#11

Super Moderator
San Diego, Cal., USA
(02-07-2016, 10:45 PM)wyze0ne Wrote: IIRC, Crystal blades are the same as the Israeli made Personna Reds (platinum).

Unless something has changed, I didn't think so. I quite like the Israeli Personna Red Packs but have never really gotten along with the Crystals.
#12

Member
Detroit
Hmm, I wonder where I got that from then? I trust your knowledge more than mine, Freddy, so you must be right.
- Jeff
#13

Member
Austin, TX
(02-07-2016, 10:35 PM)beamon Wrote: Finished the 4th shave with the Feather AS-D2 today with the Crystal blade. Needless to say, the AS-D2 stays! I binned the Will look for a source to bring 50-100 into stock for future use. Any suggestions for a vendor?
If me I would reach out to Gareth at @thehandlebar. $1.50 for (10). I don't believe Joe or David stock Crystals but I may be mistaken.
Kevin
#14

Posting Freak
On tryablade the Personna Platinum (Israeli Reds) are shown as made by American Safety Razor in Israel.  The Crystal is shown as made in Israel by American Safety Razor.  My google search of American Safety Razor turned up this:

BUILDING ON 135+ YEARS OF INNOVATION
In 1875 the Kampfe brothers applied for a patent for their new hair removal invention, coining the term “safety razor” and starting a shaving revolution that continues to this day. Unlike the straight razors of the past, which are cumbersome, difficult to maintain, and has an exposed edge, the Kampfe’s Star Razor included a safety guard that served to both protect the shaver from the bare blade and to help them achieve the optimal shaving angle. The brothers formed American Safety Razor to market their products, molding the company into a dominant player in the early 20th century shaving market with their Ever-Ready brand and acquisitions of other major brands such as Gem, Pal, and Burma Shave.
In the coming decades, ASR added industrial and medical blade products to its portfolio and continued to innovate in wet shaving, achieving a number of firsts in North America and worldwide including the first stainless steel razor blades, the first guarded blades, the first female disposable razor, and the legendary tungsten steel double edge blades that remain a highly sought after collectors’ item to this day.
In late 2010, ASR was acquired by Edgewell, the owner of the Schick and Wilkinson razor brands. It is now known as the Private Brands Group – a division of Edgewell Personal Care. Today, Private Brands Group produces over two billion blades each year.


And this:

American Safety Razor Corporation
Gem & Ever-Ready merge with Star and becomes the American Safety Razor Corporation in 1919. Chartered in the Commonwealth of Virginia while razor and blade production remained in Brooklyn. By January 1921 they had produced 1,800,000 safety razors; 110,000,000 razor blades; 1,000,000 shaving brushes; 2,000,000 cakes of shaving soap.[7] In 1953 American Safety Razor acquires the Pal, Treet and Personna brands after purchasing the Pal Blade Company. These two product names continue to be made today. In 1954 the factory relocated to Staunton, Virginia after the Brooklyn City Planning Commissions planned civic center encroached on the factory with plans to redevelop the industrial area into office and residential use.[8]

Seeking diversification Philip Morris acquires American Safety Razor in 1960. In 1963 American Safety Razor is the first maker of stainless steel blades. Originally sold under the Personna brand name. Philip Morris in 1968, purchases the Burma-Vita Company, makers of the American cultural icon product Burma-Shave. The first blade made with tungsten steel is introduced 1970, known as the Personna 74. In 1974 American Line Brand of industrial products is introduced expanding the company into industrial blades. In 1977 executives purchase Personna American Safety Razor Company from Philip Morris in a management buyout.

Energizer bought the privately held American Safety Razor in 2011, when it filed bankruptcy.[9] In 2015, Energizer spun off the personal care division as Edgewell Personal Care.[10] Edgewell announced the sale of its Personna Industrial Division to an investment group who renamed to division AccuTec Blades.[11]

I'm glad we got that all cleared upSmile
#15

Super Moderator
San Diego, Cal., USA
(02-08-2016, 05:49 AM)Freddy Wrote:
(02-07-2016, 10:45 PM)wyze0ne Wrote: IIRC, Crystal blades are the same as the Israeli made Personna Reds (platinum).

Unless something has changed, I didn't think so. I quite like the Israeli Personna Red Packs but have never really gotten along with the Crystals.

(02-08-2016, 02:23 PM)wyze0ne Wrote: Hmm, I wonder where I got that from then? I trust your knowledge more than mine, Freddy, so you must be right.

Don't take my word for it, Jeff, as I am not 100% sure. I do remember that when I started wet shaving 10+ years ago the Red Packs and Crystals had different packaging.
#16

Member
Greenville, SC USA
(02-08-2016, 03:49 PM)Marko Wrote: [Read, but not repeated for sanity sake.]

I'm glad we got that all cleared upSmile
Thanks for the research, Marko. Things move fast in the blade manufacturing business. With all the ownership changes, it's likely that the various blades' specs. are changing as well. What you buy today may well be quite a different blade than what you buy under the same name and packaging months from now. Sure does make blade evaluation and selection for use difficult, though.
Does Mean I Must Buy High End Shaving Gear?
--Roger--
#17

Posting Freak
(02-08-2016, 07:15 PM)beamon Wrote:
(02-08-2016, 03:49 PM)Marko Wrote: [Read, but not repeated for sanity sake.]

I'm glad we got that all cleared upSmile
Thanks for the research, Marko. Things move fast in the blade manufacturing business. With all the ownership changes, it's likely that the various blades' specs. are changing as well. What you buy today may well be quite a different blade than what you buy under the same name and packaging months from now. Sure does make blade evaluation and selection for use difficult, though.

beamon to be sure the world of razor blades seems a bit murky.  I'm still digging on Personna to see how that brand fits into the mix.  I find it interesting that differently branded blades coming out of the same factory can at least be perceived to be significantly different.  I can't believe that  a razor blade factory would vary the process much from blade brand to brand, maybe different coatings or maybe they start out with a spool of slightly different steel ribbon but the basic processes would have to be the same.  
Mark

Check this out making blades and a TTO razor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4gTs_FRORE


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