seems to be a tie for the forth round in the karve solid bar level c with Marley Machine Works handle
both these blades and razor made for a real smooth shave
both these blades and razor made for a real smooth shave
Challenge PIF - Astra Superior Stainless Blades - Then And Now
- Thread starter Grundi
- Start date
Vintage Czech SS Blade #1 Shave #1
Tools used: Lupo Razor, Arko Soap & Plissoft Brush.
Got a very close smooth shave this A.M. with the Czech blade.
This Czech blade was real smooth unlike the first one I tried.
I did my usual three pass shave & touchup.
As usual no nicks or irritation noted.
Tools used: Lupo Razor, Arko Soap & Plissoft Brush.
Got a very close smooth shave this A.M. with the Czech blade.
This Czech blade was real smooth unlike the first one I tried.
I did my usual three pass shave & touchup.
As usual no nicks or irritation noted.
ThunderDome Challenge, ‘Two Blades Enter, One Blade Leaves!’
Purpose: To pick a winner, no ties allowed!
Methods: No blinding. Wolfman WR1 (my ‘daily driver’) will be loaded with the test blade. Then I use my (whatever looks good this AM) rotation of (mostly) ‘tallow’ soaps, badger brushes and assorted splashes.
Each shave will be judged using my ‘10 point’ scale during a week of shaves. Then on to the next blade.
Not exactly ‘scientific’ but this is the best I can do these days!
Results:
Astra SS (Modern Russian) Blade 1
Shave #1: 9.5
Shave #2: 10
Shave #3: 9
Shave #4: 9.5
Shave #5: 9.5
Shave #6: 9
Shave #7: 9
Average: 9.4
Vintage Astra SS (Czech) Blade 1
Shave #1: 9
Shave #2: 9
Shave #3: 9.5
Shave #4: 9
Shave #5: 8.5
Discussion: Still getting good shaves with the old blade, just not great!
Purpose: To pick a winner, no ties allowed!
Methods: No blinding. Wolfman WR1 (my ‘daily driver’) will be loaded with the test blade. Then I use my (whatever looks good this AM) rotation of (mostly) ‘tallow’ soaps, badger brushes and assorted splashes.
Each shave will be judged using my ‘10 point’ scale during a week of shaves. Then on to the next blade.
Not exactly ‘scientific’ but this is the best I can do these days!
Results:
Astra SS (Modern Russian) Blade 1
Shave #1: 9.5
Shave #2: 10
Shave #3: 9
Shave #4: 9.5
Shave #5: 9.5
Shave #6: 9
Shave #7: 9
Average: 9.4
Vintage Astra SS (Czech) Blade 1
Shave #1: 9
Shave #2: 9
Shave #3: 9.5
Shave #4: 9
Shave #5: 8.5
Discussion: Still getting good shaves with the old blade, just not great!
Fourth shave:
Wolfman WR2 1.25 SB
Astra Stainless Vintage (4)
Omega 10066
Grooming Dept Preshave
Grooming Dept Aion soap
Vintage Aqua Velva aftershave
Vintage blade still holding strong.
Vintage
Day 1: 9.5
Day 2: 10
Day 3: 9
Day 4: 9
Wolfman WR2 1.25 SB
Astra Stainless Vintage (4)
Omega 10066
Grooming Dept Preshave
Grooming Dept Aion soap
Vintage Aqua Velva aftershave
Vintage blade still holding strong.
Vintage
Day 1: 9.5
Day 2: 10
Day 3: 9
Day 4: 9
Current Production Shave #1
2 days growth
Blade: Current Astra SS
Pre: Warm shower with Kirk's unscented Castile soap
Razor: Gillette Slim Adjustable on 6
Soap: Stirling Sharp Dressed Man
Brush: Stirling Pro Handle Synthetic
After: Stirling Sharp Dressed Man splash
With a day in between I can't really tell much difference in these two blades above my jawline. This one did feel a little hot on my sensitive neck area and I did get a small nick. To be honest though, I'd been outside working for several hours so my skin might have been a little more sensitive than my normal morning shave. A little burn with the aftershave, but a very nice bbs shave was produced with 2 1/2 passes. The vintage currently has the lead.
2 days growth
Blade: Current Astra SS
Pre: Warm shower with Kirk's unscented Castile soap
Razor: Gillette Slim Adjustable on 6
Soap: Stirling Sharp Dressed Man
Brush: Stirling Pro Handle Synthetic
After: Stirling Sharp Dressed Man splash
With a day in between I can't really tell much difference in these two blades above my jawline. This one did feel a little hot on my sensitive neck area and I did get a small nick. To be honest though, I'd been outside working for several hours so my skin might have been a little more sensitive than my normal morning shave. A little burn with the aftershave, but a very nice bbs shave was produced with 2 1/2 passes. The vintage currently has the lead.
Associated gear:
Maggard 22mm 2-band badgers, one original, one in a Whipped Dog handle; PDP 63, Alum, Thayer's WH Toner, Nivea Men Sensitive PSB
Results:
Round 1: Edge to CZE
Shave #1 (NDC Tech) Astra CZE 8.5/10
Shave #2 ( I1 Tech) Astra RUS 8.0/10
Round 2: Edge to RUS
Shave #3 (I1 Tech) Astra CZE 8.0/10
Shave #4 (NDC Tech) Astra RUS 8.5/10
Round 3: Tie
Shave #5 (Stirling Aggressive head) Astra CZE 9.0/10
Shave #6 (Maggard V3A head) Astra RUS 9.0/10
Round 4: Tie
Shave #7 (Maggard V3A head) Astra CZE 9.0/10
Shave #8 (Stirling Aggressive head) Astra RUS 9.0/10
Round 5: Tiny edge to RUS
Shave #9 (Fatboy on 6) Astra CZE 9.0/10
So 5 shaves on the first edge of my first Astra CZE and it's still giving me the next best thing to a BBS. I may have set the Fatboy too high, though. During the shave, it felt a bit harsh, maybe 5 would be better. No post shave drama, though.
Shave #10 (Fatboy on 6) Astra RUS 9.0/10
5 shaves on the first edge of my first Astra RUS and it's still giving me the next best thing to a BBS, with the shave in process being a little more comfortable than the CZE. No post shave drama.
Maggard 22mm 2-band badgers, one original, one in a Whipped Dog handle; PDP 63, Alum, Thayer's WH Toner, Nivea Men Sensitive PSB
Results:
Round 1: Edge to CZE
Shave #1 (NDC Tech) Astra CZE 8.5/10
Shave #2 ( I1 Tech) Astra RUS 8.0/10
Round 2: Edge to RUS
Shave #3 (I1 Tech) Astra CZE 8.0/10
Shave #4 (NDC Tech) Astra RUS 8.5/10
Round 3: Tie
Shave #5 (Stirling Aggressive head) Astra CZE 9.0/10
Shave #6 (Maggard V3A head) Astra RUS 9.0/10
Round 4: Tie
Shave #7 (Maggard V3A head) Astra CZE 9.0/10
Shave #8 (Stirling Aggressive head) Astra RUS 9.0/10
Round 5: Tiny edge to RUS
Shave #9 (Fatboy on 6) Astra CZE 9.0/10
So 5 shaves on the first edge of my first Astra CZE and it's still giving me the next best thing to a BBS. I may have set the Fatboy too high, though. During the shave, it felt a bit harsh, maybe 5 would be better. No post shave drama, though.
Shave #10 (Fatboy on 6) Astra RUS 9.0/10
5 shaves on the first edge of my first Astra RUS and it's still giving me the next best thing to a BBS, with the shave in process being a little more comfortable than the CZE. No post shave drama.
Tonight I had planned to wrap up my Astra Challenge with the vintage Astra loaded in my RR Lupo 90.
No surprise after all these shaves with the vintage Astra. WTG and ATG went very smooth and efficient. The shave was so efficient that I thought about not doing an XTG and just touching up, however I wanted to be consistant with the other shaves and so I did an XTG pass along my jaw line and under my chin. The blade definitely showed that it was beginning to wear out. No tugging, but the blade did not shave as cleanly in the WTG pass.
Because of the results of tonight's shave, I decided to do one last shave with the vintage Astra on Saturday night loaded in my Ikon Tek (from last night's shave).
No surprise after all these shaves with the vintage Astra. WTG and ATG went very smooth and efficient. The shave was so efficient that I thought about not doing an XTG and just touching up, however I wanted to be consistant with the other shaves and so I did an XTG pass along my jaw line and under my chin. The blade definitely showed that it was beginning to wear out. No tugging, but the blade did not shave as cleanly in the WTG pass.
Because of the results of tonight's shave, I decided to do one last shave with the vintage Astra on Saturday night loaded in my Ikon Tek (from last night's shave).
I apologize, I should've posted this yesterday. But I'd just gotten my second Covid-19 vaccine shot earlier in the evening and needed to go to bed.
Yesterday's shave was brought to you by modern Astra Superior Stainless. Modern Astra for modern times.
Tools
Blade: Modern Astra Superior Stainless (1st use)
Razor: Fendrihan Kingston on WCS 79BR
Brush: Van Der Hagen Night Star 3 Band
Cream: Captain's Choice Nor'easter
Balm: Captain's Choice Nor'easter
Alum: generic alum block from local Indian market
Bowl: Daiso bowl with ridges inside
Procedure
Soak brush in warm water while taking a refreshing hot shower
Scrape lid of shave cream sampler and put cream in bowl, then add some hot water to warm up bowl
After showering, dump water from bowl into empty yogurt cup
Use a knife to add an almond sized amount of cream to bowl
Squeeze brush to remove excess water
Apply brush to cream in bowl and whip up into a lather, adding water from yogurt cup as necessary
Apply lather to face
Shave WTG
Apply more lather to face
Shave ATG
Apply more lather to areas to be buffed
Buff difficult areas ATG (make sure to stretch skin)
Rinse soap off face then apply alum
Clean brush, razor, and bowl
Rinse alum off face and dry face on towel
Apply balm
Results
I got a BBS shave.
The blade felt pretty smooth but I did get a little bit of blade feel. This was even more apparent when I applied my alum block post shave. I felt some stinging, which indicated irritation from the shave.
Oddly enough, the shave doesn't seem as good as my last one, which was with the vintage Astra blade. I feel more stubble today than I felt the day after shaving with the vintage Astra blade.
Still, I had a pretty good shave. The Captain's Choice cream was just the thing for the hot night. The menthol (I'm guessing) in the cream was cooling. The scent, though, reminded me of a cross between Irish Spring soap and an Old Spice antiperspirant I used in high school. It was a fresh smelling aquatic fragrance that filled me with nostalgia, though it provided less cushion and slickness than the 45th parallel cream. The balm provided a little bit of the menthol cooling sensation of the cream along with a slightly toned down scent. Unfortunately, it also proved to be little sticky, rendering a less enjoyable post shave feel than with the 45th Parallel balm.
All in all, if my previous shave was a 99/100, this shave would've been about a 93/100.
Yesterday's shave was brought to you by modern Astra Superior Stainless. Modern Astra for modern times.
Tools
Blade: Modern Astra Superior Stainless (1st use)
Razor: Fendrihan Kingston on WCS 79BR
Brush: Van Der Hagen Night Star 3 Band
Cream: Captain's Choice Nor'easter
Balm: Captain's Choice Nor'easter
Alum: generic alum block from local Indian market
Bowl: Daiso bowl with ridges inside
Procedure
Soak brush in warm water while taking a refreshing hot shower
Scrape lid of shave cream sampler and put cream in bowl, then add some hot water to warm up bowl
After showering, dump water from bowl into empty yogurt cup
Use a knife to add an almond sized amount of cream to bowl
Squeeze brush to remove excess water
Apply brush to cream in bowl and whip up into a lather, adding water from yogurt cup as necessary
Apply lather to face
Shave WTG
Apply more lather to face
Shave ATG
Apply more lather to areas to be buffed
Buff difficult areas ATG (make sure to stretch skin)
Rinse soap off face then apply alum
Clean brush, razor, and bowl
Rinse alum off face and dry face on towel
Apply balm
Results
I got a BBS shave.
The blade felt pretty smooth but I did get a little bit of blade feel. This was even more apparent when I applied my alum block post shave. I felt some stinging, which indicated irritation from the shave.
Oddly enough, the shave doesn't seem as good as my last one, which was with the vintage Astra blade. I feel more stubble today than I felt the day after shaving with the vintage Astra blade.
Still, I had a pretty good shave. The Captain's Choice cream was just the thing for the hot night. The menthol (I'm guessing) in the cream was cooling. The scent, though, reminded me of a cross between Irish Spring soap and an Old Spice antiperspirant I used in high school. It was a fresh smelling aquatic fragrance that filled me with nostalgia, though it provided less cushion and slickness than the 45th parallel cream. The balm provided a little bit of the menthol cooling sensation of the cream along with a slightly toned down scent. Unfortunately, it also proved to be little sticky, rendering a less enjoyable post shave feel than with the 45th Parallel balm.
All in all, if my previous shave was a 99/100, this shave would've been about a 93/100.
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The blades have landed at my place...finally!! 1st shave report is in...
Fri 7th Battle of the Blades Begins...Setup for both blades initial shave will be all Stirling Soaps and the Karve Brass SB-D followed by 2nd shave with the GC0.84 SB then 3rd Razorock G37
Blade#1 Czech Astra Superior Stainless Shave #1
Soap Stirling Evie - New & 1st Use
Brush Yaqi 24mm Mountain Lake 2 Band Badger
Razor Karve Brass SB-D
Blade Czech Astra Superior Stainless 1stp
Post & Aftershaves Ice Water + Stirling Witchhazel MitA + Hyaluronic + Clubman Gents Gin
Another excellent soap from Stirling. Nice scent, creamy and slick lather...
The initial impression of the wrapper was good quality. The visual of the blade was nice.
Shave with razor paired with the vintage blade was surprisingly very good. Can feel it's crisply sharp but smooth and comfortable. 3passes for a mostly bbs result. Very interesting.
Fri 7th Battle of the Blades Begins...Setup for both blades initial shave will be all Stirling Soaps and the Karve Brass SB-D followed by 2nd shave with the GC0.84 SB then 3rd Razorock G37
Blade#1 Czech Astra Superior Stainless Shave #1
Soap Stirling Evie - New & 1st Use
Brush Yaqi 24mm Mountain Lake 2 Band Badger
Razor Karve Brass SB-D
Blade Czech Astra Superior Stainless 1stp
Post & Aftershaves Ice Water + Stirling Witchhazel MitA + Hyaluronic + Clubman Gents Gin
Another excellent soap from Stirling. Nice scent, creamy and slick lather...
The initial impression of the wrapper was good quality. The visual of the blade was nice.
Shave with razor paired with the vintage blade was surprisingly very good. Can feel it's crisply sharp but smooth and comfortable. 3passes for a mostly bbs result. Very interesting.
Fourth shave with the Astra Superior Stainless (Modern) blade #1
Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Purple 24mm Mink
Soap: RazoRock Gold Label
A good, but not great, lather from the Yaqi Purple Mink/RR Gold Label pairing, today. Although it felt slick, it was also slightly thin and runny. It's likely that I added too much water.
The FOCS/modern Astra SS duo didn't seem to mind and neither did my face. All three passes were reasonably trouble-free. There is still a hint of roughness during the XTG pass, but not enough to cause any irritation.
Overall, it was a decent shave, but a bit of a letdown compared to the previous use which was very smooth.
Vintage Czech SS Blade #1 Shave #2
Tools: Lupo Razor, PdP 63 soap & Plissoft Brush.
Got a nice close three pass shave this A.M.
This Czech blade is very smooth compared to the first one used.
No nicks or Irritation noted.
Tools: Lupo Razor, PdP 63 soap & Plissoft Brush.
Got a nice close three pass shave this A.M.
This Czech blade is very smooth compared to the first one used.
No nicks or Irritation noted.
- Thread starter
- #232
Vintage Astra Superior Stainless Blade #2 - Shave #3
TL;DR - about the same as shave#2, some irritation, a weeper, and an SAS shave
Equipment: Gillette Heritage, vintage Astra SS blade (3), Williams Mug shave soap, GrayDog GreyWolf brush
Results: this shave was very similar to shave#2; a good shave with some irritation; had 2 days worth of growth and the Vintage Astra mowed thru it just fine. I did have a weeper and a little bit of stubble that required some buffing. All in all, I received a nice, SAS shave.
TL;DR - about the same as shave#2, some irritation, a weeper, and an SAS shave
Equipment: Gillette Heritage, vintage Astra SS blade (3), Williams Mug shave soap, GrayDog GreyWolf brush
Results: this shave was very similar to shave#2; a good shave with some irritation; had 2 days worth of growth and the Vintage Astra mowed thru it just fine. I did have a weeper and a little bit of stubble that required some buffing. All in all, I received a nice, SAS shave.
I suppose the modern SS is the same as the SP, isn't it?
Got back to the Astra challenge this morning, loading my second contemporary/Russian SS into a Lupo Dual Comb. Lathered MdC Agrumes with a big Omega boar.
I find this contemporary Astra to be phenomenal, right up there with the Nacet as a top-of-the-heap performer. Today's three pass shave was pure BBS with zero drama and very little irritation--almost none from the alum application, and just a small burn from an alchohol based AS. I will be buying this blade, maybe even a hundred of 'em, which is something I've done only once before.
I find this contemporary Astra to be phenomenal, right up there with the Nacet as a top-of-the-heap performer. Today's three pass shave was pure BBS with zero drama and very little irritation--almost none from the alum application, and just a small burn from an alchohol based AS. I will be buying this blade, maybe even a hundred of 'em, which is something I've done only once before.
Doesn't feel that way to me. I should try them back-to-back, but the SP is not a top tier blade for me, while the SS is. Needless to say: ymmv.
Associated gear:
Maggard 22mm 2-band badgers, one original, one in a Whipped Dog handle; PDP 63, Alum, Thayer's WH Toner, Nivea Men Sensitive PSB
Results:
Round 1: Edge to CZE
Shave #1 (NDC Tech) Astra CZE 8.5/10
Shave #2 ( I1 Tech) Astra RUS 8.0/10
Round 2: Edge to RUS
Shave #3 (I1 Tech) Astra CZE 8.0/10
Shave #4 (NDC Tech) Astra RUS 8.5/10
Round 3: Tie
Shave #5 (Stirling Aggressive head) Astra CZE 9.0/10
Shave #6 (Maggard V3A head) Astra RUS 9.0/10
Round 4: Tie
Shave #7 (Maggard V3A head) Astra CZE 9.0/10
Shave #8 (Stirling Aggressive head) Astra RUS 9.0/10
Round 5: Tiny edge to RUS
Shave #9 (Fatboy on 6) Astra CZE 9.0/10
Shave #10 (Fatboy on 6) Astra RUS 9.0/10
Round 6:
Shave #11 (Fatboy on 5) Astra CZE 8.0/10
Since the Astra CZE felt a little rough in the Fatboy on 6, I thought that I'd do Round #7 on a 5 setting. It did smooth out the experience, but at the expense of closeness. DFS only today. If the Astra RUS follows suit tomorrow, then it may be time to switch to the opposite edge of the blades.
Shave #12 (Fatboy on 5) Astra RUS xx/10
Maggard 22mm 2-band badgers, one original, one in a Whipped Dog handle; PDP 63, Alum, Thayer's WH Toner, Nivea Men Sensitive PSB
Results:
Round 1: Edge to CZE
Shave #1 (NDC Tech) Astra CZE 8.5/10
Shave #2 ( I1 Tech) Astra RUS 8.0/10
Round 2: Edge to RUS
Shave #3 (I1 Tech) Astra CZE 8.0/10
Shave #4 (NDC Tech) Astra RUS 8.5/10
Round 3: Tie
Shave #5 (Stirling Aggressive head) Astra CZE 9.0/10
Shave #6 (Maggard V3A head) Astra RUS 9.0/10
Round 4: Tie
Shave #7 (Maggard V3A head) Astra CZE 9.0/10
Shave #8 (Stirling Aggressive head) Astra RUS 9.0/10
Round 5: Tiny edge to RUS
Shave #9 (Fatboy on 6) Astra CZE 9.0/10
Shave #10 (Fatboy on 6) Astra RUS 9.0/10
Round 6:
Shave #11 (Fatboy on 5) Astra CZE 8.0/10
Since the Astra CZE felt a little rough in the Fatboy on 6, I thought that I'd do Round #7 on a 5 setting. It did smooth out the experience, but at the expense of closeness. DFS only today. If the Astra RUS follows suit tomorrow, then it may be time to switch to the opposite edge of the blades.
Shave #12 (Fatboy on 5) Astra RUS xx/10
new acquisitions may have rose tinted round five. the tech and the blades were smooth and mild. another tie.
Fifth shave:
Wolfman WR2 1.25 SB
Astra Stainless Vintage (5)
Simpson Duke 2 Best
Grooming Dept Preshave
Murphy and McNeil Claddagh soap
Pinaud Clubman aftershave
Vintage blade starting to dull a bit.
Vintage
Day 1: 9.5
Day 2: 10
Day 3: 9
Day 4: 9
Day 5: 8.5
Wolfman WR2 1.25 SB
Astra Stainless Vintage (5)
Simpson Duke 2 Best
Grooming Dept Preshave
Murphy and McNeil Claddagh soap
Pinaud Clubman aftershave
Vintage blade starting to dull a bit.
Vintage
Day 1: 9.5
Day 2: 10
Day 3: 9
Day 4: 9
Day 5: 8.5
Fifth shave with the Astra Superior Stainless (Vintage) blade #1
Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Maggard 18mm Timber Wolf, Travel-Size
Soap: Pré de Provence Bergamot and Thyme
Excellent performances from all aspects of today's shave.
The Maggard 18mm Timber Wolf and PdP Bergamot & Thyme make a stellar combination. I managed to generate enough slick, creamy lather for four passes. Very impressive for such a tiny brush!
Meanwhile, the FOCS/vintage Astra SS duo continues to shine. My usual three passes were smooth and trouble-free.
As mentioned previously, there has been a reduction in sharpness and a corresponding loss in efficiency, but the blade has exhibited no tugginess. It still requires more buffing to provide as close a shave as I can get with the modern SS, but that hasn't translated into any extra irritation. In fact, I've had no post-shave irritation with this blade, so I haven't had to use any ASB.
Overall, a great shave.
Yes and no.
The blades themselves are almost certainly the same (both are made in Gillette's PPI plant), but the coatings are different. The SP is platinum-coated, while the SS is not. Both are probably Teflon-coated.
In practice, some folks say the SS is sharper while the SP is smoother. YMMV, of course.
However, many folks also find the SP to be a longer-lasting blade; ask in the Excalibur thread about that. My understanding is that the platinum hardens the blade by filling imperfections in the surface, thereby providing more consistency and greater longevity.
Blade#1 Russian Astra Superior Stainless Shave #1
Sat 8th SOTD Astra Blade Challenge
Soap Stirling Baker Street
Brush Yaqi 26mm Mysterious Space Tuxedo
Razor Karve Brass SB-D
Blade Russian Astra Superior Stainless 1st
Post & Aftershaves Ice Water + Stirling Witchhazel MitA + Hyaluronic + Axe Signature Denim
Really nice soap...The scent was great, the lather was thickly creamy and slick...
Shave with razor paired with the blade was very smooth and very comfortable. Even better feel and efficiency compared with the Czech-made Astra. 3passes without any issues for a mostly bbs finish. Another excellent aftershave. Rating 10/10!!
Round 1 Astra blade challenge using the Karve Brass SB-D and Stirling Soaps
Czech Astra Superior Stainless - WTG is really smooth, XTG is smooth & ATG is smooth. Efficiency 9.4
Russian Astra Superior Stainless - WTG is really smooth, XTG is even smoother & ATG is really smooth. Efficiency 9.8
Round 1 contest resulted in the Russian blade a winner! (next round using the same blades but with the CG.84 SB)
Sat 8th SOTD Astra Blade Challenge
Soap Stirling Baker Street
Brush Yaqi 26mm Mysterious Space Tuxedo
Razor Karve Brass SB-D
Blade Russian Astra Superior Stainless 1st
Post & Aftershaves Ice Water + Stirling Witchhazel MitA + Hyaluronic + Axe Signature Denim
Really nice soap...The scent was great, the lather was thickly creamy and slick...
Shave with razor paired with the blade was very smooth and very comfortable. Even better feel and efficiency compared with the Czech-made Astra. 3passes without any issues for a mostly bbs finish. Another excellent aftershave. Rating 10/10!!
Round 1 Astra blade challenge using the Karve Brass SB-D and Stirling Soaps
Czech Astra Superior Stainless - WTG is really smooth, XTG is smooth & ATG is smooth. Efficiency 9.4
Russian Astra Superior Stainless - WTG is really smooth, XTG is even smoother & ATG is really smooth. Efficiency 9.8
Round 1 contest resulted in the Russian blade a winner! (next round using the same blades but with the CG.84 SB)
