Challenge PIF - Is Your Best Good Enough?!? - Closed!

[T Bone]

Challenge PIF Round 3 - Vintage Polsilver Stainless vs. Gillette Nacet Stainless

Gillette Nacet stainless (4)
Karve AL Overlander
Mühle Classic Small 19mm STF
Arko
Stirling unscented menthol ASB

Even on shave #4, the Nacet met no resistance over 2 passes. It again achieved a BBS-, though yesterday was slightly closer, with little alum feedback excellent post-shave. And no weepers today, not even those sneaky ones that don't show up until a couple minutes after going over a difficult area.

I require my blades to last a week, but otherwise don't test longevity. I've been shaving daily the past several days while out of town, but normally a week is 4 shaves, so Nacet's turn is done. I feel like this blade could still cut through a crocodile and then give me another effective shave, so I may pull it back out after the Challenge is over. The shaves have been super-smooth and easy, with minimal irritation when there's been any at all. But there's room for Polsilver to shave just a little closer and/or with fewer weepers (at least compared to the first 3 with Nacet), which are more important aspects to me. Polsilver has its work cut out (ha! ), but I'm not awarding anything to the Nacet just yet.

 

[BigJ]

Vintage Polsilver SI blade four, shave #2

Razor: Wolfman WR1
Brush: Rudy Vey/EverReady 2-band
Soap: MWF
Splash: Speick

Commnet: Close, comfortable BBS today!!

 

[FarmerTan]

I shaved in the shower recently with a Bic Metal. An excellent, 9/10 shave. I will be showin' off the next challenger soon!

 

[fast shaver]

RK Stainless Blade #1 Shave #2
Tools: EJ DE89 Razor, Arko soap & Timberwolf brush.
Got a fairly smooth two pass shave this A.M. resulting in a DFS.
The RK Stainless shaves close to the Polsilver Stainless blade but is not quite as smooth.

 

[mikhou]

Razor: Pre-war Gillette Tech
Blade: Super-Max Platinum (4)
Soap: Pre de Provence No. 63
Brush: Generic badger that I bought off of Amazon (that I actually really like)
Aftershave: Aqua Velva Ice Blue followed by Nivea Sensitive balm

The Super-Max Platinum again delivered a drama-free shave. I would rate this as VERY similar to the Polsilver Stainless. In fact, I forgot how much I like the Super-Max Platinum. I'm glad that I pulled it out for this challenge.

One more Polsilver Stainless to go. I'll have to see what blade I have in my stash that I can pit it against.

 

[BigJ]

Vintage Polsilver SI blade four, shave #2

Razor: Wolfman WR1
Brush: Simpsons classic 2 best badger
Soap: Fine platinum
Splash: Fine platinum

Comment: Comfortable BBS today (10/10)!!

 

[T Bone]

Challenge PIF Round 3 - Vintage Polsilver Stainless vs. Gillette Nacet Stainless

Vintage Polsilver stainless (1)
Karve AL Overlander
Mühle Classic Small 19mm STF
Arko
Stirling unscented menthol ASB

I'm not so sure this blade is a step down in sharpness from the Nacet, at least not on the first shave - there was no pull, and I had no trouble cutting through any whiskers. I actually got a weeper on the first pass, going XTG on my mustache, but happily that didn't foreshadow any further drama. I may have just been lucky, as I had a fair amount of alum feedback - more than I ever got with the Nacet - so maybe I was close to drawing more blood but was just light enough not to. Irritation is pretty negligible, which is also unusual for that much alum sting. Anyway, Round 3 Shave 1 is very, very close between Nacet and Polsilver - this is still anybody's match!

 

[fast shaver]

Polsilver Vintage Blade #4shave #3
Tools: EJ DE89 Razor, Mogno soap & Timberwolf brush.
A nice smooth two pass shave this A.M. = DFS.
Both blades are shaving about even so far & its turning into a real Horse Race.

 

[BigJ]

Vintage Polsilver SI blade four, shave #3

Razor: Wolfman WR1
Brush: Simpsons chubby 1 best
Soap: Haslinger’s seaweed
Splash: Speick

Comment: Wonderful shave (10/10)! This is one fine blade!!

 

[T Bone]

Challenge PIF Round 3 - Vintage Polsilver Stainless vs. Gillette Nacet Stainless

Vintage Polsilver stainless (2)
Karve AL Overlander
Mühle Classic Small 19mm STF
Arko
Stirling unscented menthol ASB

No slowing down for the Polsilver, easily knocked down my 36-hour whiskers, with a couple of small, fleeting chin weepers. Another BBS-, with great post-shave. The close shaves are keeping Polsilver right there with Nacet, but the weepers, though few and tiny, are keeping it from opening up a lead.

 

[mikhou]

Razor: Henson AL13+
Blade: Polsilver Stainless #4 (1)
Soap: Pre de Provence No. 63
Brush: Generic badger that I bought off of Amazon (that I actually really like)
Aftershave: Aqua Velva Ice Blue followed by Nivea Sensitive balm

It was actually quite a rough shave today, but I'll qualify that with 2 remarks. 1) I've found that the first shave with the Polsilver Stainless was always the roughest for me and 2) I changed my routine a bit. I've been at this a couple of years and have a routine down that I like, but a couple of days ago I read a post here about number of passes. Well, I usually do 4 passes (WTG, XTG, ATGx2). I really only need a second ATG pass on my chin, but I go ahead and complete it anyway. After reading that post, I thought that I'd try to drop the WTG pass and just go XTG and ATGx2. It didn't go so well. It's not that the XTG resulting in blood. It's that the XTG caused a touch more irritation than normal because I had not done a WTG pass. That irritation made the ATG passes pretty rough as well. So it's back to at least 3 passes (WTG, XTG, and ATG), and I'll probably do a 4th because as long as I focus on beard reduction and not fast beard removal, I do just fine with another pass. Live and learn, I guess.

So...next time I'm using a Feather for the head-to-head, but when I come back to the Polsilver Stainless, I'll give it a fair shake with my normal routine.

 

[fast shaver]

RK Stainless Blade #1 Shave #3
Tools: EJ DE 89 Razor, Mogno soap & Timberwolf brush. A nice two pass shave today led to a DFS.
So far the RK Stainless & the Vintage Polsilver Stainless are about equal at beard removal.

 

[Hawkeye_90]

I did my first shave with the polsiver blade. It was a thing of beauty. Two pass shave.

Super speed razor
Arko shave soap
Superior badger brush

 

[slimshavy]

Your Best Challenge, Round 5
Razor: 3D Tech
Blade: Vintage Polsilver, on its fifth use

May 21, 2023

I skipped a day and had three days' growth, but the Polsilver plowed right through it. No different than any other shave. This one was close and easy and I daresay smooth, which hasn't been the Polsilver's strong point. Maybe it rounds into form with the smoothness. This didn't feel like a fifth shave on a blade; there's still plenty of sharpness.

I did get some resistance in the mustache and had to hack a little to get through ATG, earning myself two weepers. I collected another weeper under the chin. But overall very close, some stubble in usual place on jawlines. This is a victory lap at this point, as the Polsilver has put the Super-Max out to pasture and looks to get another shave in.

Four good shaves is a good blade in my book, so shave number six coming up is notable.

 

[BigJ]

Vintage Polsilver SI blade four, shave #4

Razor: Wolfman WR1
Brush: Shavemac beagle 2-band (fan)
Soap: Fine lavender pour homme
Splash: Fine lavender pour homme

Comment: Comfortable DFS++ (9.5/10)!!

 

[fast shaver]

Polsilver Vintage Blade #4 Shave #4
Tools: Yaqi Mercury Razor, Stirling Sheep & Timberwolf Brush.
The Polsilver delivered a smooth two pass shave this A.M. that resulted in a DFS.
Minor touchup here & there but no nicks or irritation noted.

 

[T Bone]

Challenge PIF Round 3 - Vintage Polsilver Stainless vs. Gillette Nacet Stainless

Vintage Polsilver stainless (3)
Karve AL Overlander
AP Shave Rocket Engine 24mm G5C
Southern Witchcrafts Labyrinth
Stirling unscented menthol ASB

Small change of gear now since I'm back home again, but I don't think the different brush or soap is likely to affect the results. (Though in a match this close, you never know.)

The first round, I felt like the Polsilver was just starting to lose a little sharpness by the third shave, but I didn't notice any of that this round. This blade in the Overlander again pulled off a BBS-, this time with no weepers noted, and negligible irritation.

This was the best shave yet with the Polsilver (so maybe the brush or soap is enough to tip the scales, Team Nacet may appeal the results if Polsilver pulls off the win...), and I've been informed that less than 0.01 points separates these 2 blades. It all comes down to Wednesday's shave, but Polsilver will have to be near-perfect, as shave 4 was Nacet's best.

 

[BigJ]

Vintage Polsilver SI blade four, shave #5

Razor: Wolfman WR1
Brush: Rudy Veiy B&B 2-band
Soap: Cella red
Splash: OS original

Comment: Another good performance today DFS++ (9.5/10)!!

 

[fast shaver]

RK Stainless Blade #1 Shave #4
Tools: Yaqi Mercury Razor, Dr. Selby Soap & Timberwolf Brush.
Got a nice two pass shave this A.M. = DFS.
So far both blades are shaving the same with no clear winner yet.

 

[slimshavy]

Your Best Challenge, Round 6
Razor: 3D Tech
Blade: Vintage Polsilver, on its sixth use

May 23, 2023

Another free round for the Polsilver, as its competitor, Super-Max, has been out of the game since Round 4. It was still an able shave, but has degraded over the last couple shaves and I got a few weepers and some irritation along with slightly more stubble left than previous shaves.

No problem putting this one out to pasture, as six shave is great for me. I have one Polsilver left; I'll have to check my records but it seems like they don't start that well on the first shaves. I'll see if I can adjust for this.