Seems that ol' Doug finally released his brand of double edged safety blades. He says they're made from Swedish steel and strike a good balance between sharpness and smoothness. I got my 100-count pack in the mail today and will use the first of them tomorrow, but I was wondering if anyone else has yet tried them and what your opinion of them is. P.S. Mr. Smythe describes these as a cross between his favorite blade brands: Feather and Voskhod.
Alright, had my shave today with the Platinum Strangelet blade. Pre-Shave: PAA Cube pre-shave soap Soap, Aftershave Splash, and Post-Shave Balm: PAA Ciderhouse 5 Razor: PAA Symmetry Straight Bar Brush: PAA Rocket Synthetic First pass was excellent, went right over my skin with no trouble whatsoever. Second pass, I caught the bottom of my lip with a tiny nick, more my own fault because the area around my mouth is just tricky and usually get a few micro-nicks. Third pass, again, really no trouble. No touch-up pass necessary today. I did get some burn with the aftershave splash, and the initial stung with the star jelly post-shave balm, but it was mentholated so the burning quickly gave way to that awesome cooling sensation. Overall, I was impressed with the performance of the Strangelet blade. Nice and sharp and gave a smooth shave, much like Astra Superior Platinum. That was just on the first shave. I'll report back for shaves 2 and 3.
Alright, Day Two evaluation. Pre-Shave: PAA Cube pre-shave soap Soap, Aftershave Splash, and Post-Shave Balm: Mitchell's Wool Fat, Clubman Brandy Spice, Duke Cannon Post-Shave Balm Razor: PAA Symmetry Straight Bar Brush: Vie-Long white horse hair barber style with wooden handle. Today's shave gave quite a lot more audio feedback with the blade. I'm not sure if it's because of the soap used, or the blade itself. I did get a few more tiny weepers, nothing my alum block couldn't handle, but those were in areas I usually get nicks from being tricky areas to shave: my neck and around my mouth. The whiskers grow in weird directions there. I did experience a lot less burning, in fact really none at all, upon applying my aftershave. I'll let you know how Shave Three goes.
I've used one blade in one razor. Wasn't bad at all, but couldn't quite keep up with my favorite. I need to try it in a few more razors before forming a full opinion, though.
Day Three evaluation. Pre-Shave, Soap, Aftershave Splash, and Post-Shave Balm: TABAC TUESDAY ALL THE WAY, BABY! Razor: PAA Symmetry Straight Bar Brush: Vie-Long white horse hair barber style with wooden handle. Day three I began to notice a little bit of pulling and tugging when doing my upper lip region against the grain on my third pass. After yesterday's shave, I'd flipped the blade around to see what difference it might make. No nicks or weepers to speak of except a couple tiny ones around the corners of my mouth, but those closed up pretty quickly and the alum block handled those in post-shave. Like I said, I attribute those to my mouth and neck areas being particularly tricky to shave without the odd tiny nick or two. But the slight pull and tug on Pass Three against the grain on my upper lip was a sign that maybe this blade, the first out of the tuck, is about at the end of its use. I'll shave with it tomorrow with my Vintage Williams puck and see how that goes.
Day Four Evaluation: Pre-Shave: PAA Cube pre-shave soap Soap, Aftershave Splash, and Post-Shave Balm: Vintage Williams, Clubman Brandy Spice, Duke Cannon Post-Shave Balm Razor: PAA Nickel-Plated D.O.C. Brush: Vie-Long white horse hair barber style with wooden handle. Quite a difference using a different razor. For those unfamiliar with the Nickel-plated D.O.C., it's a mild three-piece razor with a brass handle and an open comb base plate and cap, allowing for streaks of lather to be left behind when doing a pass. The D.O.C. is actually a good buffing razor, and delivers an efficient shave. I had a couple of tiny, bloody abrasions at the corners of my mouth, but those closed up right away and I had no subsequent nicks. The aftershave and post-shave balm went on without much sting. Close, smooth shave—B.B.S.! So, rather than ditch this first blade yet, I'm going to see if I can push it to Friday with the D.O.C. razor. Douglas Smythe says the blade should give five to six shaves before needing to replace it, so I'm gonna push it to its maximum razor life and see what happens.
Day Five Evaluation: Pre-Shave: PAA Cube pre-shave soap Soap, Aftershave Splash, and Post-Shave Balm: Fine Accoutrements (new) American Blend Razor: PAA Nickel-Plated D.O.C. Brush: Fine Classic Synthetic Skipped yesterday's shave as I was having a low energy day, so I had 48 hours of beard growth to get rid of. I had wondered if the D.O.C. and the blade on Day Five could handle more than a day's worth of whiskers, but my concerns proved unfounded. No real nicks or irritation to speak of, BBS shave. It seems that the Platinum Strangelet blades work better with the D.O.C. over the Symmetry, and I'll be testing other razors as well. It may be that the optimal blade and razor pairings lean toward "milder" than medium or aggressive razors. I could feasibly use a Feather or Dorco Prime Platinum with a mild razor like the Weishi 9306 or the D.O.C., but I'd still get nicked up because of how sharp the blades are relative to other brands. But I think Doug has struck the right balance of sharpness and smoothness. I think these blades will give less irritation and fewer nicks with milder tools. Tomorrow is Stirling Saturday and my last shave with this blade from the tuck. Sunday I'll begin with a new blade and a different razor.
I ordered these as soon as they came out based on the description and really, mainly just because it's something different. I have had two shaves, both in mild razors, and both have been just okay. I really think this blade needs a more efficient razor to shine. I will be trying again soon, I'm thinking in a Rockwell 6S with R4 or R5. For what it's worth, even if these don't turn out to be the most amazing blades (for me...always YMMV here), I give them credit for carrying their own blades that fit into their quirky product line. It's not easy for small businesses to succeed, let alone ones as niche as a wet shaving company. They take chances and it seems to pay off for them. I can respect that.
Day Six Evaluation: Pre-Shave: Stirling Autumn Glory Pre-Shave Oil Soap, Aftershave Splash, and Post-Shave Balm: Stirling Autumn Glory Razor: PAA Nickel-Plated D.O.C. Brush: Vie-Long white horse hair barber style with wooden handle. Final shave with this blade. No nicks and no irritation afterward. Like I said, milder or efficient razors appear to be optimal for this brand of blade. So, @SRQShaver , you're right about that. I think these blades are best used for 7-day-a-week shaving in efficient tools and more aggressive ones are liable to diminish the experience somewhat. I do like them. If Astra SPs are unavailable, I'll definitely use the Platinum Strangelets as my backup.
Alright, Sunday I used my Van der Hagen / Weishi 9306 with my Cuir et Epices soap and aftershave from Declaration Grooming. Today's Tabac Tuesday used my vintage Gillette Tech Ball End gold-plated razor. Both of these razors fall in the milder range. I got no nicks on Sunday and only one at the corner of my mouth today, no irritation afterward, BBS. Yesterday I skipped shaving as I wasn't feeling well. My final conclusion with regards to the Platinum Strangelet blade is that for it to truly shine, you'll want to use it with a milder razor. Medium to aggressive shave tools are likely to leave your face more irritated and possibly nicked, and not last as many shaves. I hope this thread was informative. I'll definitely buy again when the time comes, as my second-favorite blade after Astra Superior Platinum. The price for a 100-count pack isn't at all bad, either. Astra still beats many other brands for price, longevity, and quality, but if for whatever reason you can't get a pack, P.A.A. is something I recommend.
Blades are so funny that way. I used this blade in a mild razor and didn't get a close shave. My conclusion was to use a more aggressive razor. I'm also not a fan of Astra Superior Platinum so I guess we just have different tastes. As always, YMMV!
Not all faces are the same, so what works for me may not work for you. I'm simply basing my evaluation on my own experiences. Your experiences will be different.