Personna 74

BeatlesFan · Post by **BeatlesFan** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:12 pm

Hijacked no less! Egads, sir, I'm speechless!

Delighted that there is so much interest in the topic, and of course it isn't "my thread" at all, being in the forum's public domain. So hijack away lol!

m3m0ryleak · Post by **m3m0ryleak** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:57 pm

Arrgh mateys, I be hijacking here as well, no 74's on hand just these:

paddy · Post by **paddy** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 1:49 am

looks like you have enough to keep you going there for a while tony! i can't speak for the injectors, but if they are anything like schick's DE pp blade you will be a happy man.

brian, be interesting to see what you think of the gillette platinum plus. they are my joint favourite of all the vintage blades, along with the wilkinsons. maybe even my favourite. there is something about a gillette PP in a 50's superspeed or #58 uk gillette razor which 'clicks', the stars align and shaving bliss follows.

also that is an excellent deal john is giving you there and if you don't like 'em there will be no problem selling or trading them on to other members.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 9:56 pm

BeatlesFan, Yeah, the packaging was problematic with the few packs of 74s that I've had as well, but the blades and the shaves were excellent. I remain utterly convinced that the higher end name brand blades from that era ( late 1960s through the 1980s ) were the best DE blades ever made and that nothing made today can touch any of them for effectiveness coupled with smoothness and longevity. The so-called Wilkinson 'Light Brigade' numbers remain my all-time favourites but I like several others almost as well. The only exception to this, IMO, were the Gillette 'Swedes'....those European made Gillette Platinums that continued to be available until several years ago. These were the last lingering blades of this quality and when they were finally gone the last twilight was extinguished....sigh.
Regards,
Gordon

Straight Arrow · Post by **Straight Arrow** » Sat Jan 07, 2012 6:06 am

Hard to argue against the superiority of those classic blades. As for the blades sticking in the dispenser...a two day submersion in 91% rubbing alcohol has worked every time for me. Heckuva lot easier and safer than breaking into the dispenser.

desertbadger · Post by **desertbadger** » Sat Jan 07, 2012 1:32 pm

"Back in the day" the 74's, Light Brigades, Platinums, etc. were widely available in DE and injector at any store that sold shaving gear. For the most part, you just couldn't get a bad blade and you were using the best blades made. The competition between the blade companies insured that.
Ahh, those were the days.......

Regards,
David

L. Martino · Post by **L. Martino** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:40 pm

bernards66 wrote:BeatlesFan, I remain utterly convinced that the higher end name brand blades from that era ( late 1960s through the 1980s ) were the best DE blades ever made and that nothing made today can touch any of them for effectiveness coupled with smoothness and longevity. The so-called Wilkinson 'Light Brigade' numbers remain my all-time favourites but I like several others almost as well. Regards,

Gordon

Nice to see you posting here Gordon, about a subject near and dear to your heart. Yeah, old blades is stuff you know about.....having lived through this goofy 'hobby' for years before it sorta caught on. Kinda like a typing piece of shaving history when it comes to the 'Good Old Days'. Yep, sorta like a bunch of Shaver Scouts sitting around the campfire listening to some geezer (respected of course) going on about back in the day anecdotes. Stuff you don't normally get to hear about.

I worked in a drugstore in the early 60s and I'm positive I musta put up NOS Gilletttes on the racks. That idea haunts me on occasion, but I have no recollection of the event (thank God).

Good typing at you,

Martin

Tye · Post by **Tye** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:17 pm

For me the Schick Plus Platinum DE's are at least as good as the '74's I have used. I think the Schicks are also just a tad smoother also.

-Tye

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 9:29 am

I still vote for the 74s but I have more Schicks on hand so may be valuing them less.

churchilllafemme · Post by **churchilllafemme** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 9:50 am

In terms of DE blades (because I haven't used any SE), both the Personna 74s and Schick PPs are fantastic blades, with the former lasting slightly longer but the latter a little smoother. Along with Wilkinson LBs, they're top tier for me, better overall than any modern blades.

paddy · Post by **paddy** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 6:10 am

just so you know, somebody is selling a shedload of uk wilks on the bay at the moment. i noticed it earlier today when i was flicking around. think they are the super sword edge, in which case they are some of the best DE blades money can buy.

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 7:23 am

It's funny that on one of the WS Blade listings, some clown is/was trying to dupe the seller into selling to him before the end of the auction "my daddy used these when I was little, I want them, but I'll be out of town when the auction ends, blah blah blah." I'm so pleased that the seller politely declined. They don't have the internet "out of town"? Ha!

rsp1202 · Post by **rsp1202** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 10:16 am

Just noticed Tony's posted picture of the Schicks. That boxfull of them and a box full of 74s -- well, how long does it take before you can consider something "nostalgic"? Fond memories.

L. Martino · Post by **L. Martino** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 5:02 pm

paddy wrote:just so you know, somebody is selling a shedload of uk wilks on the bay at the moment. i noticed it earlier today when i was flicking around. think they are the super sword edge, in which case they are some of the best DE blades money can buy.

Seems like there's been a number of vintage Wilkinson lots recently, some with over 100+ blades included. I think there's two large ones right now, but I know the one you're talking about. It's a sizable lot of 695 NOS Super Swords.....makes me drool looking at all those bricks stacked up.

It's gonna be an interesting selling price.

Martin

paddy · Post by **paddy** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 1:54 am

group buy?!

haiti222 · Post by **haiti222** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 11:09 am

Since they are pictured in the thread above, I would say that the Gillette Injectors, both single and twin bladed, consistently go for over a dollar a blade as well. They are very rare in quantity and still sell at high prices then.

I have never gotten one, even though I won a case at auction. It appears the ebay seller sold them to someone else and acted like they were lost in the mail to me (saying there was no tracking number on a fairly expensive item).