Some background:

I admit I wasn't sure what to expect when I loaded up my HD with a Sputnik blade from Mother Russia. I'd read varying reviews on the internet. Some said Sputniks are great and others considered them cheap and ineffective. I'm going on record to say that, for me, these little blades are a treat.



For comparison, I have dark, coarse facial hair and I usually use an HD/Derby Extra combo for consistently good results. I've also used Feathers, Crystals, Merkurs, Sharps, Astras and a few others.



The test:

I followed my usual pre-shave routine of a hot shower, a little conditioner on my face and some face-soaking time. After that, I lathered up with some Body Shop shaving cream (love the stuff), and set to work on a four-pass shave.



Through the first WTG pass, I noticed that the blade was fairly sharp and it was doing a good job at hair-reduction with minimal tugging and pulling. My next two XTG passes got me to a place where I could have quit and had a "good enough" shave. I wasn't quite sure if I should go for the fourth, ATG pass. I'm sometimes cautious about pushing my luck with an untested blade, but I forged ahead. With many blades, this last pass is the make-or-break pass that can either cause some irritation or hopefully give me a happy, BBS face. With the Sputnik, it was smooth, irritation free and gave me a very close shave.



The packaging isn't amazing—a cardboard box of five, double-wrapped blades—but I've never bought a pack of blades because of the packaging. Plus, there's something a bit old-fashioned and charming about pulling a blade out of a box that says "Sputnik." Pricewise, these are easy on the wallet—100 for less than $20.



My final thoughts:

Overall, I could use these blades every day and be happy with consistently good results. I don't know if it would ever replace the Derby as my go-to blade, but I'm definitely interested in getting a few more to add to my rotation.

------------------------------
www.BourbonCrew.com

I got a couple of these as samples & just as well because they are terrible.

For me the first pass had minimal tugging. Nothing painful, but with the grain it wasn't so bad. Next passes were amazing. I didn't go for BBS but I still got a nick free smooth shave. Price is right. Packaging is a 10 b/c it's written in Russian. Cool cheap blades made in the motherland.

Once I take the very rough edge off the new blade, this is a very smooth shave and was a surprise top candidate during a recent 14-blade blind testing.



No hesitation in getting 50 of them during my recent blade run from Tryphon.



As with the Feather, I'll consider corking the Sputnik when new.

Hi,

can you tell me please where I can buy Sputnik DE Blades please?

With best Regards
Lukas

Razor & Brush

Tried one of these today.



A very rough and tumble shave with more nicks than I've had from pretty much any of my recent sampler pack selections. Am undecided as to whether or not I will try the blade again in the hope of a smoother second shave. In general if I don't get a good first shave with a blade, we part company.



Not for me.

These blades are pretty average.

There are at least 10 brands of blades on the market, which are much better in comparison with this brand.

Originally Posted by luke-kitejunkie

Hi,



can you tell me please where I can buy Sputnik DE Blades please?



With best Regards

Lukas

shoeboxshaveshop.com

------------------------------
New to Fountain Pens? Check out the B&B Nib Wiki for loads of great information!

Steward for The Nib.

"A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people." -Thomas Mann

Nicks seemed to be unavoidable each time I shaved with these, and they gave an exceptionally rough feeling shave by about the 3rd & 4th day of using them. I wouldn't recommend these personally.

------------------------------
Nick

Nick's Shave Den

I got these from another member. I have to say that I like them. I get no nick, weepers or irritation. Going ATG is a breeze with these blades. The only downside is that they could be a little sharper.

------------------------------
Rocco

I bought the teflon coated Sputniks from razorbladesandmore.com. I use a Merkur Progress on setting of 3 for best results. I was suprised when I first starting using these blades because of the smoothness and the sharpness. I personally have not experienced any roughness whatsoever. I get a BBS shave on the first use of the blade with 3 passes and no irritation. My technique is good though, and your technique will determine your results.. along with your beard type and the razor you use. I have a thick beard so I prep for 5 mins with hot water and soap/conditioner. I recommend these blades most definitely. I have been using the Gillette 7 o'clock YELLOWS from St. Petersburg regularly before moving to these. The Yellows are extremely sharp and pretty smooth, but moving to Sputnik Teflons was super smooth with just less danger from a ninja sharp blade like the yellows. I was pleasantly suprised by these, so they are definitely worth a try. Edit: The blades come with glue on them. I always have a used up blade handy to slice off the glue spots from any new blade I use that has a glue spot. Just remove the glue with the spare blade from the sharp edge to the middle so you don't drag glue across the sharp edge. Simple.. Note, the Super Platinum version made by Sputnik gives a very rough shave for me. The Teflon's are excellent.

------------------------------
~ Virgin Island Bay Rum on the rocks