Astra blades

[denim]

Ew. Just... ew.

I've been using a DE since March with a sample of 10 different kinds of blades. My Astra blades came up early, so I marked the lousy shaves I got with that first blade to lack of experience.

Today, I tried the second blade. The first shave had more blood than I'm comfortable with. I'll give the blade one more shot, then if I still don't like it, I'm disposing of the remaining three blades. Bleh.

[devil24]

Don't dispose'em :blink:... PIF'em :wink2:!!!

YMMV... nothing truer in the world of DE wetshaving.


Ew. Just... ew.

I've been using a DE since March with a sample of 10 different kinds of blades. My Astra blades came up early, so I marked the lousy shaves I got with that first blade to lack of experience.

Today, I tried the second blade. The first shave had more blood than I'm comfortable with. I'll give the blade one more shot, then if I still don't like it, I'm disposing of the remaining three blades. Bleh.

[americanarmsdealer]

Don't dispose'em :blink:... PIF'em :wink2:!!!
+1!:thumbup1:

YMMV applies more to blades than to any other product in the wetshaving realm. Seems that way to me, anyway!:001_smile

[DunEdinRanger]

Which Astras? Because I get great shaves from mine.

[rm71]

Which Astras? Because I get great shaves from mine.

Yes, I particularly like the Astra Superior Stainless.

[awesomefunn]

Astra Superior Platinum is personally my fav inexpensive blade. Go fig... YMMV GOD BLESS SAMPLERS AMEN

[denim]

Astra Superior Platinum are the ones I've got and may be trying to PIF.

[New Madrid]

I too am confounded by the love for Astra SPs. I get an unacceptable amount of irritation from them, and sometimes nasty weepers. I'm sure it's just a YMMV thing. To each their own.

If you're looking for something a bit milder than Feathers, but still quite sharp, I 'm a fan of the Gillette 7'oclock Yellows.

[Big Kev]

The Astra SPs is the best blade on my face. I am sorry they do not work for you.

[Stubblefield]

In the right razor, they can be a great blade. In the wrong razor . . . painful.

[Hagbardr]

I too am confounded by the love for Astra SPs. I get an unacceptable amount of irritation from them, and sometimes nasty weepers. I'm sure it's just a YMMV thing. To each their own.

If you're looking for something a bit milder than Feathers, but still quite sharp, I 'm a fan of the Gillette 7'oclock Yellows.

The 7 O'Clock Yellows are made in the same plant as the Astras, incidentally.

I've never tried Astra SPs, but I love the Astra SSs.

[Hagbardr]

I've gotten good performance from the SS in a '53 Super Speed, a '64 Slim Adjustable, and a '79 Super Adjustable.


In the right razor, they can be a great blade. In the wrong razor . . . painful.

[denim]

I'm using a 38C. At the moment, I've found good results from DORCO ST-301, Gillette 7a.m. (haven't yet found 7 o'clocks), Shark, and Sharp. Very Good results from BIC, Big Bens, and Red IP. This is out of 14 different makes I've tried so far. I figure that's enough of a sample size so I don't need to go out hunting down more, though I may find more later.

[americanarmsdealer]

This is out of 14 different makes I've tried so far. I figure that's enough of a sample size so I don't need to go out hunting down more, though I may find more later.
Must...resist...urge...to try...them...ALL.:lol:

[Sledgehammer39]

Don't throw them. Pif them.. I get great shaves from the Astra SS and SP.

[raisindot]

Agree with you 100% on the Astras. For me, they were bloodsuckers whichever razor I used 'em in.

Also agree with those who say PIFem. I did mine, along with other ones in my sampler I didn't like.


Jeff in Boston

[Rob88]

Astras were for me an odd blade. They seemed to shave well at first, but I always seemed to get a few little nicks and cuts. So after the first two blades I decided to put them away. This was all withing a learning period of DE shaving, where I was getting pretty consistent shaves.

I then settled on the Red Personnas for 3 or so blades. As my technique got a little better I thought one day ill pop the Astra back in and see how it goes. I ended up getting a great shave with no nicks and realised that for me the Astras were superior in all respects compared to the Red Personnas (if you asked me three weeks earlier I would of said the Personnas were a lot better). I might hazard a guess and say that the Astra's are a little less forgiving of a bad technique ?

Point of the story. Put them away, and give them one more chance at a latter stage.

[miamimoe]

Must...resist...urge...to try...them...ALL.:lol:

Resistance is futile-you should know by now.:biggrin1:

[americanarmsdealer]

I know, I know. Blades are my weakness, apparantly! Without actually counting, I'm pretty sure I'm up over 25 different blades that I've tried so far. And I'm just coming up on 6 months that I've been in this incredible hobby. It's okay to forego commitment in the DE world, isn't it?:blush:

[bythbook]

I know, I know. Blades are my weakness, apparantly! Without actually counting, I'm pretty sure I'm up over 25 different blades that I've tried so far. And I'm just coming up on 6 months that I've been in this incredible hobby. It's okay to forego commitment in the DE world, isn't it?:blush:

...forgo commitment? to the contrary!

you are committed... to the shave!

[Blades are the one part of this to which that I haven't suffered an AD. Thank gods.]

[filedog]

Astra Sps were the first blade I REALLY liked. Close, irritation-free shave. I love 'em. A great example of how good a blade you can get for little $.

[Sir Ronald]

Astra SP's are a little bloodthirsty for me, the SS's on the other hand are wonderful. my go-to blade. great in a Merkur HD

[zliv]

I'm using a 38C. At the moment, I've found good results from DORCO ST-301, Gillette 7a.m. (haven't yet found 7 o'clocks), Shark, and Sharp. Very Good results from BIC, Big Bens, and Red IP. This is out of 14 different makes I've tried so far. I figure that's enough of a sample size so I don't need to go out hunting down more, though I may find more later.

denim

It is the razor. 38C is an aggressive razor. I have tried the Astra superior Platinum in many razors, they shave great in mild razors, particularly Techs and SS. It's the razor/blades combo, not the blades. I'd suggest you try the blue Astras Superior Stainless in your 38C. They are milder than the Superior Platinum but still smooth blades.

[denim]

Thanks. I didn't know that. I'm working with the position that the idea is to fit the razor handle, not the blade. It's not like I can't find blades that work well in the 38C. Since the Astra works for other people, I'm probably going to PIF the last three blades, and maybe the Feathers too.

I have a DE handle, I don't need a second one. If I got one, I'd have to start figuring out the blades all over again, to what purpose? I definitely don't have RAD.

[coyotewhisper]

My experience with Astra blades was postive. I think that blades work differently in different razors. I used the Astra in my Fat Boy. the shaves have been great.
I hope that you find a great blade to use.

[denim]

I have. So far, there's BIC, Big Ben, and red IP.

[Baartel Van StratenShaven]

The constant in this thread seem to be that blades are only tried once. It seems to me from reading the reviews that most blades work in some after the 2nd or 3rd shave, so should'nt the Astra be tried a couple more time on the same blade to give it a fair shake. The Bluebirds I use, for example, are most comfortable after two shaves and still give just as close a shave as when new. Am I wrong?:closedeye

[Patrik]

I wasn't very fond of Astra SPs for a long time. They were giving me very uncomfortable shaves in my Merkur 38c, which was my only shaver for about ten or so months after I made the switch from cartridges to DE.

Then I came down with an intense case of RAD and bought a whole slew of different DE razors. One day I popped one into a recently-acquired Fat Boy, and was very pleasantly surprised to end up with a shave as comfortable, smooth, and blood-free as the ones I get with a Red IP or Gillette Spoiler. The next day I tried it in my 38c (I liken it to pinching myself to see if I had been dreaming), and lo and behold, my shave was just as awesome as the previous day's. A few days later I ordered 100 of them. Now I get great results with this blade in all my shavers. I'm really looking forward to taking one for a spin in my new Merkur 37c slant tomorrow.

So, what you've got here is my (possibly too long) version of Rob88's experience. YMMV, but I also suggest taking a break from them and give them another shot in a couple of months.

[spremino]

In the right razor, they can be a great blade. In the wrong razor . . . painful.

Right. They are very good in my Feather Portable, harsh in my Merkur Slant.

[denim]

Am I wrong?:closedeye

This is the second Astra blade I'm using now, as I believe I said. I'm currently waiting an extra day, or until I get back from today's jaunt, before I shave again. I'd rather not take the chance of having the blood be too obvious to the public.

[denim]

So, what you've got here is my (possibly too long) version of Rob88's experience. YMMV, but I also suggest taking a break from them and give them another shot in a couple of months.

I did. This is the second blade. The first blade was last March or April.

[DFrancis]

or trade them with somebody, send off what is left for an equal amount of something you like or something you have not tried.

[DunEdinRanger]

My experience with Astra blades was postive. I think that blades work differently in different razors. I used the Astra in my Fat Boy. the shaves have been great.
I hope that you find a great blade to use.

The Red Pack Personnas work better in the Open Comb 12C than Astras.


Right. They are very good in my Feather Portable, harsh in my Merkur Slant.

To show YMMV, these are the blades that work best in the Slant for me.

[DE Shaver]

For me, I find both the Astra SS and the Astra SP to be serviceable blades. However, I found them a little scratchy when first used but once broken in, they're decent enough to be quite usable, if not recommended.