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Challenge PIF - Shave For The Stars

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Third shave with the Silver Star Super Stainless (Modern) blade #3

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Simpson Special S1 (18mm Best Badger)
Soap: Pré de Provence No. 63

The modern Silver Star blade might be coming around.

Today's outing was much improved compared to yesterday's fiasco. The tugging that i experienced on the ATG and XTG passes has mostly disappeared and there were no snags or hitches. As a result, my three routine passes were all reasonably smooth.

Comfort is only so-so due to a present and noticeable amount of blade feel. I suspected that it would manifest as irritation if I went over the same spots with too much enthusiasm, so I reminded myself to shave with a gentle touch.

I applied this principle as I buffed very lightly around my usual trouble areas (transition points along my jawline). Consequently, I was rewarded with a fairly trouble-free DFS.

I'm not ready to try for a BBS, yet. At least not until I can be assured that my face won't end up as a bloody, prickly mess. But, we're making progress here, so that's encouraging.
 
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Fourth shave with the Silver Star Super Stainless (Modern) blade #3

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

No change from yesterday.

I shaved the same way as on the previous use and the outcome was the same: Three reasonably smooth passes; only a minor amount of tugging (mostly noticeable on the XTG pass, but also some on the WTG pass, strangely); fairly low comfort level (mild irritation during the shave); and a touch of post-shave sensitivity below the jawline and around the Adam's apple which I soothed with a dab of Real Shaving Co. Post-Shave Soothing Balm.

I did not buff, today, so I was left with only a SAS. Since it's a lazy Easter Monday, that's perfectly acceptable.

Now, the question is whether or not to keep using this blade. It has improved since its first use, but not as much as I hoped it would. I'll decide what to do before tomorrow's shave.
 
24 - Silver Star #4 (3)
RazoRock Game Changer 84P, Omega 10086, Tabac

Spent some time playing with blade angle and settled on one that seems to have been a good choice. Result was one of the closer and more comfortable shaves I've had in several months. Also the end is finally in sight for this puck of Tabac.. the center has worn through to the ceramic, leaving a slowly dwindling ring. I figure another few weeks and it'll be done!

Then I get to peel the foil on a fresh puck!
 
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Fifth shave with the Silver Star Super Stainless (Modern) blade #3

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Omega 10005 (24mm Boar)
Soap: Pré de Provence Bergamot and Thyme

A slight improvement compared to yesterday's outing.

My three usual passes were fairly routine with only a minor amount of tugging below the jawline. This time, the XTG pass felt much smoother. As a result, I felt that I could buff more vigorously, but stopped short of a BBS. Let's call it a DFS.

So, on its fifth use, this blade finally delivered a reasonably close shave. It's nowhere near the quality that I'd normally shoot for, but I'll take it. Now, we'll see if it can provide more decent shaves or if this is as good as it gets.
 
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Sixth shave with the Silver Star Super Stainless (Modern) blade #3

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Aqua (24mm Tuxedo)
Soap: RazoRock Santa Maria del Fiore

Another small improvement.

Today's outing was smoother and more comfortable than yesterday's by a slight margin. The minor tugging that I experienced has mostly disappeared and all three passes were largely trouble-free. As a result, today's shave was much quicker and less stressful.

Best of all, I suffered only the tiniest bit of post-shave irritation around my Adam's apple. If I hadn't gone for a BBS, I probably wouldn't have had any issues.

So, it looks like I'm creeping my way to a much better shave as all these small improvements pile up. In fact, at this rate, tomorrow's outing should be a very easy, autopilot BBS. We shall see!
 
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Seventh shave with the Silver Star Super Stainless (Modern) blade #3

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Fine Accoutrements Classic (20mm Angel Hair)
Soap: Bitos Classic Eucalyptus and Lanolin

No noticeable changes.

Today's shave was basically a carbon copy of yesterday's outing. All three passes were reasonably smooth and the comfort level was above average. There is still a tiny bit of tugging on the XTG pass, for some reason, but it's not nearly as bad as it was when the blade was new. It doesn't seem to be affecting the shave, though, so I'm trying to ignore it.

I went for a BBS, again, and achieved it with only minor effort. I didn't need to buff very heavily, so the now-expected post-shave irritation was minimal. A few dabs of ASB took care of it.

Overall, it was a pretty good shave. I didn't get the flawless performance that I jokingly forecast in my last entry, but I can tolerate more shaves with this level of quality.
 
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Eighth shave with the Silver Star Super Stainless (Modern) blade #3

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

A substantial regression in shave quality. ☹️

Today's outing was a disappointment because the modern Silver Star's performance took a serious nosedive. There was significant blade-feel on all three passes and the tugging has returned. This precluded any attempts to buff. As a result, I was left with a barely acceptable shave.

This is a major letdown considering that the last two shaves were actually quite good. However, today's shave left me with severe post-shave irritation around my Adam's apple and on both sides of my neck that required a liberal dousing of ASB to soothe.

I guess this is the end of the line for this blade unless I feel adventurous, tomorrow.
 
Sharp Star blade 2, shave 7

Razor: Gillette Fatboy
Bowl: Captain’s Choice
Brush: Cremo horse
Soap: Proraso Blue
Aftershave: Aqua Velva

this blade rested for about 2 weeks. I didn’t pay close enough attention and got a weeper. Alum took care of it. I think there may be a couple more shaves on this blade

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Ninth shave with the Silver Star Super Stainless (Modern) blade #3

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Blue Marble (26mm Timber Wolf)
Soap: Tabac Shaving Soap (Non-Tallow)

My stubbornness sort of pays off.

I decided to use this blade one more time to see if the terrible shave from yesterday was just an anomaly and, surprisingly, I received a half-decent shave.

I took it really easy on all of my passes using a light touch and trying not to go over the same spot multiple times. This resulted in no irritation during the shave and only a very slight tingling on the sides of my neck which may just be left-over sensitivity from yesterday's shave.

I didn't buff again, at all, so I was left with a solid SAS. Not exactly a special shave by any means, but good enough for a stay-at-home Saturday.

So what does this mean for this particular blade? I guess I'll give it another try, tomorrow. With any luck, the Jekyll-and-Hyde act is over!
 
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Tenth shave with the Silver Star Super Stainless (Modern) blade #3

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Fine Accoutrements Stout (24mm Angel Hair)
Soap: RazoRock Green Label

A pattern is emerging.

After checking my earlier journal entries, I've noticed that this particular blade is following the same pattern as the modern Silver Star that I used previously. That is, it starts reasonably smoothly, then experiences a moderate decline in performance followed by a sudden sharp decline. This is where I considered ditching these blades, but decided to continue on and found that they were much improved.

That's where I'm at, right now. Today's shave was significantly more comfortable than yesterday's. My three usual passes were all quick and smooth. I was even able to buff like normal and managed a fairly efficient BBS, all around.

So, overall, I'm quite pleased with today's outing. However, if this blade continues to mimic the earlier blade, then these good results will be fleeting. We'll see in a couple of days...
 
Today I moved on to the mysterious space blade but to conclude on these two blades, I prefered the Sharp Star over the silver star but both were able to achieve great shaves without any issues. Sharp Star was smoother to me but I can say after just one shave that the mysterious space Blade will be a serious contender.
 
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Eleventh shave with the Silver Star Super Stainless (Modern) blade #3

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: yaqi Purple (24mm Mink)
Soap: Tabac Shaving Soap Stick (Tallow)

The pattern is confirmed.

As mentioned yesterday, I've noticed that the modern Silver Star blades have been following a pattern consisting of a decent start followed by a decline in performance, then a sudden improvement. With the previous blade, this improvement occurred on the tenth use, so this current blade seems to be right on target.

Anyway, all three of my usual passes were trouble-free. Today's shave was much more comfortable than previous ones. There were no signs of tugging or roughness. Blade-feel is now almost imperceptible. Therefore, I felt confident about buffing like normal and, once again, achieved a fairly quick BBS with no post-shave irritation.

Judging by what I previously wrote in my journal, this performance won't last long (maybe 1-2 more shaves), so I'll have to enjoy it while I can!
 
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Twelfth shave with the Silver Star Super Stainless (Modern) blade #3

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

Another quick, trouble-free shave.

The FOCS/Silver Star pairing delivered a fine shave, today, as it appears to still be in the "sweet spot" as far as smoothness and comfort are concerned. My three usual passes went by in no time at all. Only moderate buffing was required to get to BBS.

It's odd that I had to wait until the twelfth use of this blade to get a good result. However, I'm not complaining. I just have to take advantage of it while it lasts.
 
26 - Silver Star #4 (5)
RazoRock Game Changer 84P, Omega 10086, Tabac

Last shave on this blade for no other reason than I want to move on to try the vintage version! Saving the last modern Silver Star for after, in case the vintage one is bad and I need a pallet cleanser, hehe.

Yet another enjoyable and comfortable shave with this combo. Not what I would call top tier, but just plain old 'good'.
 
27 - Vintage Silver Star (0.25) & Silver mightStar #5 (0.75)
Tradere OC, Omega 10086, Tabac

Well, as I feared, the vintage Silver Star did not work out for me, though in fairness it's not (only) for a reason I might have expected!

I always give my razor and blade a quick dunk and swish in the sink before I get going with the shave, and upon doing so today, I heard a faint snapping sound, and looked down to see the lower edge of the blade lying in the sink. I did immediately check the other edge, but it seemed to be firmly attached, so hey, the show must go on!

The blade felt scratchy and tuggy the whole first pass, AND it gave another snapping noise halfway through that first pass, but the second edge stayed in place long enough for me to complete the pass. I then loaded up my modern Silver Star to complete the shave, which was FAR more comfortable.

Never seen anything like this, and I'm keen to keep it that way!

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27 - Vintage Silver Star (0.25) & Silver mightStar #5 (0.75)
Tradere OC, Omega 10086, Tabac

Well, as I feared, the vintage Silver Star did not work out for me, though in fairness it's not (only) for a reason I might have expected!

I always give my razor and blade a quick dunk and swish in the sink before I get going with the shave, and upon doing so today, I heard a faint snapping sound, and looked down to see the lower edge of the blade lying in the sink. I did immediately check the other edge, but it seemed to be firmly attached, so hey, the show must go on!

The blade felt scratchy and tuggy the whole first pass, AND it gave another snapping noise halfway through that first pass, but the second edge stayed in place long enough for me to complete the pass. I then loaded up my modern Silver Star to complete the shave, which was FAR more comfortable.

Never seen anything like this, and I'm keen to keep it that way!

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You’re supposed to shave with a three-piece razor, not a three-piece blade!
 
28 - Silver Star #5 (2)
Tradere SB, Omega 10086, Tabac, Captain's Choice Bay Rum aftershave

This'll be my last shave as part of this endeavor. Time to get back to my usual blade brands for a while! Besides, a high note is as good a place as any to leave it off.

I somehow forgot to try the blade in my Tradere SB, so I decided to rectify that, and I'm glad I did. It beat out even the Gamechanger 84 in terms of smooth and efficient shaving. In this razor the blade actually comes close to the performance of my favorite premium blades.

And due in large part to overwhelming feedback from the Mrs. Yuritau contingent, Captain's Choice bay Rum aftershave makes a triumphant return to my shave den. It's both the only aftershave I've enjoyed in the last several years and the kind of product that makes the wife OK with the rest of the hobby, so long as I wear it around her and don't keep her from periodic sniffs, lol.
 
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