Schick Injector Blades made in Germany?

ScottB · Post by **ScottB** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:14 pm

I bought a supply of injector blades for my 1970 L1 Heavyhead about 5 years ago. Mine say:

"Made in Germany for Energizer Holdings, Inc. St. Louis, MO 66144"

They're in 7-blade dispensers.

Does anyone else own these? How do they compare to the blades made in China that are currently available?

I haven't been particularly impressed by them (the german schicks) which is why my L1 is relegated to under-the-nose augmentation and neck trimming duties.

Reading all the injector threads lately has got me wanting to find a better blade and put my L1 to proper use.

rsp1202 · Post by **rsp1202** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:53 pm

Scott, a few gents have been able to get an okay shave with the German blades, but I think a majority of users would rate them as poor. The Chinese blades are definitely better, and most stockists have those now. If you can spring for some NOS Schick Plus Platinums on eBay, that would give you an idea how good things can get.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:23 pm

Scott, I think they are quite poor. It was Schick's substitution of these for the excellent ones that they used to make in the US that drove me away from using my injector razor. The ones they are now making in China are, believe it or not, better. Not AS good as the old US ones but, 'good enough', and the best of what's currently available, IMO.
Regards,
Gordon

rsp1202 · Post by **rsp1202** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:44 pm

Gordon, did you find the Germans to start out especially rough and "pully" at first shave, and not improve at all as time went on, whereas the Chinese were a bit ragged at first but got better by the second or third shave? That was my take. They never did quite smooth out as much as the Plus Platinums, though they cut pretty well. Maybe I should cut them some slack, eh?

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 9:20 pm

Ron, Yeah, that was pretty much my experiance as well. The China blades are not as smooth nor do they last as long as the old US made ones, but they are closer than anything else that's available. I can at least use them.
Regards,
Gordon

desertbadger · Post by **desertbadger** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 9:52 pm

Scott, it may be painful (financially) but toss the German made blades. Your much better off with the Chinese Schick's just as Ron and Gordon pointed out.
If after you try them and they agree with you, then it's time to back up the truck and start loading.
My wife uses these blades in her Lady Schick and she has never once complained about them.

Regards,
David

ScottB · Post by **ScottB** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 10:37 pm

Great. I'm the proud owner of 140 lousy injector blades.

The only other completely misguided purchase I've made since joining SMF was to buy a bottle of Pecksniff's Oriental Woody on the strength of someone's review.

Back when I bought these I thought that the razor made all of the difference and blades were just blades. I frankly wondered why everyone obsessed over them. I bought these injectors and a couple of hundred Feather DE blades and never even tried anything else.

I'll try the Chinese Schicks.

thanks,
Scott

IAmTheJody · Post by **IAmTheJody** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:17 am

I find the "Ted Pella" American Safety Razor injector blades to be worlds better than the Chinese Schick injector blades.

If you want to go big though, try and win some Personna 74 tungsten injector blades off of eBay. They will probably cost you $2.00 to $8.00 a blade but they last 15 to 20 shaves a piece.

ScottB · Post by **ScottB** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 7:45 am

IAmTheJody wrote:If you want to go big though, try and win some Personna 74 tungsten injector blades off of eBay. They will probably cost you $2.00 to $8.00 a blade but they last 15 to 20 shaves a piece.

Recently I've gotten together a lifetime supply of vintage NOS SPP, GPP and P74 DE blades and also quite a few Spoilers as backups. I even found some Iridiums.

Not sure I want to go that way with injectors. I have my straights and even use a Bic Sensitive in my rotation. My injector may just have to remain in its diminished role as back-of-the-neck trimmer. I'm kind of "all in" with DE technology and don't want to spend that kind of money on another set of consumables.

I've shot my bolt as it were so far as vintage blade purchases are concerned. I may horse trade here and there for LBs but that is about it for me and vintage blade purchases. I'll pick up a few chinese Schicks.

Scott

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:42 pm

Scott, I hear you, and I agree that that's the way to go under the circumstances. The Chinese Schicks really are the best injector blades now being made....everything else are just different packaging on the ASR numbers with their crappy plastic magazines and so-so blades. I still have some of the old US made Schick blades, but not that many, and I haven't really attempted to get more. I'll use what I have, mainly for travel, and then just get by with the China Schicks if I feel the urge to use the Injector. I too have invested fairly heavily in vintage DE blades and feel kind of done with chasing these things down, at least for now.
Regards,
Gordon

ScottB · Post by **ScottB** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 12:10 pm

I went to give these blades away today and realized that only 56 blades out of my stash are made in Germany. It just happens that the three packs I examined closely were German. The rest (outside of the 56) are made in China.

So I'm giving the German blades away and will keep and try the Chinese blades.

Scott

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:41 pm

Scott, A lucky break, IMO. You obviously bought a mixed, cross-over lot; some of the older German made magazines and some of the newer Chinese ones. I think you will find that the newer ones are, indeed, better.
Regards,
Gordon

desertbadger · Post by **desertbadger** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:26 am

Nice going, Scott!

Regards,
David

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 11:16 am

Scott I've never used an injector as a neck trimmer but come to think of it that's a viable idea even with sub par blades.

ScottB · Post by **ScottB** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:48 am

Well I wasn't going to buy any NOS injector blades but there was this large mixed lot of GPP, SPP and P74 injectors and nobody was bidding on it and it had free shipping and there was no reserve and, well...

Instant vintage injector blade collection for almost nothing.

Its this darned hot weather. Its got us hunkering down indoors over here like a Minnesota winter or something. I can't work outside above about 110 deg-F so I'm trapped indoors and inevitably am going to look at ebay. We got that Ocotillo into the ground yesterday but I'm feeling some heat stress from the work so I'm taking it easy today.

If someone is just going to give a pile of blades like that away they might as well come this direction I suppose.

Scott

PS: I've contacted this seller and negotiated a fair price for these blades. I'm not interested in stealing from anyone, I don't snipe and I don't mind paying a fair price for something. I suppose that just confirms my lunacy for all to see. Oh well. I am posting from California after all and karma has a certain importance out here...

alcx77 · Post by **alcx77** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:23 pm

Are the Ted Pella injectors ASR blades?

Regards,
Alan