Back in the U.S.S.R.

[totorlekiller]

@powwowdancer recently posted is shave on the SOTD thread asking for others experience with Russian steel.
Here is mine. A Trud Vacha. Not a looker. I got it to provide and adequate shave, but not one that I am looking forward to in my rotation.
It felt even harsher than a French razor made of Swedish steel (The Swedes know how to deal with Swedish steel, the French don't in my experience).


Not an experience even remotely comparable to a Polish Wapienica.

Anybody got more luck than me?

 

[jlindy]

There is of course a multitude of factors that can conspire together and result in a not-so-hot shave...

My little Russian darling has proven itself a strong performer. No beauty queen, but it shaves as well as any in my collection.

 

[Slash McCoy]

There is of course a multitude of factors that can conspire together and result in a not-so-hot shave...

My little Russian darling has proven itself a strong performer. No beauty queen, but it shaves as well as any in my collection.

I have that same razor, and it hones and shaves nicely though it rusts pretty easily. The workmanship is much better than I would have expected from the USSR.

 

[jlindy]

The workmanship is much better than I would have expected from the USSR.

That was my thought as well when I got it. As an old 'cold warrior' I had to take back a lot of old jokes about Russian razor blades...

 

[malocchio]

Hard to find ,great in any shave den !

 

[ouch]

You don't know how lucky you are, boy.

 

[shm]

I have got one of those ruskies too, here from a SOTD

Took a little effort to hone, but shaves just fine

 

[Slash McCoy]

Ah. Moscow #51. I think those were meant to only be souvenir grade RSOs, and I was wondering if they actually shave okay or not, so thanks for that.

 

[mjclark]

And here's my Trud Extra:

It's really well balanced and the steel is much harder than the Sheffields and Solingens.

Ha ha - it actually feels more like the American straights I've used. That's the Cold War for you eh?

It took a fantastic edge from the Trans Ark and it's a lovely shaver.

The royal blue scales are pretty fab too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[efsk]

I've got two, both out of the Trud factories. Lvely razors, take a while to hone but do take a nice edge.

Top/left: Trud Vacha, 1950. Right/bottom: Trud, 1967.

 

[jlindy]

I've got two, both out of the Trud factories. Lvely razors, take a while to hone but do take a nice edge.
Top/left: Trud Vacha, 1950. Right/bottom: Trud, 1967.

I like your '67 Trud, very nice. Must have been for export, or party poobahs =)

 

[147_Grain]

That was my thought as well when I got it. As an old 'cold warrior' I had to take back a lot of old jokes about Russian razor blades...

Based on my sources*, late '50s to early '60s Soviet DE blades and DE razors were the low-quality items rather than straights.




*[SUB]two sketches in Guareschi's "Comrade Don Camillo" [/SUB]

 

[spegar]

I've got one from 1963. Shaves like my other straights.

 

[147_Grain]

That's a cool rocket logo.

 

[BobLH]

This is my sole Ruskie razor given to me by a fellow I used to work with. I cleaned it up and honed it. Took a nice edge and shaves as well as any of the 30 odd SRs I have in my rotation. Not a real looker but then pretty don't shave.

Bob

 

[mjclark]

Not a real looker but then pretty don't shave.

Ha ha - wise words indeed [emoji3]

 

[pundi64]

This is my sole Ruskie razor given to me by a fellow I used to work with. I cleaned it up and honed it. Took a nice edge and shaves as well as any of the 30 odd SRs I have in my rotation. Not a real looker but then pretty don't shave.

Bob

There are a lot of people out there, that think the Ferrari, or Lamborghini, shiny, exotic, type looking razors are better, I'm with you, I buy to use, not put away in a box somewhere, to look at once in a while, a tool is a tool.

 

[BobLH]

There are a lot of people out there, that think the Ferrari, or Lamborghini, shiny, exotic, type looking razors are better, I'm with you, I buy to use, not put away in a box somewhere, to look at once in a while, a tool is a tool.

I am not against pretty razors by any means if they are all dressed in the classic Solingen manner. Those still make entirely useful everyday shavers and I enjoy using them. I really don't care for a lot of the custom razors that I have seen that look like a Klingon Bat'Leth. Each to their own though. Yes, I am a user not a collector so it must be a usable tool first and foremost regardless of looks.

Bob

 

[Crispycrunchy]

I've got one from 1963. Shaves like my other straights.


View attachment 652195

Man, that rocket looks awesome!