RayClem's Blade Evaluations

I paired the Tiger Super Stainless RayClem kindly sent me with my ATT SSRH .80mm OC. It was my third use with the blade and I chose to toss it after this shave. It definitely didn't get me as close as I had gotten with this razor and the Wizamet blade. It wasn't by any stretch a bad shave, this might only make sense to folks in this group, I just didn't seem to enjoy using the blade. And this is both times that I had used it. No irritation, no nicks or anything, and just light feedback from the alcohol based aftershave as seems typical with pretty much most of my shaves. Not necessarily really any complaints, just didn't love shaving with it, and after three passes, I feel it should have got me where I wanted to be in closeness and it did not. In all fairness, this was with three days growth, and I typically shave with two, but I'm not sure that really should change anything. While rated by RayClem at a 4 for both sharpness and smoothness, these can certainly be a good blade for someone with a lighter beard. And with the ability to purchase them for around $.13 in bulk as he listed, they can be a good deal. Unfortunately, it's just not a blade that I'm gonna reach for. I do appreciate the blades and the opportunity to try them. And it's likely I'll try them again down the road when I get curious again and kind of forget how they shaved the first time.

It sounds like you could have done the evaluation series rather than me.   

When I rate a blade sharpness 4 , smoothness 4 like the Tiger Stainless, it is a blade that can give me a decent shave, but not one I really enjoy using. It appears you had a similar experience with the blade. I just gave a similar rating to the FlyDear Platinum blade.  Unless the second shave is better than the first, I probably will either PIF the blades or stash them away for future use. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of sharper, smoother blades. The Wizamet you mentioned is one of them, but there are others. While the Tiger Stainless  is not a blade I enjoy, I did enjoy both the Tiger and Tatra Platinum blades as they were slightly sharper and slightly smoother than the Tiger Stainless blade.

I paired the Tiger Super Stainless RayClem kindly sent me with my ATT SSRH .80mm OC. It was my third use with the blade and I chose to toss it after this shave. It definitely didn't get me as close as I had gotten with this razor and the Wizamet blade. It wasn't by any stretch a bad shave, this might only make sense to folks in this group, I just didn't seem to enjoy using the blade. And this is both times that I had used it. No irritation, no nicks or anything, and just light feedback from the alcohol based aftershave as seems typical with pretty much most of my shaves. Not necessarily really any complaints, just didn't love shaving with it, and after three passes, I feel it should have got me where I wanted to be in closeness and it did not. In all fairness, this was with three days growth, and I typically shave with two, but I'm not sure that really should change anything. While rated by RayClem at a 4 for both sharpness and smoothness, these can certainly be a good blade for someone with a lighter beard. And with the ability to purchase them for around $.13 in bulk as he listed, they can be a good deal. Unfortunately, it's just not a blade that I'm gonna reach for. I do appreciate the blades and the opportunity to try them. And it's likely I'll try them again down the road when I get curious again and kind of forget how they shaved the first time.

It sounds like you could have done the evaluation series rather than me.   

When I rate a blade sharpness 4 , smoothness 4 like the Tiger Stainless, it is a blade that can give me a decent shave, but not one I really enjoy using. It appears you had a similar experience with the blade. I just gave a similar rating to the FlyDear Platinum blade.  Unless the second shave is better than the first, I probably will either PIF the blades or stash them away for future use. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of sharper, smoother blades. The Wizamet you mentioned is one of them, but there are others. While the Tiger Stainless  is not a blade I enjoy, I did enjoy both the Tiger and Tatra Platinum blades as they were slightly sharper and slightly smoother than the Tiger Stainless blade.

Yes, the Tiger platinum were definitely blades that I wanted to try. I have heard good things about the Tatra blades as well. I was going to make that comment on the FlyDear blades when I read your impressions. I think there is an abundance of blades in that range of performance, or better to choose from.

I assure you, I am not as well qualified as you for these evaluations. I had already been experimenting with blades before this thread, but it’s also got me paying a little little bit more attention to what I’m feeling and what I’m doing and how the blades are performing.

metal_shavings

You are correct that there are many blades in the mid-sharp category (my sharpness rating of 3- 4). When you look at the distribution of shavers worldwide, I suspect that a very high percentage of those shavers like mid-sharp blades. Many of the shavers who frequent this forum are likely to be here because their beards and skin make if more difficult to shave. Thus, many prefer sharper, smoother blades and are looking for razors with excellent efficiency while minimizing aggression. Thus, they are not representative of the overall shaver population.

If you look at Amazon and some of the dedicated shaving vendors, Astra SP often is at the top of the best seller list. For example, Amazon sold more than 10,000 bulk packs of Astra SP in the past month. That is more that 1 million razor blades. In contrast, the super sharp Feather sold around 10% of that number. For my face and beard, Astra SP blade are not comfortable, but it is apparent that many people love them. That is why Astra SP blades were one of the first blades Gillette moved from Russia to India.

metal_shavings

You are correct that there are many blades in the mid-sharp category (my sharpness rating of 3- 4). When you look at the distribution of shavers worldwide, I suspect that a very high percentage of those shavers like mid-sharp blades. Many of the shavers who frequent this forum are likely to be here because their beards and skin make if more difficult to shave. Thus, many prefer sharper, smoother blades and are looking for razors with excellent efficiency while minimizing aggression. Thus, they are not representative of the overall shaver population.

If you look at Amazon and some of the dedicated shaving vendors, Astra SP often is at the top of the best seller list. For example, Amazon sold more than 10,000 bulk packs of Astra SP in the past month. That is more that 1 million razor blades. In contrast, the super sharp Feather sold around 10% of that number. For my face and beard, Astra SP blade are not comfortable, but it is apparent that many people love them. That is why Astra SP blades were one of the first blades Gillette moved from Russia to India.

I noticed over the years Astra SP blades have been very popular in forums and elsewhere. I believe I tried them twice and got nicked twice. Maybe that will be my next blade as I have wanted to revisit them and see if maybe I'm just missing something other people see. I had no problem with Feather blades but i don't grab them often and I have other blades I like for less money. Now, ears down the road with more experience and more experimentation, maybe my experience will be better with the blade or at least my ability to analyze it again will be.

metal_shavings

You are correct that there are many blades in the mid-sharp category (my sharpness rating of 3- 4). When you look at the distribution of shavers worldwide, I suspect that a very high percentage of those shavers like mid-sharp blades. Many of the shavers who frequent this forum are likely to be here because their beards and skin make if more difficult to shave. Thus, many prefer sharper, smoother blades and are looking for razors with excellent efficiency while minimizing aggression. Thus, they are not representative of the overall shaver population.

If you look at Amazon and some of the dedicated shaving vendors, Astra SP often is at the top of the best seller list. For example, Amazon sold more than 10,000 bulk packs of Astra SP in the past month. That is more that 1 million razor blades. In contrast, the super sharp Feather sold around 10% of that number. For my face and beard, Astra SP blade are not comfortable, but it is apparent that many people love them. That is why Astra SP blades were one of the first blades Gillette moved from Russia to India.

I noticed over the years Astra SP blades have been very popular in forums and elsewhere. I believe I tried them twice and got nicked twice. Maybe that will be my next blade as I have wanted to revisit them and see if maybe I'm just missing something other people see. I had no problem with Feather blades but i don't grab them often and I have other blades I like for less money. Now, ears down the road with more experience and more experimentation, maybe my experience will be better with the blade or at least my ability to analyze it again will be.

Blade Team,
I mentioned above several weeks back that i tried the Astra SPs abs hated them - found them not sharp and esp not smooth. I got rough shaves with them. Really really bad mouthed them in several posts. I had about 90 left and thought I would try them once more before PIFing them. I dropped one in an M1 and got a great shave. Hmmm. Repeated same and now have made them a regular in my ritual/rotation. They work well for me in 2 razors only. Weird right, but as we know - many variables... and blades for me at least are tool specific. I have about 500 on hand - and now have found that Bic Chromes, Wizzys, and Tatras work well in my M1 too.

Just good to circle back and evaluate as experience, skin, and whiskers change.

Sent from my SM-A536U using Tapatalk

metal_shavings

You are correct that there are many blades in the mid-sharp category (my sharpness rating of 3- 4). When you look at the distribution of shavers worldwide, I suspect that a very high percentage of those shavers like mid-sharp blades. Many of the shavers who frequent this forum are likely to be here because their beards and skin make if more difficult to shave. Thus, many prefer sharper, smoother blades and are looking for razors with excellent efficiency while minimizing aggression. Thus, they are not representative of the overall shaver population.

If you look at Amazon and some of the dedicated shaving vendors, Astra SP often is at the top of the best seller list. For example, Amazon sold more than 10,000 bulk packs of Astra SP in the past month. That is more that 1 million razor blades. In contrast, the super sharp Feather sold around 10% of that number. For my face and beard, Astra SP blade are not comfortable, but it is apparent that many people love them. That is why Astra SP blades were one of the first blades Gillette moved from Russia to India.

I noticed over the years Astra SP blades have been very popular in forums and elsewhere. I believe I tried them twice and got nicked twice. Maybe that will be my next blade as I have wanted to revisit them and see if maybe I'm just missing something other people see. I had no problem with Feather blades but i don't grab them often and I have other blades I like for less money. Now, ears down the road with more experience and more experimentation, maybe my experience will be better with the blade or at least my ability to analyze it again will be.

Blade Team,
I mentioned above several weeks back that i tried the Astra SPs abs hated them - found them not sharp and esp not smooth. I got rough shaves with them. Really really bad mouthed them in several posts. I had about 90 left and thought I would try them once more before PIFing them. I dropped one in an M1 and got a great shave. Hmmm. Repeated same and now have made them a regular in my ritual/rotation. They work well for me in 2 razors only. Weird right, but as we know - many variables... and blades for me at least are tool specific. I have about 500 on hand - and now have found that Bic Chromes, Wizzys, and Tatras work well in my M1 too.

Just good to circle back and evaluate as experience, skin, and whiskers change.

Sent from my SM-A536U using Tapatalk

Definitely. I’m going to give it a shot in my Overlander. I have had great shaves with just about everything in it. If the Astra doesn’t work there, it’s got to be the blade! It seems like a good start as it is a pretty forgiving razor I think.

Thursday Shave- FlyDear Platinum blade on its 2nd use

At the end of my first shave with the FlyDear Platinum blade, I felt like the blade might be capable of more than it delivered the first time around. This is quite common with many blades. As the coating starts to wear off, the blade can become slightly sharper and in some cases slightly smoother. This is what occurred with the FlyDear Platinum blade. The 2nd shave was very nice. Over the course of my normal shave passes I was able to achieve a near BBS shave. When I applied witch hazel after the shave I had only minor feedback.

Based on this shave alone, I would rate the blade 4.5 sharpness, 4.5 smoothness. Since I rated the first shave 4 sharpness and 4 smoothness, I am adjusting the overall ratings to 4.25 sharpness and 4.25 smoothness. The evaluation spreadsheet has been updated with these new ratings. At a cost of under 9 cents per blade, this is one I can definitely recommend to those who do not need the sharpest, smoothest blades. I purchased a 100 blade bulk pack and I will definitely be using these blades.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/71ttt15wy...qo8eb&dl=0

I am still awaiting for International Mail to deliver the Gillette Super Thins from Vietnam. If they do not show up by Saturday, I will use the FlyDear blade on its 3rd use for Sunday's shave.

I used the Astra with the Overlander today, as much as I almost hate to say it, the shave was fantastic. I'm kind of almost starting to feel like it's cheating by using the Overlander, I've never had a bad shave with it yet. If I hadn't already shaved with this blade before and had some issues with it, I would totally understood some of the love surrounding this blade because the shave was great. I was near BBS after the third pass, but I think I attribute that more to the third pass than the blade and the razor. Even with sharper blades and more efficient razors, I wasn't necessarily this close after two passes. That said, the touchups and buffing needed were very minimal, and I got a very smooth, almost glass like feel to the shave. The alcohol based aftershave provided very minor feedback, but again I'm not sure if that's not just gonna be the result after any shave with an alcohol based splash. It was very minimal, and vanishes almost as quickly or even quicker than it appeared. I even got a little bit of nice feedback from the blade which I enjoyed during the shave. Not sure what razor to try in next, but we'll have to see how that shave goes. I will say, however, on the user end of this, I do need to be a little bit more precise on my touchups and buffing. I have a tendency to kind of just cover the entire face or the spots that seem to need it. I need to do it in a little bit more of a precise and orderly fashion.

I used the Astra with the Overlander today, as much as I almost hate to say it, the shave was fantastic. I'm kind of almost starting to feel like it's cheating by using the Overlander, I've never had a bad shave with it yet. If I hadn't already shaved with this blade before and had some issues with it, I would totally understood some of the love surrounding this blade because the shave was great. I was near BBS after the third pass, but I think I attribute that more to the third pass than the blade and the razor. Even with sharper blades and more efficient razors, I wasn't necessarily this close after two passes. That said, the touchups and buffing needed were very minimal, and I got a very smooth, almost glass like feel to the shave. The alcohol based aftershave provided very minor feedback, but again I'm not sure if that's not just gonna be the result after any shave with an alcohol based splash. It was very minimal, and vanishes almost as quickly or even quicker than it appeared. I even got a little bit of nice feedback from the blade which I enjoyed during the shave. Not sure what razor to try in next, but we'll have to see how that shave goes. I will say, however, on the user end of this, I do need to be a little bit more precise on my touchups and buffing. I have a tendency to kind of just cover the entire face or the spots that seem to need it. I need to do it in a little bit more of a precise and orderly fashion.

Brother, same for me. Amazing shaves in the Karve razors with the Astra. And you jogged my memory. The T reason I tried the Astras again b4 PIFing was Karve had bounced me those blades with a razor I bought. He must have designed his heads for that blade .

Sent from my SM-G990U2 using Tapatalk

I used the Astra with the Overlander today, as much as I almost hate to say it, the shave was fantastic. I'm kind of almost starting to feel like it's cheating by using the Overlander, I've never had a bad shave with it yet. If I hadn't already shaved with this blade before and had some issues with it, I would totally understood some of the love surrounding this blade because the shave was great. I was near BBS after the third pass, but I think I attribute that more to the third pass than the blade and the razor. Even with sharper blades and more efficient razors, I wasn't necessarily this close after two passes. That said, the touchups and buffing needed were very minimal, and I got a very smooth, almost glass like feel to the shave. The alcohol based aftershave provided very minor feedback, but again I'm not sure if that's not just gonna be the result after any shave with an alcohol based splash. It was very minimal, and vanishes almost as quickly or even quicker than it appeared. I even got a little bit of nice feedback from the blade which I enjoyed during the shave. Not sure what razor to try in next, but we'll have to see how that shave goes. I will say, however, on the user end of this, I do need to be a little bit more precise on my touchups and buffing. I have a tendency to kind of just cover the entire face or the spots that seem to need it. I need to do it in a little bit more of a precise and orderly fashion.

Brother, same for me. Amazing shaves in the Karve razors with the Astra. And you jogged my memory. The T reason I tried the Astras again b4 PIFing was Karve had bounced me those blades with a razor I bought. He must have designed his heads for that blade .

Sent from my SM-G990U2 using Tapatalk

Heck if I know. I just know the shave was really fantastic and just about think every shave I’ve taken with that razor so far has been. I just know the first two separate times that I used the SP blade. I got nicked a few times and I just chucked it after that first shave. It’s been a few years since I used one but this shave I have to say was fantastic. Not sure what I’m gonna pair it up with next, but the next shave I was thinking of taking before I threw the SP blade into the Overlander was my Karve OC-F plate on my CuBr handle. So maybe I’ll give something that aggressive a shot with it and see how it goes.