Participation PIF - ELIOS Inoxidable Blades

[ftrez]

I received mine and have completed 1 shave so far.

I used my aluminum RazorRock Lupo as it's been working very nicely for me recently.

First pass, with the grain, had a decent amount of blade feel and I had slight irritation on the right side of my neck. Second pass was against the grain and felt pretty good. It was noticeably more comfortable than pass one. Third pass was across the grain and went just fine. No touch ups were needed and I achieved a near BBS result.

The Elios was sufficiently sharp and seemed to get smoother as the shave went on. Shave 2 will be tomorrow morning. I'm thinking of trying it in a Gillette Slim. Will let you know how it goes.

 

[Grundi]

Shave #1 - ELIOS Inoxidable Blades

YES, we've finally got to the Participation Phase of this PIF!! And my experience is very similar to everyone else's. First pass of Shave #1 is okay but a little tuggy (somewhat feeling like this will not turn out well)...BUT...on the second pass, my blade smoothed out and it was a decent shave.

(I've tried several blades that Shave #1 wasn't the best, but Shave #2 was. The ELIOS Inoxidable blade turn nice after the 1st Pass. Now to test its longevity!!)

Razor: Gillette Slim on 4
Soap: Vintage Vinolia Shave Stick (Thank You, @Jonxster)
Results: 1st Pass (WTG): uh oh, I'm a little worried, 2nd pass (ATG w/buffing) hmmm, this turned out decent

 

[FarmerTan]

If you want, send me just one or two! I could see this..... Ummm.... challenge? being as popular? as that Assured razor thing we all did.

This way, you lose lots of money on postage, but more poor souls can get in on the fun..... or, those that get 5 could mail a few blades to others, etc, etc.....
We could have some interesting posts!
Though I doubt we'll reach over a thousand posts like the Assured tto razor thread did!

PM on the way!

PS: glad to hear that the wounds have healed my friend! It was hard on me worrying about your face all these months!

 

[DEPenguin]

Got my first shave with this blade this morning.

Razor: Merkur 38C
Brush: Omega/Proraso branded boar
Soap: Proraso Green

I didn't experience the shaky start others seem to have. From the first stroke it felt smooth but not quite Astra sharp. Very comfortable shave though, never felt like I might nick myself.

Three passes with no hint of tugging or struggle. It does seem, to me, to perform along the same line as Derby Premium, yet something about it seemed just a quarter-notch above that. Nice DFS+ result though with no damage. If my motivation were stronger I surely could have got BBS.

Will post subsequent shaves.

 

[GaryTha]

Yes, indeed, @GaryTha, even @FarmerTan is welcome to join and do both. After the One-Blade-In-February-Challenge, those participating in both can try the ELIOS blades. I like Rule#4 - there really are no rules, except have fun with these events!!


@FarmerTan, @shotgun233, and @something better, please send me a PM with your mailing addresses, and I get 5 ELIOS Inoxidable (that's a fun word to say and type!!) Blades out to you.

Thanks for the offer, but I'm in a 10-year 2020s restraint.

 

[FarmerTan]

Thanks for the offer, but I'm in a 10-year 2020s restraint.

I'm CRAZY in a totally different way from Mr @GaryTha ..... So I'll start up in March, and give my MOSTLY honest opinion, edited for entertainment purposes only, of course.

 

[Earcutter]

Update:

Shave #1 - I liked it! A lot! I’m kind of surprised.

I’m kind of surprised because although German blade’s can be ok for me, they are generally too keen or too harsh. Especially if they aren’t coated. But this blade gave me a smooth shave. Of course that might be because it’s not the sharpest blade in the drawer, which again is just fine because at the end of my 3 passes, it was a damn fine shave.

Smooth and close. What more could you ask for? Longevity is what! If it shaves me this well at least two more times, I’ll keep my eye out for it.

Nice intro.

 

[Atlantic59]

I received the blades from @Grundi on Friday. So far, I have done two shaves with them. The plan is to try them in at least three different razors for three or more shaves each. Good results so far in Muhle R89; no complaints.

 

[dezmil]

Blade #1 Shave #1 this morning
Razor: Rockwell 6S (R4)
Soap: Stirling Green
Brush: Maggard Synthetic
Results: Quite similar to what others have already posted. The first pass was not quite as smooth as what I am used to, but certainly not the worst I have experienced. By the second pass, the blade had smoothed out considerably. A final cleanup pass left me with an irritation DFS shave. So far so good with this blade. I will likely continue with a similar setup for the next couple of days to test out the longevity.

 

[Grundi]

You guys ROCK!! Great reviews and amazing setups!!

@Space_Cadet is really to thank for giving us the opportunity to try these very good blades!! THANK YOU!!

One question remains...longevity!! How many shaves can we get out of these blades?!?

PS. I have 8 slot still available in this Participation PIF!! Still time to get in on this!!

 

[NicksDad]

You guys ROCK!! Great reviews and amazing setups!!

@Space_Cadet
One question remains...longevity!! How many shaves can we get out of these blades?!?

Since I have 5 blades and only 4 razors, I’ll see how many shaves I can get with the final blade in whichever razor I like best.

 

[JoeLr]

I have a weird week upcoming, and my shave routine will be impacted, but I'll still be using the ELIOS daily.

I'll try it w/ my Rex Ambassador before it is sold (unless someone buys it before Monday night). That is the most blade-forward razor I currently own (after a big den down-sizing the past 12 months).

 

[Weean]

And the blades have made it across the ocean!

Unfortunately after I started a new blade this morning, so I'll start them next Monday 17th.

 

[geneaut]

Got mine Saturday! Used this morning. In depth report to follow. Tentative thumbs up.

 

[geneaut]

Shave #1

Gillette Slim (set to 2)
Palmolive
Elios blade
RazoRock Amici synthetic brush

Prefaced to say I just finished an 8 shave run on a Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum (Blue) blade that is probably my favorite blade ever. I also challenged the Elios with a 3-day growth of whiskers. It almost wasn't fair.

I like to start ( new to me ) blades out in my Slim with a low setting. I did my usual shower prep, then face lathered some Palmolive. I went a little thicker than normal with the first application of lather, but certainly not far out of my normal parameters. When I started my first few strokes on my chin near my ear I could tell this blade wasn't as sharp as the Gillette 7 O'clock, but few blades are. It handled my whiskers fine though even taking into account the 3 day growth. I moved over to under my nose and it took care of that area with zero issues. Now I moved to my neck which is always the area that tells me the most about how I will like a blade, and the Elios handled this WTG pass with no issues. Even with my accumulated whiskers it plowed through admirably.

I ran into a slight problem on my across the grain pass. I think I got a little cavalier thinking I had this fellow figured out, and also banking on my knowledge I had the Slim set to '2'. Yep, I got sloppy and I got a weeper in a usual problem spot. Totally operator error, but a subtle reminder this blade has a bite. It is not dull. I should have known that from how it managed my 3 days of whisker growth. I slowed down and finished the rest of my shave with no issues. The weeper wasn't major, and I frankly didn't feel it.

So I give it a thumbs up. I didn't chase a BBS since I had that weeper, but I ended up with what I like to call a DFS ++ which is a BBS on 95% of my face minus 2 normal trouble spots I have on my neck. I consider a DFS++ an outstanding result most days as the trouble spots aren't really visible, and I only notice them if I run my fingers across them in the correct direction and feel the micro stubble left there.

So in conclusion ( after one shave ) this seems like a very usable blade. It handled a tough task with only 1 operator error created issue, and the result was more than satisfactory. I'll move it to my SLOC for tomorrow's shave, and I'll be sure to treat it with a little more respect. At this point it reminds me a lot of a German Wilkie - sharp enough and smooth enough, but just a rung under my favorite blades. I mean maybe half a rung at most.

More information tomorrow.

 

[md1234]

Awesome thread and I would like to try out these blades please! PM inbound

 

[NicksDad]

Shave 2 - Sunday, Timeless Aluminum with ELIOS blade (second use)

A description of my setup is HERE.

Face Feel: Smooth and comfortable (again)
Closeness: Better than average (again)
Aftershave Feedback: Minimal (again)
Overall Rating: Nice and easy, but not super close. Need a heavier razor?
Comments: I've decided to not provide an overall rating number anymore because it doesn't really make sense. I'm not comparing it to other blades, and any real differences in shaves will likely be the result of the different razor. Instead I'll use words to summarize the overall shave.

Today's shave was much the same as yesterday's...no pulling, no harshness, and still reminded me of an Astra SS in terms of overall performance. So far I can't find any real fault with this blade. I've got a new box of Med Preps waiting to be used after this experiment, and I'm hoping it provides some noticeable contrast I can comment on. I'll post more feedback then. I'm still not getting as close as I like, but I suspect it's because I'm using an aluminum razor with no pressure.

 

[NicksDad]

Shave 3 - Monday, RazoRock SLOC with ELIOS blade (first use)

A description of my setup is HERE.

Face Feel: Smooth and comfortable (again)
Closeness: Very good
Aftershave Feedback: Minimal (again)
Overall Rating: Definitely closer today, no doubt thanks to the heavier razor
Comments: First off, let me say thanks to RazoRock for the SLOC. I really do like this razor! I think I read that it has slightly negative blade reveal, so I don't think I'll ever get super close with it, but it is a joy to use. Those little channels on the cap really do retain water, keeping my face nice and wet for extra strokes.

The ELIOS performs very nicely in this razor. No tugging, no irritation, and again no trouble cutting my wiry bristles. I still don't have any complaints.

 

[Grundi]

Shave 2 - very nice results!! This blade is performing nicely (smooth and close) and showing no signs of degrading.

Same Setup as Shave 1
Razor: Gillette Slim on 4
Soap: Vintage Vinolia Shave Stick (a gentlemenly rose scented soap)
Results: Both passes (WTG/ATG) smooth and close, resulting in a DFS!!

German-made blades and my face have not gotten along...BUT...this blade is changing that. For me (YMMV), it's performing similar to the Derby Premium (which is a mainstay in my regular rotation of blades).


@md1234, there are spots still available and one now has your name on it!!

 

[Suhrim21]

I got mine sat. I've been extremely busy and haven't had a chance to use them. I'm nursing bad razor burn right now. Give me just a few days and I'll give'em a try. My stubborn *** decided to keep shaving with a straight that needs to be touched up. It felt like shaving with sandpaper. but I'm too stubborn to stop using it. So once the hamburger that is my neck heals I will use the blades.