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are these any good??

Jaro1069

Jaro1069

TSC's Cheerleader
Veteran
hello all.. I know what @Spider said were the best blades to get but i was also curious about these..
Cvs-Blade-For-Men-Single-Edge-Blades-10.jpg
CVS has them right now for buy one get one 50 % off....
 
I’m not entirely certain which blades are which but I believe CVS used to sell the carbon steel (vs. stainless steel) blades. Some preferred the carbon steel for various reasons but you do have to be careful they don’t rust on you. IF those are indeed the old CVS carbon steel blades you should find them plenty good, as long as you don’t store the pack where they rust while you aren’t using them.
EDIT: I should admit, I have used and enjoyed the CVS carbon steel blades as much as the coated ones from Ted Pella but the packaging from CVS always looks like they got it at a flea market in Peru, it’s always faded and torn. What you posted here looks shabby but very updated, maybe from then 80’s or so.
 
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mrdoug said:
You sure they're not GEM blades under a CVS label? It's not likely that CVS makes their own SE blades.
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I don't know who actually makes them i just saw them on their website and that one of our local stores has them in stock and was curious before i go and buy them tomorrow about you guys thoughts of them and whether they were any good....
 
If they’re the carbon steel, I’ve had good luck with them in the past. I liked them better than the stainless blades. Just make sure to set them well after every shave.
 
CBLindsay said:
I’m not entirely certain which blades are which but I believe CVS used to sell the carbon steel (vs. stainless steel) blades. Some preferred the carbon steel for various reasons but you do have to be careful they don’t rust on you. IF those are indeed the old CVS carbon steel blades you should find them plenty good, as long as you don’t store the pack where they rust while you aren’t using them.
EDIT: I should admit, I have used and enjoyed the CVS carbon steel blades as much as the coated ones from Ted Pella but the packaging from CVS always looks like they got it at a flea market in Peru, it’s always faded and torn. What you posted here looks shabby but very updated, maybe from then 80’s or so.
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that was a stock photo from the internet so i could show a pic of what i was talking about i havent went to the store yet...
 
i know @Spider recommends the ted pella and not the carbon steel ones and i didnt know if these were SS or CS blades....
 
Jaro1069 said:
I don't know who actually makes them i just saw them on their website and that one of our local stores has them in stock and was curious before i go and buy them tomorrow about you guys thoughts of them and whether they were any good....
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Good reviews on their website.
 
TobyC said:
They don't claim to be stainless.
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They are almost certainly made by American Safety Razor, the same company that is Personna but you are correct they aren’t stainless steel. Personna (ASR) does make/sell stainless single edge but they do so under the GEM brand (for consumer shaving sales) or ASR for utility purposes. They also sell under the Personna brand but they do it through their medical and laboratory supply division. I have purchased most of my Personna blades through the medical/lab supply source because I still have an old account with them from my laboratory days, the products are packaged differently but they are essentially identical. They have a dozen different Personna single edge options but most wouldn’t impact shave performance or ability. The differences have to do with whether the blades have been degreased or not (important for some lab applications), whether they have steel or aluminum spines, how they are packaged and the type of grind at the edge (2 or 3 facet). The ones sold for shaving are typically 3 facet.
Side note: there is often much debate about whether Personna “medical prep” DE blades (wrapped in blue) are sharper or better than the regular Personna DE blades. Yes, they are marked ‘for hospital use’ and wrapped in a different wrapper but they are literally the same blade specs, The only difference is the section of the catalog they appear in. I was under the impression the hospital use blades were or might have been sterilized or degreased but according to the catalog they are no different (no mention of any special treatment)
 
Jaro1069 said:
i know @Spider recommends the ted pella and not the carbon steel ones and i didnt know if these were SS or CS blades....
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There are some old timers who suggest carbon steel blades feel softer or somehow have a better feel. I have used both and can only say carbon steel blades will rust faster which WILL shorten the usable life span., other than that I didn’t notice one felt better than the other. I CAN say, if you plan to or want to use an old honing tool or strop to maintain or ‘sharpen’ your single edge blades, the carbon steel blades respond better to being stropped/honed than Ted Pella coated blades. The coated blades are fantastic ...until they aren’t, then you toss ‘em.

I know I will be grabbing some on sale now that you’ve made me aware of them. They are worth having on hand at that price ...especially if you have a 3D printed razor like what @uacowboy is printing .
 
CBLindsay said:
There are some old timers who suggest carbon steel blades feel softer or somehow have a better feel. I have used both and can only say carbon steel blades will rust faster which WILL shorten the usable life span., other than that I didn’t notice one felt better than the other. I CAN say, if you plan to or want to use an old honing tool or strop to maintain or ‘sharpen’ your single edge blades, the carbon steel blades respond better to being stropped/honed than Ted Pella coated blades. The coated blades are fantastic ...until they aren’t, then you toss ‘em.

I know I will be grabbing some on sale now that you’ve made me aware of them. They are worth having on hand at that price ...especially if you have a 3D printed razor like what @uacowboy is printing .
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there is also a 3d printed blade holder for sharpening the carbon steel blades that i found an stl (print) file for...if you have a 3d printer i could sen the file to you
 
Jaro1069 said:
there is also a 3d printed blade holder for sharpening the carbon steel blades that i found an stl (print) file for...if you have a 3d printer i could sen the file to you
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My son does all my 3D printing jobs. I would love to have such a device, if you can send me a file I might even be able to have him modify that file to fit the vintage Weck Sextoblade’s so can hone some of the old blades @Dave in KY sent me...that would be killer. The honed blades are never as good but it’s a challenge I can’t resist.
 
CBLindsay said:
My son does all my 3D printing jobs. I would love to have such a device, if you can send me a file I might even be able to have him modify that file to fit the vintage Weck Sextoblade’s so can hone some of the old blades @Dave in KY sent me...that would be killer. The honed blades are never as good but it’s a challenge I can’t resist.
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You're a sick man Chris.......... I like it 😎
 
CBLindsay said:
My son does all my 3D printing jobs. I would love to have such a device, if you can send me a file I might even be able to have him modify that file to fit the vintage Weck Sextoblade’s so can hone some of the old blades @Dave in KY sent me...that would be killer. The honed blades are never as good but it’s a challenge I can’t resist.
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I'll send it later today. I'm heading to the dentist now
 
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