Stirling Soap 316 Stainless Steel Razor

I had another wonderful shave with the ST razor yesterday. I think this same Gillette Platinum blade has smoothed out and is really hitting it's stride. Great razor once you get used to the blade feel.



I stuck with the ST again today but switched up to the other handle. I think I might like the grip and balance on this one better after all although I prefer the look of the other one.

As for the HA head, it's a bit too much for me but it definitely has it's place in the DE razor world. Plenty of folks enjoy super aggressive razors.

As the blade I used smoothed out I realized I really could be a buyer of the ST. It's at the upper edge of what I like regarding blade feel and delivers a super close and smooth shave. It's very similar to the Blackbird that way without the sharp edges of the top cap and safety bar that I don't like about it.



All in all, awesome job from Stirling on these razors! Top tier quality at what I'm assuming will be an affordable price. Pretty much what you would expect from Stirling. Thanks for doing this pass around. It's been a great experience to have the opportunity to try these. 

As soon as I get kooshman7 's shipping info I will get them sent out to him.

Just wanted to post that I took arrival of the razors today. I think I’ll get around to using the more aggressive tonight as I have a bit of stubble. A better test for the more aggressive razor as that is when I would reach for it.

If it’s not to late I would like to be added to the pass around.

Just put in my first use with the HA Stirling razor, and I have to say it does live up to its moniker of hyper aggressive. I think wyze0ne mentioned it being similar to it to the Muhle R41, but even if I am wrong on who it was that compared it to that, I would have to concur it is like that. I think I had the 2013 version that was toned down a bit. I went into this shave with easily a week's worth of growth accumulation.

Equipment used:

Georgetown Pottery G20 scuttle
Frank Shaving G4 28mm synthetic brush
Sterling Razor HA razor
Personna Lab Blue blade, new
Proraso Sandalwood Pre-shave cream
Simpson Lavender & Vetyver shaving cream
GFT Coral Skin Food

My first pass, WTG, left me with slight tugging on the hair. I forgot to not use something other than badger to keep the variables down, and I normally use regular Proraso before I shave, but it was too cold for that. Reapplying lather and taking my time helped, and the discomfort was not significant. It is due to using a synthetic and a different pre-shave that was most likely the difference here.

The razor works excellently at taking down growth, and another perk of such a large gap in the HA baseplate is that it doesn't get clogged. I even tried clogging it with some longer hair behind my neck and it refused to do so. There was more blade feel than I am used to, and I had to alter the angle I approached a bit more than usual, but have to say the first pass went very well. Under the lip is a bit tight due to the larger head, but this can be worked around and I didn't experience any major issues. It just demanded a bit more attention and finesse there to get the job done, but get the job done it does!

Upon finishing the first pass I noticed a bit more redness at my chin and below, but proceeded as normal with my XTG/WTG pass. It's a mixture of it and hard to describe. My beard is unruly and doesn't like to be narrowly defined to one thing per area. I had at my left upper lift a moment of discomfort when I went a little too heavy, but surprisingly didn't nick myself there, or anywhere else actually. You want to approach it slowly with this razor, but I felt much more confident using this razor and it wouldn't cut me up unlike my feelings with the R41 at the time. I admit I never finished a shave with that before selling it. Those that like more blade feel and exposure will be well served here.

Another area that surprised me with this razor is how much I liked this handle! When I first saw it I thought the ergonomics just wouldn't be there, but sometimes you really need to try something before you know for sure. Grip was no problem, but I never deviated from holding it near the top where the grip was. My hand just gravitated right to it as if it was an old friend. I might not be able to use this razor all the time, but another shave will get me an idea how it will be with less growth. The next time I use the HA baseplate I'll introduce it to an Astra Superior blade. I find if things feel a bit off with the PLB, the Astra Superior works great.

Equipment used:

Georgetown Pottery G20 scuttle
Vintage Rooney 3/3 Silvertip
Sterling Razor ST razor
Personna Lab Blue blade, new
Proraso Original Pre-shave cream
Simpson Lavender & Vetyver shaving cream
GFT Coral Skin Food


Put in a use today for the ST razor. I have to say don't underestimate this razor either. It might not be hyper aggressive, but it still packs a good punch! Blade feel on the face was less pronounced, but I had during my shave areas where I got a bit heavy handed and it reminded me to use slow and steady sweeps with the face. I have a bit more sensitivity this time after my shave. I had a few weepers above my lip and on my chin, but my technique was a bit off. No fault to the razor. After applying the Coral Skin Food I'm left with a fine shave. I really think this razor wants a smoother blade, so my next uses with these razors will be with an Astra Superior blade.

The balance of the handle with the bottom knurling works of course, but I have to say I didn't click with it as quickly as the previous handle I used with the slight knurling upon the top. Cosmetically I prefer the bottom heavy one, but in actual use the one I thought would not be for me at all clicks instantly. More of a sidenote here as with enough time you will adapt, but have to give credit to the handle design I was dismissive of. It can be hard to try all these items before buying.

So far from my two uses for it I have to say this definitely geared to the folks that want a more aggressive razor! I want to get some uses in with a different blade to see how that changes the dynamics for myself. The razors put me in mind of the Black Bird with its efficiency, but dialed back just a touch to not leave the face feeling raw after using it. I have more widespread irritation on the face after having used the Black Bird razor than what I have experienced from either of the Stirling razors so far. That is with Lab Personna Blues which have been my standard to go blade for some time. 

Razor is on the way to Ali! I’ll post a final review when I’m at my pc. I hate typing anything of length on a mobile device.

Equipment used:

Georgetown Pottery G20 scuttle
Custom brush
Sterling Razor ST razor & HA razor
Astra Superior, new in each
Prep Pre-shave cream
Simpson Lavender & Vetyver shaving cream
GFT Coral Skin Food

Ended up I wasn't able to get in a separate shave with both the HA and ST one last time, so I used both at the same time. As I suspected, the Astra blade was indeed smoother and more to my liking. No real problems with tugging while shaving. Both were smooth, but the HA head indeed has more blade feel out of the two. Overall, these really are best suited for those preferring a more aggressive razor, but the ST razor I feel could be a good everyday razor. The handle with the knurling at the bottom is more bottom heavy, and the handle with the knurling closer up to the top was the better of the two for my preferences. Keep in mind all of this is based on my preferences. I feel the razors are well made and deserving to be considered. Even with as aggressive as the HA was, I still preferred it miles ahead of other aggressive razors like the ATT H1. The HA would work well for me when I haven't shaved for a few weeks. Probably the ideal time for me would be 10 days. By two weeks time my hair is getting wiry and likes to deflect the blade. My first shave was evidence enough to show just how well it can plow through growth. It would have been great to give the ST a similar chance.


A lot of musing on my part, but I can definitely recommend these razors for those looking for a razor in medium to aggressive while still being smooth. The package as a whole is great. A good finishing job on the razor presents itself nicely, the travel case with it is a great touch and of great quality, and just presents itself as a great product as a whole! It goes to show the importance of being able to try a product if you are able to as the handle I dismissed as of being no interest (the one with the limited knurling at the top) is my preferred of the two! I'll definitely keep these in mind for future purchase! I have a few possible candidates the ST could be a good replacement for!

Just for future clarification, what is the amount best to insure the package for? I didn't see the amount and I used the amount specified for the Carbon Shaving passaround. I'm sure it is well covered at that amount, but would help for future shipping to have that in the first post.

that's something ezlovan would be best to answer.

Just for future clarification, what is the amount best to insure the package for? I didn't see the amount and I used the amount specified for the Carbon Shaving passaround. I'm sure it is well covered at that amount, but would help for future shipping to have that in the first post.

If you ship it in a small box inside a priority mail bubble mailer, it will automatically have insurance to cover loss. No extra insurance is needed.

Thank you very much for trying them out. :-)