Gilette 7 O'Clock Blue Super Platinum

I got 100 7 O'Clock Sharp-Edge Yellows for €19.00 inc. shipping on E-bay today. I'd like 100 Platinums for that price if I could get them!
I got 300 Astra SPs from Best Shave for €24.00 inc. shipping! The bargain of the year!
The glue spots on the Russian blades are a disaster. I have a Perma-Sharp in my R41 and it's glue-stricken!

Lay the new blade on a flat surface and use the old blade to scrape off the glue spots.

Alejandro1969 said:

I got 100 7 O'Clock Sharp-Edge Yellows for €19.00 inc. shipping on E-bay today. I'd like 100 Platinums for that price if I could get them!
I got 300 Astra SPs from Best Shave for €24.00 inc. shipping! The bargain of the year!
The glue spots on the Russian blades are a disaster. I have a Perma-Sharp in my R41 and it's glue-stricken!

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Not sure what that means. I've used lots of different PPI blades in a Black Beauty, a Futur and an R89. I used to use the olf blade to scrape of the wax. Then I determined that there is no residue on any of my razors and it washes away under hot water so when I remove the blade there is never left any way. Just load up the razor and run it under hot water for a bit and the wax will likely be gone.

Connaught sent me 5 Russian Blues with my R41. I've tried one so far, for two shaves, and was disappointed. It's the only blade I've tried in the R41 so far that did not give me my usual close shave. Smooth, but, IMHO, not sharp enough. Feathers and IPs have been very close, but somewhat irritating. Still looking for the perfect R41 blade.

pcb01 said:

Connaught sent me 5 Russian Blues with my R41. I've tried one so far, for two shaves, and was disappointed. It's the only blade I've tried in the R41 so far that did not give me my usual close shave. Smooth, but, IMHO, not sharp enough. Feathers and IPs have been very close, but somewhat irritating. Still looking for the perfect R41 blade.

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The Perma-Sharp was outstanding, IPs and Astra SP also excellent in the R41.

I've had ten 7 O'clock SP's in my stash since January. I put one in my R41 yesterday at 7pm and after one pass WTG I was pretty well done! I did a little touch up under my chin and that was it. When I woke today my face was still very very smooth! Super blade and the R41 never ceases to amaze me!

Kostas1 said:

I think we need Oscroft to do a blue vs black blade blind test

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We did a pretty good test run between the blues/blacks a while back. A pollster would say any difference between them was well within the poll's margin of error. They are made in different factories, but they are about as identical as any two baldes can get.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...tte-blue-vs-black-Super-Plats?highlight=ninja

mhdena said:

It would not surprise me if there is absolutely no difference other than wrapper between the blues and blacks.

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It would surprise me because I love the blacks and (after only two shaves) don't much like the dark blues.

Further, assuming they're made primarily for their respective local markets, I think local taste would cause them to be different. I don't have any other explanation for why German blades (at least Merkur and Croma Diamant) are so rubbish, by wide agreement. German manufacturing and craftsmanship is clearly capable of excellent results; the poor blades must be by choice.

So I don't see why Blacks and Dark Blues should be presumed to be the same.

JCinPA said:

We did a pretty good test run between the blues/blacks a while back. A pollster would say any difference between them was well within the poll's margin of error. They are made in different factories, but they are about as identical as any two baldes can get.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...tte-blue-vs-black-Super-Plats?highlight=ninja

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While I think they're both top-tier blades, allow me to dissent just a little from JC's assessment above. I spent the better part of 3 months testing these two blades in the thread above, and in the end the Black was the clear winner for me in four out of five razors. Here's my final report at the end of the trials.

man00ver said:

While I think they're both top-tier blades, allow me to dissent just a little from JC's assessment above. I spent the better part of 3 months testing these two blades in the thread above, and in the end the Black was the clear winner for me in four out of five razors. Here's my final report at the end of the trials.

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His post was merely reporting the results of a rather wide survey in which the results were essentially a tie. Many did indeed agree with you in preferring Blacks, but many preferred the Blues.

jwilock said:

His post was merely reporting the results of a rather wide survey in which the results were essentially a tie. Many did indeed agree with you in preferring Blacks, but many preferred the Blues.

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Jim, there's obviously no arguing with preference, but the comment in JC's report that I found surprising is the suggestion that the 7OC blues and blacks were "about as identical as any two blades can get." All three blades (the Czech and Russian blues and the Indian Blacks) may be very good, and we could debate which is best (my vote is with the blacks), but in my view they are fairly different, with the blacks noticeably sharper and less forgiving. One of the things I appreciate about the 7OC line is that all the blades are good and each is different, allowing a nice range of choice.

jwilock said:

His post was merely reporting the results of a rather wide survey in which the results were essentially a tie. Many did indeed agree with you in preferring Blacks, but many preferred the Blues.

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Yes, exactly. It was ten people, several of each blade to play with, conducted over weeks of time. Several guys guy liked the blues better, several liked the blacks, several could not tell, several reacted like the "What's your favorite color?" scene from the Bridge of Death in Monty Python's Holy Grail.

I wanted at least ten folks because of the YMMV thing, but clearly, based on that admittedly unscientific 'test' one could not make a case for either the blue or the black being a 'winner'. For any individual, of course, one could have a strong preference for any number of reasons. My own feeling is about the only difference between them is the glue spots!

bladegap said:

Jim, there's obviously no arguing with preference, but the comment in JC's report that I found surprising is the suggestion that the 7OC blues and blacks were "about as identical as any two blades can get." All three blades (the Czech and Russian blues and the Indian Blacks) may be very good, and we could debate which is best (my vote is with the blacks), but in my view they are fairly different, with the blacks noticeably sharper and less forgiving. One of the things I appreciate about the 7OC line is that all the blades are good and each is different, allowing a nice range of choice.

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Perhaps that was poorly worded, you and I were posting the last two at the same time. Yes they were not identical, and I believe there was a slight trend toward your thoughts (slight being the operative word here) that the blacks were sharper and the blues more comfortable .... but there was at least one, as I recall who felt the opposite. I suppose two blades made in different factories cannot be identical, that would not be possible. But based on that 10-person unscientific test these are as close to the same blade as you could make in two different locations. The standout to me in that test was not the individual reports, but the nearly universal admission that even when expressing a preference most folks said it was insignificant and a few even came back in later shaves and changed their mind.

That's what I mean by my statements about the results being within the margin of error. Most folks cannot tell them apart, and those who do simply do not react like you would expect between radically different blades. For instance nobody in that test said they liked one and did not like the other. Everybody like both, and either were indifferent or had a fairly slight preference.

These are both fantastic blades, and shavers who like one are likely to like both, and probably half will be indifferent between them.

I favor the Blacks a little more than the Blues, and the Blacks have minimal wax on them, which is nice.

Both, to me, are pretty close to the vintage Gillette and Schick blades that I love to use.

OK, I am about sold on getting some Blues. I use only Gillette razors so it is fitting that I use a Gillette blade now and then for nostalgia reasons! My current top blades are the Astra SP and Personna Supers. Could anyone here opine on the potential similarities or differences between the 7OC Blue and the Astra SP?

bladegap said:

Jim, there's obviously no arguing with preference, but the comment in JC's report that I found surprising is the suggestion that the 7OC blues and blacks were "about as identical as any two blades can get." All three blades (the Czech and Russian blues and the Indian Blacks) may be very good, and we could debate which is best (my vote is with the blacks), but in my view they are fairly different, with the blacks noticeably sharper and less forgiving. One of the things I appreciate about the 7OC line is that all the blades are good and each is different, allowing a nice range of choice.

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I see your point. I too find the 7's to be pretty universally good. I really like Blues, Blacks and Yellows, and at various times I would say any of those three is my favorite. Not so much for the Greens. It may just be that my reaction to them is more based on razor or prep or quality of lather. I suppose if I used nothing but Blue, Black and Yellow for several weeks in the same razor with the same soap I might have a firmer opinion. But I change soaps/creams with almost every shave and there are other blades I like too. So for me, at least for now, I'm just going to have to go with I like all three of those.

jwilock said:

I suppose if I used nothing but Blue, Black and Yellow for several weeks in the same razor with the same soap I might have a firmer opinion. But I change soaps/creams with almost every shave and there are other blades I like too. So for me, at least for now, I'm just going to have to go with I like all three of those.

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Agreed. Life would be boring if we had just one favourite blade. Better to just have a top three.

From my limited(truly) understanding, these babies are the same blade as the "Iridium Super". Made out of the same factory. Although, I haven't tried the blacks I can say that Iridiums were my go to blade for...well...ever. They were, in my opinion, THE best blade on the market. Although, obviously most love the feather more...i don't like feather cuz I walk away with fillet-o-neck. That's not a good blade in my opinion. Blue's have the perfect balance of sharpness and forgiveness. Love me some blues.

Using these in my Gillette New Long Comb. Working well.

First 7O"C Blue shave in my '53 SuperSpeed, and I think this could be my "go to" blade with that razor. One small weeper that closed on it's own (I think it was a zit), no burn or irritation, and beautifully close. Going to do a little test with Blues vs. Yellows. I will say I didn't care for the Greens, and haven't tried Blacks yet.