Worried I bought the wrong blades

Hi gents. Been awhile since I've been around but I jumped back in a few days ago. While I was at it I jumped online and ordered a few things that needed replenishing. In the order I bought another box of personnas. Now I've been through a couple boxes of 100 of these and they've always had blue wrappers, but the box came and has blades in plain white wrappers. The box looks a bit different as well. Wondering if anyone knows if I bought the wrong blades? Haven't used any but I've got no idea if I can return or not. Pics if needed, just let me know.

Some versions of the packaging for Personna blades, including the Lab Blues, are in plain, white wrappers.

Did you buy from a non-US (e.g. European) source the second time?

Same blade, different wrapping.

They are the same blades as far as anyone knows. The USA plant has been shaving every cost that they can in order to survive against lower-cost overseas production. Apparently that has included the elimination of any finishing on the wrappers.
Such an effort to maintain USA production of low-markup consumer goods is like a typical textboook study. ASR found a buyer in Energizer after ASR's 2011 bankruptcy filing. Energizer has kept the operation going as best it can, but the production costs and competitive pricing level are nearly impossible to balance. According to a May 2015 SEC filing, Energizer will likely shut down the Virginia facilities. If you really like those Personnas and if you feel the overseas ones just "are not the same", you better stock up.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/457766-Personna-Plant-May-Soon-Close/page2

Good info guys. I'll bust them out then and give them a shave. To answer those questions, I picked em up on Amazon with Prime so it was a US seller. A shave test will prove it for me. If it's much different then I should be able to tell. Been through enough of them haha

In case it's helpful to anyone, here's some pics. No save yet but it sounds like I'm good from the info here.

Same beast. The two keys are 'Comfort Coated' on the box and 'Personna' on the blade.

I recently bought 100 at the local barber supply store, and I was hesitant because of the white wrapper. The store owner said she was actually surprised when I opened the box, because the very same product used to come in blue wrappers. That's in-the-know assurance that the same product number/catalog listing has simply changed wrappers.

tejolot3 said:

Same beast. The two keys are 'Comfort Coated' on the box and 'Personna' on the blade.

I recently bought 100 at the local barber supply store, and I was hesitant because of the white wrapper. The store owner said she was actually surprised when I opened the box, because the very same product used to come in blue wrappers. That's in-the-know assurance that the same product number/catalog listing has simply changed wrappers.

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Yep, it definitely sounds like a case of cheaper wrappers to cut costs. Really weirded me out though. Looking at the blade made me more sure too. I was thinking I must have a pic of the old blades but couldn't find one. Maybe there's one in the blade bank... I bet there is.

Personna USA is not the only manufacturer to go to the single white wrapper. Personna UK's Israeli blades, Astra SP's, Polysilver Super-Irridium also have switched from a printed outer wrapper to a white, single wrapper.

"Plain Wrappers" is an easy no brainer way to cut production cost.

They're the same. I emailed the factory and got written confirmation from the product line manager that they switched to plain white wrappers but the blades are the same.

chris.hale said:

They're the same. I emailed the factory and got written confirmation from the product line manager that they switched to plain white wrappers but the blades are the same.

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Nice, well done sir. I shaved with one this morning and everything feels the same to my face. Super comfortable as usual.