributed by Personna UK. You can´t compare them to the Red Personna.