Great Write up sean & very informativeTo sum up:
Gillette 'Swedes' fall into three clear groupings:
Argentine Swedes: 1991/92 - 1995: Gillette Argentina
Annecy Swedes: 1996 - 1999: Gillette Czech s.r.o.
The Classic Swedes: 2000 - 2006: Gillette Czech s.r.o.
All Gillette Platinum blades after this date are highly likely to be manufactured in St Petersburg, Russia, although it's possible there might be some Indian production immediately following the divestment of Gillette Czech s.r.o. in 2006
Certain vendors have been known try and pass-off current Gillette Platinum production as 'Swedes'. Don't fall for it. Totally different blades which are noticeably less sharp.
Please feel free to chime in with more examples and evidence etc
...Please feel free to chime in with more examples and evidence etc
The ultra rare (AFAIK) Italian market (note Gillette S.p.A. Milano) Platinum Plus, also called the Super Silver Platinum Plus on the blade. The date code is H3 i.e. Q3 1987. Whilst I can't prove it conclusively, I strongly suspect these were made in England and are just regular Platinum blades with alternate market specific branding.
I've used a Chinese Gillette platinum blade today and I liked it. It was smooth and sharp.
Answering my own question...
A huge surprise, they are actually Spanish
Gillette acquired Bassat S. A. in Spain for blade production and, in 1974, began double edge blade manufacturing in Morocco and Kenya...
The Gillette Company is closing its disposable-razor factory near Seville in southern Spain, eliminating 246 jobs. Executives of Gillette Espanola S.A. gave union leaders the news yesterday at a meeting in Seville. They said closing the plant at Alcala de Guadaira was part of the United States-based parent company's plan to eliminate 2,000 jobs worldwide during the next two years. Gillette will limit European production of razor blades and disposable razors to its plants at Isleworth in Britain and Germany. A Gillette spokeswoman, Yolanda Navarro, said she could not say when the plant would stop production or what type of severance pay workers would receive. Candido Mendez, local secretary general of the General Workers Union, said plant closings by multinational companies are turning Andalusia into "an industrial desert and an economic disaster."