Challenge PIF - Astra Superior Stainless Blades - Then And Now

[Vraad]

round eight anothe tie. razor this time Karve sb c plate with a Jurgen Hempel wave handle.
hefty razor handle made for a close shave, Czechoslovakian blade sounds like it's slowing down but shave wise still a toss up.

 

[TheBigL]

Boy, I've been away for a while and missed a lot!

Actually I've been in kind of a funk for a while and haven't been on the forums or shaving very often.

I believe I'm up to shave #7 on my first vintage blade (not PIF'd) and it has been a workhorse. It has been taking down several days of growth at a time and still going strong. I'm feeling one edge is dying but there might be a disqualification there - I've found my wife puts towels and stuff on my side of the sink while she is doing her thing in the bathroom. More than one occasion I've known my shaving equipment may have been knocked around.

I'm going to run the good edge till then end and switch to the new blade in the same razor.

 

[fast shaver]

Modern Astra SS Blade #2 Shave #3
Tools: Lupo Razor, Colonel Conk Lime & Plissoft Brush
The blade finally smoothed out. Got a nice smooth close three pass shave this A.M.
As usual with the Lupo Razor, no nicks or irritation noted.

 

[LMcC]

Modern Astra #2 shave 3

This blade has gotten smoother, but seems to be slowing down. It really was not interested in doing ATG on my upper lip. Still got a nice shave this morning. Near BBS.

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
Shave #3: 10
Shave #4: 9.5
Shave #5: 9
Shave #6: 9.5

Discussion: Another fine shave! These blades are very consistent.

 

[gabulldogs]

My third shave of the week with the vintage Astra Stainless. Much like shave 2, I found the blade to be quite smooth leaving nary a blemish and not a single bit of irritation. Unfortunately, it once again left a few rough patches after the third, ATG, pass.

My very amateur conclusion after using each blade for one week is that they are both very smooth and comfortable, however, for me I found the modern Astra Stainless to be sharper and more effective in the task at hand than the vintage version. I found the modern blade to be better than any I have tried thus far (six blades since the first of April) and the vintage blade to be on par with the Derby Premium which I found to also be a very smooth but not as efficient blade.

Thanks again for the opportunity to compare both of these blades. While the vintage Astra Stainless was no slouch, the modern Astra Stainless is thus far at the top of my list. I'm hoping to try another fifteen to twenty blades over the next few months to find the best blade(s) for me. With some Gillettes (Nacet, GSB and several 7 O'clock) to try as well as a few Personnas, the Bic Chrome Platinum and Feather, it has some tough competition in store! But I won't be surprised if it remains as a top contender when all is said and done.

 

[Grundi]

Round 7: Edge to CZE
Shave #13(Fatip Lo Storte OC Slant) Astra CZE 9.0/10; Shave #14 (Fatip Lo Storte OC Slant) Astra RUS 8.5/10
To avoid cross-posting, I refer you to msgs. # 86-87 in the thread "Pass-Around: Who wants to try a Fatip Lo Storto Testina Originale?".

What a beauty!! I enjoyed my turn with the Fatip razor. Just like @Demolition's Fatip but in gold. And the price is not bad for such a gorgeous piece of equipment!!

 

[lancre]

Like I said 10 out of 10 for looks.

 

[hairless wonder]

Yesterday's shave was brought to you by modern Astra Superior Stainless. Modern Astra for the modern man.

Tools
Blade: Modern Astra Superior Stainless (2nd use)
Razor: Fendrihan Kingston on WCS 79BR
Brush: Van Der Hagen Night Star 3 Band
Cream: Captain's Choice Bay Rum
Balm: Captain's Choice Bay Rum
Alum: generic alum block from local Indian market
Bowl: Captain's Choice Seaworthy in Cobalt

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 with a minor weeper.

The blade felt a little smoother than on its first use. Oddly enough, I did not get any blade feel this time. Though when I applied my alum block, I again felt some minor stinging, indicating some irritation from the shave, but it was less than the last time with this blade.

This is the second time my shave with this blade didn't seem as good as my shave with the vintage blade. Again, I feel more stubble today than I felt the day after shaving with the vintage Astra blade. But even as I finished shaving, it felt as if the blade wasn't cutting as deeply as with the vintage blade (or as I usually get with other blades, including the Astra SP). Still, this was a pretty good shave and it was still a BBS.

This was my first experience with bay rum. It was interesting. I've cooked with bay leaves before. I've also gotten drunk on rum. I've never shaved with a combination of the two, though. The scent was a little medicinal to my nose, but it wasn't off-putting. Still, it isn't my favorite scent from Captain's Choice.

That said, the cream still performed well, even though I used a little too much water and wound up with a lather that was a little too thin and watery for my preference. Even though it was thin, the lather managed to provided decent cushion and slickness.

The scent of the balm was similar, though not identical to that of the cream. As I applied the balm, there was a random hint of (navel) orange. It added a just a touch of sweetness to the scent that was missing in the cream. The balm dried down quickly and provided a soothing post-shave feeling.

All in all, if my previous shave with the modern Astra was a 93/100, this shave would've been about a 94/100.

 

[lancre]

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: Edge to RUS
Shave #11 (Fatboy on 5) Astra CZE 8.0/10; Shave #12 (Fatboy on 5) Astra RUS 9.0/10

Round 7: Edge to CZE
Shave #13(Fatip Lo Storte OC Slant) Astra CZE 9.0/10; Shave #14 (Fatip Lo Storte OC Slant) Astra RUS 8.5/10
To avoid cross-posting, I refer you to msgs. # 86-87 in the thread "Pass-Around: Who wants to try a Fatip Lo Storto Testina Originale?".
These are the first shaves on the second edge of the blade.

Round 8:
Shave #15 (Henson AL13) Astra CZE 9.0/10
I may finally getting the hang of this razor! DFS+ result, with no feedback from the alum or WH Astringent. During the shave, everything felt smooth as could be, with only a trace of stubble ATG. The Russian Astra will have its work cut out for it to beat this one.
Shave #16 (Henson AL13) Astra RUS

 

[CJB3]

5th shave with the modern:
Wolfman WR2 1.25 SB
Astra Stainless Modern (5)
Simpson Chubby 2
Grooming Dept Preshave
Grooming Dept Tentazione soap
Pinaud Clubman 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
Day 3: 9.5
Day 4: 9.5
Day 5: 9

These two blades are very close. It’s hard for me to pick a winner. I suppose I give the edge to the modern, which is slightly smoother, IME. Thanks @Grundi and @Space_Cadet for the opportunity to participate.

 

[Chard52142]

Sat 15 Astra blade challenge Round 5 Blade#1 Czech Astra Superior Stainless Shave#5
Soap Catie's Bubbles Le Piment De La Vie
Brush DS Cosmetics 26mm Badger
Razor Gillette Red Tip A3
Blade Czech Astra Superior Stainless 5th
Post & Aftershaves Ice Water + Stirling Witchhazel MitA + Hyaluronic + Aqua Velva Ice Blue
Wonderful under-rated soap. Love the wonderful scent and enjoy the thickly creamy slick lather...
Shave with vintage razor paired with the blade with an added shim was very nice. Really smooth and comfortable and can feel the blade is still crisply sharp & rigidly held up during the atg pass on the chin/lips area. The result was a mostly bbs finish.
Aftershaves were awesomely cool!!
Round 5 Astra blade challenge using the Gillette Red Tip A3
Czech Astra Superior Stainless - WTG/XTG & especially with the ATG pass is very smooth & comfortable with a rating of 9.8

 

[Demolition]

First shave with the Astra Superior Stainless (Modern) blade #2

Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Sagrada Familia 24mm Fan-shaped Tuxedo
Soap: RazoRock Gold Label

I went into today's shave with extremely low expectations. In fact, after 6.5 rotten shaves with my first modern Astra SS, I was actually thinking of skipping these modern blades altogether. But, here we are. First things first...

The Yaqi Sagrada Familia Tuxedo Fan/RR Gold Label combo always makes a great lather, so I was even less likely to accept any crap from this blade. I'm not going to lie; I went into this shave with a terrible attitude. I was actually angry because I thought that I was just going to end up with a sore, irritated face!

But, surprise! The second blade was very smooth. By the time that I completed the last stroke of my third pass, my mood had improved considerably.

Now, why did this blade feel so smooth and comfortable on the first use, while the previous one was rough and snaggy-feeling from the get-go? I inspected the blade to see if there was something distinct about it and immediately noticed that the lot number (date code?) was different. The first blade had "9315RF" etched on one of the tabs; the second blade was etched with "9297RF".

I had lots of questions... Was my first modern Astra SS blade from a bad lot? Is there that much variance between lots, even at a modern plant like PPI's? Am I just imagining things? How many ducks would it take to kill a rhino? Is a hot dog a sandwich or is it technically a taco (meat and vegetables enclosed on three sides by starch)? Have I gone crazy? (Don't answer that.)

Anyway, there was no post-shave irritation and I didn't to have to use ASB for a change. A good start, so far.

Also, if this second modern blade is consistently good for at least a few shaves, then I might revise my opinion about whether the vintage or modern Astra SS is best. (Right now, the vintage blade is the clear winner for me.)

 

[fast shaver]

Modern Astra SS Blade #2 Shave #4
Tools: Lupo Razor, Arko & Plissoft Brush.
Got a nice smooth close three pass shave this A.M.
The blade is starting to slow down slightly.
No nicks or irritation noted.

 

[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
Shave #4: 9.5
Shave #5: 9
Shave #6: 9.5
Shave #7: 9
Average: 9.4

Discussion: Tomorrow is a new day with an old Czech blade!!

 

[tube_guy]

It appears I’ve gotten a late start with this blade comparison. I’ve been getting back into straight razors, after a really bad experience about 15 years ago. I’ve been working from home due to COVID so I figured I’d take the opportunity to work out a bit of my straight razor technique. I figured if my face ended up looking like it was processed through a machine, at least I wouldn’t have to go into the office looking that way. And if my mistakes are noticeable enough to show up on a Zoom call, I figure I have bigger troubles than just shaving.

I was really quite interested in this vintage/modern blade comparison when I saw Grundi’s original post. You see, I started using a DE razor back in the late 80s, and back then I was limited in the blades I could buy. I grew up in a pretty small town, and our local drug store carried only two types of DE blades. Gillettes, which cost about 7 bucks for 10 blades, and the English-made Wilkinson Swords, which cost about 58 cents for five. I used to buy the Gillettes because they lasted a long time, and I thought they were worth the price. Unfortunately for a younger me, I used to leave the English Wilkies on the shelf figuring they were too cheap to be any good. The fact that their packaging wasn’t nearly as flashy as the Gillette’s, also dissuaded me. The first time I tried the Wilkies, I immediately realized my error and looked back at all of my money that was wasted on the Gillettes. I wish I had bought a lifetime supply, but back then, a more foolish me figured the English Wilkies would be around forever.

Well, these vintage Astras appear to be from roughly the timeframe where I was just getting started with a DE. As such, they represent another blade I could have bought, back then, had I known where I could have bought them. Of course, my technique has improved substantially, and my equipment has changed for the better since way back then, so my results now certainly won’t be directly comparable. However, I considered the comparison interesting, nonetheless.

Since I’ve been working on my straight razor shaving, I thought I would strike an interesting note for my first blade by using a Shavette. Using the Shavette also enables me to really feel and evaluate the blade’s edge, maybe a bit more closely and precisely than with my DE. Some might say cheap, but I’d say that the thrifty in me also appreciates the fact that a half DE blade Shavette would almost double the number of shaves I’d be able to get from the somewhat rare, and for me, irreplaceable vintage blade. Making them last longer can only be a good thing, I hope.

So, for my first shave, I’ll be using The Goodfellas' Smile Shibumi Kamisori Shavette. Lather courtesy of my own two hands along with my absolute favorite brush, a Simpsons Emperor 3 Super badger. Soap is The Artisan Soap Shoppe Classic Shave Soap, with tallow. To celebrate the healing of my earlier facial lacerations, I’m going to go with the Triumph scent, today. At least to me, the improvements I've made in my straight razor technique, over the past few months, might just be worthy of a scent with such a name.

Snapping the vintage Astra in half went a bit differently than most of the modern blades I’ve snapped. The blades presented a bit more resistance, almost as if they are made from a slightly thicker stock. I’ll have to break out a micrometer and make some measurements. The blades did eventually snap with one side snapping slightly off-center. I’d imagine my slight struggle was to blame.

When I first put the blade to my face I noticed right away that the glide wasn’t nearly as smooth as the modern blades I’ve been using, recently. That was confirmed as I started the WTG pass on my neck. I had a very tiny blemish in that area that the modern blades I’ve been using would just uneventfully glide right over. This blade was quite different, and I felt the razor catch. That’s never a good thing and I stared into the mirror waiting for the blood to arrive. And after twenty seconds or so, sure enough, it did arrive. I haven’t cut myself on a Shavette WTG pass in months, so this was quite unusual. The slight roughness to the blade and the blood had me considering giving up with the vintage blade and swapping in the other half of the 7 O’Clock yellow I was using previously, but I decided to carry on a bit more just to see what happens. As I continued on, I kept thinking that this vintage Astra is nowhere near as smooth as a modern blade. By the time I started my ATG pass, either I got used to the slight roughness or the blade itself actually smoothed out a bit. I’m not sure which. In either case, the blade seemed to hit its stride later-on in the shave. I was really quite surprised to find that I could almost effortlessly shave my moustache whiskers ATG. That is very unusual for me in that most modern blades in a Shavette really struggle with my fool’s pass. I seem to have better luck with a DE ATG in that area. But these were quite different with the Shavette, and I was able to get that area a bit smoother as a result. Over the course of the shave, the only blood drawn was from that blemish on my neck. The burn from my Barbasol Brisk was practically non-existent, which indicated the roughness at the beginning of the shave produced no razor burn.

Overall, I’d have to say that these blades are a bit rougher than a modern blade. However, based on their ATG performance in my mustache area, I’d say they might actually be a bit sharper than a modern blade.

If I have to provide a rating, I’d say this shave was a solid 8.5. I generally judge a shave’s closeness based on my chin, the area below by jaw bone, and my mustache area. Those areas turned out quite smooth, practically BBS, compared to the same setup with modern blades. The slight roughness of the blade and catching on my blemish kept it from being rated a 9.

Many thanks to Space_Cadet and Grundi for the opportunity to try these vintage blades. So far, it’s been really interesting and I think I may have actually learned something, as a result. Thank you!

 

[Vraad]

round nine prewar tech on a Marley Machine Works 75 gram handle. think the russian blade might have edged out a win this time

 

[lancre]

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: Edge to RUS
Shave #11 (Fatboy on 5) Astra CZE 8.0/10; Shave #12 (Fatboy on 5) Astra RUS 9.0/10

Round 7: Edge to CZE
Shave #13(Fatip Lo Storte OC Slant) Astra CZE 9.0/10; Shave #14 (Fatip Lo Storte OC Slant) Astra RUS 8.5/10
These are the first shaves on the second edge of the blade.

Round 8: Edge to RUS
Shave #15 (Henson AL13) Astra CZE 9.0/10
I may finally getting the hang of this razor! DFS+ result, with no feedback from the alum or WH Astringent. During the shave, everything felt smooth as could be, with only a trace of stubble ATG. The Russian Astra will have its work cut out for it to beat this one.
Shave #16 (Henson AL13) Astra RUS 9.2/10
And the modern Astra managed to outdo its ancestor by a very narrow margin. Just a tiny bit smoother feeling during the shave, and at least as close at the end.

 

[Demolition]

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

Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Blue Marble 26mm Timber Wolf
Soap: Pré de Provence Bergamot and Thyme

Fine performances from all aspects of today's shave.

As expected, the Yaqi Blue Marble Timber Wolf/PdP B&T pairing produced loads of extremely slick lather with just the lightest load of soap. The "herbaceous" scent, as PdP describes it, is subtle and serene.

The FOCS/vintage Astra SS duo continues to deliver. My usual three passes were quick and comfortable. The XTG pass was particularly smooth. That's the pass that always seemed to trip up the modern Astra SS. There was no post-shave irritation, so no ASB was required.

Overall, an enjoyable shave.

 

[FarmerTan]

@Grundi : remind me to tell you what happens when the War Department wants to scrape sticky stuff (that I may or may not be 100% responsible for) off of a mirror!

Let's just say I'll be breaking out another vintage SS!