Participation PIF - Czech Out These Blades

[Cal]

Tatra/Tiger SOTD

Brush: Shavemac Olive Wood 20/44 Silvertip 2-Band
Soap: Vitos Red
Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale with custom olive wood handle
Blade: Tatra Platinum (5)
ASL: Proraso Red

Unfortunately my mind wasn't on the shave tonight, but I still got BBS. It's just as well the autopilot's in good order.

RESULTS:

TATRA Blade 1
Shave #1: 9.5
Shave #2: 9
Shave #3: 9.5
Shave #4: 9
Shave #5: 9

 

[jbreakfield]

Shave #1 with the Tatra Blade

Razor: Global Shave Club ICE
Brush: PC Woodcraft 24mm Silvertip Badger
Pre Shave: Proraso Green pre-shave
Soap: Proraso Green Cream
Post: GentlemanJon Alum block
Post: Lucky Tiger After Shave & Face Tonic

I typically shave about every other day, so I had 2 days growth for this shave. Showered and washed my face before shaving.

Ratings:

• Smooth: 8/10
• Sharp: 6/10

Results: I have to say, I was very pleasantly surprised by this blade. Most other blades that I have tried that are "Platinum" do not do well with my skin. I'm not going to say that I'm "allergic", but I have seemed to have some sort of reaction, that I can feel as soon as I've done the first pass. It leaves my face burning for a couple of days, and several times I didn't even finish the shave. This has happened with Rapira Platinum Lux, Bic Chrome Platinum, Lord Platinum, and another that I can't recall the name.
Based on that, I was concerned that these would do the same, but fortunately, it didn't happen. Instead, I was treated to a nice (decently) smooth shave. These aren't as sharp as I like, but they definitely get the job done. I did 3 passes, with some touch up; DFS. No weepers, no nicks, very little feedback from the alum. A few spots here and there that the blade just didn't seem to want to take down, but otherwise great. I think I will try a different razor on the second round with this blade, and see how it performs.

 

[epipeman]

Kit: Fatip Piccolo SE , Tiger (5) , Arko, Omega S10083 S-Brush Pro.

A solid shave, but the blade is definitely fading away now and so this will be its last outing. Next up - the Tatra.

 

[Chard52142]

Tiger Platinum Blade 1
Soap Colonel Conk Almond
Brush Yaqi 24mm Sagrada Familia
Razor Edwin Jagger DE89L
Blade Tiger Platinum 2nd
Post & Aftershave
Ice Water + Special Thayers
Hyaluronic Acid + Aqua Velva Musk
Flip the blade ...

It was still as sharpish, smooth and comfortable but noticed just a barrely preceptible dulling. multiple passes + buffing. No weepers nor irritation. BBS to DFS result. Blade very similar to SuperMax Platinum Plus.
Tiger Platinum Blade 1
Shave #1: 9.7
Shave #1: 9.5

 

[stone and strop]

First shave with second blade with the Tiger.
Tabac
Universal shavette full blade
444 Balm
H&V C&CC

I was hoping for better than the attempts with the first blade. It was better but not by much.
I completed the shave and did a little touch up with a straight because the face was feeling a little raw.
As this is a comparison, for me, this a hands down slam for the Tatra blade. No contest really.

Thanks to Grundi for all his efforts in these past few tests.
It has generated a lot of interaction and enlightenment, at least for me, regarding other blades.

It has been fun but I am done with the shavette for a bit. I have never used it so much!
It does however make me wonder why more people don't use them. With a good blade they shave beautifully and blades last a very long time using half a blade at a time. It is an almost ridiculously inexpensive way to shave
< 2.00 per year.

Thanks for letting me take part

 

[Cal]

Tatra/Tiger SOTD

Brush: Shavemac Olive Wood 20/44 Silvertip 2-Band
Soap: Vitos Red
Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale with custom olive wood handle
Blade: Tiger Platinum (1)
ASL: Proraso Red

I decided not to get too many shaves on the Tatra before testing the Tiger. So, five shaves down on the Tatra and now we're onto the Tiger.

One thing I love about these blades is the wax dots. Not only do they do their job of holding the blades in place in the packaging... but you can easily either wipe the soft wax off or let your shaving water do it. Unlike some (more like superglue than wax) which weld the blade to the cap or baseplate (and other nasty tricks).

Tiger shave #1 was very nice and I now fully believe my suppliers note that (barring etching and packaging) they are the same blade. Another very pleasant BBS shave was had.

RESULTS:

TATRA Blade 1
Shave #1: 9.5
Shave #2: 9
Shave #3: 9.5
Shave #4: 9
Shave #5: 9
. Average: 9.2

Tiger Blade 1
Shave #1: 9.5

 

[gvw755]

Shave 4 with my second Tiger. Tonight I loaded it into my vintage Krect Spiral Curve razor. WTG went well until I got to my chin area where last night I noticed some tugging. Tonight was slightly more noticeable, however the Krect is more aggressive razor than the Merkur Bakelite. ATG pass was still very comfortable and efficient, however I did notice it left a little more stubble. Still, with an XTG along the jawline and under the chin area, I ended up with another BBS. It appears that the efficiency is on par with the Tatra, however the life may be closer to five or six shaves where the Tatra was still going strong around ten.

 

[Ted A]

One thing I love about these blades is the wax dots. Not only do they do their job of holding the blades in place in the packaging... but you can easily either wipe the soft wax off or let your shaving water do it. Unlike some (more like superglue than wax) which weld the blade to the cap or baseplate (and other nasty tricks

That’s odd. I unwrapped my 2nd Tiger today and the wrapping paper tore because the glue held it so tightly to the blade

 

[Ted A]

Tiger blade #2, 1st shave

A comfortable enough shave. But I experimented and used plate 2 on my Rockwell 6c. And it just wasn’t a close enough shave. I blame the plate though, not the blade

 

[xiletero]

Tiger #2
Fatip slant
Santa Maria
Sagrada Familia
AS: Aqua Velva Musk
AB: Nivea

When I closed the razor, tight, this blade made crunching noises....I even unscrewed, and did it again...crunchy.
None ot the PG Russians do that.

Shave was good, head 2+ pass, and face 3 pass. On the face I got one weeper (I think this is #1 in 15m). Slight irritation.
Shave was good, and even if they say it's the same as Tatara, I think this one is not as sharp nor smooth.

 

[Demolition]

I just received an e-mail from Italian Barber stating that they're now carrying Tatra and Tiger blades. For 48 hours, they're offering an introductory price on 100-packs for only $6.99 USD (40% off)!

See the "New Arrivals" section at:

Italian Barber

Online Shaving Store,Classic Wet-Shaving Supplies:straight razors,safety razors,blades,shaving brushes,shaving soaps,creams,alum,italian shaving products.

www.italianbarber.com

 

[BigJ]

Are these the same blades in different packaging?
​

Thanks for the chance to try some blades that are new to me! So I have no preconceptions whatsoever.

PURPOSE. To give each option a fair trial, answer the question and pick a favorite.

METHODS.

Prep: Hot shower then CereVe face wash.

Razor: Wolfman WR1/WRH2 handle.

Brush: 2 or 3-band badger from my rotation.

Soap: Cella for blade 1, then assorted Fine options for blade 2.

After: Floid vigoroso for blade 1, then La Toja splash for blade 2.

Rating: My usual 10 point system after each shave.

RESULTS.

TATRA blade 1
Shave #1: 8
Shave #2: 8.5
Shave #3: 8.5
Shave #4: 8.5
Shave #5: 8.5
Shave #6: 8.5
Shave #7: 8.5
average: 8.4

Tiger blade 1
Shave #1: 7.5
Shave #2: 8
Shave #3: 7.5
Shave #4: 7.5
Shave #5: 7.5
Shave #6: 8
Shave #7: 7
average: 7.6

TATRA blade 2
Shave #1: 8.5
Shave #2: 9
Shave #3: 9
Shave #4: 8.5
Shave #5: 8.5
Shave #6: 8.5
Shave #7: 8.5
average: 8.6

Tiger blade 2
Shave #1: 8.5
Shave #2: 9
Shave #3: 8.5
Shave #4: 8.5
Shave #5: 9
Shave #6: 8.5
Shave #7: 8
average: 8.6

DISCUSSION.

This is precisely what makes B&B such a great place! Who else would be interested in a detailed comparison of two obscure Czech blades?? Plus, the project kept me amused for most of a month during the Corona virus lock down.

Things were very clear after blade 1: TATRA 8.4 vs. Tiger 7.6. So definitely different. Then it become difficult after blade 2: 8.6 for both!!

There is obviously a fair bit of variability from blade to blade, especially for the Tigers. And it is still possible that these may be the same or at least very similar. Will look forward to others opinions. Sorry but I should have quit after blade 1 as my opinion changed!

It was very interesting to do this completing the comparison of the modern (German) Wilkinson sword blades with the vintage (British) Wilkies. The Wilkies are great blades, but they came in just a wee bit ahead of these Czech blades!

Conclusion: if you are looking for some fine, no-nonsense blades at a very reasonable price then give these Czech blades a try!!

 

[Chard52142]

New Soap Rasozero Agrumella
Brush Yaqi 24mm Silvertip
Razor Edwin Jagger DE89L
Blade Tiger Platinum 3rd
Post & Aftershave
Ice Water + Special Thayers Mix
Hyaluronic Acid
New Aftershave Reuzel Woods & Spice
Shave with same razor and blade pairing still nice and smooth although can feel a tad less. 3 multiple passes with DFS result.
Can feel blade performance getting less. Felt more stubble than yesterday a few hours later
Tiger Platinum Blade 1
Shave #1: 9.7 - 6hrs later, good
Shave #2: 9.5 - 6hrs later, good
Shave #3: 9 - 6hrs later, ok only

 

[epipeman]

Kit: Rockwell 6c R6 , Tatra (1) , Arko, Omega S10083 S-Brush Pro.

First shave with a Tatra today. Sadly this was not as good as my first shave with a Tiger which was also using all the above kit. It delivered a decent enough shave (but not DFS) whilst leaving the skin feeling faintly rough and lumpy. Oh well - shave one is usually a problem for me with new blades (but it wasn’t with the Tiger).

 

[Chad3]

6th shave with tiger and the JAWS. Last shave was tugging a bit and skin stayed rough in a few spots. Today I focused on clearing those areas and slowed down on the ATG pass. Fairly solid shave. I’ve wanted to switch things up but these two blades and sticking with the same razor for a month has made it harder and harder to swap anything out.

 

[Balthier]

Tatra blade 2 shave #2
Razor: PAA DOC
Soap: Italian Barber Amici
Brush: Yaqi Rainbow

Wow this razor a little too mild maybe more mild then my bluetip possibly? An easy shave 3 passes plus some cleanup. Rates high for smoothness low for closeness 7.5.

 

[Chard52142]

Soap Rasozero Agrumella
Brush Yaqi 26mm Rainbow
Razor Edwin Jagger DE89L
Blade Tiger Platinum 4th
Post & Aftershave
Ice Water + Special Thayers
Hyaluronic Acid
Reuzel Wood & Spice
4th Shave today with razor and blade combo was somehow better than yesterday. Really smooth, sharpish & comfortable. Must be from the slicker lather.
3 multiple passes plus some buffing resulted in a mostly BBS with small area DFS at lower neck. 9.5/10 rating today.
Tiger Platinum Blade 1
Shave#1: 9.7 - 6hrs later, good
Shave#2: 9.5 - 6hrs later, good
Shave#3: 9 - 6hrs later, ok only
Shave#4: 9.5-6hrs later, still good
Truly enjoying this blade with my 1st and most trusty razor. Will try the blade with another tomorrow.
So tempted with IB sale offer for the Tiger...and Tatra

 

[epipeman]

Kit: Rockwell 6c R6 , Tatra (2) , Arko, Omega S10083 S-Brush Pro.

An average sort of shave, not very satisfactory. A few weepers and oddly rough and lumpy skin again. All very strange. I shall give it another try - if it is no better then I shall ditch it. It could be a one-off bad blade, after all. I’ll try another in the Piccolo after that.

 

[jbreakfield]

Shave #2 with the Tatra Blade

Razor: Blackland Dart
Brush: PC Woodcraft 24mm Silvertip Badger
Pre Shave: Proraso Green pre-shave
Soap: Proraso Green Cream
Post: GentlemanJon Alum block
Post: Proraso Green after shave balm
Post: Lucky Tiger After Shave & Face Tonic

Typical 2 days growth for this shave. Showered and washed my face before shaving.

Ratings:

• Smooth: 6/10
• Sharp: 6/10

Results: This shave wasn't quite as pleasant as my first, but I can probably put some of the blame for that on myself, as I'm still dialing in technique with the Dart. It has a very "blade forward" feel for me, and that's something I'm getting used to, as well as figuring out the best angle. I've also been experimenting with blades to use with the Dart, so this was a good test for that.
Sharpness seemed a good bit reduced from the first shave. I did 3 passes, with some touch up; not quite what I'd call a DFS. One very tiny weeper on my neck, but this was likely user error with the angle of the Dart. More feedback from the alum than what I'd prefer. Still quite a few spots here and there that the blade just didn't seem to want to take down, more so on this shave than on the first. These could be a one and done blade for me, but I'll try a third shave with this one with another razor.
Also, I had to use the balm this time to calm things down a bit, and had a very slight burn on some areas of my face for a few hours later.

 

[lancre]

For those of you who've fallen in love with either of these blades, have you seen these prices?

100 Tiger Platinum Double Edge Safety Razor Blades, 20 packs of 5 (100 – ItalianBarber

100 Tiger Platinum Double Edge Safety Razor Blades, 20 packs of 5 (100 blades)Tiger Platinum Premium Stainless Steel Double Edge Safety Razor Blades are...

www.italianbarber.com

100 Tatra Platinum Double Edge Safety Razor Blades, 20 packs of 5 (100 – ItalianBarber

100 Tatra Platinum Double Edge Safety Razor Blades, 20 packs of 5 (100 blades)Tatra Platinum Premium Stainless Steel Double Edge Safety Razor Blades are...

www.italianbarber.com