Any reason why are some blades double wrapped?

[kosovel]

I have been using Astras SP for ages, but recently I've come across a bad batch and the shave just was not comfortable anylonger. So I have decided to experiment a bit with a sample pack. To my surprise, quite some blades come double wrapped. Any reason for that?

Astras are single wrapped, so are Sharks, Blue Sword, RK, Big Ben, ...

But then Tigers are double wrapped and Dorco, Treet, ...

 

[kosovel]

Oh Man, please move this to the right forum...
Sorry!

 

[ajkel64]

My pleasure.

 

[NorthernSoul]

I think the purpose of double-wrapping it to better protect the blade edges during shipment. You sometimes run across blades that have had rough handling and this can damage the edges.

 

[showard]

Astras are double wrapped in my experience. Feathers are not., but it's a chore getting them out of their single wrapper.

 

[kosovel]

What?

I am sure Astras arent double wrapped, or at least not my batch... Does it exist in both double and single wrapped version?

 

[VerbaVolant]

...Astras are single wrapped...

Some Astra's come double wrapped

Maybe you have the ones made in India.

 

[VerbaVolant]

What?

... Does it exist in both double and single wrapped version?

Yes, they do.

 

[kosovel]

There you go, you live and learn. I've got Russian made, single wrapped.

 

[VerbaVolant]

There you go, you live and learn. I've got Russian made, single wrapped.

Just read the text on the tuck to determine country of manufacture.

Both made in Russia, one single the other double wrapped.

 

[VerbaVolant]

...the shave just was not comfortable anylonger...

That statement made me question country of manufacture. Not the wrapper.

 

[VerbaVolant]

I have been lucky so far. Never came across a dud, and I consider the PPI Astra SP one of the most consistent blades I used. I can say the same about other PPI blades. At least the ones pre-2022. I don't have experience with the more current batches.

 

[DesertIguana]

Typic day on this Forum, learn something.

 

[ripchief]

There are FOUR, to my knowledge, different Astra SP packaging...Type 1 (Russian): the blade is wrapped in plain white wax paper, AND THEN wrapped in an outer paper wrapper with the green Astra SP "logo"...See photos above...These were the first ones that I used...Type 2 (Russian)...These were only wrapped in plain white wax paper; they did away with the outer paper wrapper...Type 3 (Russian): These are wrapped in white wax paper, but have printing on the wax paper...Type 4 (Indian): These are wrapped the same as type 3, but are now being manufactured in India...I have used Type 1 and Type 2, but have not used Type 3 or Type 4, but have kept up with the evolution of the packaging over time.

If I had to guess, I think that their reason for using the double wrapping was that there are several "brands" of blades being manufactured in the same factory...They knew that each of these needed to be wrapped in wax paper, so that was a common variable across the board...They then would wrap each blade in an outer paper wrapper that corresponded to the graphic of the cardboard tuck...Give me some rope here, but I think that the did away with the outer wrapper merely as a cost cutting strategy...The marketing (graphic) was already being conveyed with the graphic on the cardboard tuck...Although you can read the printing on the blade itself through the plain white wax paper, I think that they later added printing to the wax paper to provide greater recognition of the blade, while not having to read text through the wax paper.

For blades that are packaged in a cardboard tuck, the blades often become separated from the tuck (think of the Great Blade Exchange where the blades are exchanged in two)...The double wrapped blades and the blades with printing on the wax paper in a pile of many blades are easily identifiable, while the blades wrapped in the plain white wax paper are not easily identifiable, which explains why they might have switched from plain white wax paper to white wax paper with printing on them.

Feathers...Feathers are presented in plastic dispensers...They have a cardboard graphic inserted in the dispenser...The blades within the dispenser are wrapped in wax paper with a blue graphic featuring a picture of a feather along with the word Feather...This aligns with the Type 3 and Type 4 Astra SPs described above.

Just my two cents.

 

[Lane101]

I have been using Astras SP for ages, but recently I've come across a bad batch and the shave just was not comfortable anylonger. So I have decided to experiment a bit with a sample pack. To my surprise, quite some blades come double wrapped. Any reason for that?

Astras are single wrapped, so are Sharks, Blue Sword, RK, Big Ben, ...

But then Tigers are double wrapped and Dorco, Treet, ...

Some blades are double wrapped to enable the sale of individual blades in extremely low income areas where customers may not be able to afford the entire tuck. Often other consumer products, such as shampoo, are sold in single use packets in these areas for the same reason. @ripchief , FYI.

 

[Jopo]

Just read the text on the tuck to determine country of manufacture.

View attachment 1993448

Both made in Russia, one single the other double wrapped.

The double wrapped are old. You can see ‘ZAO’ on old PPI packets, meaning that the company is co-owned by the Russian state. I believe that the ‘ZAO’ was removed from the packets quite some years ago, after the Russian state ceased to be a partner.

Russian Gillettes went from 1) double wrapper 2) plain wax paper only 3) wax paper only, with ink printing on the wax paper (but not all brands had the ink printing, if I recall). I believe it’s been many years since Russian Gillettes have had double wrapping, and none in current production.

I believe this is the case but, as in all matters relating to DE blades, I would look to Ivan for the most accurate information

 

[AndyPanda]

Wasn't there also a time period (seems like 2016 ish) when Russian Astra had laser etching instead of black ink on the blades?

 

[profusion]

Wasn't there also a time period (seems like 2016 ish) when Russian Astra had laser etching instead of black ink on the blades?

That was in 2018-19, as I recall. Didn't last long. It was an anti-counterfeit measure.