I just returned back from hitting antique stores in the Lancaster PA area last weekend where one purchase was a blade case to go with a 1918 set I've been trying to complete. Inside were two wrapped blades (one had already been opened) that are date coded J1 (presumptively first quarter of 1964) with the Patent # 3071856 (filed 31 Dec 1959, awarded 8 Jan 1963) dating them to a year at minimum from when the patent for Gillette coated blades was approved. What struck me as odd was that on the backs, they contain the word "SAMPLE" printed in all caps and in a different font and color than the rest of the packaging. Not sure if these are pre-production samples/examples of Gillette's first PTFE/TEFLON coated blade and or just a sample of the packaging for those blades. All the dates/timelines seem to match--any thoughts/insight/opinions?
