Vintage blade dispensers seized

I won a lot on eBay, and it included some vintage blades in their dispensers. I obviously am interested in using these if I can, especially the Personnas. However, it seems that the Personnas and the TG&Ys are seized up in the dispensers. Is there any way to free them up, and more importantly are they even usable/safe?

I've had some vintage Wilkinsons and Personnas seized up in the dispensers. I had to pry open the dispensers, but once I did that, the blades separated fairly easily and shaved fine. I recall reading somewhere that what is occurring is that the coatings on the blades are deteriorating and when this occurs, it becomes adhesive. I don't know if this is true, but as I said, once I pried open the dispensers, the blades separated easily enough and worked fine.

The blades were oiled, and the oil has turned sticky over the years.

You can open up the blade packs: we have a wiki page for that at http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Refilling_Razor_Blade_Slider_Packs. Or try a little dry heat, or rubbing alcohol, or simple mechanical play until the blade works free. The last mentioned usually works for me.

mblakele said:

The blades were oiled, and the oil has turned sticky over the years.

You can open up the blade packs: we have a wiki page for that at http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Refilling_Razor_Blade_Slider_Packs. Or try a little dry heat, or rubbing alcohol, or simple mechanical play until the blade works free. The last mentioned usually works for me.

Click to expand...

+1 Bullseye.

I tried leaving some Personna 74s that had seized up like this on top of an oil fired boiler, still inside their dispenser, for half an hour, and that freed them up. Gave a very good shave, too.

When I first read this thread title, I thought we were in for a story about an over-zealous TSA agent, hassles with Customs, or a bumbling US Postal clerk.

I had a pack of blades sieze up on me years ago. I pried it open and was able to use them all.

That Personna pack looks like it has the tab of one blade sticking out. Try to grab it with a needle-nose pliers and give it a tug. If you can pull out the first one, the others might free up as well.

By all means, try the non-destructive methods first. Preserve the packs if you can, especially the Personna 74.

dpm802 said:

When I first read this thread title, I thought we were in for a story about an over-zealous TSA agent, hassles with Customs, or a bumbling US Postal clerk.

I had a pack of blades sieze up on me years ago. I pried it open and was able to use them all.

That Personna pack looks like it has the tab of one blade sticking out. Try to grab it with a needle-nose pliers and give it a tug. If you can pull out the first one, the others might free up as well.

By all means, try the non-destructive methods first. Preserve the packs if you can, especially the Personna 74.

Click to expand...

Same here, haha

Open the packs and separate and clean the blades. The packs are just pressed together. Flip them over and you will see hoe to disassemble.

dpm802 said:

I had a pack of blades sieze up on me years ago. I pried it open and was able to use them all.

Click to expand...

Did you get them separated, or did you use them all at once sort of like a multi-blade cartridge?

MisfitWy23 said:

Did you get them separated, or did you use them all at once sort of like a multi-blade cartridge?

Click to expand...

I took them apart and used them and used them individually.

I've never tried stacking up multiple blades in a DE razor with shims in between ... but why not? I've experimented with so many crazy things since I started wet-shaving, doubling up on blades is just one more thing.

One time, I bought a used DE in an antique store, and it had TWO blades inside. I didn't notice until I got it home and took it apart. One of them was just a rusty old Gillette something or other, but the other was a Blue Marlin carbon steel blade, in really good condition, and I kept it.

That's one thing that really infuriates me, when I see razors in an antique store that still have blades loaded. Duhhhh? Why not put a loaded gun on display, where someone can pick it up and play with it? I point this out to the proprietors, and they promise to fix it, but they never do. There seems to be a sentiment among antique vendors that a safety razor is worth more if its displayed with the blade that it was found with. I just think its a really dumb idea.

WD-40 will free them up.
A rinse in alcohol afterwards gets rid of the WD-40.
That allows them to be used from the dispenser as intended.

dpm802 said:

I've never tried stacking up multiple blades in a DE razor with shims in between ... but why not? I've experimented with so many crazy things since I started wet-shaving, doubling up on blades is just one more thing.

Click to expand...

I recently saw some Schick Twin Double Edge blades from the 70's on ebay, ones like these: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/54598-FS-SCHICK-2002-DOUBLE-EDGED-DOUBLE-EDGE-Blades

MisfitWy23 said:

I recently saw some Schick Twin Double Edge blades from the 70's on ebay, ones like these: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/54598-FS-SCHICK-2002-DOUBLE-EDGED-DOUBLE-EDGE-Blades

Click to expand...

Wow ... I'd love to give them a try. That link is from 2008, but I'm sure they pop up now and again.

If I got a package like that, I'd be torn between a desire to try them out, and my desire to preserve NOS Unobtainium in its pristine condition as a collectible.

It makes you wonder, though ... if these Double Double-Edge blades were any good, why aren't they still in production? It looks like it would be easy enough for another brand to clone the concept.

When I do get around to trying it, I will probably take an old blade, cut off the sharp edges leaving just the zig-zag hole in the middle, and insert that as a shim between two fresh blades. I guess that's how its done ... has anybody tried it?

dpm802 said:

just the zig-zag hole in the middle

Click to expand...

I'm calling it a zig-zag hole, but does it have a formal name?

We don't talk about that standardized mounting design very much, but I don't recall ever seeing it called anything else.

dpm802 said:

Wow ... I'd love to give them a try. That link is from 2008, but I'm sure they pop up now and again.

Click to expand...

I just checked and there are at least two packs on ebay. They're both buy it now, so I think I can link to them, but you may find more if you search.

MisfitWy23 said:

I just checked and there are at least two packs on ebay. They're both buy it now, so I think I can link to them, but you may find more if you search.

Click to expand...

Found 'em both, thanks. I've added them to my Watch List for now.

Break free then a alcohol bath.

I've got a nice stash of NOS Gillette Bleue Extras and every pack is like this. Absolutely love the blades, but such a pain in the rear to use. I've tried heat and alchohol. Neither worked. Now I just cut open the packs when I want to use them. I get a bunch stuck together out of the pack and then it's easy to separate them. Have not tried the WD40 suggestion, but might give that a try next time I use a pack.

jwilock said:

I've got a nice stash of NOS Gillette Bleue Extras and every pack is like this. Absolutely love the blades, but such a pain in the rear to use. I've tried heat and alchohol. Neither worked. Now I just cut open the packs when I want to use them. I get a bunch stuck together out of the pack and then it's easy to separate them. Have not tried the WD40 suggestion, but might give that a try next time I use a pack.

Click to expand...

Why cut the pack open? A thumbnail or a screwdriver blade in the right place should open up the pack without much effort. The wiki page Refilling_Razor_Blade_Slider_Packs lacks pictures for the GBE-style pack, but take a look at the pictures of Spoiler pack disassembly. In my experience the GBE-style packs are pretty much the same design, but without any metal parts.

I use vintage spoilers, and the WD-40 trick works every time.