Challenge PIF - Astra Superior Stainless Blades - Then And Now

[Chard52142]

Sun 16 Astra blade challenge Round 5 Blade#1 Russian Astra Superior Stainless Shave#5
Soap Ariana & Evans Kaizen
Brush Yaqi 24mm Ruby Tuxedo
Razor Gillette Red Tip A3
Blade Russian Astra Superior Stainless 5th
Post & Aftershaves Ice Water + Stirling Witchhazel Orange Chill + Hyaluronic + Bvlgari AS Balm & EDT
Awesome soap! Rich, thick, creamy, and very slick plus a wonderfully good scent strength...
Shave with razor paired with the blade with an added shim was good, smooth, and comfortable for 3passes without any issues for a bbs/dfs finish. The blade efficiency drops a tad less. Excellent aftershaves too.
Round 5 Astra blade challenge using the Gillette Red Tip A3
Czech Astra SS - WTG/XTG & especially with the ATG pass is very smooth & comfortable with a rating of 9.8
Russian Astra SS - WTG/XTG & especially with the ATG pass is very smooth & comfortable but efficiency drops a tad so a rating of 9.6. Round 5 contest result is the Czech Astra pip the Russian to the line and wins this round again due to the slight efficiency result

I will be on the road working for a week so this challenge will take a break. So far the results summary as follows.
Round 1 - Russian Astra
Round 2 - Russian Astra
Round 3 - Draw
Round 4 - Czech Astra
Round 5 - Czech Astra
Looking at it, the vintage blade seems to be capable of lasting longer...

 

[fast shaver]

Modern Astra SS Blade #2 Shave #5
Tools: Lupo Razor, PdP #63 & Plissoft Brush.
Got a nice close shave this A.M.
The blade is starting to go South on me though.
As usual with the Lupo Razor, no nicks or irritation.

 

[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

Vintage Astra SS (Czech) Blade 2
Shave #1: 9

Discussion: Second vintage blade is off to a good start! This may get interesting.
[/QUOTE]

 

[borwish]

Current Production Shave #3
3 days growth

Blade: current Astra SS
Pre: Warm shower with Kirk's unscented Castile soap
Razor: SLOC
Soap: Poraso red
Brush: Stirling Pro Handle Synthetic
After: Pinaud Clubman Classic Vanilla

Nice but definitely not as smooth as the vintage. 2 1/2 passes gave BBS excepting the problem area. Three shaves on each with the same set up and the vintage still has the lead.

 

[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
Shave #16 (Henson AL13) Astra RUS 9.2/10

Round 9:
Shave #17 (Rockwell 6C, Plate 4) Astra CZE 9.0/10
Boring as it is, another DFS+ shave from the vintage blade. No issues whatsoever.


Shave #18 (Rockwell 6C, Plate 4)

 

[Demolition]

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

Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Fine Stout 24mm Angel Hair
Soap: RazoRock Santa Maria del Fiore

A very nice shave, today.

As usual, the Fine Stout/RR SMdF pairing generated an extremely rich, slick lather that complemented an admirable performance from the FOCS/modern Astra SS combo.

This marks the second smooth, comfortable shave from this blade. Unlike the first modern Astra SS that I tried, this one has not exhibited any roughness or excessive blade-feel, yet.

The efficiency was top-notch. I was able to shave much quicker and with less effort than with the vintage Astra SS. It's not quite as smooth as the vintage blade, however. Regardless, if it can maintain this level of quality for an extended period, then that would be a bonus.

 

[fast shaver]

Modern Astra SS Blade #2 Shave #6
Tools: Lupo Razor, PdP #63 & Plissoft Brush
Got a nice close four pass shave this A.M.
The blade is just about ready to bite the dust so, in the bin it goes.
I will use the Vintage Czech blade for tomorrows shave.

 

[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; Shave #16 (Henson AL13) Astra RUS 9.2/10

Round 9: Edge to RUS
Shave #17 (Rockwell 6C, Plate 4) Astra CZE 9.0/10
Boring as it is, another DFS+ shave from the vintage blade. No issues whatsoever.

Shave #18 (Rockwell 6C, Plate 4) Astra RUS 10.0/10
First flat-out BBS of the challenge. Nuff said.

 

[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

Vintage Astra SS (Czech) Blade 2
Shave #1: 9
Shave #1: 9.5

Discussion: Second vintage blade is off to a good start! WOW, this is getting tight with Blade 2!

 

[Smooth and Sharp]

MdC Monday!

Razor : FOCS
Blade : Astra SS vintage (1)
Brush : DS cosmetic 26mm silvertip
Soap : MdC Original
Thayers witch Hazel Lavender
AS : PAA Lavender Planet

5 days beard easily shaved with the FOCS and the supersmooth vintage Astra.

Great shave ! 10/10
Have a nice week.

 

[Vraad]

back into the Schick krona for round ten and the Czech blade wins this time being smoother and closer shaving

 

[hairless wonder]

Yesterday's shave was brought to you by Vintage Astra Stainless. Nothing beats yesterday's shaves with yesterday's blades!

Tools
Blade: Vintage Astra Stainless (3nd use)
Razor: Fendrihan Kingston on WCS 79BR
Brush: Van Der Hagen Night Star 3 Band
Soap: Henri et Victoria Cognac and Cuban Cigars Triple Milled Tallow
Balm: Henri et Victoria Cognac and Cuban Cigars
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
Use a knife to slice an almond sized sliver of shave soap and put into bowl, then add some hot water to warm up bowl
After showering, dump water from bowl into empty yogurt cup
Squeeze brush to remove excess water
Apply brush to soap 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 very minor bit of irritation.

The blade felt just the tiniest bit rougher than on its prior uses. Initially, I thought I was just imagining things, but when I applied my alum block, I felt just the most minor bit of stinging. I'm not entirely surprised as most blades I've used start to deteriorate by around the third shave. Still, the blade worked well and I suspect I should be able to get at least a couple more shaves out of it before it's time to bin it.

It should be noted that this was my first time using with Henri et Victoria Cognac and Cuban shave soap. I got it from the BST forum. I absolutely love the scent. It's just a tad sweet but smells very much of a fine cigar dipped into a snifter of brandy. While the lather was sufficient, I will need to work on dialing it in a little better. As it was, I did not get quite as thick and slick a lather as I would've preferred.

I also picked up the Henri et Victoria Cognac and Cuban Cigars aftershave balm from the BST forum. The scent of the balm was similar to that of the lather, though, if anything , it was even more delicious. The cognac scent was a little stronger and it smelled a little sweeter. This doesn't mean the balm smelled boozy or like spilled brandy. Rather, it reminded me of a sweet pipe tobacco.

Also, unlike all the other after shave balms I've used, this one was pretty thick. It was more of a paste than cream. Still, the balm disappeared pretty quickly after application. I should also note that the balm had a bit of menthol that surprised me in a pleasant way. Still, I probably would've been happier with the balm without he menthol. After the balm dried down and disappeared, and after the menthol tingle vanished, my face felt pampered and entirely soothed, notwithstanding the previous minor tingle from the alum block. On top of which, it felt perfectly smooth.

All in all, if my first shave with the vintage Astra was a 99/100, this shave would've been about a 97/100.

 

[Demolition]

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

Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Purple 24mm Mink
Soap: Vitos Classic Eucalyptus and Lanolin

Another fine performance from this vintage blade.

The FOCS/vintage Astra SS duo is still providing smooth and comfortable shaves, despite its habit of requiring extra buffing to get as close as the modern Astra SS. Fortunately, this hasn't resulted in any post-shave irritation.

The Yaqi Purple Mink/Vitos Classic combo generated a very slick lather. It undoubtedly helped the razor/blade pairing to glide over my skin with nary a tug or snag.

With the tenth use under its belt, I guess the question of this blade's longevity is answered. I'll push it a bit further to see if the shave quality degrades or not.

 

[fast shaver]

Vintage Astra SS Czech Blade #3 Shave #1
Tools: Lupo Razor, Arko & Plissoft Brush.
The Czech blade was close & smooth this A.M.
I forgot how smooth this blade was.
Three passes & slight touch up was all I needed.
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

Vintage Astra SS (Czech) Blade 2
Shave #1: 9
Shave #2: 9.5
Shave #3: 10!!


Discussion: YIKES!! Vintage blade #2 is either freakishly good as just simply excellent!!

 

[borwish]

Vintage Production Shave #4
2 days growth

Blade: vintage Astra SS
Pre: Warm shower with Kirk's unscented Castile soap
Razor: King C Gillette
Soap: Stirling Sharp Dressed Man
Brush: Stirling Pro Handle Synthetic
After: Stirling Sharp Dressed Man splash

Simply everything a shave should be. Plenty of creamy lather that was effortlessly removed by a smooth razor/blade pairing. 2 1/2 passes resulting in BBS excepting the usual. No nicks, no irritation, no drama. The wife gave me a haircut and trimmed my sideburns yesterday, so I look as good as I smell.

 

[TheBigL]

As I've been kinda "out of it" for a couple weeks, I got 9 solid shaves out of my first vintage Astra. They were tough shaves with several days of growth in between. This is way more shaves than I normally do on a blade. The last shave didn't even feel bad, but I could tell one edge wasn't up to par and ended with some weepers and harshness. Time to retire this blade and move on to a modern Astra.

 

[xiletero]

A weird review:
Did 2 passes w Occams w Feather Pro
Had significant stubble left, so I grabbed the Leaf that was loaded with Astra Czech (used before on the way to the bin)
Did 2 more passes and the end result was a real bbs (I never do 4 passes); hope the price to pay isn't a week of ingrown hairs.
Moderate irritation, no blood.

Is this the equivalent to a 2 pass shave w a 5blade cart? Never tried those.

Astra saved the shave as I was frustrated w the results of the other one.... (I have never had a decent shave w Ocams, will install 3 dot head).

 

[Demolition]

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

Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Maggard 18mm Timber Wolf, Travel-Size
Soap: RazoRock Black Label

A quick, trouble-free "autopilot" shave!

Due to the sheer horridness of the first modern Astra SS blade that I tried, I've entered every shave with this blade with a sense of dread. However, the first two uses were very good, so I was feeling optimistic about today's shave.

Well, to say that I was surprised by this blade's performance would be an understatement. Frankly, I was shocked by the effortlessness of it. My three usual passes were completely effortless. The ATG pass was done in a flash and the XTG pass (which were nightmares with the first blade) was silky smooth. If I had to score this shave, I'd give it a "10 out of 10".

Now, we'll see if it can maintain this level of performance for a few more shaves. If so, then it might give the vintage blade a run for its money.

 

[fast shaver]

Vintage Astra SS Czech Blade #3 Shave #2
Tools: Lupo Razor, PdP #63 & Plissoft Brush
Got a nice smooth shave this A.M.
The Czech blade just glides on my face during the shave.
No nicks or irritation noted on the three pass shave.