Participation PIF - ELIOS Inoxidable Blades

[ftrez]

I’ve been down and out for a couple of days after surgery but before going in the hospital I got in a couple of more shaves.

The first was with Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements’ Doppelgänger Green soap & aftershave and a Gillette Slim. The third was with Proraso Red soap & Aftershave using Karve brass w/ C plate. Both were good, smooth, DFS-level shaves.

 

[NicksDad]

Shave 6 - Thursday, Mühle Rocca R96 v4 with ELIOS blade (second use)

A description of my setup is HERE.

Face Feel: Smooth and comfortable (again)
Closeness: Very good
Aftershave Feedback: Minimal (again)
Overall Rating: A very good shave
Comments: For the first time, I noticed the second shave on the same blade did feel a little smoother. I also found myself applying a little more pressure to get a closer shave. I thought it might irritate my skin, but aftershave feedback was very mild and I got no redness afterward. Still no complaints. Tomorrow I finally get to try it in my R41!

 

[geneaut]

Excellent.
Here are two of my FireKing weaponry.
View attachment 1062704

Those are outstanding!

 

[Earcutter]

Final Update:

Its like a single cylinder bike vs a twin. A .38 out of a revolver vs a 9mm out of a semi. These blades are tanks. It’s like the are thicker than other blades. It’s like you can hear the thunk as it mows over the whiskers. I get visions of tree trunks being uprooted by a monster front loader.

But it’s NOT violent. The alum after the shave doesn’t sting, the alcohol in the splash is a welcomed experience.

My initial review on these blades was pretty positive. My final I hope reflects the fact that I’ve come to like em more, the more I’ve used em. They are certainly in my top 5.

No one is more surprised than me. If I wasn’t in this no purchase 2020 thing, I’d by a hundred or three.

 

[RigelDust]

Those are outstanding!

I collect FireKing mugs (about 30 or so) and have eight bowls to use for shaving. The chili bowls are perfect.

 

[FarmerTan]

Well, Sir @Grundi : the blades came today! I will let you all know what I think after February 29th.

 

[jbreakfield]

@Grundi , I received my blades today, thank you very much!

I will post as soon as I've had the chance to shave with them... next shave will be Saturday or Sunday.

 

[Grundi]

Shave 5 - whisker below a DFS...my ELIOS Inoxidable Blade #1 is done...

Razor: Gillette Slim on 4 (same)
Soap: Captain's Choice Venture (another amazing scented soap!!)
Results: 2 passes (WTG/ATG w/ buffing) for a decent but not quite DFS shave. The blade was still smooth'ish with some tugging. I think 5 very good shaves makes this blade a definite yes!!

Next shave will be a complete German experience - a new Elios Blade, Merkur Razor, and Tabac soap!!

 

[Grundi]

Early Warning - the ELIOS Inoxidable Blade Participation PIF blade distribution phase will be closing this Sunday night. 32 out of the 38 5-blade packs have been mailed out (some blades have gone out very recently)!! Participation will continue with others joining in as they receive their blades or finish their One-Blade-In-February-Challenge.

Anyone interested in receiving blades (I've have 6 spots still available), please contact me before Sunday night.

 

[skyfire1]

I received the blade and I will try it as soon as my feather blade in my 6c starts to tug. It’s on shave three so a couple of more shaves and the I’ll try the new blade and report back. packaging was great, just like the previous posts. Thanks @Grundi.

 

[gvw755]

Tonight I tried the Elios blade in The WCS razor with the Brawny base plate. This time I used it at the start of my shave with the WTG pass and finished the other two passes with my one blade challenge razor. Similar to last night, the Elios shaved a little rough, but was more efficient than last night. I am still believing that putting a blade I never used before (or at least before last night) and combining it with a base plate I never used before might be part of the reason for the underwhelming performance. Tomorrow the blade will be loaded using the Lithe base plate, which I am very familiar with and will be used on the third pass (XTG and touch up). Hopefully the true character of this blade will show.

 

[emwolf]

Shave 6 using the honed Elios in the Silver Star 3 piece. Captain's Choice Bay Rum was soap and aftershave. Great smell for a 5 degrees below zero day. Smooth, close, no irritation. The honing seems to be the thing. I've got one more shave with a new, un-honed in the 6c to see if my conclusions are accurate. .

 

[NicksDad]

Shave 7 (Final) - Friday, Mühle R41 Twist with ELIOS blade (first use)

A description of my setup is HERE.

Face Feel: Comfortable
Closeness: Very good
Aftershave Feedback: Medium
Overall Rating: A very good shave
Comments: First, I've decided this is my last shave with the ELIOS for now...no second pass with the R41 tomorrow. I still have one unused blade I may trot out for an endurance run later, but I've been dying to crack open my brand new box of Personna Med Preps. I can say it's been a fun week, though.

The R41 is my favorite razor (so far) because I get closer shaves in fewer passes than with anything else. It also doesn't seem to mask any negative blade qualities, and for the first time this week the ELIOS did feel a *tiny* bit scratchy. The shave was still comfortable, the R41 helped me get a little closer, and overall I'm still really happy with the performance of this blade. Being relatively new to DE shaving it's tough for me to say exactly where I'd rank it, but my best guess is somewhere in the Derby Premium / Voskhod / Wilkinson Sword (German) range.

If all I had was my R96 and 100 ELIOS blades I wouldn't have much room for complaint. For my R41, though, I'm happier with sharper blades like my Med Preps.

Thanks for letting me participate. This was fun!

 

[geneaut]

Completed Shave #5 on the Elios today. I think that is its swan song. Very comfy, but left a little more stubble in my trouble areas than it had been doing. Certainly still a very nice DFS, and if I'd added another pass I am sure it would have been a perfect shave. Five excellent shaves is usually the target I look for so I am satisfied this blade can deliver that with no problem.

 

[Cleanface]

Shave # 5
Razor-Karve D plate OC
Soap-B&M Bay Rum
Brush-Zenith Silver Tip

Another BBS. I was about to bail on this blade after shave 3 with the Blackbird but in the Karve it's a smooth operator. I don't do endurance runs. Six shave and out so, tomorrow will be the last. Probably a Game Changer then I'll move on to another blade. I will definitely be back to Elios though and post results.

 

[Grundi]

Shave 6 - All German Shave using a new ELIOS blade

Razor: Merkur 20C (about 1/2 step milder than the Slim on 4)
Soap: Tabac Shave Stick
Results: 2 passes (WTG/ATG w/ buffing - like everyone else, I've got trouble spots - and the back of my neck) for a VERY NICE, smooth and close, DFS+ shave!! For me, this blade favors my milder razors. Surprisingly, there was no drag or tugging on the 1st pass like the first ELIOS blade (maybe the milder razor is changing enough of the dynamics to compensate for it). This shave rivals my top blades in terms of comfort and closeness!!

 

[gvw755]

Tonight I loaded the Elios blade in my WCS with the Lithe base plate and used it on the touch up pass after using my one blade for the first two passes. I am not sure if it was the familiarity with the Lithe base plate or the fact that the Elios had a little over one complete shave on the blade, but it is settling down now and did an excellent job on touch up - very smooth and without any irritation. Tomorrow I will use the Elios blade with my ATG pass and loaded it in my Knockout Razor, which I consider to be one of my best shavers. We shall see how the Elios performs then.

 

[geneaut]

The Elios talked me into a 6th shave this morning. It was butter smooth, but I think it was at the cost of efficiency. I got a SAS, but in the blade’s defense I was only aiming for that as I kept it to a quick 2 pass affair. Earlier in the week though I was getting a better result after 2 passes. I am sure I could have spent more time and hit DFS/BBS with very little effort.

6 shaves is more than some blades provide, and all were mostly far above average. I am more than satisfied that the Elios is a quality blade.

 

[xiletero]

Hello, if there are any blades I would like to try them. I am in if that is the case
Would use them for head shaving.

 

[Grundi]

Hello, if there are any blades I would like to try them. I am in if that is the case
Would use them for head shaving.

Yes, there are still blades left, so You're In!!

Please send me a PM with your name and mailing address and I'll get some blades mailed to you.