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Participation PIF - The Unobtainium Polsilver Super Stainless

Last night, I had shave #16 with blade #2 of the Polisilver Stainless Steel blades. The blade was held in place with a Fendrihan Kingston razor head on a West Coast Shaving 79BR handle.

I used Ariana & Evans's Peach & Cognac (Kaizen base) soap again. The lather was a little better than last time, but I'm assuming it can be better. My lather was thicker and slicker than before but it wasn't as slick as some other B&Bers have reported getting with the Kaizen base. (As of now, I still prefer the lathers I got with Captain's Choice Venture soap).

I barely felt the blade during my shave aside from on my upper lip. It wasn't that I felt the blade scraping or tugging. Rather, I noticed my blade contacting my skin more with this lather than I had with the lather made from my Captain's Choice soap.

Still, since there was neither tugging nor anything else to indicate the blade is ready to be scrapped, I expect to continue to shave #17 with the blade.

Prior to the shave, I showered with cold water and also used cold water to soak my Semogue Owners Club cherry wood handle finest badger brush. Additionally, I soaked an almond sized piece of A&E's P&C in my Captain's Choice Seaworthy bowl before the shave (I dumped the soapy water into an empty cup and applied a little of the soapy water to my face before each lather pass).

I did my usual two pass (WTG and ATG) shave and buffed my trouble areas. Afterward, I cleaned up with my usual alum block pass before washing it off and applying aftershave splash (Aqua Velva) and aftershave balm (Duke Cannon Ice Post Shave Balm). The menthol was much appreciated on the hot night. The alcohol of the splash provided an enjoyable sting. But aside from this, I experienced little to no feedback whatsoever.

All in all, I would give this shave a 97/100.
 
Fourth shave with Unobtanium Vintage Polsilver Stainless Blade #3

Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Originale Slant “FOCS”
Blade: Polsilver Stainless (4)
Bowl: Captain’s Choice Copper (Heavyweight)
Brush: Paladin Samurai 26mm
Soap: Murphy and McNeil Naid
Aftershave: Murphy and McNeil Naid Aftershave Splash (Alcohol Free)

Another fantastic shave with the FOCS / Polsilver duo. My previous shaves with the PIF blade, they performed good in my Timeless .95, better in the .68, great in the 80’s Black Beauty but this blade and the FOCS are soul mates :001_wub:

Today’s shave was a three pass shave with a super slick lather from Murphy and McNeil Naid, I never expect anything less, that led to a glass like BBS with no cuts, weepers, irritation or tugging. Looking forward to the next few shaves with this combo.
 
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Ninth shave with the Polsilver Stainless (Vintage) blade #2

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Sagrada Familia 24mm Fan-shaped Tuxedo
Soap: RazoRock Santa Maria del Fiore

The excellent performances continue.

The FOCS/Polsilver Stainless duo delivered another perfect shave. All three passes were smooth, comfortable, and very low-effort. Comfort level is extremely high, right now, as is the efficiency. The result was an easy BBS with no post-shave irritation.

As mentioned yesterday, much of my admiration for this blade stems from its performance on the ATG pass. I always use long, uninterrupted strokes going upwards, beginning at the base of my neck to the top of my cheeks. The transition from the bottom of my jaw to just where my cheeks start is where most of my issues begin.

I think that a lot of shavers encounter tugging at this spot due to weird beard patterns and differential angles. Well, at least I do. So, if a blade can consistently navigate this area without any tugging for more than a handful of shaves, then that qualifies as a quality blade, in my opinion.

The Polsilver Stainless is just such a blade. My previous blade lasted nearly two months and it beautifully handled all of my trouble spots over that time. Judging by the last few outings with my current blade, I suspect that it could do equally as well.
 
Vintage Polsilver Stainless (blade #2) .

Associated gear:
WSC/YPM Winning razor, with a Maggard MR-1 in place of the original handle
Jayaruh #401 Synth and Simpson Trafalgar T2
Crabtree & Evelyn Lime Shave Cream
Thayer's Toner WH
Nivea Men ASB

Shave #9 & #10 with this blade.

On shave #9, I did a full 3 passes plus a little clean-up and was rewarded with a BBS but I had to work at it. I felt OK afterwards but a little redness just below the back corner of the jaw.

On shave #10, I did a full 3 passes plus a little clean-up and had to settle for a DFS around the apple, BBS elswhere. Just as on shave #9, I had to work at it, No nicks or weepers, but a little more post-shave irritation. Good thing I stock WH and Nivea PSB.

Time to bin this one.
 
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SOTD #231/2021
13-09-2021

>> Stirling Soaptember<<

Preshave: shower, frigid tap water
Brush: Semogue Owners Club Finest Badger
Soap: Stirling Soap ~ Gin & Tonic
Razor: Blackland Blackbird SS OC
Blade: Wilkinson Sword Germany (2)
Post shave: frigid tap water, Schröder und Mann ~ MajestätAS, Nivea Sensitive asb.

No shave with the fantastic Polsilver Stainless today...
Instead, I had an effortless shave with the Wilkinson Sword MIG, though the blade feel appeared a little rough. That's not to say the German Wilki is a bad blade, no, not at all - it's one of my favorites. But maybe I'm just spoiled by the wonderful smoothness of the Polsilver Stainless with which I have shaved the last couples of weeks...

Happy shaves, y'all!
 
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Tenth shave with the Polsilver Stainless (Vintage) blade #2

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Blue Marble 26mm Timber Wolf
Soap: Vitos Classic Eucalyptus and Lanolin

Another fine shave from the FOCS/Polsilver Stainless duo.

My three usual passes were all quick and smooth. I achieved BBS with very little effort. No buffing was required. There was no post-shave irritation.

Maybe I'll be taking this blade to 50 shaves, after all! 😜
 
Last night, I had shave #17 with blade #2 of the Polisilver Stainless Steel blades. The blade was held in place with a Fendrihan Kingston razor head on a West Coast Shaving 79BR handle.

I used Ariana & Evans's Peach & Cognac (Kaizen base) soap for the third time. The lather was foamier and thinner than last time. It felt less cushioned and the slickness was worse (the tackiness/stickiness increased). I'm thinking this soap might be better with a lot less water.

That could explain why I felt the razor more on this shave than with my previous shave. Still, it didn't feel like the blade was scraping or tugging. Rather, I again noticed my blade contacting my skin more with this lather than I had with the lather made from my Captain's Choice soap. Also, there were a couple spots where I thought I might have nicked myself but I saw no trace of blood.

Prior to the shave, I showered with cold water and also used cold water to soak my Semogue Owners Club cherry wood handle finest badger brush. Additionally, I soaked an almond sized piece of A&E's P&C in my Captain's Choice Seaworthy bowl before the shave (I dumped the soapy water into an empty cup and applied a little of the soapy water to my face before each lather pass). Unlike my usual practice of squeezing my brush dry before making lather, this time I let my brush drip dry and applied it to the soap (without squeezing). I shall not make this mistake again in the future (at least not with this soap).

I did my usual two pass (WTG and ATG) shave and buffed my trouble areas. Afterward, I cleaned up with my usual alum block pass before washing it off and applying aftershave splash (Stirling Spice) and aftershave balm (Korres Saffron Spices. I felt some stinging from the alum block, including on the spots where I thought I may have nicked myself. The alcohol in the splash slapped me even more awake than I had already been. It's a good thing I planned to do some reading before going to bed!

When I woke up today, there was a pleasant aroma in my room. It took me a little while before I realized it was probably the Stirling Spice and the Korres Saffron Spice. It was slightly sweet with a hint of leather. There was also just the mildest suggestion of spices lingering around. It was a wonderful way to wake up. 🙂

All in all, I would give this shave a 96/100.
 

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091421

Blade 1 shave 12

I skipped two days so I could see what the fatip lo Storto Gentile would do with more growth. Unfortunately the Polsilver blade did not play nice, it was quite tuggy today and I almost switched blades midway through my first pass WTG. I thought better of it and flipped the blade and pushed through. It helped, but, today's shave was not great. CCS with no nicks or irritation. I am going to put it in my timeless .38 SB and see how it does tomorrow. 11 great shaves and 1 good shave is not bad. I used the Varen line from sterling today. I don't know sterling soap well, but, my lather seemed great, but, I wonder if it was not dialed in. Normally I would use it for the rest of the week, but, I am not a fan of the scent. That's not true. After dry down it is better, but, there is a note to it that throws me off. Luckily I scooped for once so I'm sure I can find a new home for it. I have a couple of blind buys that have not gone well. Must remember to get samples first.
 
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Eleventh shave with the Polsilver Stainless (Vintage) blade #2

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Fine Stout 24mm Angel Hair
Soap: RazoRock Black Label

Very smooth and comfortable, once again.

As has become routine, the FOCS/Polsilver Stainless duo did not disappoint. All three passes were quick and trouble-free. The ATG pass is still as smooth as silk. Like yesterday, I expended very little effort to get a nice, close shave with no post-shave irritation. Also like yesterday, no buffing was required.

Looking forward to tomorrow's shave with anticipation.
 
Wed 15 Still on Blade #1 and Shave #8 & Last!
Soap
Stirling Haverford
Brush Yaqi 24mm Synthetic Clear Handle - New & Very Nice!
Razor Parker SemiSlant
Blade Vintage Polsilver Super Stainless 8th
Aftershaves Stirling Witchhazel MitA + Stirling Haverford Splash & Balm with some Frost Drops...
Awesome aromatic cigarish tobacco scent! One of my favorite! The lather was creamy and slick too...
The shave with razor paired with this continuing blade test was still ok for 3passes without any issues but can feel the blade is not as good. Can feel some chattering. The result was dfs to ccs.
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SOTD

Raw RS-10
Polsilver vintage stainless blade (1)
Ariana and evans strawberry fields set
Alpha evergoose synthetic brush
Captains choice copper shaving bowl

Got hold of some vintage Polsilver blades. I have read online of crazy number of shaves with these.

The first shave with one of these blades is generally considered not the best and these blades get smoother. I am yet to experience this as its my first shave with one. Thank you for the generosity shown here.

Sharpness was good and 1st pass felt nice. I did detect some blade feel, maybe more so than I notice with other blades in the RS-10. A little tuggy at times but not that it ruined my enjoyment of the shave. In respect to a Polsilver modern blade I feel there isn't much in it on the first shave. Feels quality. Bit disappointing to find a lot of wax close to the blade edge on opening but that was easily sorted.

9.5/10
 
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SOTD #233/2021
15-09-2021

>> STIRLING SOAPTEMBER<<

Preshave: shower, frigid tap water
Brush: YAQI Tuxedo 28mm
Soap: Stirling Soap ~ Lemon
Razor: Karve CB Brass Open Comb D-plate
Blade: Polsilver Stainless (7)
Post shave: frigid tap water, Nivea Cool psb.

Blade 4 - Shave 7
The Polsilver and the Karve razor open comb plate D was an exceptional match today. 3 passes, full bbs. Couldn't be happier with the shave.

Onward to shave no .8
Happy shaves, y'all!
 

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Paired blade #1 with my timeless bronze 0.38 SB for it's 13th shave. Much better shave today than yesterday. It did tug on ATG pass once or twice but overall was much more smooth. Results DFS stubble only on my neck in my trouble spots. Great shave. I don't know how many more shaves I will get out this blade but if today is any measure I can keep going.
 
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Twelfth shave with the Polsilver Stainless (Vintage) blade #2

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Purple 24mm Mink
Soap: Tabac Shaving Soap (Non-Tallow)

The FOCS/Polsilver Stainless duo is still providing great shaves. Today's outing was more of the same. All three passes were smooth, comfortable, and quick.

Effort was a bit higher, but that's because I had another in-person meeting with the ravenous pack of lawyers, so I buffed a few strokes along the jawline to make sure that my face was completely smooth. Not like it really matters since we're wearing masks, but it's mostly about respect for others (and for yourself) if you don't want to look and feel like a bum. If you care about that kind of thing, you take the extra time to do it right.

Anyway, overall, it was a lovely shave. There was no post-shave irritation and my face feels very refreshed.

Part of that may have to do with the Non-Tallow Tabac. I've been using it on and off for a few weeks and I'm completely used to it now. The differences between it and the tallow version are very subtle and they mostly disappear once the lather is on your face. It seems to require a bit more water than the older formula, but the slickness and protection is pretty much the same.
 
091621

Preshave: PAA Tube 2.0
Brush: Shavemac 26/54 two band silvertip fan
Soap: Mitchell's Wool Fat
Razor: Timeless bronze 0.38 SB
Blade #1 (14)
Postshave: alum, witch hazel, hyaluronic acid
After shave: Nivea sensitive balm, Floïd 1932

Shave 14 the Polsilver blade was once again a smooth shaver. I did 4 passes, WTG, XTG, XTG, ATG, and, touch up buffing. Results were a DFS any more and I would have had more irritation. All in all a close comfortable shave.
 
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Thirteenth shave with the Polsilver Stainless (Vintage) blade #2

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Maggard 18mm Timber Wolf, Travel-Size
Soap: RazoRock Green Label

The same old story. ;)

The FOCS/Polsilver Stainless duo is still going strong. All three of my usual passes were quick and trouble-free.

I've been waiting to see if the minor roughness that I experienced way back on September 7 would return but, so far, there has been none. Since then, all of my shaves have been in the "autopilot" category or near to it.

I probably mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: The smoothness and consistency of the Polsilver Stainless basically lets you remove your stubble without making you work like a dog for it. That is a real stress-reliever, especially if you're in a rush like I was yesterday, yet absolutely must have a clean, close shave.

Anyway, I had a fine shave, today. Effort is still low, comfort remains high, and consistency has been excellent. There was no post-shave irritation.
 
Blade#2: Shave 1
I’m going to say these do not work for me, which is shocking based on some of the love in this thread. Using same razor as I always use and a soap I am comfortable with I tried this second blade after going back to my standard for the last 3-4 weeks (Gillette 7 o’clock blacks). I get a lot of very small weepers and passes on my neck are very rough. AS feels like fire. This time I’ll muscle through 3-5 shaves and see what happens. If nothing else this is more of the affirmation of YMMV that I see on this board. Thank you to @Grundi for allowing me to use these unique blades.
 
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SOTD

Carbon atlas razor ++
Personna vintage stainless blade (2)
Barrister and mann soft heart paganini violin
Alpha betahive brush
Captains choice copper shaving bowl

2nd try with the vintage Personna. Definitely smoother in its 2nd use. It's lovely in the carbon with the lightness of the razor adding to the shave and cutting like it was going through butter.

Love the scent on paganini violin. Hoping a splash will be available in the future.

BBS with a small amount of irritation on the neck that calmed down with the use of aloe clear.

9.8/10
 
Blades #1, Shave #3

Ariana & Evans : Asian Plum
Razor : Baby Smooth in Titanium
Brush : Alpha V2 in Titanium in synthetic
Bowl : Roger Quinn 3D printed bowl Glow in the Dark


I'm just Speechless! 🤯
How's the scent of the A&E Asian Plum? I've been using Peach and Cognac and love it. It's light on the cognac so it's not boozy while the peach reminds me of the ripe fruit on trees in my backyard.
 
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