I didn't find them uncomfortable at all. No razor burn or weepers. Had I been handed my razor without knowing what blade was in it, I wouldn't have noticed any difference between the carbon steel or stainless steel blades.
Do blades have a "shelf life"?
- Thread starter NEPA507
- Start date
Well, gentlemen, you presented me with me a challenge and I couldn’t resist it.
So, this morning I got one of those old Gillette Thin blades date coded Q1 1952, popped it into my 1956 Superspeed, and proceeded to have a wonderful, smooth and efficient shave. Every bit as good as what I get with a modern Nacet or a GSB.
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
Nice! They are excellent, I use them regularly. Not easy to find so I always pick them up when I get the chance. I have both English and US versions and they shave the same as far as I can tell
They seem to go between 60 cents to a dollar per blade on eBay.Nice! They are excellent, I use them regularly. Not easy to find so I always pick them up when I get the chance. I have both English and US versions and they shave the same as far as I can tell
View attachment 1908157
But it’s probably a lottery.
If they are stored properly as you suggest then the blades should be fine. I use blades which are older than 50 years every week
+2! Yes indeed! And the Polsilver SI/Wizamet SI are favorites around here!!
I have a bunch of Schick stainless blades from the 60s, stored in apparently terrible conditions and open to the elements in those plastic-and-metal slider packs to help you load them. The plastic has broken down and they don't slide, there's some dirt or grit in there and the outer few blades in each pack are stained with something unknown.
Anyway, they shave better and last longer than any other blade I've tried.
Anyway, they shave better and last longer than any other blade I've tried.
I’d imagine that some moisture isn’t going to affect coated stainless steel blades stored in a wax wrapper inside a cabinet. Much of the world lives in very humid and not air conditioned places.
Even with the carbon steel blades, you’d think that if there was enough moisture to ruin the edge sharpness over time, it should have certainly been enough to cause at least some rust spots. Yet people seem to have spotless blades with no sharpness left. Makes me wonder whether there’s been some other factors in play.
By the way, there’s been a scientific study done at MIT that looked at the mechanism by which the blades are dulled when shaving. It’s not what most people would think.
news.mit.edu
Even with the carbon steel blades, you’d think that if there was enough moisture to ruin the edge sharpness over time, it should have certainly been enough to cause at least some rust spots. Yet people seem to have spotless blades with no sharpness left. Makes me wonder whether there’s been some other factors in play.
By the way, there’s been a scientific study done at MIT that looked at the mechanism by which the blades are dulled when shaving. It’s not what most people would think.
Why shaving dulls even the sharpest of razors
A new study by MIT engineers shows how shaving can damage blades. Human hair, 50 times softer than steel, can chip away a razor’s edge, the engineers found.
I keep mine in a ziplock bag in a bathroom cabinet.
If anyone has so many blades they feel like they have too many, I suggest donating some to B & B’s own Great Blade Exchange. The link is in my signature at the bottom of this post. Send me a PM & I’ll be happy to provide you with mailing instructions.
Is this the French version of the Thin Gillette blade? It has a yellowish colour coating. The one I photographed here is used and ready for the blade bank, but it looks similar to @EclipseRedRing blades.
lasta
Blade Biter
These are variations of Gillette Bleue Extras. Likely 60s. I don't think the Thin brand was marketed in France.
In any case, I wouldn't recommend you use them, edge looks rusty.
Thanks! I thought the Blue blades were the ones that were actually blue in colour.
I already used it before it rusted. It wasn't rusty out of the package. It felt considerably thicker than the 1940s Purple blade from the USA.
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