How Much for Your Favorite Blade?

I've been thinking a lot about blade prices and also studying the history of stainless steel blades. I also notice that some people are happy with most blades and some have very strong favorites. So here's my question:

Let us say your favorite blade (it could be modern or vintage) were to go out of production but that enough of a stock would remain so that you were guaranteed at least 100 of the blades a year for the next few decades. What's the most you would pay per hundred and which blade would it be? And no stockpiling for resale -- just your own use.

I go back and forth between Med Preps and Polsilvers, but I would easily go $50 for the Meds.

I don't want to say! The blade vendors might get the hint and start jacking prices!

My upper limit for any blade would be about $25 for 100, or about 4 cents a shave. There's so much competition that retail offers lots of options.

I have favorites...but my buyer disloyalty gene kicks in if the price is too high.

Sharks, around $12 for 100

Treet Black Beauties for probably $20 for 100

I'll take whatever's under $25. I'd like to keep with Gillette Sword or Personna Israel, maybe even Rapira Platinum, but once 100 passes $25 I'm out. My TracII's are 30 cents a blade, I'd just go that route if I had too.

I've paid $0.30-0.40 each for well known vintage blades such as Spoilers and Plus Platinums.

But for a modern blade to go out of production, I probably wouldn't exceed $25 per 100. Beyond that, I'd return to seeking out vintage blades.

Couldn't you just imagine the blade prices getting so out of control that a new thread base was started! Cartridge & 'Lectric

frstplce said:

I've paid $0.30-0.40 each for well known vintage blades such as Spoilers and Plus Platinums.

But for a modern blade to go out of production, I probably wouldn't exceed $25 per 100. Beyond that, I'd return to seeking out vintage blades.

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And how much would you pay if your favorite vintage were perfectly cloned and guaranteed 100 blades per year? $40?

Maybe close to that. I'm only willing to pay the extra specifically because of their rarity and quality. The likes of which there is little that compares today.

Injectors would be my benchmark. If I had to pay more than about $.07/shave, I would begin using my straights exclusively. But since that's how I shave now (a large variety of blades, razors and SRs are all used), it would take many blades going out of production for that to happen.

I am still going through my blade sampler so don't have a favourite yet. I plan to list a few blades that suit me (currently in production) and stock a few hundred each, if any of these go out of production, I would stock up based on existing price, but should there be a jump in price, I'll just let it go once my current stock dries up and stick to those current being produced. I hate being fleeced for blades that are no longer in production.

I'm still working through a sampler, but I like Sharp Durablades, Shark SC, and Astra SS. They all currently go for $10 to $13 dollars. As I have multiple favorites I wouldn't pay more than that.

Around $23 for my beloved Gillette Black, and the same for my Feather blades. EBay is a great source for blades, along with RazorsDirect.com (where I usually buy my Gillette Black blades from). I would also pay a full $20 for my Gillette Silver Blue.

If by some miracle the Personna 74* was re-issued I would probably be willing to pay $200 per hundred blades, but with the 74 giving around a month of good shaves per blade (or more) that would still mean I'm a cheapskate

As it stands, Feathers and Treet Dura-Sharps are my "regular" favorites, neither is terribly expensive, so I'd be willing to pay double or even triple regular prices for either (especially since Dura-Sharps are about $10/100).

I only but in 100-packs once I like a blade. So far my bulk purchases have been Astra SP ($10-$12), Personna Lab ($12-$13), Gillette Silver Blue ($18), and Gillette 7OC blacks ($19/84 blades). I would say my top price would be $25/100. That still works out to be about 5 cents per shave or $1.50 per month for me.

I dunno. The idea behind shaving is (duh!) to cut your beard, and do it comfortably, if possible.

I can't imagine a blade being so awe-inspiringly great that it would be worth all that much more money. It can be sharp or comfortable (and it's great if it's both). It would be great to shave with a Wilkinson Sword Light Brigade blade, widely regarded as one of the best; they're said to last fifteen shaves or longer.

I guess I'm fine with tossing my retail blades when I'm done with them. Four cents a shave is about my limit, regardless.

I guess the reason I asked is that the classic vintage blades that we admire would cost about $5 to $7 per pack adjusted for inflation. Furthermore it ignores the rise in average family income. Which means realistically, a five pack of Spoilers would sell for about $10 or more today if we took income changes into account and kept relative prices the same.

Given that this is already a forum for shaving mavens, this makes clear why there's so little done to greatly improve modern blades. In fact, given their low cost, the best blades today are amazingly good. If even the few thousand most dedicated shavers won't routinely pay over $40 per 100, that pretty much explains why we don't have Super Spoilers today.

In fact, I'm just like you guys. I couldn't see spending over $20-$25 per 100 and generally spend much less.

A pack (5 blades) of Polsilvers cost about 0.50 euro where i live. Gillettes and Wilkinsons are less then 1 euro