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Participation PIF - Czech Out These Blades

Tatra Blade 2, Shave 2

This blade continues to impress! Today's setup was Proraso cream, Merkur 37c, and Proraso balm. The blade sliced through today's thick, wiry stubble with ease (the hairs were thicker than usual because last shave was so close). No post-shave irritation. The alum nock had no reaction. Another no drama DFS bordering on BBS. I give this shave a 9, just like the last one.
 
First shave with the tiger brand and again the JAWS razor. I was going to switch out razors but fairness wouldn’t dictate such. I like the JAWS because it makes me slow down and I feel just about any grabbing and tugging that the blade has. Therefore on with the shave:
Negative first: blade had so much glue on it that it ran over the honed edge back down to the folded inner paper. Ran under hot water but did not wipe/buff off.
Positive: wonderful shave. All round. It wasn’t quite as sharp as the Tatra but I never love that first almost scary sharp shave and (kicker for me) ZERO of the irritation that I found with the first two shaves with the other blade.
We’ll see how the next 6 shaves pan out.
 
Shave seven with the Tatra blade tonight. I had it loaded in my Chinese clone R41, but at the last minute, I decided to change the cap and used the triangle shaped cap from WCS that was designed by CG.

WTG pass went extremely well with no blade feel, which was a totally different experience the other week when I used the clone R41 with the Tiger blade. ATG had some tugging, but not serious enough to affect the shave. It seems that this blade's useful life is around six shaves. In the end, I got away with a two pass plus touch up BBS.

Tomorrow, I will ush it for one last shave loading it in my Wunderbar.
 
Shave 9 with Tatra,
Same setup,
Tabac
Universal full blade shavette
444 Balm
H&V C&CC

This blade is still shaving well enough to continue.
As I said before there was a slight drop in smoothness but ever so slight then it plateaued and has remained there for a few shaves..so far.
I am still able to get a very close shave picking up the troubled spots with no problem and having zero sting from a high alcohol aftershave.
It has really impressed me with the shave feel and durability. I certainly did not expect this from a relatively unknown blade.
 
Tatra Platinum, edge 1 shave 1. Wilkinson sword Classic (plastic), Cella.

I'm a little late to the Tatra party despite being amonst the first to receive them since I've been messing around with NOS Tiger Stainless too. It's easy to understand the love they've been getting - very efficient blades which just get rid of the hair without damage (I'm seeing very few references to weepers in this thread), and on this showing no irritation or alum sting either. And they seem to be lasting quite well too.

I'm another convert, and will certainly be considering Tatra next time I want to buy 100 blades (assuming it doesn't spontaneously combust next time I shave with it or anything).
 
Tatra blade 2 shave 1. Tools: Arko, EJ DE89 & Plisoft synthetic brush.
The Tatra shave this A.M. was both sharp & smooth. I got a nice nick free close shave. Tatra is a very good blade IMO.
 
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
 
Tatra #1 Shaves 7 & 8
Gillette Slim on 6
1805 soap

Both of these shaves were about the same as each other. Both were good but not great, with zero irritation. I was experiencing a minor skin issue unrelated to shaving, and this blade was very gentle on me. I think this is the first time I have successfully pushed a blade to 8 shaves before, and it did admirably well. By the end though, I could tell it had dulled to the point I would not like it for the next use, so I am done with this blade. It started to get a bit tuggier and the shave was not as close as I would like. The Tiger will be next.

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk
 
Finally, first Czech shave this morning!

I decided to test a Tiger first. I generally evaluate a blade in 3 areas: comfort, longevity and shave closeness. My personal evaluation system overweights comfort. I'm happy if I can use a blade at least 3 or 4 times (most blades do comply with this requirement), and I'm not overly concerned with shave closeness: if not happy, with a comfortable blade, an extra pass is not a big deal.

Since this is a new blade, I decided to test it on my R89 first , the most reliable daily driver in my collection. No pre, Proraso Green and Omega badger brush, no after.

Comfort: Excellent
Closeness: Good
Durability: 3 more shaves to go

Let's see how the blade performance evolves over the next few shaves, but that was a very good start.
 
Shave eight with the Tatra blade. Tonight I loaded it into one of my best slant - RR Wunderbar. This blade is like the Energizer Bunny, it keeps going and going.....

WTG pass was totally like a blade was never loaded, but I ended up with a DFS and could have stopped there. I continued anyway because I used a good soap tonight and had a lot left on the brush. ATG pass was also pretty smooth with just a slight blade feel under my chin area. This time I had to do a partial XTG pass under the chin only and ended up with another BBS.

My original plan was to toss this blade after last night's shave, but loaded it into the Wunderbar. Tonight I decided to try to see if I can reach ten shaves with this blade as it still seems to have some good shaves left in it.
 
Participation PIF - Czech Out These Blades

Everyone who participates gets 6 Czech-made blades - 3 Tatras Platinum Blades and 3 Tiger Platinum Blades!!

View attachment 1094704

HUGE Thank You to @Space_Cadet who generously provided A WHOLE BUNCH OF CZECH-MADE BLADES to be distributed to whoever would like to try them!!

So, I have enough Czech-made Blades for 25 B&B'ers (and yours truly) to have the opportunity to try these Czech-made Blades...absolutely free'ish!! You'll need to actually USE one of Each Blade and POST your experience in this thread!! You can talk about the razor you tried the blades in, any software involved, your shaving preparation and method, maybe include some shaving-related pictures, add witty banter, and any other kinds of stuff. Also, see how many shaves you can get from each blade.

The PIF Phase will run between now and ends on 5/15/2020, with any unclaimed blades will be offered to the B&B Great Blade Exchange

The Participation Phase begins whenever you receive your blades!!

View attachment 1094705

Some have surmised
that these are the Same Blades; however one is in gray packaging and the other is in blue packaging; so obviously, I have no idea!! I will be Czech'ing out these blades myself for the first time.

These Czech-made Blades have been the subject of recent threads in the Safety Razor Blade Sub-Forum!! After committing to this Participation PIF, go and Czech out those threads!! Lots of good stuff there!!

Here are the rules:

  1. You have 10 quality posts (if you don't have 10, get posting!!)
  2. You're willing to post about your experiences in this thread
  3. Have great fun trying these Czech-made Blades

IMPORTANT: Once you've posted "I'm In!!", please send me a PM with your name and complete mailing address (I'm in the US, so if you're international, please include your Country with your mailing address).


Disclosure: I've actually mailed out several of these Czech-made Blades (which do NOT count toward the 25) to some of our International B&B'ers in hopes that they will receive them about the same time as CONUS B&B'ers who sign up here. In the other Blade PIFs, international mail took sssssoooooooo lllllooooonnnnngggggg to get the Blades to them that they missed out on some of the fun. Just because some International B&B'ers have been pre-included, other International B&B'ers are welcome to sign up.
Thanks for the blades.The Tiger blades remind me of an Astra SS..The feel is the same and the smooth...sharp..character is the same also_Overall a good upper mid tier blade good for 4-7 shaves depending on beard thickness and prep of beard.Not bad!

Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk
 
Tiger Shave #2
Razor: Razorock GC .84 SB
Soap: Proraso Red
Brush: Yaqi Purple Haze

Very nice smooth close shave on all 3 passes. I'm not sure which blade I like more at this point both are very good. They seem similar, but maybe subtle differences depending on the amount of growth, technique, prep etc.
 
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
 
Tatra shave this A.M. All three passes went great. I got a nice close shave with the Tatra blade. I will report back later when I see how many shaves I get.
 
Second shave with tiger and JAWS. Good shave, less feel than the Tatra with no irritation but a surprising sting from the AS. I didn’t think I would have sensed this much as I had very little buffing with only the WTG, XTG, and ATG passes. Went away quick no redness and an all round smooth shave.
 
The last of the continuing experiment...

Prep.: PAA Cube 2.0 pre-shave soap, non scented.
Soap: Cella Red, Marco method, face lathered
Brush: Zenith horse hair
Razor Blade: Tiger & Tatra "Platinum. (3nd and final uses). Flipped blade.
Razor: Rockwell 6s & 6c, plate 3
Gentleman Jon Alum Block
Thayers Witch Hazel Coconut water
Cella Aftershave Balm
PAA Chella Cool menthol aftershave
Final blade Home: Rockwell Blade Bank

I decided to combine the last two entries because I had two daily , back to back shaves, which was a first since the experiment began. Yesterday, using the Tatra and the 6c I noticed that by the time I got to the 3rd ATG it sounded and felt like I was pulling the razor across dry toast. It just felt to me like the blade was throwing in the towel as it moved across my lower right jawline which is my major problem area.
I got a decent shave overall, DFS all around, but I do feel the blade is spent.

Today's blade was the Tiger in the 6s. Once again, this blade just mowed down everything without a hiccup, and this one I think I could push well past 3 shaves if I was so inclined to do. I shaved my standard 3 passes, buffed a couple of spots and got BBS all the way around. I may skip a shave tomorrow... Admittedly, my skin screamed under the alum block, and screamed louder still under the alcohol based menthol Chella Cool aftershave, but I think that more because I am still not completely over the severe bout of poison ivy on my face ( see previous entry) and I had just showered with poison ivy soap. But this too shall pass, or at least it always before.

So, in conclusion of all this, and in the words of another, famously brainless Midwesterner: What do you learn Dorothy??

1. I learned that claims to contrary, Tigers and Tatra's don't appear to be the same blade. I wouldn't swear to it in a court of law, or on my children's heads, and I have only the evidence of my face, but there you have it..

2. I learned that Tiger is the far superior of the two blades and I would consider getting more in the future. The other two I was sent I will use to see how they perform in Fatips.

3. Tatra's = meh... YMMV, of course.

4. I learned that I really like Cella red shaving soap and lotion. A lot! I had read about Cella red for years and held off on starting until I had some, knowing I was going to commit myself to using Cella and only Cella for the duration. This is great stuff. It even moved me to get Cella Green (another thread).

5. While this sounds like a complete contradiction to #4, I learned why I have my own bathroom, shave den, and more than I care to ever admit to myself or my bride of 20 years in razors, brushes, blades, and soaps. I love and crave variety, except in women obviously.... I have soaps and scents (and Jerry Garcia ties...) for work, church, date nights, presentations, teaching classes, family events and everything in between. Restricting myself to using the same thing every day to get what I considered an accurate test was taking a lot of the fun out of shaving. When I figure out what I am wearing for the day/night, I also figure out what I am going to smell like, but no matter, I'll always be well shaven.

6. I learned that the reason I come to Badger and Blade to read reviews of products I am interested in is because so many here are so go at it and I am dreadful at it..Gracious, I am pressed to describe anything, and Big J. is using decimal points on his shaves - that's graduate level to me...

7. Poison ivy/oak/sumac is truly awful and getting it on your face and in your navel is particularly egregious. Yes, there is another, even worse place, but in charity, it doesn't bear elaboration...


It is truly funny the things you learn about yourself when good Mr Grundi sends along 6 blades in the US Post and asks you to submit your reviews. I thank you for the opportunity to try the blades out and to stretch my admittedly poor wings as a reviewer.

DCJ
Raytown MO
 
Sincere apologies to anyone reading that previous post... I swear autocorrect onaa Kindle tablet is positively demonic. It made sense when I was typing it, or selecting the filled in words in my head...

DCJ
 
Shave 10 with Tatra. Well almost.

I began the shave and immediately felt resistance so thought that was it for the blade.
FINALLY got back to a straight razor only it felt about the same but sharper.
I think the water softener may have been on bypass which means regular water which is ridiculously hard where I live and always feels different when it happens compared to soft water, so....
I'll try again in two days just to be sure the blade was no longer in good shaving condition.
 
Czech tiger shave #2 (blade 1).

Comfort: very good
Closeness: Ok
Durability: 2 more shaves to go

Same setup as yesterday: Proraso green soap, Omega badger brush, Muhle R89. A comfortable shave again, but I didn't have the familiar feeling of sharper blade on the second shave, but overall it was an ok shave. Curious to see how this performance blade evolves over time.
 
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