For the last couple of weeks or more I've been interspersing the use of some carefully selected vintage carbon blades in my daily shaves and I'm here to say I'm hooked. You have to be careful to only use those that are still completely sealed, unopened, and top of the line brands.I also strop them on a pair of jeans before I use them just in case that actually helps. The results are some of the smoothest, closest shaves I've experienced. And bloodless for the most part. They don't last long at all, maybe three shaves out of one if you're lucky but two exceptional ones anyways. I'm not saying that no stainless blades shave me as well, Personna 74s are still the best I've ever used, but it's neat because the experience is a little different.In researching blades I'm led to believe that Gillette had the patent on stainless ones for many years before they were actually available on the market but their execs decided that the shaving public would prefer sharper, smoother blades that gave fewer shaves over ones that lasted much longer but gave a somewhat inferior shave. They were obviously wrong but I can see the logic in that reasoning.
Never really cared for them, myself. Have you tried honing on the inside of a glass? As with stropping on the jeans, can't hurt, might help.
I love carbon blades, especially modern Treet Black Beauties. They are only good for a couple shaves for me though, but they are cheap enough that I don't care.
Well you know, logic tells me that what most of us experience when using those old carbons can't be what it was like back in the day or all men would have been wearing beards. Sure enough if you take the effort to find pristine ones, and I know it isn't worth it for most of you (I'm retired), you'll get a great shave.
I've tried a few different brands of carbon blades and just didn't get along with any of them. The way I've heard it, Wilkinson Sword actually came out with the first really good stainless blades in the early 60's and Gillette was forced to follow suit when they lost a significant market share very quickly. I'm glad you like 'em but it's a definite case of YMMV.
Gillette had the patent and shelved it because carbons, while giving fewer shaves, gave sharper closer, smoother ones and they rolled the dice thinking that's what people would want, Boy were they wrong Wilkinson didn't even want such a large share of the blade market. They just wanted to sell garden tools.
I would guess that because much of the shaving public at that time being familiar with the Great Depression, most would choose a longer lasting blade and give up the "comfort" (in quotes because I don't find them comfortable) of a blade that gave fewer shaves. As I said, just a guess.
It's all a matter of personal preference. I love carbon blades and use them most of the time. I appreciate the total comfort of a truly good stainless blade but in practice I prefer the tactile and aesthetic experience of the carbons.
I don't think guys in times past were any different than guys today. Everyone wants a close, comfortable shave at a reasonable cost. Carbon vs. stainless blades, safety razor vs. cartridge razor vs. electric shaver, it makes no difference as long as the setup delivers the goods. Are those the same as the Treet blue blades in the dark red and yellow wrapper? Those and the Treet Dura Sharp Hi-Tech Steel blades gave me horrible shaves in a Merkur 34C, but great shaves in an Edwin Jagger DE89L. That was pretty much my experience, and Silver Stars are my favorite blades. Shoebox Shaveshop sells them for $20 per 100 blades. Twenty cents per blade is a really good deal.
I've heard those are good but aren't they stainless? The ones I'm talking about are the original from the '50s. Smoothest carbon I've ever used.
The ones that tear everyone's faces up are ones that have deteriorated, the one's I'm talking about are almost perfectly preserved and shave like they're supposed to.
