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Participation PIF - The Mysterious KAI Blades

Mysterious KAI Blades Update - Participation Phase Is Beginning!!

With @JWK1 receiving the Blades and @South Dakota Guy posting reviews, the Participation Phase of the Mysterious KAI Blades Participation PIF is now BEGINNING!!

The last batch of Mysterious KAI Blades have been packaged up and will be mailed tomorrow morning on my way into work!!

And I think that @hangblague has discovered how these Mysterious KAI Blades are manufactured!! It's unlike any other blade making process and must be what sets these apart from the next leading blade!!
 

Fred D

Member of The Illiterati
My Mysterious KAI Blades have arrived in the mail this morning, and in perfect condition! First shave tomorrow.

Thank you @Grundi !
 

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Blade 1 Shave 4

Razor Timeless SS .68 SB
Blade Mysterious Kai (4)
Brush Yaqi Violet Blue 24mm Synthetic
Scuttle Georgetown Pottery G12
Soap Wickham Soap Co. 1912 Shamrock Tweed
Balm Wickham Soap Co. 1912 Shamrock Tweed

9/10 3 pass plus touch ups XTG, GTX and ATG DFS+

Another good comfortable shave. No weepers or irritation. The blade still felt smooth but the efficiency I perceived on earlier shaves didn't seem to be there today. My mind was on work matters. I was mentally working on the email I was about to write to my boss explaining why I shouldn't go to a service call in Rapid City on a Friday. (750 miles round trip. 10 hours of driving) My shave reflected my distraction but on a positive note I was able to postpone the trip until Monday. Looking to get back in the groove tomorrow.

Kai 4.jpg
 
I went to the mountain to sacrifice to ski god Ullr today. Returning home, I found my wish granted. A tuck of mysterious, legendary Kai blades had been transferred at meteoric velocity from rockbound Maine to the volcanic province of Oregon.

I was ready for a shave. This is the story:

RazoRock Lupo Dual Comb - just the second shave since it arrived earlier this week. No, that's not an RR handle. Ti custom by @Rosseforp
Blade test - Feather (2) right side, Kai (1) left
Brush - pulled out a fancy one (by my plebeian standards), a Simpson Duke 3 in Best
Soap - after sacrifice in the realm of ice and snow, a warming soap is paramount. CBL's Tonsorial Roasted Oatmeal Stout is the warmest scent in my den.
The contestants:
04E92F09-3FB7-47E0-86AB-1EBA8EF0DF9E.jpeg

The battle field:
4B199634-DF27-498C-86DE-D6B5236EF4C5.jpeg

My prior use of Kai blades has been limited to pepping up shy and retiring (mild) razors. How would my face face the challenge of a Kai in a razor RazoRock considers aggressive?

I, with the depth of experience conferred by a single shave with the Lupo, have rated it as 'efficient, but not threatening'. It is no R41 or PBOCS. With the Feather, I did not get much blade feel, especially not on the SB side.

But loaded with this mysterious Kai? The OC side of the Lupo still felt smooth, but the results at the end of pass 1 were clearly closer. And the SB side on pass 2 delivered a solid sense of where and what the blade was up to. It was easier to hit the right angle, and simpler to get the detailing right.

No mystery, the Lupo DC was a better razor with a little meteor steel adding oomph.

Next up, probably JAWS. I'm not quite ready to try a Kai sandwiched in my oxblood PBOCS yet.
 
Kai 1#1 face shave
I went to check my mail and found a small envelope with a very nice post stamp! Inside the mystery blades.
Yesterday I had a very good shave w a Merkur 510 and Feather setting 3 and 4. Anyway, I did not have the testosterone to try the new blade in that razor today.
Instead I have dug out some Gillette razors that I have neglected.
Todays turn: Gillette Blue tip. (only used 2 times a year ago)
Brush Commodore 2
Soap SV
Witch medicated
Speick Sport (l like this stuff, 1st bottle).
Aquavelva 5in1
Shave 3 passes.
Smooth shave, no accidents, some blade feel (little), minimal irritation. I have to admit yesterday was a closer shave but I will attribute to the razor. This was a good start
Now in the pic: there was another blade with NO markings on my sink....not to be confused.....but one can ID the Kai by the lack of wax.... a nicer shine, and I think it feels thicker...or more rigid?
Now tomorrow: this super speed, a different Gillette or should I get out the Progress....
Special thanks to Grundi for organizing this PIF and to AnimaCatcher for providing the blades.
PXL_20210130_044038204.jpg
 
Received my Kai tuck yesterday—very thoughtful mailing, with the blades well protected and the cardboard box still included, all in a regular letter envelope.

Given their reputation for longevity, I’m thinking I may try to stretch one blade through all of February, shaving every day (hopefully) using a different razor. I don’t quite have 28 DEs, so some will get to do double duty.

Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity!
 

Fred D

Member of The Illiterati
Saturday 01/30/2021

Blade- 1 Shave - 1

Razor - Game Changer .68 SB
Blade - KAI
Soap - PDP
Brush - Semogue 2000
Post - Clubman

Today was the first time trying a Kai blade for me.
I prefer mild razors with sharp blades, and the Kai blade was a very nice match with my Game Changer .68

I found the blade to be sharp, smooth, efficient, and had an enjoyable, effortless, and comfortable shave this morning.
I would rank the Kai blade up there among my usual favorite blades.
So not much else because this was only the first shave with the mysterious Kai blade.

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Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
Saturday 01/30/2021

Blade- 1 Shave - 1

Razor - Game Changer .68 SB
Blade - KAI
Soap - PDP
Brush - Semogue 2000
Post - Clubman

Today was the first time trying a Kai blade for me.
I prefer mild razors with sharp blades, and the Kai blade was a very nice match with my Game Changer .68

I found the blade to be sharp, smooth, efficient, and had an enjoyable, effortless comfortable shave this morning.
I would rank the Kai blade up there among my usual favorite blades.
So not much else because this was only the first shave with the mysterious Kai blade.

View attachment 1215677
Great review glad you liked Kai. I’m a fan too.
 
I shaved with a kai this morning. Received in mail yesterday. I want to try them in a couple razors and also follow them with a feather in the same razors so I will add a detailed review later. But I will,for now,say that in my super speed it felt smooth for sure. No tug. No irritation. No extra passes to get the stubble gone. 1st impression is real nice.
 
Mysterious KAI Blades(1)

TL;DR -
WOW!! Smooth, sharp, lived up to my expectations, a hint of skin irritation

Equipment: Merkur 20C (mild 3-piece razor) with Tabac shaving soap stick

Acknowledgement: Thank you, @AnimalCatcher, for supplying these amazing blades!!

Background: these Mysterious KAI Blades have been on my Blades-To-Try list for a very long time. Because of this, I think I kept pushing them up in expectation. You know how it is, you keep reading about something and wonder if it's true or not or if you'll have the same experience or a better one or a horribler one.

Impressions:
KAI's focus is entirely on the Blade; no fluff in packaging, no fancy logos, no mind-blowing etching, just producing a good blade. After using one, I think they've achieved that, a very good blade!

Review: WOW!! After reading about these blades, and all the reviews so far, I can say, for me, it was smooth and sharp from the first pass. I achieved an effortless DFS+ shave with only a hint of skin irritation (in areas that I typically feel irritation with aggressive razors using a sharp blade). The irritation isn't horrible, just noticeable and not all over. I walked away feeling like I got a very close shave, and my face feels "exposed". This blade is certainly smooth and sharp from the get-go!

Performance: I prefer milder razors. I have a tough beard coupled with sensitive skin. Yay me!! This Mysterious KAI Blade raised the performance of the Merkur 20C up just enough to give me an amazing shave.
 
Blade 1 Shave 5

Razor Timeless SS .68 SB
Blade Mysterious Kai (5)
Brush West Coast Shaving 26mm Silvertip Badger
Scuttle Georgetown Pottery G12
Soap Pre de Provence #63
Balm Pre de Provence #63
EDT Pre de Provence #63

9.5/10 3 passes plus touchups XTG,GTX, ATG BBS

Today's shave was pretty good but the extra efficiency I experienced with the first three shaves appears to be gone. I will turn 60 this year and I think that my old man white whiskers may have already taken a bit of a toll on this blade. I usually go for BBS and I got it today, but I had to really chase it and I paid a bit of a price for that with slight irritation in a couple of spots. The irritation was gone an hour later. Today was my first time using PDP #63 and I might need a little more time to dial it in. With the decrease in performance I will have to consider whether I want to push this blade further or not. If I was ok settling for DFS then I would continue but I always like to get that BBS. What can I say? I love feeling the absence of all stubble when I am done shaving. I will consider whether to push on. Now that others are receiving their blades I am most anxious to see how the blade is working for others.

Kai 5.jpg
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
Well, my incredibly handsome face really, REALLY enjoyed this blade.

I was kinda chicken, and running late for a doctor's appointment that I didn't know was cancelled, so my first use of this blade was in my ball end Tech, an H2, my birth quarter razor.

My shower shave was how I normally do it now. I obviously had a well hydrated beard, I applied some Brut bar soap lather, and over that used some Barbasol in the can.

I looked that blade exposure over real close like. To my incredibly handsome naked eye I'll be darned if it was any wider of a blade than any other I've ever seen, but I'll believe whatever @ShavingByTheNumbers says in that regard.

Here I am over 24 hours post shave and my incredibly handsome face still feels fine. I don't need to shave today. Yesterday's 2 pass was enough. I applied some vintage Avon Excalibur, and my lovely War Department didn't comment on it, so I must have passed muster!

Thanks @Grundi for wasting the postage on my incredibly handsome face, and a HUGE shout out to the gent, @AnimalCatcher for donating these blades for such a worthy cause: giving the lovely folks here on B&B something to do to keep us off the streets!!!
 
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