Stirling Soap 316 Stainless Steel Razor

First shave tonight using the HA head. First of all, the blade loading was easier than I thought it would be. The Mamba, GC, and Goodwill all have the blade guides on the base plate, but this is the first time it was a bar and not round pins. It did hold the blade in place better than pins, but still there was a need to lift the base plate in order to secure the cap and it was easier for the blade to slip out of place. Secondly, the handle was a little different with the portion nearest the head being smooth and skinny, similar to the Krect razors. The design of the handle worked well as the head was heavy and by holding the handle low, it allowed (forced) me to guide the razor head and let the weight do all the work. Fit and finish on the razor was first class.

On with the shave. To be honest, I have to say that this is one of the worst razors I have shaved with. It equals the Yaqi Ares in aggressiveness without efficiency. There was significant blade feel and a very narrow angle where it worked well. This was similar to when I shaved with the Alpha Outlaw last week, however the difference was that using the wrong angle with the Outlaw did not scrape a layer of skin off your face. I looked at the blade exposure and knew that I needed to go real slow and try different angles to get things right. When I found the proper angle, it was very efficient in many places, however in my problem areas, I could not get it to do a clean shave mostly because slight pressure, skin stretching, and buffing would be dangerous with this head.

I am not new to aggressive razors, with my two favorites being a CG Lvl3 SS, and my REX Ambassador set to 6, however this HA head is not something that I would consider buying or shaving with if it was given to me. For now, I have it loaded for one more shave tomorrow just to see if there was something I missed from tonight's shave. After that, I will move on to the ST head and hope it is better.

As someone who has already used and reviewed the HA razor, your comments really surprise me. I’m sure everyone here really appreciates your honesty and candor. I know I do. I’m just surprised at your conclusion, as a self-professed aggressive razor user. Neither of the Stirling razors were for me, but that was purely because I prefer a mid-aggressive profile with minimal blade feel. As I said in my review, I’ve never used a straight razor, but I have to imagine that using the HA is about as close as I’ve come to having that experience. Still, I was very careful and deliberate when I used it, and ended up having a very efficient, bloodless, and overall pleasant shave. I’ve never tried the CG Lvl3, but as someone who couldn’t use the Rex Ambassador on 2 or 3 without experiencing razor burn, I can’t believe you - whose favorites include a Rex on 6 - found the HA to be so disagreeable. Again, I’m very surprised, but as they say....that’s what makes markets!

First shave tonight using the HA head. First of all, the blade loading was easier than I thought it would be. The Mamba, GC, and Goodwill all have the blade guides on the base plate, but this is the first time it was a bar and not round pins. It did hold the blade in place better than pins, but still there was a need to lift the base plate in order to secure the cap and it was easier for the blade to slip out of place. Secondly, the handle was a little different with the portion nearest the head being smooth and skinny, similar to the Krect razors. The design of the handle worked well as the head was heavy and by holding the handle low, it allowed (forced) me to guide the razor head and let the weight do all the work. Fit and finish on the razor was first class.

On with the shave. To be honest, I have to say that this is one of the worst razors I have shaved with. It equals the Yaqi Ares in aggressiveness without efficiency. There was significant blade feel and a very narrow angle where it worked well. This was similar to when I shaved with the Alpha Outlaw last week, however the difference was that using the wrong angle with the Outlaw did not scrape a layer of skin off your face. I looked at the blade exposure and knew that I needed to go real slow and try different angles to get things right. When I found the proper angle, it was very efficient in many places, however in my problem areas, I could not get it to do a clean shave mostly because slight pressure, skin stretching, and buffing would be dangerous with this head.

I am not new to aggressive razors, with my two favorites being a CG Lvl3 SS, and my REX Ambassador set to 6, however this HA head is not something that I would consider buying or shaving with if it was given to me. For now, I have it loaded for one more shave tomorrow just to see if there was something I missed from tonight's shave. After that, I will move on to the ST head and hope it is better.

As someone who has already used and reviewed the HA razor, your comments really surprise me. I’m sure everyone here really appreciates your honesty and candor. I know I do. I’m just surprised at your conclusion, as a self-professed aggressive razor user. Neither of the Stirling razors were for me, but that was purely because I prefer a mid-aggressive profile with minimal blade feel. As I said in my review, I’ve never used a straight razor, but I have to imagine that using the HA is about as close as I’ve come to having that experience. Still, I was very careful and deliberate when I used it, and ended up having a very efficient, bloodless, and overall pleasant shave. I’ve never tried the CG Lvl3, but as someone who couldn’t use the Rex Ambassador on 2 or 3 without experiencing razor burn, I can’t believe you - whose favorites include a Rex on 6 - found the HA to be so disagreeable. Again, I’m very surprised, but as they say....that’s what makes markets!

I would tend to agree with gvw755. I actually don't find the Ambassador all that aggressive, even up at 6. It's not even close to the HA.

First shave tonight using the HA head. First of all, the blade loading was easier than I thought it would be. The Mamba, GC, and Goodwill all have the blade guides on the base plate, but this is the first time it was a bar and not round pins. It did hold the blade in place better than pins, but still there was a need to lift the base plate in order to secure the cap and it was easier for the blade to slip out of place. Secondly, the handle was a little different with the portion nearest the head being smooth and skinny, similar to the Krect razors. The design of the handle worked well as the head was heavy and by holding the handle low, it allowed (forced) me to guide the razor head and let the weight do all the work. Fit and finish on the razor was first class.

On with the shave. To be honest, I have to say that this is one of the worst razors I have shaved with. It equals the Yaqi Ares in aggressiveness without efficiency. There was significant blade feel and a very narrow angle where it worked well. This was similar to when I shaved with the Alpha Outlaw last week, however the difference was that using the wrong angle with the Outlaw did not scrape a layer of skin off your face. I looked at the blade exposure and knew that I needed to go real slow and try different angles to get things right. When I found the proper angle, it was very efficient in many places, however in my problem areas, I could not get it to do a clean shave mostly because slight pressure, skin stretching, and buffing would be dangerous with this head.

I am not new to aggressive razors, with my two favorites being a CG Lvl3 SS, and my REX Ambassador set to 6, however this HA head is not something that I would consider buying or shaving with if it was given to me. For now, I have it loaded for one more shave tomorrow just to see if there was something I missed from tonight's shave. After that, I will move on to the ST head and hope it is better.

As someone who has already used and reviewed the HA razor, your comments really surprise me. I’m sure everyone here really appreciates your honesty and candor. I know I do. I’m just surprised at your conclusion, as a self-professed aggressive razor user. Neither of the Stirling razors were for me, but that was purely because I prefer a mid-aggressive profile with minimal blade feel. As I said in my review, I’ve never used a straight razor, but I have to imagine that using the HA is about as close as I’ve come to having that experience. Still, I was very careful and deliberate when I used it, and ended up having a very efficient, bloodless, and overall pleasant shave. I’ve never tried the CG Lvl3, but as someone who couldn’t use the Rex Ambassador on 2 or 3 without experiencing razor burn, I can’t believe you - whose favorites include a Rex on 6 - found the HA to be so disagreeable. Again, I’m very surprised, but as they say....that’s what makes markets!

I would tend to agree with gvw755.  I actually don't find the Ambassador all that aggressive, even up at 6.  It's not even close to the HA.

Funny as the Ambassador didn't agree with me but was fine with the Envoy. I thought they shaved totally different

Second shave with the Stirling (Widow Maker) HA. Maybe not an appropriate nickname as I am no longer married. Learning from my first shave last night, I went back and studied what was going on. I even took a picture of the head and realized two things:



1. The blade was sticking outward instead of downward and,
2. there was a gap between the blade and base plate that could fit the rabbits that made residence in my back yard.



Keeping this in mind, tonight's strategy was to use this razor as a devette, riding the cap and not even bothering to use the base plate. Also, using short, deliberate strokes and stretching loose skin helped me through this shave. I ended up with a two pass near BBS shave tonight, however, like last night, I could not quite achieve a complete BBS because the very short stubble that was left over could not be cleared away by buffing or applying some pressure.


The HA does deliver a close enough shave, however the effort needed to achieve one is not worth it, especially when a CG Lvl3 achieves better results with less effort.



Tomorrow I will begin using the ST.

Second shave with the Stirling (Widow Maker) HA. Maybe not an appropriate nickname as I am no longer married. Learning from my first shave last night, I went back and studied what was going on. I even took a picture of the head and realized two things:



1. The blade was sticking outward instead of downward and,
2. there was a gap between the blade and base plate that could fit the rabbits that made residence in my back yard.



Keeping this in mind, tonight's strategy was to use this razor as a devette, riding the cap and not even bothering to use the base plate. Also, using short, deliberate strokes and stretching loose skin helped me through this shave. I ended up with a two pass near BBS shave tonight, however, like last night, I could not quite achieve a complete BBS because the very short stubble that was left over could not be cleared away by buffing or applying some pressure.


The HA does deliver a close enough shave, however the effort needed to achieve one is not worth it, especially when a CG Lvl3 achieves better results with less effort.



Tomorrow I will begin using the ST.

I think you'll like the ST a lot more. The ST is an amazing razor!

I don't understand the desire for a razor with a huge blade gap and also impressive exposure. Use a shavette or a straight razor or an MMOC if you really like an efficient shaver with blade feel.
I suspect this razor will find an audience, but I won't be among the buyers. I also suspect the less agggessive razor will outsell this one by at least two to one.

I don't understand the desire for a razor with a huge blade gap and also impressive exposure. Use a shavette or a straight razor or an MMOC if you really like an efficient shaver with blade feel.
I suspect this razor will find an audience, but I won't be among the buyers. I also suspect the less agggessive razor will outsell this one by at least two to one.

Speaking from personal experience, I don't like using shavettes or straights. Not because they're too aggressive or dangerous, but because no matter what I try, they aren't comfortable to hold. My wrists always seem to be at odd angles, and half the time I can't see what I'm doing because the razor itself is blocking my vision. So I can see why someone might like a DE that shaves like a shavette or straight.

First shave tonight with the ST version of the Stirling. As soon as I started my WTG pass, I immediately noticed that there was still significant blade feel. Not as much as the HA, but still significant. After the WTG pass, I felt around my face before lathering for my ATG pass and found a lot of stubble left. For my ATG pass, I immediately went back to the riding the cap mode of last night. Maybe not as severe as treating it like a devette (only because the guard was closer), but definitely with as little guard as possible. Once again after two passes, I had a near BBS. This time, I tried buffing and skin stretching and dry touch up and the ST was better at doing that. This was definitely a better shave, however it just seems to me that significant blade feel was part of the design, but shave efficiency was not. I will attempt one more shave with the ST tomorrow and then drop it in the mail for keto probably on Monday since the post office is closed for the holiday over the weekend.

Gwsmallwood, thanks for your input and perspective.

andrewjs18

I am going to be out of town for part of the week after next, so I am moving myself down a few spots.

Here's the most recent pass around list. As per the usual pass around rules, keep the razor for about a week and send it off to the next person in line. Once you're done with the razor, please share your feedback - whether good or bad - in this thread.

Also, as requested by Rod (ezlovan), please put the razors and cases in the provided box and ship the razors off to the next person in a priority mail flat rate padded envelope ONLY!!

**Please soak/spray the entire razor in alcohol or something similar before shipping it out and upon receiving it to reduce any virus risks!**

Pass Around list:

Hdad (Pennsylvania)
shaveSymptomatic (Florida)
Jimmyfn (Oklahoma)
LOOT (North Carolina)
george1906 (Georgia)
CK89 (Indiana)
slantman (Florida) *removed at the user's request*
Whisk-her Away (Florida)
GlazedBoker (New Jersey)
gwsmallwood (Arizona)
Dave in KY (Kentucky)
gvw755 (Washington)
CCity (Washington)*removed at user's request*
keto (Missouri)
MilkCrate (Texas) *removed at user's request*
Einar (Wisconsin) *removed at user's request*
Dragonsbeard (New York)
Asafiev (Pennsylvania)
troydclayton (Illinois)
bobmsp (Minnesota)
CzechCzar (California)
rawfox1 (Nevada)
AJSharp (New York) *removed at user's request*
Mr_Houston (Texas)
wyze0ne (Michigan)
kooshman7 (Washington)
Ali_R (Connecticut)
andrewjs18 (Pennsylvania)