My Blade Search Journal

[AUvet14]

Astra SS Shave #1:

Well I wasn't excited about this blade going in and I was right to be. The shave wasn't the worst I've ever had and I preferred it to the Astra SP but still didn't touch anything from my top tier blades. It might have been slightly less sharp than the SP but slightly smoother. I did 3 passes with the Rockwell 6S, 4, 4, and 2. Mild irritation afterwards and a fair amount of stinging with the alum block. Since I already have a handful of blades that were good on the first shave, I'm not going any further with this blade. Theres no sense in continuing to cause irritation when there are better blades for me out there. I supposed next shave I will use a Kai blade. That seems to be a popular suggestion, even despite their price tag.

Top Tier:
1. Gillette Platinum
2. Gillette Nacet
T3. Derby Premium
T3. Voskhod

Middle tier:
5. Perma-Sharp Super
6. Gillette Silver Blue

Bottom tier:
7. Astra SS
8. Astra SP

 

[AUvet14]

Kai Shave #1:

Went through the same shave procedure as I have been. The kai was pretty sharp and definitely noticeably thicker than other blades as many have said. It was pretty smooth as well. It didn't blow me away but it was pretty good. Very little stinging from the alum block and a pretty darn good shave. Not BBS tonight but I'm not blaming the blade for that. I'll be giving it another couple shaves before placement.

As a side note, I got in the PAA Mysterium Serum aftershave. What a great aftershave balm! Man this stuff leaves the face feeling great.

 

[Tomo]

Once you go Feather you will not want to use anything else. You better save that one for last.

 

[AUvet14]

Kai Shave #2:

So I used the same setup as before but realized halfway through the shave I started on the R2 plate rather than the regular R4 plate I usually use. It was still a pretty comfortable shave. Not quite where the Nacet and Platinum are at but still pretty good. It wasn't the smoothest but still pretty up there as far as smoothness. Obviously a pretty sharp blade to still get a pretty darn good shave on the least aggressive setting I have used. I don't know that this will be a regular in my rotation mainly due to the price vs. results but I could see myself keeping a couple tucks in the shave drawer to use every now and then.

Top Tier:
1. Gillette Platinum
2. Gillette Nacet
T3. Derby Premium
T3. Voskhod
5. Kai (Not sure where I want to place it in the top tier based on performance but taking price into account I am ranking this slightly lower.)

Middle tier:
6. Perma-Sharp Super
7. Gillette Silver Blue

Bottom tier:
8. Astra SS
9. Astra SP

I'm starting to wonder if I'm doing something differently the last week or so since I haven't been a huge fan of the last 3 after seeming to hit gold on the first few blades. I might go back to a Gillette Platinum or Polsilver next and try some of my new soaps before getting back to blades I haven't tried, just to try to make sure I keep a frame of reference for the good blades. I'll give the Kai at least one more shave though.

 

[AUvet14]

Kai Shave #3:

Back to the R4 for 2 passes and R2 for a final pass. Still did a decent job. Idk what the deal is but I have not been able to get one particular trouble spot very well with this blade. That might be laziness in technique but I just haven't gotten it very smooth with the Kai blade which confuses me as its supposed to be on of the sharpest out there so I'm inclined to believe it's something I'm doing unless the blade just dulls quickly. I might bump this down to the middle tier for now but will probably come back to it at some point to give it another go.

Top Tier:
1. Gillette Platinum
2. Gillette Nacet
T3. Derby Premium
T3. Voskhod


Middle tier:
5. Kai (Not sure where I want to place it in the top tier based on performance but taking price into account I am ranking this slightly lower.)
6. Perma-Sharp Super
7. Gillette Silver Blue

Bottom tier:
8. Astra SS
9. Astra SP

I will now go back to Polisiver for 3 or 4 shaves to re-establish baseline and to try out a few new products I got.

 

[AUvet14]

Polsilver Shave:

I went back to Polsilver tonight to re-establish a baseline since I have not particularly enjoyed the last several blades and even struggled with the last one or two. This shave was done with a different soap that I've wanted to try- Catie's Bubbles A Midnight Dreary. The scent was quite pleasant and not overbearing. I also used my new homemade brush with a Maggard 24mm SHD 2-band badger knot. Despite all these new variables in this shave, it was quite comfortable and I still feel like my technique has held up and not gotten lazy so I am concluding that the last several blades just aren't good for me. I might go back to the Kai at some point but after I get a few more shaves from this blade, I'll move on to the next blade. I haven't decided yet which blade I will use next though.

 

[R7photo]

Did you use polsilver blade or wizamet blade

 

[AUvet14]

Did you use polsilver blade or wizamet blade

Polsilver. It might actually be good to try the wizamet blade next while the Polsilver is fresh on my mind.


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[R7photo]

I can’t help but see if you can up your soap game, while the choices you are using are good but not some of the new top tier soaps
A&E,,Wholly Kaw, barrister and Mann,,m&m, Declaration grooming,, just to name a few

 

[AUvet14]

I can’t help but see if you can up your soap game, while the choices you are using are good but not some of the new top tier soaps
A&E,,Wholly Kaw, barrister and Mann,,m&m, Declaration grooming,, just to name a few

I may order B&M Seville. I've read good things about it so might give it a try. I guess I could pick up another with an order. I'm trying not to collect a million soaps that I'll never use and I'm pretty happy with my current selection but darn it if curiosity doesn't take over. Lol. I really feel that what I have is a pretty solid lineup and I'm not that particular about the soap as long as I get a good comfortable shave and it lathers well and the scent is at the least tolerable but preferably quite enjoyable. There are plenty of soaps that provide great results.

 

[R7photo]

Awesome top tier soap,,B&m Seville especially if In excelsior base, great choice

 

[AUvet14]

Polsilver #2:

Back to experimenting tonight. Shave #2 on this Polsilver SI blade. Again, this has been my long time blade and I am very familiar with it. I have gone back to it to re-establish a baseline of the comfort I am used to. This shave was another great one. I decided to give my new Central Texas Soaps "Mr. Pepper" a try. As a Dr. Pepper lover, I was quite intrigued bu this one. This soap was an absolute pleasure to use. Great, easy lather, great slickness, great scent. Overall I am impressed. My biggest issue is now I want a Dr. Pepper...

As this thread is a review on blades, I'll get back to it. The only blade I have tried so far that has touched the Polsilver in sharpness, smoothness, and overall comfort is the Gillette Platinum which I might prefer slightly to the Polsilver now. The Nacet is close behind but now quiet there in overall comfort for me. The Derby Premium and Voskhod both are not as sharp as the Polsilver but were both quite comfortable to use. I think this would be a good time to give the Wizamet Iridium Supers a try once this blade runs its course. I should get a pretty good side by side comparison between the two and see if I concur that they are, in fact, the same blade.

 

[AUvet14]

Polsilver Shave #3:

Another great shave. I used a Stirling soap today. This is the second time using this one and it was fantastic. The shave was super comfortable. The blade is still feeling sharp and smooth. It still has at least 1 shave left in it. I'll get back to the search soon.

 

[Mouser]

Polsilver #2:

Back to experimenting tonight. Shave #2 on this Polsilver SI blade. Again, this has been my long time blade and I am very familiar with it. I have gone back to it to re-establish a baseline of the comfort I am used to. This shave was another great one. I decided to give my new Central Texas Soaps "Mr. Pepper" a try. As a Dr. Pepper lover, I was quite intrigued bu this one. This soap was an absolute pleasure to use. Great, easy lather, great slickness, great scent. Overall I am impressed. My biggest issue is now I want a Dr. Pepper...

As this thread is a review on blades, I'll get back to it. The only blade I have tried so far that has touched the Polsilver in sharpness, smoothness, and overall comfort is the Gillette Platinum which I might prefer slightly to the Polsilver now. The Nacet is close behind but now quiet there in overall comfort for me. The Derby Premium and Voskhod both are not as sharp as the Polsilver but were both quite comfortable to use. I think this would be a good time to give the Wizamet Iridium Supers a try once this blade runs its course. I should get a pretty good side by side comparison between the two and see if I concur that they are, in fact, the same blade.

View attachment 1077560

Whoa! Back up. Are you saying there's a shaving soap that smells like Dr. Pepper!??!! Tell me all about it!

 

[RigelDust]

Whoa! Back up. Are you saying there's a shaving soap that smells like Dr. Pepper!??!! Tell me all about it!

Yup. WCS has sum right now.

 

[AUvet14]

Whoa! Back up. Are you saying there's a shaving soap that smells like Dr. Pepper!??!! Tell me all about it!

Yup. I actually think it smells more like a mix of Dr Pepper and Mr Pibb but it’s pretty cool!


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[AUvet14]

It’s called Mr Pepper but Central Texas Soaps. It’s a WCS exclusive. It’s pretty enjoyable to use and will for sure leave you craving a Dr Pepper.


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[Mouser]

It’s called Mr Pepper but Central Texas Soaps. It’s a WCS exclusive. It’s pretty enjoyable to use and will for sure leave you craving a Dr Pepper.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice! I kinda mixed up my own 7up ( which I prefer over Sprite ) cream with Coates Lime and AoS Lemon but a Dr. Pepper soap? I will, as the kids say today, go for it.

 

[AUvet14]

Nice! I kinda mixed up my own 7up ( which I prefer over Sprite ) cream with Coates Lime and AoS Lemon but a Dr. Pepper soap? I will, as the kids say today, go for it.

I believe central Texas soaps also makes one that smells like 7-UP. I think it’s called Mountain Mist or something like that. The Mr Pepper probably won’t be an every day soap but it sure is one I’ll throw in there for fun every now and then.


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[AUvet14]

Polsilver Shave #4:

Typical 4th shave with a Polsilver SI for me. Still an excellent shave. Took my new brush for another spin. This is the first brush I've assembled myself with an eastern red cedar handle and a Maggard 24mm SHD 2-band badger knot. This time I used it with a soap I'm already familiar with. It should be great once I use it more and get it broken in. Super comfortable on the face and holds a lot of lather for the size of the knot. As with every other time I use Polsilver SI, I will toss the blade after this shave. I never go more than 4 shaves on one because I have found I start to get more irritation on the 5th shave. Still got nearly BBS on this one but didn't push it knowing it was the last shave on this blade. Next blade I'll try will be the Wizamet Iridium Super.