Challenge PIF - Astra Superior Stainless Blades - Then And Now

[bright09]

Wednesday 4/28/2021
Prep: shower Hot cloth Stirling Pre-shave
Soap Arko Pucked in OS Mug
Shaving Brush Stirling 2-band Syentic black
Razor Merkur 34c HD
Blade Modern Astra SS
Post Shave water / rag
Shave :1 8.5/10
first time using astra ss ive used astra sp before few times modern/older vintage before change. had about maybe a week and half to two weeks of growth of facial hair which isnt to much just very coarse black wire like the blade/ new razor combination worked out great did WTG XTG 2 pass shave with a little blade buffering little to no irritation some thought the usual knick in the spot over all reminded me of a ip blade i havent used much blades before yet over getting back into old type shaving in 2014 again looking fowarded to more shaves with this blade and then the vintage

 

[xiletero]

Vintage 3 face
Proraso pre
Macca Root soap
Simpsons T2
Merkur 510 at 4.5
Speick sport
Proraso blue
2+ pass shave , moderate burn after shower + AS
It was a good shave, but this blade pulls hairs more than I like......I like cutters!
7/10
I may split this and stick in a Leaf just to see how it does there before it hits the can
I think this blade probably can keep providing similar shaves for a while.....but I like different kind of shaves/blades

 

[Demolition]

The blades finally arrived up here on the West Coast of Canada. It was postmarked "April 19", so it took 10 days which is probably not bad during this pandemic.

As usual, a hearty thanks to @Space_Cadet for, yet again, generously providing rare and interesting razor blades for us to test and enjoy! And a big thumbs up (and maybe some virtual hugs) for @Grundi who had the unenviable job of packing and sending 32 envelopes of razor blades all over the world!

First shave with the Astra Superior Stainless (Vintage) #1

Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Moka Express 26mm Two-Band Badger
Soap: Pré de Provence Bergamot and Thyme

To begin the Challenge, I decided to start with the vintage Astra SS. The age-yellowed wrapper looked brittle, but it opened up without any issue. The wax blobs were hardened and wouldn't wash away with hot water. No big deal since they're centred on the largest diamonds in the cutout, so they're well away from the blade edges. I just scraped them off with my fingernail, then wiped the cutout with a scrap of tissue.

One thing that caught my eye right away is that the blade has very shiny faces and the printing on them is extremely crisp. For some reason, this says "Quality" to me. Either that or I'm just too easily impressed.

For this Challenge, I'll be using a Fatip Lo Storto Originale (FOCS) for all tests. That way, I can compare the vintage and modern blades in the same razor without accounting for other factors like blade gap, blade exposure, etc. I'll just be going through my usual rotation of brushes and soaps, though. Anyway...

The Yaqi Moka Express 26mm Two-Band/Pré de Provence Bergamot & Thyme generated a lather with exceptional slickness. A moderate load of soap produced enough lather for exactly three passes. So far, I've found the performance of the PdP soaps to be stellar. The lovely lather provided an ideal medium to test the vintage Astra SS; in a nutshell, it performed quite well for its first use.

Interestingly, there was some minor tugging on the WTG pass, but the ATG and XTG passes were trouble-free. I did have to buff a fair amount on the sides of my neck and along my jawline, though, to get the closeness that I desired.

I think that this stemmed from the fact that I had been using Kai blades for two months as part of the Kai Participation PIF. Then, I followed that up with a Feather. Getting close shaves with such blades is easy while getting the same result with a medium-sharp blade like the vintage Astra SS requires more effort.

Having said that, I'm not disappointed with the vintage Astra SS, at all. Today's shave was quick and comfortable with no roughness or post-shave irritation. Also, I suspect that the blade will smooth out over subsequent shaves as the coating (presumably Teflon) wears down.

Overall, this was a promising start. We'll see how this blade performs in the long run.

Tomorrow: The modern Astra SS is up!

 

[BravoNavo]

Another nice shave with the Astra RUS, however I just feel that the Rockwell just makes all blades better. Going to keep trying the blades, but won't be posting. I'm a bigger fan of the newer blade, but the novelty of getting to try a blade from my grandfather's home country (since it technically doesn't exist anymore) was a treat. Thanks again!

	Astra CZE	Astra RUS - WINNER
Shave #1 (Rockwell 6C)	9.0/10	9.5/10
Shave #2 (Gillette Adjustable)	8.0/10	9.0/10

 

[fast shaver]

Modern Astra SS Blade #1 Shave #2
Tools used: Lupo Razor, PdP 63 & Plissoft Brush.
Got a nice close shave this A.M. with the Astra SS blade.
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

Discussion: Another very fine shave! One after another, very nice indeed!!

 

[emwolf]

Shave #3 Vintage Astra
Well, dispensing with the same set up routine now and just enjoying the shaves. I used the flat bottom Tech once again, this time with Phoenix Clubguy soap and original Clubman aftershave. I was first thinking, "I must have swapped blades because this vintage feels smoother today." I also felt like it wasn't reducing the whiskers very well. I resigned myself to the great shave I had yesterday owing to the fact I had switched blades and had forgotten all about it. So I finished up, thinking I had lots of stubble left, I even did an extra WTG on the back of my head. Well, here it is two hours after the shave and my dome is smooooooth! I checked the blade, it was the vintage, and it felt smoother as a shave, and I do believe it's not as close. But it's still super close. I've read other reviews saying the modern is the sharper, but I have to give my nod to the vintage. Next week we'll use the Slim and see how that works.

 

[LMcC]

Modern Astra 1.3

So, I’ll be honest, this was not the most enjoyable shave. I felt like I was fighting to get the job done, and was really wishing the blade was sharper. While there were no mishaps, I felt like I had to repeat each stroke, and had to do a lot of touching up. My aftershave confirmed my suspicions. Not quite Home Alone, but close. I think I’m gonna step away from the Astra blades for a few days and come back to them later.

 

[AZBronco]

Today I swapped the vintage Astra into the modern razor (Mamba 70) and lathered up with Tabac.

The vintage performed just as well in the Mamba as it did in the Fatboy. The shave was close and comfortable. It’s only been two shaves on this blade, but it seems I’m somewhat in the minority that I’m preferring the vintage and getting superb results with it.

Tomorrow I’ll try the modern in the Fatboy and pick a round 2 winner.

 

[Doti B]

A bit late to the party courtesy of being part of successive GRUMES. Have the modern Astra SP and wonder how the Astra SS compare

 

[gvw755]

Tonight was the last of my shave offs using both blades. I loaded the vintage Astra in my SS R41 and the modern Astra in my original R41. Previously I had a shave off between those tow razors and found the shave almost identical. I just swapped out the stainless steel Grande handle from the SS R41 to a Chinese clone of a Muhle handle to make the weight and handle difference more similar.

The vintage Astra took the left side of my face and when I started my WTG pass, there was significant blade feel. Usually I am able to minimize that with my R41 by adjusting the angle. In this case, adjusting the angle still could not minimize the blade feel. The reward was that I ended up with a near DFS with the WTG pass. The modern Astra shaved the right side of my face and the WTG pass started out with some blade feel, which I totally eliminated by adjusting my angle. It ended up being a comfortable pass, but not as efficient as with the vintage Astra. ATG was a comfortable shave with both blades, with a slight advantage going to the vintage Astra. This could have been totally because more whiskers were eliminated with the WTG pass.

As before, I did an XTG pass along the jaw line and under the chin area. In the end, thee was less buffing on the vintage Astra side than on the modern. So far, it seems that the modern Astra is more comfortable a shave, but the vintage Astra is rougher, but more efficient.

Tomorrow I will return to using one blade loaded into different razors to shave my entire face. I have the vintage Astra loaded into my Homelike Start 1.15 and the modern Astra loaded into my Carbon CX with ++ base plate. I will probably start with the Strat tomorrow night.

 

[xiletero]

Vintage #4 face split in a Leaf #1,2 slots
New #2 RR LupoSS mixed using OC
Fitjar
RR N400
Medicated Witch
Proraso Balm blue

Head: smooth shave, no issues, close minimal irritation
Face, sides smooth and close no issues, in the mid neck below the chin, the razor actually jumped going across , at that moment I changed for this area to the Lupo w new blade. Cheecks were close moderate irritation, neck was average.

New blade winds again!!! the fact that the old blade jumped where the hair is thicker and denser, was a bad sign . I could have pr4essed harder and then end up w a cut or two.

 

[Vraad]

the Finally get to bust these out each shaving half the face both slims on 5
Brush: rubberset 400/4
Soap: Mystic Water
Razors: Gillette 63 and 66 slims
Blades: Czechoslovakian-made Astra Superior Stainless in the 63 and Russian-made Astra Superior Stainless in the 66
Post: Thayer rose
After: Avon spicy smart move horse
first pass wtg the Russian is slightly quieter and smoother
second pass xtg Czechoslovakian though seeming a hair pluckier excels this round
third pass atg Czechoslovakian does seem to edge out the Russian blade but only ever so slightly
this is gonna be fun both great blades

 

[Demolition]

Detail of the blade Astra SS (Modern):

First shave with the Astra Superior Stainless (Modern) #1

Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Omega 10005 boar
Soap: RazoRock Santa Maria del Fiore

The Omega 10005 requires extra work to make a decent lather, but it usually comes through. The easy-lathering RR SMdF helped in that regard. Today's lather was slightly thin, but very slick.

Meanwhile, the modern SS felt like a much different blade than the vintage SS. The vintage is smooth, but not that sharp. The modern is a bit sharper, but not as smooth.

All three of my usual passes were slightly rough. There was also significant blade-feel, particularly during the XTG pass; I was keenly aware of a sharp object being dragged across my face. Afterwards, I had minor irritation on the sides of my neck and along my jawline.

On the positive side, not as much buffing was needed to get a close shave compared to the vintage. Therefore, the FOCS/modern SS duo appears to be a touch more efficient.

Overall, though, my first impression is not favourable. I've read a lot of reviews in which the modern Astra SS is touted as a superior blade compared to its stablemate, the Astra SP. Maybe my expectations were raised too high by the glowing praise because the modern SS is a disappointment, so far, in my opinion.

Tomorrow: Back to the vintage Astra SS!

 

[bartje-p]

Modern Astra, shave #3, Merkur 34c HD, Simpsons creme, Omega boar brush

Today I used my Merkur 34c HD, combined with a modern SS blade. Simpsons Citrus burst cream and my Omega boar brush made a lather in no time. Excellent shave. Enough blade feel and sound so you know when you are actually shaving efficiently. 2-pass shave was needed and some cleanups, ready to face another day. No real irritation, a tiny little bit down in my neck on 1 side, which is not uncommon for me with a lot of blades combined with relatively mild razors.

So far, I haven't really noticed big differences between the blades. I never use a blade more than 3 times, so duration is not really an issue with any of these 2 types of blades. They both pass my 3-shaves test without issues.
I did notice though that they seem to work better in a more aggressive razor (open comb, sloc, fatip, etc.) than a milder razor, like Gillette Tech.

Thanks again for the opportunity to try these out.

My conclusion would be: fine blades, but nothing makes them stand out. Not extremely comfortable, not mega sharp, not very deep shaving, which has more to do with the razor, I know. But they do everything rather well. This "under the radar / ok" behavior would not make me buy them myself.

 

[fast shaver]

Modern Astra SS Blade #1 Shave #3
Tools used: Lupo razor, Arko & Plissoft Brush.
The Astra SS blade is doing very good so far for me.
Got a nice smooth close shave this A.M.
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

Discussion: The first (modern) Astra SS has more shaves in it but time to change ‘for science!’

 

[BradWorld]

Shave #6

Today I started another head to head blade challenge using two fresh blades, and two nearly identical Single Rings. Worked up the Cattie's Bubbles with my B&B LE Boar, and went to work. Vintage on the left side, Modern on the right. 3 passes, minimal touchups. Pass 1 was smooth for both razors. This has been consistent throughout the challenge. Then it seems to go downhill from there. Pass two had some tugging from the vintage blade. Pass three had tugging from the modern blade. The shave result was not great. Barely a DFS today. The Single Ring usually gives me a much closer shave. However, there was less burn from the Clubman splash today. And my face feels surprisingly good 20 minutes after the shave was completed.

I would say that for the first time in this challenge, this shave was a draw. Which leaves the Modern blade ahead by a hair.

I will move these two blades into two more identical razors tomorrow, and give it another shot. I am close to deciding that the Astra SS isnt for me, and closing the book on this challenge. But I will press on a little longer because this is fun! Cheers!

 

[cwright]

My blades arrived, first use coming up Sunday night....

 

[ewk]

I am using the blades using the same series of razors over two weeks. The Vintage Astra was used in week 1; Modern Astra will be week 2. I am a regular user of Astra SP, and I am a bit surprised by the results.

Results after 1 week -- the Vintage Astra

No blade has ever produced such disparate results between face and head shaving. The Vintage Astra was very good for early head shaves but dulled rather quickly. However, the Vintage was terrible for face shaves using aggressive razors. Milder razors produced barely acceptable results.

First Use: Muhle R41
10/10 Head shave. Vintage blade felt mellow and comfortable on its first use. Normal 2 passes on head with R41 + very light touch up. Excellent efficiency, BBS with nice comfort level.
6/10 Face shave. Pass 1 was not as efficient as usual; much stubble left. Pass 2 the blade was not cutting well; felt tuggy; some weepers on chin. More weepers after pass 3. BBS result, but not at all comfortable.
Post shave: no stinging on head with alum; much stinging on chin and jaw. More blood than usual.

Second Use: vintage Star 3-piece
7.5/10 Face shave. Much more comfortable during 3 passes. No tugging feeling. More smooth and comfortable. No blood at all. Neck area not as smooth as I would like. Good shave overall. Not BBS, but mostly a smooth experience.

Third Use: Karve brass, E Plate
8.5/10 Head shave. 2 passes plus light pick up. Good BBS shave. No irritation. Blade starting to feel dull.
4/10 Face shave. Not cutting well at all. Chin not smooth. 2 weepers and much irritation on chin, jaw, and neck.

Fourth Use: Karve brass, C Plate (open comb)
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.

I will use the same razors using the Modern Astra during the next week. I hope the face shaves are better.