You're almost right, exist four modifications of this model made according standard of 59, 70, 75 and 81 year in period from 1962 till middle 1980's, when manufacturing of straight razors by STIZ was finished.
ZTV Extra 1965 from our Ukrainian connection I've set the bevel with a Naniwa Professional 1k (it took some time... ) then Naniwa SS 3k followed by Naniwa SS 8k and finally the Naniwa 10k. After the 1k no more than 30 passes on each of the following stones. The resulting edge was really sharp, could rival any german, swedesh or spanish straight I have even thow the attention to details is not the same but more than enough. I like a lot the one piece scales, does anyone know what the exact tipe of plastic is?
Saturday Straights' Shave Proraso Red Shave Soap Jayaruh #340 Rocket 5/8 CWR Pinaud Lilac Vegetal AS I have two Russian straights. This is the first one I ever got. It is a good shaver. The Proraso Red Shave Soap face-lathered well with Jayaruh #340 brush. Two passes and touch ups with the Rocket 5/8 gave me a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse I finished off with Pinaud Lilac Vegetal AS. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...
I finally got to hone my STIZ Paketa 1971 that I receives nos from Ukraine. I started with Naniwa Pro 1k but after some time I lost my patience and took out the Naniwa Pro 600. That helped a lot and after some more time on the Pro 1k the bevel was finally set. Uneven and very wide bevel as these straights usually have. Naniwa SS 3/8 and then Naniwa SS 10k. The end result is a very sharp edge. I have been shaving with it for more than a week, no signs of weeknes. Totally worth the time spent on the stones.
Is there a general consensus about which factory and years had the good hard steel that takes a great edge?
Hello from Moscow. The quality of Soviet razors fell after 1960. Until this time, razors were good. Until 1947 - 1948, many razors were made of Swedish steel. Now they are very highly valued for their properties. But now such things are rare even in Russia. ZTV razors in general were better than STIZ. STIZ razors often come across with a defect. They have a curve to the side or a wave at the edge.
I have Russian razors from the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Some ZTV, some STIZ. I generally agree with @Xorg ’s summary. I do have an early 70’s that is good quality but I had a later one that wasn’t as good. I also find the ZTV razors to generally be better. But I have a 1956 ZTV and 1956 STIZ and go back and forth on which I prefer. So, don’t count STIZ razors out automatically. They can also be excellent.
that looks like a “Yahta”- I just restored one this week- spent 10 hours just trying to reset the bevel because well it’s stainless- and it had dings and chips all along the spine and edge. This thing was WORK! It took all that time just to get the bevel straight across the length of the edge- once that happened, I slowly progressed from my Shapton 1k to a 5k, 8k, Yellow Lake Oil Stone (10k), Shapton 12k, and my Chinese ceramic 15k. I had JUST SHAVED with it 2 days ago- and JUST been shaving with a straight since about early / mid-April. My FIRST awesome shave in a blade that did the job. I’m new to this forum and I’d love to share pictures but we have the same razor! But mine is named Natasha!
Requesting permissions to join the gulag, er, 5-year 75-year plan, er, motherland as a kommie SR Komrade! I have new dangerous shave razor that can slice yankee pig dog submarine into zharenya kartoshka! (Breakfast potatoes) (actually was a bubblehead in the navy- I was a bear hunter once upon a time) There we go....Meet “Natasha”!!! This one is: Soviet Stainless “Yahta” Made in the Labor factory in 1967 Vacha, USSR my first “DFS” after about 2 months of straight razor shaving!!! Like I said above, this one took about 10 hours of work. There wasn’t any edge to speak of and there were chips in the toe right where a bevel should’ve been but wasn’t. Honed it up to what I thought might’ve been a viable edge- nope. Nowhere close. Put it back on the stones and tried it the next day. My first shave with a straight that FELT it could’ve been done by a safety razor- and felt the same way the next day after the shave. This was a huge victory considering I was just thrilled to not bleed every time but every 3rd....lol- What a victory for me. But this thing has me looking for more- I wouldn’t mind having a “From Russia with Love” set of 7. This one is only the third straight I’ve ever owned- But the zen you get just from honing- I can see why people seek to restore something.
ОРБИТА (Orbit) 3/4 Hollow 11/16+ inch It looks to be from the 1960's, or so. I don't have any more info in this razor. This was a $4.99 special, mailed from Kyiv, Ukraine. It had a chipped blade, that I massaged out. Very hard steel, that resisted correcting. Any more info on this razor would be appreciated.
After 1983 Stiz plant was integrated to "Moselectropribor". So on this razor you can see its logo. Nothing special: ordinary razor, one of the latest in USSR. Orbita is translated as Orbit. So late development of Rocket, Vostok, Vostok-2, Vostok-3 "space" razor series. Instagram: razorssoviet Sent from my MI 6 using Tapatalk
So, Stiz?? Any idea on the date it was made, my guess was around 1960's?? But, in reading, probably early 1980's.
I’d avoid razors from the mid 70s on. I have an early 70s STIZ that is good but I think prior to the 70s you significantly up the odds that you’ll find something you’ll like. My favorite is a 1941 from the ZTV factory that has a unique feel compared the ones I have from the 50’s, 60s, and 70s. Having said that, I haven’t been disappointed with any I have prior to the 70s.
ZTV "Barber #1) Trud factory. 1961 Manufacture date 3/4 Hollow 11/16th inch (Manufacturer now known, thanks fellas) Slight slight frown, but in very nice shape, for being 59 yrs old. This is an unknown manufacturer, for me. . The seller didn't know. It came straight from the Ukraine. Attention @aheyev , @Xorg , @mlys7884 , or anyone else who might know what this is??? Close-up of the tang.