Challenge PIF - Astra Superior Stainless Blades - Then And Now

[Chard52142]

Mon 10 Astra blade challenge Round 2 (with RR GC.84 SB-D)- Blade#1 Russian Astra Superior Stainless Shave #2
Cream Saponificio Bignoli Black Berry & Moss
Brush Yaqi 24mm Purple Mink
Razor RR GC.84 SB
Blade Russian Astra Superior Stainless 2nd
Post & Aftershaves Ice Water + Stirling Witchhazel MitA + Hyaluronic + TGS Orange Empire
Very good lather from the cream. Pleasant mild scent with great creamy and slick qualities...
Shave with razor paired with the blade was very smooth and comfortable for 3passes without any issues resulting in a mostly bbs finish. Excellent shave with this combo!! Can feel the blade is somehow smoother and sharper!
Round 2 Astra blade challenge using the RR GC.84 SB
Czech Astra Superior Stainless - WTG/XTG & ATG is very smooth with good efficiency & an overall rating of 9.8
Russian Astra Superior Stainless - WTG/XTG & ATG is for me somehow just a wee bit smoother & more efficient with an overall rating of 9.9
Round 2 contest again is the Russian blade a winner! (next round using the same blades but with the RR G37 Slant)

 

[fast shaver]

Vintage Astra Czech Blade #2 Shave #5
Tools: Lupo Razor, Stirling Sheep Soap & Plissoft Brush
Got a smooth close four pass shave this A.M. The blade is starting to go south but I think its good for one more shave though.
No nicks & very slight irritation noted as the blade wears out.

 

[LMcC]

Vintage blade 2, shave 3.

This blade was especially smooth today, and seems to work very well in my Razorock BBS. Performance was a little less that yesterday, but still quite good.

9/10

 

[BigJ]

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
Shave #6: 8.5
Shave #7: 8.5
Average: 8.9

Astra SS (Modern Russian) Blade 2
Shave #1: 9
Shave #2: 9.5

Discussion: This is getting interesting! This blade may be coming into its own.

 

[Grundi]

Modern Astra Superior Stainless Blade #2 - Shave #1

TL;DR - shave#1 continues to be best from these blades, YMMV, DFS shave

Equipment: Gillette Heritage, modern Astra SS blade (1), PdP B&T shave soap, GrayDog GreyWolf brush

Results: I'm getting used to the Gillette Heritage and it's producing some nice shaves. Shave #1 from all of the Astra SS blades have been the best for me, and this morning's shave #1 was no exception. No irritation, no weepers, just a nice, drama-free, DFS shave.

 

[CJB3]

First shave with the modern:
Wolfman WR2 1.25 SB
Astra Stainless Modern (1)
Semogue 820
Grooming Dept Preshave
Grooming Dept Sandalwood Nobile soap
Proraso Red aftershave

Vintage
Day 1: 9.5
Day 2: 10
Day 3: 9
Day 4: 9
Day 5: 8.5

Modern
Day 1: 10

 

[ewk]

Blade #2 -- Battle in the Adjustables

So far the vintage Astra performs admirably in aggressive razors on the head shave, and horribly in general using mild razors. The modern Astra has been a much better all-around performer. For blade 2 the contenders were compared using adjustable and adjustable-system razors, allowing them to “play to their strengths.” Much more pleasant results from both blades in Round 2.

Karve brass, C Plate (open comb)
Vintage (1st use) -- 6/10 Face shave. Cut stubble without tugging, but uncomfortably. Blade feeling dull. Much stubble left after pass 1. OK results after 3 passes, but not very smooth. No blood.
Modern (1st use) -- 9/10 Face shave. Good sharpness, no tugging. 3 pass shave with BBS result. One point removed for less comfortable.

Merkur Progress
Vintage (2d/3d use)
10/10 Head shave. On setting 5, vintage blade provided a nice, comfortable 2 pass efficient BBS shave. I experienced the same mellow non-biting feel provided by blade 1 in its early shave.
6.5/10 Face shave. 3 passes with Progress varying adjustment between 2.5 and 3.5. Still had noticeable stubble after two passes. Required 2 pick up rounds to achieve acceptable shave. No blood, which was a great improvement over blade 1, and less post-shave stinging. Acceptable result but very inefficient.

Modern (4th/5th use)
8/10 Face & Head shave. This blade was at the end of its useful life. More uncomfortable than prior uses, did not remove stubble efficiently. End result is just below DFS.

Rex Ambassador
This new (to me) razor was a surprise entry to my collection late in the week, made possible by BST. This acquisition threw off my planned batting order and blade usage pattern, but I couldn’t resist.
.
Modern (2d/3d use)
10/10 Head shave. Dialed up to the highest setting, the Ambassador on 6 provided a very efficient 2 pass (WTH, XTG) shave with very light touch up. Excellent comfort level. Perfect BBS result.
10/10 Face shave. First use of the razor, started on 3, increased to 4 for passes 1 & 2. Very comfortable. ATG pass set at 2.5 for neck and chin, 4 on cheeks. Almost no need to touch up. Perfect BBS result.

Vintage (4th/5th use)
8.75/10 Face shave; 9/10 Head shave. I was dreading this shave as the Vintage Astra is on its 4th and 5th use, where the first blade was quite inefficient and uncomfortable. Tonight the Vintage Astra gave a great performance, supported greatly by the Rex Ambassador. 3 passes on face with some touch ups gave a DFS. There is still a bit of stubble on the jaw corners. 2 passes on head with light touch up provided BBS. Very comfortable, no blood, very light irritation with aftershave. One point deducted for inefficiency at end of blade lifespan.

 

[Chard52142]

Tue 11 Astra blade challenge Round 3 (with RR G37 Slant) - Blade#1 Czech Astra Superior Stainless Shave #3
Cream MacaRoot & Aloe
Brush Yaqi 24mm Aqua Tuxedo
Razor RR G37 Slant
Blade Czech Astra Superior Stainless 3rd
Post & Aftershaves Alum + Stirling Witchhazel MitA + Hyaluronic + MacaRoot Aloe Gel
Excellent creamy and slick lather with a pleasant light scent.
Shave with razor paired with the blade was good. Had a smooth and comfortable 3passes without any issues for a mostly bbs finish. Aftershaves were awesome!
Round 3 Astra blade challenge using the RR G37 Slant
Czech Astra Superior Stainless - WTG/XTG & ATG is very smooth with good efficiency & an overall rating of 9.8

 

[Demolition]

Sixth shave with the Astra Superior Stainless (Modern) blade #1

Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Moka Express 26mm Two-Band Badger
Soap: RazoRock Black Label

Average performances from the brush/soap and razor/blade pairings. Actually, today's shave was a bit of a letdown compared to yesterday's.

The Yaqi Moka Express 26mm Two-Band/RR Black Label pairing was off its game as the result was a runny and airy lather. It was slick, but otherwise unremarkable. Apparently, I got the water/soap ratio wrong.

Meanwhile, the FOCS/modern Astra SS duo provided a performance that was identical to its previous outing on May 8. The slight roughness is still present, so the comfort level was only average. My three usual passes were close and efficient but, once again, I was left with some minor post-shave irritation. It doesn't look like the blade is going to rehabilitate itself, so this may be the end of the road for it.

 

[Vraad]

No. 16 Gillette Aristocrat made round seven one of the best shaves i've had with the Russian blade being a hair better I think.

 

[fast shaver]

Vintage Astra Czech Blade #2 Shave #6
Tools: Lupo Razor, PdP #63 Soap & Plissoft Brush.
Got a nice close smooth shave after four passes plus touch ups.
The blade is starting to get a little rough so in the bin it goes.
I will use the modern Astra SS Blade #2 for tomorrows shave.
No nicks but slight irritation was noted.

 

[LMcC]

Vintage Astra 2, shave 4

Really great shave today. Surprisingly so. Ordinarily I just load my blade whichever side up, but with this one, I’ve been paying attention and flipping it each day. Not sure that really makes much difference, but I had a very comfortable accidental BBS.

9.5 / 10

 

[BigJ]

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
Shave #6: 8.5
Shave #7: 8.5
Average: 8.9

Astra SS (Modern Russian) Blade 2
Shave #1: 9
Shave #2: 9.5
Shave #3: 10

Discussion: Today’s shave was as good as it gets, at least for this old man!!

 

[Grundi]

Modern Astra Superior Stainless Blade #2 - Shave #2

TL;DR - another very good shave, some roughness on WTG pass, still got a DFS shave

Equipment: Gillette Heritage, modern Astra SS blade (2), PdP B&T shave soap, GrayDog GreyWolf brush

Results: shave#2 was very good, did feel some roughness on the WTG pass but not on the ATG pass. Ended with a DFS shave. It's nice that both the vintage and the modern blades have been consistent. I'm loving the PdP B&T (that I got as a gift), performs wonderfully, but wish that the scent would linger the way that PdP 63 does.

 

[woodwzrd]

Astra Superior Stainless Blades - Then And Now
Czech Blade 1 Shave2
4/5

Pre Shave: Hot shower and Neutrogena face wash
Razor: Gillette Slim Adjustable - 7
Blade: Astra SS (Vintage Czech)
Brush: Maggard Synthetic
Soap: Stirling Gatlinburg
AS Balm: Nivea
AS: Crown Shaving

Stuck with the slim for shave two but dialed it up to 7 for shave two. I had just a slight bit of tugging at the center of my neck and one tiny weeper that went away as soon as I hit it with the alum block. Overall it was still a pretty good shave.

Astra Superior Stainless Blades - Then And Now
Modern Blade 1 Shave 1
3/5

Pre Shave: Hot shower and Neutrogena face wash
Razor: Gillette Slim Adjustable
Blade: Astra SS (Vintage Czech)
Brush: Maggard Synthetic
Soap: A&E Spartacus
AS Balm: Nivea
AS: A&E Spartacus

Shave one on the modern blade was ness than an enjoyable shave. I set up the Slim on 5 just like I did with the vintage blade and se tout for what I hoped was a good shave but that it was not. There was a fair amount of tugging on my neck with the first WTG pass so I shortened up the strokes in hopes that would help but it didn't really change anything. I ended up with several weepers and a fair amount of irritation. The alum block took care of the weepers and the Nivea soothed the irritation and the A&E AS helped further the healing. The irritation faded probably by mid morning. This was Sunday morning and I have been giving my skin a little more time to recover but will try shave two tomorrow. Even though it will not be an exact comparison to the vintage blade, I think I will dial the Slim down to 3 or 4 for this attempt.

 

[borwish]

Current Production Shave #2
2 days growth

Blade: Current Astra SS
Pre: Warm shower with Kirk's unscented Castile soap
Razor: King C Gillette
Soap: La Toja stick
Brush: Stirling Pro Handle Synthetic
After: Pinaud Clubman Classic Vanilla

Another fine shave. 2 1/2 passes resulting in BBS everywhere except chin to Adam's apple. It seems like I had to take a few more strokes than with the vintage even though there was a day's less growth. I also knew when I put the aftershave on. The last shave with the vintage gave no such indications. Vintage still leads.

 

[CJB3]

Another excellent shave with the modern:
Wolfman WR2 1.25 SB
Astra Stainless Modern (2)
Simpson Duke 3
Grooming Dept Preshave
Grooming Dept Boomer soap
Brut aftershave

Vintage
Day 1: 9.5
Day 2: 10
Day 3: 9
Day 4: 9
Day 5: 8.5

Modern
Day 1: 10
Day 2: 10

 

[Demolition]

Seventh shave with the Astra Superior Stainless (Vintage) blade #1

Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Omega 10005 Boar
Soap: RazoRock Green Label

A very good shave, today.

The Omega 10005/RR Green Label combo has always performed well, mostly because Green Label is so easy to lather. A gentle mash-and-twirl is all that was needed to load enough soap to generate three passes worth of slick, creamy lather.

The FOCS/vintage Astra SS duo is still plugging along.

It's not the sharpest blade, so efficiency is an issue, but it's smooth enough that the extra buffing needed to get a close shave doesn't bother my skin. Therefore, we'll see how long it takes to either get rough or is no longer able to cut stubble.

I'm loving the PdP B&T (that I got as a gift), performs wonderfully, but wish that the scent would linger the way that PdP 63 does.

I lean the other way. I like the fact that the PdP B&T has a subtle after-scent. I've never been a fan of really strong-smelling soaps because they sometimes interact with an AS or ASB to create a weird hybrid.

As for PdP No. 63... The first time that I used it, I stood next to my elderly Mom (who serves as my unwilling test subject for testing soap scents) and made sure that she got a good whiff of it. She turned to me and said "You smell like the potpourri in the lady's washroom at the community centre."

Hmm. I might have to get some of that potpourri!

 

[Chad3]

Two weeks plus one of single pass shave shaves with the modern SS on a MWF schedule. I could keep going without a problem for plenty more. Shaves were not perfect to the touch (of course) but they all kept me from looking like a bum and without any irritation or cuts. If I were to only shave like this I could easily get by with one or two blades per month max. Taking today as a full shave with a Black Seven o’clock and back to vintage for Friday plus two weeks. Thank you again @Grundi for this challenge.

 

[LMcC]

Current Astra #2 shave 1

Coming off the incredibly smooth shave of the Vintage blade, todays shave seemed rougher, and while I wouldn’t say I really experienced irritation, my face does feel like it had an experience. But I also got a darn near BBS shave in two passes with minimal effort. At this point in the comparison, if I were to pick a favorite, it would be the vintage blade, but the current one does a good job.

9/10