Thanks for the quick response, I appreciate it.
Personna Comfort Coated/Lab Blues observation
- Thread starter Dimitri
- Start date
If you order from the Amazon listing that shows a blue box and blue wrappers, you are almost certain to get the white box and white wrappers. I did a couple months ago.
Quite a few of the sellers use older photos, creating some confusion.
Older Lab Blues used the blue wrappers (hence the nickname).
Then they went to the white wrappers and changed to laser printing on the blades.
Recent AccuTec blades have gone with colored wrappers, as seen in the photo posted above.
Interesting as I always had some Lab Blues blue wrapper, Lab Blue Med Prep blue wrapper and thought they were the newer, not older but I did order some more. Do I need more blades? In a word, no, in a few words, no but ordered some more so hopefully they are the ones with the white wrapper otherwise I'll just return them. Will it make a difference in how they shave? I don't know as I also do have the Acccuforge. I like all the blades so we shall see, I never shaved with a lab blue in the white wrapper.
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Lab Blues with laser printing and white wrappers generally shave really well and stay sharp longer than average, IME. There was a big price rise with Accuforge for essentially the same product which makes no sense for the consumer.
Yes, my experience with the Personna Lab Blues is that they are a sharp, smooth blade so when I saw that they were becoming harder to get today because you could usually find them pretty easily, then seeing the shaprness index, which I find very informative in that it does have it suprises but also confirms some blades which I thought were quite good (for me) and see them where they are on the chart. Also, avoiding payng much more for the same thing, anohter good incentive to buy some more.
Everyone is confused about this.....if you order any listing of the old packaging with the blue wrappers they will send you the new packaging with the white wrappers. SAME BLADE. My new white wrapper boxes say 2020 on them. I have never had the blue wrapper boxes but when I ordered them I received the newer white wrapper boxes. Accuforge blades in black wrappers are the same exact blade sold at a higher price but I dont think most vendors have caught on or they havent sold out of their old comfort coated boxes to even inquire about them. Also since they are more expensive now I think people and even vendors will lose interest. I bought some accuforge blades not knowing I could still get "comfort coats" about less than half the price but oh well. Accutech apparently decided to change the packaging in the last decade three times and people who stocked up on the blue wrappers are still not caught up and people with white wrappers generally seem to know whats going on. Some people say they notice a difference but the white wrapper side by side with the black accuforge wrapper I dont really notice a difference. Seems like the same coating and everything to me. The laser etching on the blade itself is the only difference besides the "made in USA" part
Thanks for the explanation, I appreciate it.
I received my Personna's Comfort Coated today with the white wrappers but the blades are unmarked, there are no etchings on them.
I assume that is normal, mine were made in December 2024 based on the stamp inside the package, on the top of the box.
I assume that is normal, mine were made in December 2024 based on the stamp inside the package, on the top of the box.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure you got the right ones. As Accutech began the rebranding they quit laser etching the blade. FWIU, even the Accuforge blades were not being etched. I think around that time is when they also began date stamping the Comfort Coated box. I'd only be worried if the blades were marked Platinum Chrome.
Anyway, the true test will be the shave.Yes, they are definitely not marked Platinum Chrome.Yeah, I'm pretty sure you got the right ones. As Accutech began the rebranding they quit laser etching the blade. FWIU, even the Accuforge blades were not being etched. I think around that time is when they also began date stamping the Comfort Coated box. I'd only be worried if the blades were marked Platinum Chrome.
I will see how they shave like. Thanks for letting me know.
fwiw, that's a Packing Date - which can be as long as a year after the blade was produced.
I found proof / learned of that when a box of mine had box lid dates and dates on the blade that were just over a year apart.
HTH,
/Acey
I had no Idea there was a date inside the carton. I had just been using the cutout at the bottom to remove the blades. Well to be fair only one of the cartons I opened had some laser etching. I have not opened the other 9 cartons I have lol so for all I know many of them may not be laser etched. The newest accurforge blades I can confirm are laser etched. But you are PAYING extra for that now hahahaha
To add a little more here: some facts with some speculation (you decide which is which):
AccuTec is exiting the retail DE blades business (I think this is pretty well established); so, no more Personna Comfort Coateds are coming.
If you want Made in Verona USA blades, it'll be the Accuforge or Accuthrive blades from here out.
Now, those Personna Comfort Coated blades have been found to be kind of all over the map. The blades may be blank, or say "Personna Super" or even "Personna | For Hospital Use". I've had some that said "Personna | Platinum Chrome" like the "Personna Blues" from Germany. All boxed in the same 100-blade "Made in USA" carton.
Now, you'll note in my comment above that the Packing Date can be as far as a year from when the blade was produced.
My current theory is this: because AccuTec makes blades specifically for medical and lab use, they are rigidly controlled in their specification. When blades come off the line they are held in a buffer until the next spot checks on the line quality (consistency, sharpness, etc) are done. If the line quality is down (indicating they need new grinding belts, some adjustments, etc.) then they stop the line and do the work needed. Now for the catch.
The blades that came off the line between the prior (passing) spot tests and the latest (failing) spot tests then don't "make the cut" to get packed as lab or hospital blades.
That's right: they get packed up as retail (aka, Personna Comfort Coated) instead of throwing them away or reclaiming the steel.
It's still going to be a good blade of excellent steel that's better than most, but it explains why the PCCs are always a bit of a consistency gamble.
I have no inside information to back this up but from all the evidence around it's a story that fits.
My 2 cents,
/Acey
@helicopter
AccuTec is exiting the retail DE blades business (I think this is pretty well established); so, no more Personna Comfort Coateds are coming.
If you want Made in Verona USA blades, it'll be the Accuforge or Accuthrive blades from here out.
Now, those Personna Comfort Coated blades have been found to be kind of all over the map. The blades may be blank, or say "Personna Super" or even "Personna | For Hospital Use". I've had some that said "Personna | Platinum Chrome" like the "Personna Blues" from Germany. All boxed in the same 100-blade "Made in USA" carton.
Now, you'll note in my comment above that the Packing Date can be as far as a year from when the blade was produced.
My current theory is this: because AccuTec makes blades specifically for medical and lab use, they are rigidly controlled in their specification. When blades come off the line they are held in a buffer until the next spot checks on the line quality (consistency, sharpness, etc) are done. If the line quality is down (indicating they need new grinding belts, some adjustments, etc.) then they stop the line and do the work needed. Now for the catch.
The blades that came off the line between the prior (passing) spot tests and the latest (failing) spot tests then don't "make the cut" to get packed as lab or hospital blades.
That's right: they get packed up as retail (aka, Personna Comfort Coated) instead of throwing them away or reclaiming the steel.
It's still going to be a good blade of excellent steel that's better than most, but it explains why the PCCs are always a bit of a consistency gamble.
I have no inside information to back this up but from all the evidence around it's a story that fits.
My 2 cents,
/Acey
@helicopter
