Stirling Soap 316 Stainless Steel Razor

Thanks for answering my question!

How can we get on the try out list?

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As far as I know I think I’m the last tester on the list and I’m sure it’s on the way as I got a message from Rod the other day. From what I hear it’s supposed to be released right after I use it but that info didn’t come from Rod directly to me so it may not be 100% accurate.  I plan on doing 2 shaves with the standard plate and 2 with the Hype plate and getting it right back to Stirling. I’ll post my results on both plates as I’ll do Shave Offs with other razors for comparisons. 
Timeless Ti .95 DC and Charcoal Goods Level 3 SB vs Standard plate and Ikon Tech and Wolfman WR2 Ti 1.35 SB vs the Hyper plate. Probably take me 8 days total to do the 4 Shave Offs allowing for growth.

As far as I know I think I’m the last tester on the list and I’m sure it’s on the way as I got a message from Rod the other day. From what I hear it’s supposed to be released right after I use it but that info didn’t come from Rod directly to me so it may not be 100% accurate.  I plan on doing 2 shaves with the standard plate and 2 with the Hype plate and getting it right back to Stirling. I’ll post my results on both plates as I’ll do Shave Offs with other razors for comparisons. 
Timeless Ti .95 DC and Charcoal Goods Level 3 SB vs Standard plate and Ikon Tech and Wolfman WR2 Ti 1.35 SB vs the Hyper plate. Probably take me 8 days total to do the 4 Shave Offs allowing for growth.

Looking forward to hearing your comparisons.


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Well the Stirling SS Razor prototype showed up at my door today and I can't wait to try it and now I wish I hadn't shaved today so I could have used it tomorrow morning. Oh well I should be good to go on Friday with the first Shave review.

Looking forward to "short" write ups and in particular your experiences with some of your super efficient razors at your disposal.

Best of luck AJ

Will do AJ !

So a quick review of my first shave with the Stirling SS safety razor using the standard plate. I loaded it with a once used Feather blade and when I opened the box at first I was kind of taken back by the handle and thought to myself I'm not sure if this is for me and of course I immediately was thinking what aftermarket handle I'd put on it. Well aside from the sharp knurling which I heard will be tamed down on the final production model I was pleasantly surprised by it. It is different so I won't mislead you and it may not be for you but within a few strokes it actually worked well with the head and one thing's for sure your hands won't slip if you get soap on the razor. Anyway if this is the standard plate I'm really anxious to try the hyper aggressive plate as this standard plate is very efficient and comparing it I'd say it's between a level 2 and 3 Charcoal Goods OC. For me with a Feather it's got a lot of blade feel but yet with the right angle it's fairly smooth for sure a efficient razor. I'd also say it's not quite as smooth as a Level 2 Charcoal just as a comparison but not harsh in any way. I wasn't going for a BBS as I have some other shave reviews and a Shave Off to do so I just did a one pass shave going WTG on my face and a ATG on my neck just to get a good feel for the razor and when I was done I had a very solid DFS with no irritation or stinging when I applied aftershave. I'm going to run a Shave Off using it vs my Charcoal Level 2 just to see if my evaluation of it's efficiency is correct. For the rumored price this razor is supposed to be it is nicely finished ( not Wolfman or Timeless Level ) but this is not the high polished one so we will have to wait and see how that looks when it's released. Overall at this point I like it and I'm looking forward to doing a full Shave Off with it and the CG L 2 before moving on to the hyper plate. So at this point I'm liking the razor but it's early on and I want more time with it before drawing any strong opinions on it.

Thanks Rod for letting me try your new razor!

I had a chance to do a Shave Off this morning with the Stirling SS Prototype using the Hyper baseplate so I thought I'd match it up with another Super Efficient and what some would call aggressive razor, the Ikon Shavecraft Tech. I know the Tech well and I know what kind of shave it's capable of giving me in two passes so I was excited to see how the Stirling would compare. First let me say I got a email from Rod saying he didn't want to rush me on my time with the Prototype but I guess he needs to have the high polishing done on it so I said no problem and told him the Shave Off I planned with the Ikon Tech so I'm sure Rod will see this. I will start out by saying both of these razors offer a significant amount of blade feel with the Ikon having just a touch more. Also both these razors are highly efficient and I would not recommend either as a daily shaver unless maybe if you have an ultra thick beard and skin like a crocodile! All kidding aside using my Ikon as a daily would be overkill for me. I do think though that for someone that wants a step up in efficiency both these razors are excellent razors to help teach a relatively new shaver how to not only improve your technique but learn how to not use any pressure when using razors with any sort of decent efficiency as you definitely don't want to and especially with these two Great White sharks! Use any pressure around the mouth, over age lines or any sensitive areas of the face and neck and they may or will make you pay with potential weepers or worse. So two great razors for honing your technique for sure. 

Gear used:
Stirling SS Prototype with Hyper baseplate
Ikon Tech
Once used Feather blades in both razor
M&M Naid shave soap
Mikes Natural Barbershop AS 
Fine shave bowl 
RR synthetic brush

So I did 2 passes and using my SSSST ( Skin Stretch Short Stroke Technique ) I did a WTG and a reverse WTG pass on my whole face and a WTG pass and a ATG pass on my neck. I always section my face in 4 sections to give each razor a one section on my more difficult to shave right side and one on my easier left side just to make things fair. So I started on my right side and began my N to S pass using the Ikon as I wanted to save the most my right side neck area with my very nasty cowlick and weird growth for the Stirling as to put it to the test on the absolute hardest part of my entire face to shave. The Ikon I know well so after doing the WTG pass and then following it right up with the Reverse WTG pass without relathering and I have to give the M&M shave soap for giving me a little ghost residual for this pass. So great pass out of the Ikon and I know I'm BBS as I've done it many times before. Continuing my southbound journey with the Stirling I noticed that it is a tab bit smoother than the Ikon but not by a whole lot but noticeable. The audible feedback was a rock song like the Ikon and one thing for sure you always know where you are. The angle used on both the razors was similar but not exactly the same. I tend to go with a shallower angle with the Stirling where I'm right between the top cap and the closed comb. That was the sweet spot for me. So the stirling took down my growth with no problem and it went right through my cowlick leaving very little stubble. I'm impressed at this point and I have to say I like the Hyper plate better than the standard and I know I'd use it more often for 2 or 3 days growth. So I finished up the pass and moved over to my left side of my face right under my sideburns. Gave my skin a good stretch and headed S for my WTG pass. This side is easier as my beard growth is about as normal as can be and the Stirling went through it very easily. The Reverse WTG pass went equally as easy and whatever stubble was left the Stirling sent running for cover under my skins surface and again I knew I had achieved a BBS because as you do a Reverse Skin Stretch pass you are constantly feeling your skin and you know when all the stubble is gone! Grabbed the Ikon and did my WTG pass on the left side of my neck and another very easy pass with the Tech taking down 80 to 90% of my stubble on this pass. I also want to point out both these razors are no problem getting under the nose as I know some may think that the Ikon was better in that area as it's head profile is a little bit lower but I didn't have any issues with either razor. So I lathered up just my neck area for the ATG pass and started with the Ikon on my left side and what can I say it was a breeze for the Tech to clean up any remaining stubble and the blade feel had tamed down on this pass so a nice smooth pass! Over to my right side at the base of my neck and I gave the skin a nice stretch and began heading N and just like the Tech the Stirling had no issues wiping away any remaining stubble and it also was singing a softer song on this pass and was smoother as well. So finished up the Shave Off with a warm water rinse followed by a cold water rinse and I used my Alum block to see if I got more sting out of one razors areas than the other and the answer is no. Very little feedback from anywhere on my face or neck. Left it one while I cleaned up my gear and rinsed again with cold water and headed into the kitchen and in the fridge to splash on some ice cold Thayers unscented and boy I love the way the ice cold solution feels against my skin. So let that dry while getting dressed and went back in the bathroom to do a face feel to compare sides and honestly I couldn't tell the difference so I pulled out a cotton ball and made a pad out of it and went over all the areas of my face and neck and I was what I call BBS level 2 in all areas with my cheeks being a level 3 BBS. The Ikon was predictable and I knew I'd probably be where I was at with the shave results but not having much time with the Stirling I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised that it stayed right with the Tech toe for toe throughout the entire Shave Off so this one was a tie at this point.  Now the wait begins to see if one area grows out in less time than the other as maybe I'll be able to see which razor got me closer.

Splashed on some Mike's Aftershave and what a nice Sunday morning shave experience I had. 

Rod I'll pack it up and bring it to the post office tomorrow morning and I'd like to say thank you for letting me use your new razor. I like the concept of directing this razor to people who really enjoy a very efficient razor and in that area I think you hit the nail right on the head! I wish you much success with this new razor! 


DB 

I had a chance to do a Shave Off this morning with the Stirling SS Prototype using the Hyper baseplate so I thought I'd match it up with another Super Efficient and what some would call aggressive razor, the Ikon Shavecraft Tech. I know the Tech well and I know what kind of shave it's capable of giving me in two passes so I was excited to see how the Stirling would compare. First let me say I got a email from Rod saying he didn't want to rush me on my time with the Prototype but I guess he needs to have the high polishing done on it so I said no problem and told him the Shave Off I planned with the Ikon Tech so I'm sure Rod will see this. I will start out by saying both of these razors offer a significant amount of blade feel with the Ikon having just a touch more. Also both these razors are highly efficient and I would not recommend either as a daily shaver unless maybe if you have an ultra thick beard and skin like a crocodile! All kidding aside using my Ikon as a daily would be overkill for me. I do think though that for someone that wants a step up in efficiency both these razors are excellent razors to help teach a relatively new shaver how to not only improve your technique but learn how to not use any pressure when using razors with any sort of decent efficiency as you definitely don't want to and especially with these two Great White sharks! Use any pressure around the mouth, over age lines or any sensitive areas of the face and neck and they may or will make you pay with potential weepers or worse. So two great razors for honing your technique for sure. 

Gear used:
Stirling SS Prototype with Hyper baseplate
Ikon Tech
Once used Feather blades in both razor
M&M Naid shave soap
Mikes Natural Barbershop AS 
Fine shave bowl 
RR synthetic brush

So I did 2 passes and using my SSSST ( Skin Stretch Short Stroke Technique ) I did a WTG and a reverse WTG pass on my whole face and a WTG pass and a ATG pass on my neck. I always section my face in 4 sections to give each razor a one section on my more difficult to shave right side and one on my easier left side just to make things fair. So I started on my right side and began my N to S pass using the Ikon as I wanted to save the most my right side neck area with my very nasty cowlick and weird growth for the Stirling as to put it to the test on the absolute hardest part of my entire face to shave. The Ikon I know well so after doing the WTG pass and then following it right up with the Reverse WTG pass without relathering and I have to give the M&M shave soap for giving me a little ghost residual for this pass. So great pass out of the Ikon and I know I'm BBS as I've done it many times before. Continuing my southbound journey with the Stirling I noticed that it is a tab bit smoother than the Ikon but not by a whole lot but noticeable. The audible feedback was a rock song like the Ikon and one thing for sure you always know where you are. The angle used on both the razors was similar but not exactly the same. I tend to go with a shallower angle with the Stirling where I'm right between the top cap and the closed comb. That was the sweet spot for me. So the stirling took down my growth with no problem and it went right through my cowlick leaving very little stubble. I'm impressed at this point and I have to say I like the Hyper plate better than the standard and I know I'd use it more often for 2 or 3 days growth. So I finished up the pass and moved over to my left side of my face right under my sideburns. Gave my skin a good stretch and headed S for my WTG pass. This side is easier as my beard growth is about as normal as can be and the Stirling went through it very easily. The Reverse WTG pass went equally as easy and whatever stubble was left the Stirling sent running for cover under my skins surface and again I knew I had achieved a BBS because as you do a Reverse Skin Stretch pass you are constantly feeling your skin and you know when all the stubble is gone! Grabbed the Ikon and did my WTG pass on the left side of my neck and another very easy pass with the Tech taking down 80 to 90% of my stubble on this pass. I also want to point out both these razors are no problem getting under the nose as I know some may think that the Ikon was better in that area as it's head profile is a little bit lower but I didn't have any issues with either razor. So I lathered up just my neck area for the ATG pass and started with the Ikon on my left side and what can I say it was a breeze for the Tech to clean up any remaining stubble and the blade feel had tamed down on this pass so a nice smooth pass! Over to my right side at the base of my neck and I gave the skin a nice stretch and began heading N and just like the Tech the Stirling had no issues wiping away any remaining stubble and it also was singing a softer song on this pass and was smoother as well. So finished up the Shave Off with a warm water rinse followed by a cold water rinse and I used my Alum block to see if I got more sting out of one razors areas than the other and the answer is no. Very little feedback from anywhere on my face or neck. Left it one while I cleaned up my gear and rinsed again with cold water and headed into the kitchen and in the fridge to splash on some ice cold Thayers unscented and boy I love the way the ice cold solution feels against my skin. So let that dry while getting dressed and went back in the bathroom to do a face feel to compare sides and honestly I couldn't tell the difference so I pulled out a cotton ball and made a pad out of it and went over all the areas of my face and neck and I was what I call BBS level 2 in all areas with my cheeks being a level 3 BBS. The Ikon was predictable and I knew I'd probably be where I was at with the shave results but not having much time with the Stirling I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised that it stayed right with the Tech toe for toe throughout the entire Shave Off so this one was a tie at this point.  Now the wait begins to see if one area grows out in less time than the other as maybe I'll be able to see which razor got me closer.

Splashed on some Mike's Aftershave and what a nice Sunday morning shave experience I had. 

Rod I'll pack it up and bring it to the post office tomorrow morning and I'd like to say thank you for letting me use your new razor. I like the concept of directing this razor to people who really enjoy a very efficient razor and in that area I think you hit the nail right on the head! I wish you much success with this new razor! 


DB 

Thanks, Frank. Based on this review alone, I know I will be acquiring a Stirling razor. To compete with an Ikon Tech places the Stirling among very rare company.

CCity

{Thanks, Frank. Based on this review alone, I know I will be acquiring a Stirling razor. To compete with an Ikon Tech places the Stirling among very rare company}

Thank you!

I agree it’s in rare company and it appears that a certain group of individuals like myself and it appears you as well are looking for these extremely or maybe the new term should be the “ Hyper Efficient “ razors like the Stirling, Ikon Tech, 2011 R41 and the very high custom gap Wolfman razors..... I like it!