- Thread starter
- #101
Super. Look forward to your review.
PILS Razor Review: ÜberBling, but does it Sing?
- Thread starter Stubblefield
- Start date
Fellas- I'm really stoked to see that people are taking the time to see what blades and product work well with the Pils... I love second chance blades that surprise me after I've written them off! Keep it coming.
I tried to summarize my thoughts and experience with the razor and wrote a review that I posted on a vendor's website... Its somewhat a quick and dirty review where the point was to show someone who knew very little about the nuances between blades/product why this might be a good/bad razor for them. Interested in your thoughts, so here it is below:
I tried to summarize my thoughts and experience with the razor and wrote a review that I posted on a vendor's website... Its somewhat a quick and dirty review where the point was to show someone who knew very little about the nuances between blades/product why this might be a good/bad razor for them. Interested in your thoughts, so here it is below:
I can't wait for mine to arrive - I have Feathers at home, and I ordered some 7 O'Clock Blacks and Greens for contrast - I will definitely post my review first chance I get -
- Thread starter
- #104
You are just trying to win the $100 credit . . .
Nice review--you should add it to the B&B reviews. I plan on posting one up as well when I have a chance.
Oh, and my morning shave with the Bic is holding up surprisingly well.
You are just trying to win the $100 credit . . .
Nice review--you should add it to the B&B reviews. I plan on posting one up as well when I have a chance.
Oh, and my morning shave with the Bic is holding up surprisingly well.
Ha! Just what I need... a credit that would entice me to buy another brush or, dare I say it, another Pils!
I'll add mine when you post something up... I'll give you "first descent" as they say on a fresh powder day!
- Thread starter
- #106
Fresh Tracks, Man!
I just received 4 more blades (courtesy of xillion) That I will be reviewing as well. I also have three more coming from CAN, Plus iamdarkangel has generously donated some Gillette Super Thins in the name of Shaving Science.
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I got my PILS the other day and waited until Saturday to give it a try. I wanted to test it unhurried. I lathered up with T&H Lavander cream using my moss scuttle. I laid down a splash of Coral Skin Food down before the cream.The PILS was loaded with a Iridium blade. Initially the heft of the razor was apparant. I must say it reminded me of one of my heavy target pistols versus my GLOCK. I did not enjoy the heft of the razor but I must say the passes were oh so smooth. I did have a problem with the razor slipping or should I say sliding. I just remarked to my wife that I haven't nicked myself in weeks, the PILS yielded 5 minor nicks in this session. This may be more a product of my grip then the razor itself. Well the trouble spots were still there after pass one and two, I guess I was hoping for a miracle. I did not conciously change my shaving angle and obviously by the nicks it was shaving. Well I was just at the point whereI said kiss $250.00 goodby. Pass 3 XTG was uneventfull the heft of the razor still apparant. The ATG the grain pass seemed to go smoother then normal, I held the razor by the end upside down and it seemed like it was on rails. After four passes I revisited my troubled areas attacking them from a couple of different directions, what's this no buffing necessary my neck was smooth. I wiped my face with a microfibre cloth and wow I beliece i got the closest shave ever, no lie. I ran to show my wife and she agreed.
Epilogue: I can't really blame the razor for the nicks, I have done the same thing with other razors. I have to experiment with grip to compensate for the weight. I'm going to use it every day to figure out what's best for me.That weight concerns me but if I can get shaves like I had today without the nicks I'll say the $250 was worth it. I do not think this razor is appropiate to a novice but that's my opinion. Thanks to all of you for the tips in the past 6 months since I got back to DE shaving.I hope this review helps.I'm going fly fishing.
Epilogue: I can't really blame the razor for the nicks, I have done the same thing with other razors. I have to experiment with grip to compensate for the weight. I'm going to use it every day to figure out what's best for me.That weight concerns me but if I can get shaves like I had today without the nicks I'll say the $250 was worth it. I do not think this razor is appropiate to a novice but that's my opinion. Thanks to all of you for the tips in the past 6 months since I got back to DE shaving.I hope this review helps.I'm going fly fishing.
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- Thread starter
- #108
Today was a shave with the Red IP. I used to love this blade, but cheated on it when I started seeing a Super Iridium on the side. It was all downhill from there. 
These were always very smooth for me, but not particularly sharp. Using T&H Ultimate Comfort once again.
Result: First pass was rougher than usual. And after 4 passes, I still had several areas that needed touch up. I dried off my face afterwards, and I could still feel and see stubble--So I took the unusual step of re-lathering and going over the rough spots once more, but with the two day old Bic I had just finished with. The Bic got all the spots the Red IP missed. Six hours later, I still have a fantastic shave--and I am loving the Bic even more.
Conclusion: For me, the Red IP is not going to be a good blade to use with the Pils--even tho I had hoped otherwise. I really wanted this blade to work, but it was not meant to be. So I think if you buy a Pils, you need to try it with a bunch of different blades, especially blades that perhaps did not work for you in other razors. This is true of most razors, of course, but it is something to keep in mind when using or demoing this razor, as your mileage may certainly vary--depending on the blade.
These were always very smooth for me, but not particularly sharp. Using T&H Ultimate Comfort once again. Result: First pass was rougher than usual. And after 4 passes, I still had several areas that needed touch up. I dried off my face afterwards, and I could still feel and see stubble--So I took the unusual step of re-lathering and going over the rough spots once more, but with the two day old Bic I had just finished with. The Bic got all the spots the Red IP missed. Six hours later, I still have a fantastic shave--and I am loving the Bic even more.
Conclusion: For me, the Red IP is not going to be a good blade to use with the Pils--even tho I had hoped otherwise. I really wanted this blade to work, but it was not meant to be. So I think if you buy a Pils, you need to try it with a bunch of different blades, especially blades that perhaps did not work for you in other razors. This is true of most razors, of course, but it is something to keep in mind when using or demoing this razor, as your mileage may certainly vary--depending on the blade.
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- Thread starter
- #109
Great report--I like it because it is a take no prisoners review--you are very honest about what you feel are the pluses and shortcomings of the razor. And I'll be the first to admit that the heft of the razor does take a little getting used to.
Hope you catch a few (fish).
- Thread starter
- #110
Today's shave was it the Derby Exta, a blade I have had little success with. OK, I had a great shave with one one using a Gold Super Adjustable, once. 
Results: Significant tugging on the first pass and a lot of stubble left. However, second and third passes were very smooth, as was the fourth. A little stubble left over, but not much. The Derby feels smooth, but not that sharp. Smoother and sharper than the Red IP. I ended up making another pass with a Bic blade, and picked up a little more stubble. Finished with Baxter of CA ASB.
Result: Decent shave, a little bit better than the Red IP, tho I do have some irritation. If this blade works for you I would bet it would work for you in the Pils. I actually got better results with the Derby in the Pils than I have had with other razors, so I consider this a plus. But I have gotten better results with other blades--for less work.
Results: Significant tugging on the first pass and a lot of stubble left. However, second and third passes were very smooth, as was the fourth. A little stubble left over, but not much. The Derby feels smooth, but not that sharp. Smoother and sharper than the Red IP. I ended up making another pass with a Bic blade, and picked up a little more stubble. Finished with Baxter of CA ASB.
Result: Decent shave, a little bit better than the Red IP, tho I do have some irritation. If this blade works for you I would bet it would work for you in the Pils. I actually got better results with the Derby in the Pils than I have had with other razors, so I consider this a plus. But I have gotten better results with other blades--for less work.
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Sorry to see that the shave impaired your typing, Dex. Too much bay rum?
I suspect that someone will want to know if that Derby came from a pack with a vertical or horizontal label. I think I sent it to you? If so, it came from a vertical-label pack.
I suspect that someone will want to know if that Derby came from a pack with a vertical or horizontal label. I think I sent it to you? If so, it came from a vertical-label pack.
- Thread starter
- #112
The Bay Rum is only for shaving?
Ha-fixed that. Yes, it was from the pack you had sent over . . . so it was a vert.
- Thread starter
- #113
I gave both the Crystal and the Shark Super Chrome a go.
The Crystal (Israeli Personna) is one of those blades that you like or don't, I think--no middle ground in my mind. I have tried the blade in a bunch of different razors, and not once has it worked for me. A shame since it is one sharp blade. This time around I had no tugging, the blade seemed to do well on each successive pass, with the end result being I achieved a very nice, smooth shave . . . but at the expense of a bit of irritation. Quite a bit, actually. The Crystal certainly gave me a better shave than previously, but the irritation is a deal breaker. If this blade gives you good results in your other razors I'm betting it will work for you in the Pils.
The second blade I tried was the Shark Super Chrome. I have never been able to get a decent shave from a Shark, they always tug and leave me with large patches of unmowed beard, it would seem. But because they are so freakin' cool (best logo and blade wrapper, period) I have wanted to find a razor they would work in. So far, I have failed.
So my hopes were not high for the blade this time around. The shark on the package was wearing a man eating grin, as if he was a bit hungry and I looked like dinner. Gulp.
So I am pleased to report the following: This morning I had one of the nicest shaves ever with a Shark Super Chrome tucked inside the Pils. No tugging first pass, subsequent passes were as smooth as butter on a hot day. As smooth as Dorothy Hamil on the ice. As smooth as . . . well, you get the idea. Seven hours later, my face still feels great and I have no irritation. The Shark, it seems has been tamed. I might even go so far as to say the Shark feels smoother than the Super Iridium, but I will have to shave with the blade a bit more. Conclusion: I can't wait to order up a pillar pack of Sharks.
Next up: Gillette 7 o'clock Yellow and Gillette Super Thin.
The Crystal (Israeli Personna) is one of those blades that you like or don't, I think--no middle ground in my mind. I have tried the blade in a bunch of different razors, and not once has it worked for me. A shame since it is one sharp blade. This time around I had no tugging, the blade seemed to do well on each successive pass, with the end result being I achieved a very nice, smooth shave . . . but at the expense of a bit of irritation. Quite a bit, actually. The Crystal certainly gave me a better shave than previously, but the irritation is a deal breaker. If this blade gives you good results in your other razors I'm betting it will work for you in the Pils.
The second blade I tried was the Shark Super Chrome. I have never been able to get a decent shave from a Shark, they always tug and leave me with large patches of unmowed beard, it would seem. But because they are so freakin' cool (best logo and blade wrapper, period) I have wanted to find a razor they would work in. So far, I have failed.
So my hopes were not high for the blade this time around. The shark on the package was wearing a man eating grin, as if he was a bit hungry and I looked like dinner. Gulp.
So I am pleased to report the following: This morning I had one of the nicest shaves ever with a Shark Super Chrome tucked inside the Pils. No tugging first pass, subsequent passes were as smooth as butter on a hot day. As smooth as Dorothy Hamil on the ice. As smooth as . . . well, you get the idea. Seven hours later, my face still feels great and I have no irritation. The Shark, it seems has been tamed. I might even go so far as to say the Shark feels smoother than the Super Iridium, but I will have to shave with the blade a bit more. Conclusion: I can't wait to order up a pillar pack of Sharks.
Next up: Gillette 7 o'clock Yellow and Gillette Super Thin.
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- Thread starter
- #115
The last two blades I wanted to try (for the time being) were the Gillette 7O'Clock yellow and the Gillette Super Thin. I've used the Yellow before with good result but the Thin was an unknown quantity. The price is right tho, if they work for you the can be had very cheaply, and since Dark was nice enough to PIF me a pack I thought I would give them a shot. Back to using T&H Grafton, all of the T&H creams give me very consistent results.
Results: Lots of skipping and dragging with the Gillette Yellow, and subsequent passes were rough. After 4 passes I still had significant stubble, and the blade was shaving as if it had been used more than a few times. Very surprising, as this is a blade that has worked for me in the past. If I had started with this blade at first I would have assumed that the razor was defective.
The shave with the Super thin was another story. The blade is both sharp and smooth right out of the gate, tho it suffers in comparison to the Iridium Super and the Bic. A touch sharper than the Shark. I'm able to get just over two shaves with this blade, the third shave being a bit rough, however passable. Nice blade, and nicely finished--the blade labeling is crisp and clean. Works well enough that I have ordered a bunch.
Results: Lots of skipping and dragging with the Gillette Yellow, and subsequent passes were rough. After 4 passes I still had significant stubble, and the blade was shaving as if it had been used more than a few times. Very surprising, as this is a blade that has worked for me in the past. If I had started with this blade at first I would have assumed that the razor was defective.
The shave with the Super thin was another story. The blade is both sharp and smooth right out of the gate, tho it suffers in comparison to the Iridium Super and the Bic. A touch sharper than the Shark. I'm able to get just over two shaves with this blade, the third shave being a bit rough, however passable. Nice blade, and nicely finished--the blade labeling is crisp and clean. Works well enough that I have ordered a bunch.
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That's very surprising that the Gillette SharpEdge (yellow) didn't work for you... That has been one of my top 3 more consistent blades.
I haven't tried it in the Pils yet since it appears that blades with larger glue spots could get in the way of the very tight fit of the razor head (since there are two flat surfaces where the blade resets - it could cause inconsistent pressure wherever the glue is). Anyone else notice this?
I haven't tried it in the Pils yet since it appears that blades with larger glue spots could get in the way of the very tight fit of the razor head (since there are two flat surfaces where the blade resets - it could cause inconsistent pressure wherever the glue is). Anyone else notice this?
Hi Dex,
Agree with your assessment of the Gillette 7 0'Clock (yellow) in the PILS. My father recently sent me a few packs and when I tried it in my PILS...I was quite...horrified. I swapped into a Muhle Stylo and the result was better but I still experienced skipping and some terrible burn...thought it was the blade so tried a new one...same result...was almost at the point of dumping the packs when I tried it in the British Gillette #58 and was pleasantly surprised...blade is performing 'quite' well...I'm getting 2 comfortable shaves and on the third I don't go against the grain...trying to finish off the blades before I rotate the razor out
Agree with your assessment of the Gillette 7 0'Clock (yellow) in the PILS. My father recently sent me a few packs and when I tried it in my PILS...I was quite...horrified. I swapped into a Muhle Stylo and the result was better but I still experienced skipping and some terrible burn...thought it was the blade so tried a new one...same result...was almost at the point of dumping the packs when I tried it in the British Gillette #58 and was pleasantly surprised...blade is performing 'quite' well...I'm getting 2 comfortable shaves and on the third I don't go against the grain...trying to finish off the blades before I rotate the razor out
The last two blades I wanted to try (for the time being) were the Gillette 7O'Clock yellow and the Gillette Super Thin. I've used the Yellow before with good result but the Thin was an unknown quantity. The price is right tho, if they work for you the can be had very cheaply, and since Dark was nice enough to PIF me a pack I thought I would give them a shot. Back to using T&H Grafton, all of the T&H creams give me very consistent results.
Results: Lots of skipping and dragging with the Gillette Yellow, and subsequent passes were rough. After 4 passes I still had significant stubble, and the blade was shaving as if it had been used more than a few times. Very surprising, as this is a blade that has worked for me in the past. If I had started with this blade at first I would have assumed that the razor was defective.
The shave with the Super thin was another story. The blade is both sharp and smooth right out of the gate, tho it suffers in comparison to the Iridium Super and the Bic. A touch sharper than the Shark. I'm able to get just over two shaves with this blade, the third shave being a bit rough, however passable. Nice blade, and nicely finished--the blade labeling is crisp and clean. Works well enough that I have ordered a bunch.
- Thread starter
- #118
I may post up a few additional blade reviews, but for the most part I'm done posting, as I have accomplished what I had set out to do--review the Pils with a variety of blades over time. In doing so I have come to a few conclusions; to be taken with a large grain of salt.
1. The Pils shaves differently than any other razor I have owned, and I have owned a few. There is a distinct learning curve not only to you have to work to find the proper angle, but the handle takes some getting used to. One you find the sweet spot with the razor is shaves like a dream, and yields very consistent results on a day to day basis. I found that once I became adapted to the razor, I found it very easy to notice variances in the way my blades and creams performed, the razor in essence performing a benchmark function.
2. Blade selection, as with any razor, can be a deciding factor with the Pils. A number of blades that has been good past performers turned out to not work so well with the razor, while others that I had dismissed (or had past issues with) turned out to be able performers. If you do end up purchasing or demo-ing a Pils, make sure you try it with a variety of blades (and creams/soaps). Your go to blade might end up not being the best. For me, the best blades were the Iridium Super, the Bic Platinum, and the Gillette Super Thin and Shark tying for third--the two are very close. All my NOS blades worked as well.
3. The Pils is a RAD killer--at least for me. having used it for almost a month, I have found my interest in other razors to be pretty much extinct. So much so, that I have sold off all my other razors, including my British Gillettes. So be forewarned, if you enjoy collecting and using vintage razors, the Pils may cure you of that.
Thanks for reading!
1. The Pils shaves differently than any other razor I have owned, and I have owned a few. There is a distinct learning curve not only to you have to work to find the proper angle, but the handle takes some getting used to. One you find the sweet spot with the razor is shaves like a dream, and yields very consistent results on a day to day basis. I found that once I became adapted to the razor, I found it very easy to notice variances in the way my blades and creams performed, the razor in essence performing a benchmark function.
2. Blade selection, as with any razor, can be a deciding factor with the Pils. A number of blades that has been good past performers turned out to not work so well with the razor, while others that I had dismissed (or had past issues with) turned out to be able performers. If you do end up purchasing or demo-ing a Pils, make sure you try it with a variety of blades (and creams/soaps). Your go to blade might end up not being the best. For me, the best blades were the Iridium Super, the Bic Platinum, and the Gillette Super Thin and Shark tying for third--the two are very close. All my NOS blades worked as well.
3. The Pils is a RAD killer--at least for me. having used it for almost a month, I have found my interest in other razors to be pretty much extinct. So much so, that I have sold off all my other razors, including my British Gillettes. So be forewarned, if you enjoy collecting and using vintage razors, the Pils may cure you of that.
Thanks for reading!
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- Thread starter
- #119
One thing I hate about the Yellow is the glue. I didn't find it to be an issue, tho I did scrape most of it off before loading it up. I usually put glue side down, it does not seem to interfere with the fit at all.
I had good results with the Yellow in both the Red Tip and the Super Adjustable, so I bet I would have has the same result in my #58.Hi Dex,
Agree with your assessment of the Gillette 7 0'Clock (yellow) in the PILS. My father recently sent me a few packs and when I tried it in my PILS...I was quite...horrified. I swapped into a Muhle Stylo and the result was better but I still experienced skipping and some terrible burn...thought it was the blade so tried a new one...same result...was almost at the point of dumping the packs when I tried it in the British Gillette #58 and was pleasantly surprised...blade is performing 'quite' well...I'm getting 2 comfortable shaves and on the third I don't go against the grain...trying to finish off the blades before I rotate the razor out
I Still have a few Yellows so I'm going to revisit the blade at a later date--probably when I give the Feather and Astra Plat a spin.
Dex...those glue dots bother me too...have been putting them on the base-plate ever since I noticed they cause the darn blade to stick to the doors if they're facing up...very irritating.
I love my British Gillettes...my #22 and the #66...would love to shave with a #16. I know EXACTLY what you mean...before the fiasco with the Gillette yellow in my PILS...I practically stopped rotating and just used my PILS daily...
I love my British Gillettes...my #22 and the #66...would love to shave with a #16. I know EXACTLY what you mean...before the fiasco with the Gillette yellow in my PILS...I practically stopped rotating and just used my PILS daily...
