The only other thing it could even be, is if someone trustworthy (vendor, etc) got confirmation from the factory that they were doing some sort of re-tool/packaging change/whatever that would explain these differences. Guessing not. To me, the outside tuck packaging is the most telling. Why would they bother to make font changes, but nothing else? Again, sucks.
Fake PolSilver Super Iridiums?
- Thread starter Kuros
- Start date
I see the white line separating the black, the off shade of red, the dot above the Z and they look like different metal slightly.
Nice comparison! There are the different miniscule "a" as well on the packaging. I agree, there are too many things being off with this "alternative" blade.
But .... WHY? would they make the boxes soooooo close and the blades so obviously different?
To me it could also be an unscrupulous competitor .... they make DE shavers start questioning the PolSilver and that shaver can't tell too easily from the packaging and they abandon the brand and go with a different blade.
To my thinking the most likely ideas are:
1) The company only makes their blades, and they changed the inking on the blades ... the differences in the wrapper and box are from the suppliers that make them (pure speculation - I don't know and may PolSilver makes the packaging as well as the blades) ... if this was true, a minor change to the inking on the blades could be the answer.
2) If it's a fake - it's someone not trying to 'make money' by selling blades, but they want to either 'hurt' PolSilver or they want to 'make money' by having their blades increase in sales when PolSilver falls off due to customer skepticism.
To me it could also be an unscrupulous competitor .... they make DE shavers start questioning the PolSilver and that shaver can't tell too easily from the packaging and they abandon the brand and go with a different blade.
To my thinking the most likely ideas are:
1) The company only makes their blades, and they changed the inking on the blades ... the differences in the wrapper and box are from the suppliers that make them (pure speculation - I don't know and may PolSilver makes the packaging as well as the blades) ... if this was true, a minor change to the inking on the blades could be the answer.
2) If it's a fake - it's someone not trying to 'make money' by selling blades, but they want to either 'hurt' PolSilver or they want to 'make money' by having their blades increase in sales when PolSilver falls off due to customer skepticism.
^ For anybody that missed it, it is a thread linking to a website offering "Any Brand name of Razor blade". It would seem even Astras are being faked.
I think it's the elephant in the room thing. a lot of folks don't want to see it. They would rather argue faking blades isn't financially viable. There also seems to be a lack of understanding about the scale of fraud going on in the Western world. Fakes. forgeries, counterfeits, call em what ya like, have infiltrated and compromised distribution networks of respectable business in depth. The scale is awesome and very little seems to make the media. Companies like Amazon have in the past found themselves stocked with fake goods. I remember the hulabaloo around Beats headphones.
The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK found themselves in possession of millions of ££'s of fake drugs a few years ago. This is big business and corruption, to my mind at least, is happening from the top down, and the bottom up. I don't smoke now but I did once buy fake tobacco from a well known supermarket here in the UK. Considering individual packs have a bar code, as do the cartons and the larger boxes holding the cartons...a lot of folks at various levels are involved. It's the modern day bootlegging and it's rife.
There's many elephants in many rooms and many folks don't want to see em. I guess as long as the money is rolling all's well.
Certainly looks fake to me, but what do I know? I buy my Polsilver SI blades from dcc. Fortunately, I've stockpiled hundreds of them.
Like most other wet shavers, I consider WCS to be a highly trusted seller. It sure looks to me like they got scammed this time.
I eagerly await the results of WCS's investigation.
Like most other wet shavers, I consider WCS to be a highly trusted seller. It sure looks to me like they got scammed this time.
I eagerly await the results of WCS's investigation.
Just opened the five-pack of PolSilver Super Iridium received at Christmas. Daughter-in-law got them from an ebay seller; I don't know which one. They are single wrapped with two glue spots (right in the middle of the blade). The blade itself looks exactly like the old Super Iridiums. Will have first shave with them tomorrow.
First shave with the PolSilver felt just like a first shave with the Wizamet Super Iridium; sharp but a very little bit rough. Will see what tomorrow brings; should be great!
+1. Glad Kuros was able to show us the differences. The differences are easily seen on the blades.
The blades in the photos without the resin wax spots and missing the upper Super Iridium imprint were *not* produced at the PPI plant in St. Petersburg. They are 100% Chinese counterfeit imitations.
I would also like to add that no retailer can purchase merchandise directly from any P&G/Gillette/PPI manufacturing facility. Regional distributors under contract are used exclusively and the factories themselves have strict security overseeing all plant operations, twenty four hours a day. This has been necessary for decades, due to the proprietary nature of the manufacturing processes and also for quality control. Regardless of where they are manufactured, you may rest assured that authentic Gillette blades are made to the exact same specifications and are subject to identical quality control supervision and standards.
Well, that settles that. If anyone would know, it would be Mischka.
I'm not sure why this topic vexes me so much, but it does. I just ordered 100 blades (not Polsilver SIs) to pad my already-substantial stockpile.
Then, because the football game I'm watching is not going well for my team, I checked out WCS. Their website pics show the real thing. Did they dump the fakes? I hope so.
Then, because the football game I'm watching is not going well for my team, I checked out WCS. Their website pics show the real thing. Did they dump the fakes? I hope so.
I just received 50 Polsilvers from a reputable vendor on eBay which, based on Mischka's assertions, must be counterfeit. (To be fair, the quality of these new blades were so bad, even my girlfriend could tell them apart from genuine SIs.)
I was granted a refund from the vendor, so I'm happy to send them on if anyone would like to see a blade up close.
I was granted a refund from the vendor, so I'm happy to send them on if anyone would like to see a blade up close.
I wonder if the blades that are normally produced with wax spots duplicated when those brands are counterfeited? Just wondering if they have gone to that trouble and if not, it might be a way to more quickly spot an impostor.
This reminds me of the hullabaloo that surrounded fake Rolex's. At one time it was said they were easy to spot because the movement was a cheap copy and it gave them away every time. Then the faker's got wise and started purchasing actual Swiss movements to put in them. This means (as I read) it takes an actual certified Rolex technician to examine it in order to spot the fake! Yeesh.
This reminds me of the hullabaloo that surrounded fake Rolex's. At one time it was said they were easy to spot because the movement was a cheap copy and it gave them away every time. Then the faker's got wise and started purchasing actual Swiss movements to put in them. This means (as I read) it takes an actual certified Rolex technician to examine it in order to spot the fake! Yeesh.
I'm a PermaSharp fan and I have been using them for a long period. I believe they're made in the same factory as the Polsilvers. The text on the sides of the box is exact the same.
I got a sampler long time ago from a local store and I noticed a couple things:
- They did change the glue spots, first they used four spots now they just use two spots.
- There were two wrappers on the blade now they just use one.
- The text on the upper side of the box was bold and now its normal.
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So the glue spots and the wrapper says nothing. The new one I had (the first one on the photo) shave exact the same as the older one. I decided to post this just in case anyone else in the future will be worried about the glue spots and wrappers.
I got a sampler long time ago from a local store and I noticed a couple things:
- They did change the glue spots, first they used four spots now they just use two spots.
- There were two wrappers on the blade now they just use one.
- The text on the upper side of the box was bold and now its normal.
So the glue spots and the wrapper says nothing. The new one I had (the first one on the photo) shave exact the same as the older one. I decided to post this just in case anyone else in the future will be worried about the glue spots and wrappers.
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The fake blades pictured in this thread had no wax spots at all. Current production Polsilver SIs have two wax spots. Old ones have four.
Probably for the same reason it does me. I love Voskhod & Polsilver, they're both in my top 3, and now this goes and happens. I wanted to order 100 Polsilver before the 1st when my restraints began but this ruined it for me.
