Polsiver sold in U.S.?

**Gibbs** · 07-24-2011, 05:24 AM

In St. Petersburg Russia they make a blade called a Polsilver, mostly sold in Poland. Are there any connections to the U.S. market where one can buy some? As many Polish folks are in Chicago, I'm surprised that they are not there.

**john parker** · 07-24-2011, 05:59 AM

Think the operative word should be "made". Read that Polsilver operations were moved to St. Petersburg some years ago where production ceased and the Super Iridium was born.

**jwilock** · 07-24-2011, 11:07 AM

My understanding is that the "Iridium Super" that most here talk about is no longer made, but a Polsilver Iridium blade is still being made, and sold in Poland. Can anyone clarify this for us. Also, this has come up before ... does no one know someone in Poland who could verify this, and why do none of our vendors find a Polish source. If there are indeed Iridiums still being made I'm sure people would snap them up.

**melyus** · 07-24-2011, 12:17 PM

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...ight=polsilver

please check this thread about polsilver super iridium...

**KM-instructor** · 07-24-2011, 12:27 PM

Most Russian blades are made from scrap steel from Chernobyl anyway lol.

**Gibbs** · 07-24-2011, 01:00 PM

In another thread, actually another forum, a user by the name of Jody did a group buy and bought 24,000 Voshkod blades. Russian blades must be popular as there were those that missed the buy, begged for scraps from under the table so to speak.

**Gibbs** · 07-24-2011, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by melyus

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...ight=polsilver

please check this thread about polsilver super iridium...

Melyus, I posted a link to the review. I read your informations and was pleased to hear it. Thank you!

**john parker** · 07-24-2011, 01:44 PM

Perhaps I stand corrected on the Polsilver; my memory isn't what it use to be! But I still haven't seen them for sale by any vendor.

**Gibbs** · 07-24-2011, 09:21 PM

I used one of my Fat Boys tonight and a Super-Max Super Platinum blade and BOY what a shave!! I have never shave with an Iridium, but this blade made in India, if it shaves just 2 more times like I got tonight, it ranks next to and probably surpases my Israeli Personas. These seem like wonderful blades, and wonder why no one has extoled on their virtues like the Russian blade?

**Rufust445** · 07-25-2011, 07:17 AM

Polsilvers and Super Iridiums were made in Lodz, Poland until about 2005, when Proctor & Gamble bought Gillette. First, production of these DE blades was moved to St. Petersburg, and the plant in Poland was converted to making plastic razors. Next, because these brands are associated with the Polish Co. Wizamet, and not Gillette, they were phased out.

In their place has come a wave of new brands, like the 7 o'clock Blue, Rubie, Rapira, Perma-Sharp Super, etc. This all part of a grand plan of "Brand Management" on the part of Proctor & Gamble. A year or two ago, my high school alumni quarterly magazine had an interview in it with an alum who works in marketing for P&G. He talked about travelling all over the world in his job, including a trip to St. Petersburg. I'm sure he was there to discuss the launching of new blade brands mentioned above.

Having grown up in P&G's headquarter location of Cincinnati, I'm not enthralled with their marketing techniques or business practices, or attitude. If their "Brand Management" works out as well as GM's with Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer, and Saab, I wouldn't feel sorry for them.

I have a small stash of Russian blades, mostly 7 O'clock Yellows, and I'll use them up eventually, but won't be buying more.

**jwilock** · 07-25-2011, 10:37 AM

I completely understand what you are saying about P&G. But unless you don't like their products I can't see why you won't buy more. Most of the blades coming out of the St. Pete plant are very good to excellent. Maybe the Polsilvers they sell in Poland, and the Perma-Sharps they sell in Turkey, and the Rubies they sell in eastern europe, etc. are all the same blade, or may there are a few different blades coming out of the plant, but some same ones with different brand names on them. Who knows? Makes discussions on the nature of "I like brand A better than Brand B" silly if A and B are really the same. But in the end, a blade either works for you, or doesn't ... and many of the St. Pete blades work well for me.

**TallyShave** · 07-25-2011, 11:39 AM

This discussion reminds me of the way that mattress manufacturers operate. They name the same beds all sort of things even just for different stores. They do it to make price comparisons more difficult, but the results are the same. It always feels like a shell game of some sort.

**CaptainK** · 07-25-2011, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by TallyShave

This discussion reminds me of the way that mattress manufacturers operate. They name the same beds all sort of things even just for different stores. They do it to make price comparisons more difficult, but the results are the same. It always feels like a shell game of some sort.

+1. I used to work for a major appliance manufacturer when I learned that they give different model numbers to the exact same appliance depending on which big box store it's destined for (and yet another model number for independent stores). They do this so that the appliance store can confidently brag that "We Will NOT Be Undersold! If you find a lower advertised price on the same make & model ..."

**jwilock** · 07-25-2011, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by TallyShave

This discussion reminds me of the way that mattress manufacturers operate. They name the same beds all sort of things even just for different stores. They do it to make price comparisons more difficult, but the results are the same. It always feels like a shell game of some sort.

This is a great analogy. A local matress store will match any price. Unfortunately, you can't find the particular models they sell anywhere else, at least not with the same name and model number. I'm sure others are selling the exact same matress, just not with the same name.

**Gibbs** · 07-25-2011, 01:27 PM

At the winery where I work we bottle up wine for us and for a few other wineries. Same tank, same bottles, same cork.. different labels. One we have bottled wine for since I have been working for them hasn't even produced 1 gallon of wine themselves. They just buy what we maker. Only differenc is they have their own labels, and on the label it says XYZ Vineyard, Fennville, MI However, "we" are the only winery in or around Fennville. It amuses us when people come to our tasting room and say how much better our wine than XYZ's or even when XYZ sends basically the same wine we had bottled for ourselves in for competitions and they get a better place than us. We have seen our wine get a Gold and their wine get a bronze from the same judges, same day, same event. The bottles are masked with paper sacks so the label is not an influence to the judges. We have also seen it go the other waywhere they got a silver, and we got nothing, even though it is exactly the same wine/bottle/cork.. Definitely a YMMV thing.. probabaly the same with blades too, I would guess.....

**Rufust445** · 07-25-2011, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by jwilock

... But unless you don't like their products I can't see why you won't buy more. ...

I said I'll be using the blades I have, which doesn't mean I don't like them. There are, however, other blades that I like as well or better, and that sell for less, such as Shark SS, Treet Durasharp carbon, or Dorco ST-301. These blades are smoother than the Russian blades I've tried, except maybe for Polsilver.

And, the trademark of blades from St. Petersburg, the wax/glue spots that sometimes encroach on the edge, are a deal breaker for me. I only use them in a 3-piece razor and not my preferred razor, the Gillette Super Adjustable. Much easier to get that gunk out of a 3-piece razor than a TTO razor.

As always with blades, YMMV