Rapira Super Stainless

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I just shaved with a Rapira Super Stainless i received as gift with a Voskhod purchase. The blades' edges are uneven and some theorize that they might be counterfeits or blades that didn't pass QC and are still sold in Ebay.

Well, let me tell you, if these are counterfeits, i wish whoever counterfeits them decides to make his own brand and sell them. Medium sharpness blade, extremely smooth. I got BBS in 4 passes, same as with Astra, but being less sharp, one can pay less attention while shaving.
Colour me impressed. Even more so, because this was 1) evening shave, 2) With Proraso white tub (loading isn't an exact science as with creams), 3) using my S-brush, which i haven't used much and i have very little experience with it.

This blade, reminds me of a slightly sharper Shark Super Stainless. I already have enough blades to shave in the afterlife, but really, i am tempted to order some hundreds. If i had encountered these in my early steps in wetshaving, i would have bought at least 400 in a heartbeat.
 
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I encountered them when I was still testing blades, I had bought twenty or so each of 20-30 different blades by then and had tried most of them. I bought 400 Rapira after working through a pack of them and have used them ever since.
 
Ordered 200 (+100 more Voskhods). If i had encountered the Rapiras early on, i would have bought 1200 as minimum. Unforftunately, according to a calculation i just made, using blades 2-3 times (depending on brand), already my current stash will last me 60 years. But, a blade junkie like me can still fit in another 300. The Rapiras, seem to 1) Glide like glass on my skin, 2) don't nick me. They aren't Astra sharp, but they get the job done without worrying about nicks or weepers.
 
2nd shave with Rapira Super Stainless. Same impression as before. Sharpness 1 notch above Shark Super stainless (which i consider on the lower spectrum of sharpness, but sharper than Derby). The blade, i think deteriorates pretty fast. Mix of BBS/DFS this time. But like the first time, veeeeery comfortable 4 pass shave. At the end the skin feels almost as if i hadn't shaved. I could have done 5th pass easily on this blade. Nick/weeper/irritation risk is far, far, away.

However, the sharpness of this blade, might not be for everyone. In the 1st pass, i feel an ever so slight difficulty. It doesn't glide with the same silky glide as the Voskhod. I 'd say it's 2-3 notches below Astra for sharpness, again, every time it reminds me of Shark Super Stainless, but slightly sharper. However, the Shark seems to keep its edge better from shave to shave. For me, this Rapira, is a max 3 shave blade, with the 1st shave being the best (contrary to Astra that in the 1st is a bit rough). The Voskhod is a better blade, but for variety's sake, this is a very good alternative.

The only Russian blade i didn't like so far, is the Sputnik. Amazing.



P.S.: I must buy a 4th DE89, to have 3 spares, because sooner or later zamak will break. I dropped the zamak head twice today while cleaning it. Fortunately nothing happened, because i had removed it from the razor, so it wasn't so heavy, but still... And the DE89 shaves to very similar efficiency to Weishi, but always a bit less rough, with any blade. Wonderful. I must make sure i never remain without one.
 
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