Personna 74 Tungsten vs 74 Tungsten Plus

If you look at the containers in these two eBay items you will see that one container reads "Tungsten Plus Blades" (Item number:380208217937) and the other reads "Tungsten Steel Blades" (Item number:260555881211). They may be the same with just different verbiage on the containers, but I am not sure. Any ideas? Mullard

I wasn't aware of the 74 Plus. Do you have that blade?

No. I only have the ones that read "Tungsten Steel Blades"

I am assuming they are the same blades, but maybe just a different year produced.

How cool of you to spot that.......The only reference I could find to the Tungsten Plus was here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=GO...us"+personna&dq="tungsten+plus"+personna&cd=2

As this book came out in 1978, I am guessing that the Tungsten Plus was at the end of the marketing period for the blade in the late 70's....

In fact, in this original ad, they make fun of "Plus blades" saying the Tungsten is more than just a plus....

http://books.google.com/books?id=NU...AQ#v=onepage&q=personna tungsten plus&f=false

We still don't know if the plus blades are different, or just a marketing tweak....

I have some of both.

Differences? The older tungsten blade came in a cardboard hangar, the newer (I assume) 74 on a blister pack. So yes, the packaging was different. Now as to the shave, I guess I'll have to compare them. I'm guessing they are the same blade.

I'll post a pic up later of the packaging, but you can pretty much see what that looks like from the eBay pix.

Holy Moly!! look at those prices!!

I wonder if, at a dollar a blade, it would be worth it for Personna to make Tungsten steel, titanium coated Personna 74s and sell it on their website.....Would the demand be there to make it worthwhile for them? Since they don't have higly profitable proprietary shaving systems to protect, it might be feasible.......

haiti222 said:

I wonder if, at a dollar a blade, it would be worth it for Personna to make Tungsten steel, titanium coated Personna 74s and sell it on their website.....Would the demand be there to make it worthwhile for them? Since they don't have higly profitable proprietary shaving systems to protect, it might be feasible.......

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I think us nut balls would buy it. And how much does the "average" DE shaver spend per blade? I think the "average" DE Shaver is an older man on Social Security who never buy blades on the internet and can't afford or refuses to buy cartridges. Charge $1.00 a blade and promise 3-4 times the amount of shaves as their CVS brand blades and they will be in pig heaven.

Unfortunately ARS makes those CVS blades too.

I think our only hope in the future of getting blades like the 74 is for someone to make a time machine.

sad,
mrscottishman

goby said:

Holy Moly!! look at those prices!!

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Right now the race for most expensive NOS blade seem to be a tie between the Personna 74 and Wilkinson Light Brigade.

Stubblefield said:

Right now the race for most expensive NOS blade seem to be a tie between the Personna 74 and Wilkinson Light Brigade.

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The Personna 74s seem to always be expensive lately, even in open dispensers. I personally have found open dispenser blades to be fine, but the 74s are all high lately.

Sometimes the Wilkinsons will be cheaper, especially because they came in a variety of packaging while they were still a great blade.....

Have noticed quantities of the Stainless and late Super Blue Gillettes going up lately too, even in giant lots, the Spoiler has been going for 60 cents a blade...

Seems like the prices for vintage blades really skyrocketed recently. These Light Brigades (Item#190373149907) went for more than $2 not even counting shipping! I know I got a single pack of them for under $1/blade shipped not too long ago (still not exactly cheap).

haiti222 said:

Sometimes the Wilkinsons will be cheaper, especially because they came in a variety of packaging while they were still a great blade.....

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This is the blade I was referring to.

And before I forget, here's the two flavors of Personna 74's. Sorry I don't have an untrimmed card, it was common for blade hoarders back in the day to cut off the tops. Can't tell you how many packs of blades I have that are trimmed like that.

Thanks for the picture Dex. Have you noticed any differences between the way the "Plus" and "Steel" 74s shave? Mullard

mullard said:

Thanks for the picture Dex. Have you noticed any differences between the way the "Plus" and "Steel" 74s shave? Mullard

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Honestly, I never paid much attention. Now I have to test both of them, probably in a few days when my latest round of blades (Schick Plus plat, Light Brigade, Gillette Brit Silver) go dull.

Found some more info in Google's newspaper archive. The Tungsten Plus's were advertised as being on sale from 1976 to 1978.....I also found a NY Times article that stated that the Personna line (for Men as opposed to the Flicker, etc.) was not advertised from 1975-83. Then, when they started again, they intended to go against the private label market, which of course was mostly also made by them....

Stubblefield said:

And before I forget, here's the two flavors of Personna 74's. Sorry I don't have an untrimmed card, it was common for blade hoarders back in the day to cut off the tops. Can't tell you how many packs of blades I have that are trimmed like that.

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I've seen the Personna 74 blades outside of the dispenser package many times, and I know that they have Personna 74* printed on one edge, and TUNGSTEN STEEL printed on the opposite edge...

but as for the blades in the Tungsten Plus package, can anyone tell me (or better yet show me) what they look like - any different?

Specifically, Do they also have TUNGSTEN STEEL printed on them, or do they actually have TUNGSTEN PLUS (indicating they changed more than just the outer packaging)?

I've been curious about this one for some time Thanks!

Trifecta said:

but as for the blades in the Tungsten Plus package, can anyone tell me (or better yet show me) what they look like - any different?

Specifically, Do they also have TUNGSTEN STEEL printed on them, or do they actually have TUNGSTEN PLUS (indicating they changed more than just the outer packaging)?

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I'll get that package I have opened in the next day or so.