Participation PIF - A Very Mysteree-X Shave

[Demolition]

Twenty-ninth shave with the Personna X-Series (Platinum Coated) blade #1

Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Aqua (24mm Tuxedo)
Soap: RazoRock Black Label

Heavy buffing still needed, but otherwise comfortable.

So, I've had to buff quite heavily to achieve a BBS over the last few outings. This seems like an obvious sign of dulling, but the blade still feels fairly sharp and the smoothness and rapidity of my three main passes seems to contradict that notion.

Regardless, what counts is that the X-Series blade is still performing well. As long as it doesn't decline suddenly, I foresee many more excellent shaves in its future.

 

[JAHE]

A letter carrying my two remaining Personna X-series blades and some more mysteree blades has departed from Germany today and is now on it's way to @Alum Ladd in the UK.

Happy shaves!

 

[FarmerTan]

A letter carrying my two remaining Personna X-series blades and some more mysteree blades has departed from Germany today and is now on it's way to @Alum Ladd in the UK.

Happy shaves!

VERY nice of you my friend!

 

[JAHE]

VERY nice of you my friend!

Alum Ladd's gesture to share his participation pif blades from an other pif I missed was even nicer. I hadn’t to think twice when he offered to swap the blades

 

[BigJ]

Treet black beauty, Shave #2

Razor: Wolfman WR1
Brush: Simpsons 57 best
Soap: Fine santal absolut
Splash: Proraso red

Comment: Comfortable, close shave today (9.5/10)!!

 

[FarmerTan]

Alum Ladd's gesture to share his participation pif blades from an other pif I missed was even nicer. I hadn’t to think twice when he offered to swap the blades

I THOUGHT that was how that went down.... Either way, I love this place.

I am at a place in life where I could "afford" most anything I want in the wet shaving werld, but STILL ENJOY the savings of the DE shaving razor..... especially when someone else is footing the bill!

But I love the "brotherly love" displayed here, sometimes very inexpensively, sometimes SHOCKINGLY generous, from a financial perspective.... But taking the time to post something to a "friend" that you have never shaken hands with says something about the "giver", so I needed to thank you!

 

[T Bone]

Personna X-Series #3, shave #5
2 days growth
Preshave: warm shower
Brush: PAA Starcraft (24mm synth)
Soap: La Toja stick
Razor: Henson Al-13 medium
Aftershave: alum, Nancy Boy signature gel

I'm finishing this Challenge back where I started, with my Henson Al-13++ and a Personna X-Series. Like that first shave, I got a nice BBS-. Also like that first shave, it took longer to get there than I'd like, due to quite a bit of buffing required on my neck and jawlines. Unlike that first shave, I didn't notice any significant tugging, even after noting a bit on shave #4 with this blade. (Maybe it was in my head with that first blade, several others had reported it, so I was expecting it.) Also unlike that first shave, not a single cut or weeper - woohoo! With little irritation noted, I'd rate this shave

7.53/10

Summary
As implied above, this is my last shave in this Challenge, where I got to try 3 new-to-me blades. The general consensus on the X-Series, which I agree with, is that it's not among the very sharpest blades, but it is above average. It was a relatively comfortable shave for me, with very little tugging, and irritation was usually very mild. On my best days, I was able to get close to BBS, which is quite surprising as I was also trying out 2 new and very different razors during this challenge as well. Like any sharp blade, it's capable of cuts, but it wasn't bad for a blade of its sharpness, especially given the new razors. I don't think I'd seek it out, but I wouldn't avoid it either.

The Rapira Platinum Lux was sharper still. I only used that one with the more familiar Henson Al-13 medium, and while I got closer shaves, I also got more cuts. I think I have a couple more of these that I was PIFed previously but haven't used yet. I wouldn't buy these now, but I'll be interested to try them again in a few months as my technique hopefully continues to improve.

Then there's the Treet Silver. This was my first experience with a carbon steel blade. It was quite sharp on the first shave, but not as sharp on the second, and I clearly didn't dry it well enough to use it on a third. So it's hard to say if I'd buy this, as my evaluation was incomplete. I don't have another one of these, but I do have a Black Beauty around that sounds similarly sharp that I'll be excited to try out, making sure to dry it completely each time.

Thanks @mikey and @Grundi for another cool Challenge PIF!! I enjoyed trying the new blades, as well as the conversation and banter. Hopefully my silly guessing game was at least mildly entertaining for someone besides myself.

 

[JAHE]

But I love the "brotherly love" displayed here, sometimes very inexpensively, sometimes SHOCKINGLY generous, from a financial perspective.... But taking the time to post something to a "friend" that you have never shaken hands with says something about the "giver", so I needed to thank you!

Indeed, this forum is a very special place. A couple of days ago an a brother offered to send me a present as a pif, since I was the only responder to his query. I respectfully declined his offer. I couldn't believe it but he intended to send me his Rex Ambassador with a stand. Unbelievable, but that's a true story! I never could have accepted such a gift, I mean, this would have been a gift being worth 350+ USD.

I'm glad we are only talking about blades this time.

 

[mikey]

Hello Everyone,

I am jumping back in to post my final thoughts and comments on the Personna X-series Platinum Coated blades.

I am somewhat amazed at the number of shaves some of you have gotten on these blades given that so many others have had issues with tugging right out of the gate. I would not push these blades that far but would definitely toss them after one week. YMMV.

I first tried these blades wanting to find out if they were the same as Crystals or Personna "Reds". They are not. All three are different blades. I would rank the three now-discontinued Isreali blades as follows:

Crystal Super+ Platinum
Personna Platinum Chrome
Personna X-series Platinum Coated

Crystals and PPC blades are still among my favorites (I have a stash of them). Personna X-series are good usable blades but I have found that there is a slight harshness to them that prevents me from stocking up.

Well, enough of my long-winded-ness.

Thanks,
Mike

...I am actually thinking I rate this a bit above a Crystal but below a 'Red'...

...To me, so far, these blades are very reminiscent of my experience with Personna Crystals.

...AS others have mentioned this blade is somewhat similar to Crystal *have you seen the prices??)...

 

[Alum Ladd]

Mysteerree Shave No 16

Razor: Gillette Adjustable Mk2 (Slim) N-4 1968
Brush: 'New Forest' Badger
Soap: Castle Forbes Lime
A/S : Pinaud Lime Sec

3 day growth to deal with. I have had a touch of the 'black dog', anxiety depression wash over me the past few days so not so great.

I thought a little self-therapy would help, also known as a shave. Broke out a few things. Citrus seems to cheer me up as a scent, but I'm not an expert.

Lathered up some very nice Castle Forbes from the container, and set to for a 3 passer.

The lovely Slim was loaded with old dependable 'X' on trip 16. I used setting 6 throughout the shave.

Apart from it being a very cheering shave, and the kit working perfectly, nothing to report except that the blade loves a decent growth to work with, and it seems to love setting 6 on a Slim.

The blade just keeps delivering. And this was their bottom-tier offering. Remarkable.

DFS++

 

[Chard52142]

Thu 26 Mysteree-X Blade#1 Shave#18
Soap Yaqi Musketeer Rapier
Brush Yaqi 24mm Purple Mink
Razor Karve Brass SB-F
Blade Persona X Series 18th Use
Aftershave Yaqi Musketeer Rapier Splash
A very good quality soap with a terrific scent and a rich creamy slick lather...
The shave with the razor paired with this well-used blade was amazing! The blade is still smooth and performing without any signs of being dull. 3passes without any issues for a bbs/dfs result. The matching aftershave was super...

 

[BigJ]

Treet black beauty, Shave #3

Razor: Wolfman WR1
Brush: Rudy Vey/EverReady 2-band
Soap: Haslinger’s aloe vera
Splash: Speick

Comment: WHAT A CONTRAST!! Top-notch kit (for me) today to give this blade every advantage. However, the shave was 8.5/10 with sharpness falling off. So, this blade was plenty sharp and comfortable out of the wrapper. But longevity was just not there. (Will give it one more try.)

In stark contrast, the Personna Mysteree-X blades are not as sharp or comfortable out of the wrapper. Then, they smooth out and last, and LAST!! Comparing blades is so much fun!!

 

[Demolition]

Thirtieth shave with the Personna X-Series (Platinum Coated) blade #1

Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: The Shave Factory/Omega (Pro 49) (27mm Unbleached Boar)
Soap: Tabac Shaving Soap (Non-Tallow)

On its thirtieth use, another fine performance by the X-Series blade.

My three usual passes were all quick and trouble-free again. The tugging that I experienced on the WTG pass has not reared its head since May 16. Hopefully, it remains a distant memory.

As with my last two shaves, I required much heavier buffing than normal to achieve a BBS. Despite that, there was no irritation, either during or after the shave. So, I guess I'll just keep going...

 

[gpjoe]

Late to the party, but I shaved with my first Personna X blade today. Typical 3-pass shave with touchup, on 2-day growth.

Blade: Personna X- Series
Razor: Feather ASD2
Brush: Semogue Mistura
Soap: Proraso Red
AS: Captain's Choice Sandalwood

I generally use Astra SP blades, and get a bit of tugging on my chin below the corners of my mouth and below my lower lip, and the Mysteree blade gave me the same performance. Overall, the blade seemed to perform very similarly to the SP, with a very nice end result: no irritation, and minor feedback from my AS splash. I am curious to see if the second shave improves, as is usually the case with my Astra blades.

Overall, a very nice, comfortable, near BBS 3-pass shave with no blood or irritation. I'd rate it a 9.5 of 10.

 

[Chard52142]

Fri 27 Mysteree-X Blade#1 Shave#19th Wow!!
Soap Yaqi The Green
Brush Yaqi 24mm Green Mink
Razor Fatip OC Slant
Blade Persona X Series 19th Use
Aftershave Yaqi The Green Splash
Another wonderful soap! Pleasant light scent with a rich creamy and slick lather!
Another satisfying shave with the razor and blade pairing. The blade is still very smooth and comfortable in 3passes without any issues for a dfs+ finish. The matching aftershave is good...

 

[Demolition]

Well, it looks like today's shave was the last one that I'll be doing with the Personna X-Series blade because I'm switching over to a vintage Schick Super Stainless for the "An Old Friend Returns" Participation PIF.

However, I wanted to conclude my participation by saying that this blade performed far better and displayed much greater longevity than I had envisioned at the start. For the price (~$10 for a 100-pack), the X-Series is a pretty good deal, as well.

Some day, I'll return to this particular blade because it still has plenty of life in it. Therefore, don't be surprised if this thread rises from the dead, many years from now!

So, once again, many thanks go to @mikey for rounding up these blades and to @Grundi for sending them out. I'm sure that I speak for everybody when I say that we truly appreciate your amazing generosity!

 

[BigJ]

Treet black beauty, Shave #4 (and done with this one!)

Razor: Wolfman WR1
Brush: Simpsons chubby 1 best
Soap: MWF
Splash: Proraso red

Comment: 7.5/10 today, meaning that this blade fell off quickly. So it started great and finished fast!

In other words, this would be a great ‘one and done’ blade IMO!! Excellent contrast to the Mysteree-X!!

 

[BigJ]

Personna Mysteree blade three, Shave #1

Razor: Wolfman WR1
Brush: Shavemac beagle (fan)
Soap: Fine platinum
Splash: Fine platinum

Comment: Not the sharpest or smoothest out of the wrapper. Overall 9.5/10 in the end. So far this is very similar to blades one and two. The question is, ‘Will this improve with use?’

 

[gpjoe]

Shave #2 on the Personna. Same set up, different brush:

Blade: Personna X- Series
Razor: Feather ASD2
Brush: Omega 10290 boar
Soap: Proraso Red
AS: Captain's Choice Sandalwood

Great 3-pass shave, maybe a tad smoother, less tuggy than the first. Very close, 90% BBS another 9.5 of 10. I may switch the blade to my Razorock GC 68P for round three, just to see how effective a slightly more agressive razor shaves with this blade.

So far, no complaints.

 

[hugosf]

Razor: Gamechanger 84-P

Brush: Semogue 830

Soap: SV Cosmo

Blade: Treet Silver (1)

Bowl: Captain’s Choice

I’m glad to participate in another challenge and try new blades. I was a little salty with the Treet brand because the Treet New Steel which was my worse blade I’ve ever use. Also, I don’t like carbon blades because take the blade out after every use is a little annoying . I’m lazy and carbon usually rust inside the razor. However, I really like the Treet Silver, a very smooth blade.