Which is sharper, Red Personnas or Sharks?

**eclipse75** · 07-31-2009, 11:07 PM

Alright, so I want to buy some more blades here in a bit. I have Derby blades right now. I have very course stubble and Derby just doesn't do the smoothest job on it. Which is sharper, Red Personna or Sharks? Feather is too exspensive for my blood. :) I'm spoiled by cheap prices on blades (as opposed to when I used a m3) Or if you know of any sharper blade for roughly the same price or cheaper, tell me. :)

**Topgumby** · 07-31-2009, 11:16 PM

I like the Sharks.

**Left Coast DJ** · 07-31-2009, 11:18 PM

I haven't shaved with Sharks yet. I plan on getting a brick soon. But I have IPs and Feathers. You're right. Feathers are good. But not good enough to abandon the IP price of 100/$10.

**eclipse75** · 08-01-2009, 12:13 AM

I like sharks too, but I am talking about blades here! Also, that is a good thing you have not shaved with sharks Mister DJ.

**CarlosAT** · 08-01-2009, 03:51 AM

Those little Sharks in the yellow package are awesome! They take a bite out of those pesky hairs.
Those big sharks with fins and gills are scary. They take a bite out of you.

**tsmba** · 08-01-2009, 06:39 AM

To me, the concept of "sharp" is a bit fluid. Most blades (at least when new) are "sharp" enough to do the job. I look for blades that shave comfortably and maintain that level for around a week. Feathers are known for their "sharpness", but are frequently criticized for losing their edge too quickly.

**DunEdinRanger** · 08-01-2009, 07:27 AM

I like the Astra Superior Platinums. The Red Pack Personna's are my second favorite blade.

**Walter Sobchak** · 08-01-2009, 08:42 AM

I'm curious, too. How are the Sharks stacking up against Red Packs and/or Astra SP?

Astra SP is definitely my favorite blade at the moment. I haven't thus far been in love with the Red Packs. I've got a hundred to try, so I'm going to keep plugging at it to see if I can start to like them more.

**Left Coast DJ** · 08-01-2009, 08:46 AM

Originally Posted by eclipse75

I like sharks too, but I am talking about blades here! Also, that is a good thing you have not shaved with sharks Mister DJ.

I'm talking about the Egyptian made Sharks. Surely you're not talking about the Great Whites.

**Topgumby** · 08-01-2009, 12:12 PM

Could be he's talking about The Sharks.

Having only used the Red Personna a couple times, I give the nod to the Egyptian Sharks, but with the caveat that I'm not well versed in the Personna.

BTW, one of the reasons I like the Shark blade is that it lasts all week for me.

**Barbarian** · 08-01-2009, 01:25 PM

Sharks are pretty darn sharp. Definitely more sharp than Derbys. I just got some sharks and tried em. After a few went back to a Derby and was amazed how much sharper the Shark was than the Derby.

I guess that doesn't really answer your question though. I have no idea about red Personna's.

**Maestro9** · 08-01-2009, 01:36 PM

+1 on trying Astras. To me they are sharp and smooth. I fell in love with the red pack Personnas because they were the first smooth blade I've tried, but since then I've found many that are sharper. To me, the Derbys are very sharp but not smooth. I get a big problem with red bumps from using it. Derbys are the only blade I can use and be able to extend my shaving out to every other day instead of daily. But for best bang for your buck, so far Astra Superiors win the prize for me...very sharp, very smooth.

**eclipse75** · 08-01-2009, 04:45 PM

Alright, so it seems that Astra Superior > Red Personna from the majoritys response. So next question... Astra > Sharks or Astra < Sharks

**DunEdinRanger** · 08-01-2009, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by eclipse75

Alright, so it seems that Astra Superior > Red Personna from the majoritys response. So next question... Astra > Sharks or Astra < Sharks

Let me restate my view this way.

At an equal price point, Astras are better than Red Packs.

If the Astras cost $18 and the Red Packs $10, well then I would have to go with the Red Packs.

**CarlosAT** · 08-01-2009, 05:17 PM

I've tries the Astra SP and the Sharks. IMHO, Sharks > Astras. YMMV.

**eclipse75** · 08-01-2009, 05:19 PM

Well as long as its cheaper than feathers, I need something sharper than the Derbys. As mentioned before, I have coarse hair, so when trying to use the Derbys it tugs and hurts and yeah, just not too pleasant..

**Jethro1984** · 08-01-2009, 05:22 PM

I'm waiting for some Derby's in the mail to try but I also have coarse hair. This could be bad.

I have red packs but I'm not really sure they're the right blade for coarse hair, they seem to tug.

I'm about to try a Feather tonight.

**Walter Sobchak** · 08-01-2009, 05:22 PM

Yes, it's always tough to figure these things, especially with the YMMV component.

The extra $8 would be worth it in my case. I have an easy and comfortable time getting to DFS and BBS with an Astra SP. I have a much more difficult time, but still comfortable, getting to DFS with Red Packs. I can get an OK shave with them, but DFS is hard to get, and right now I doubt I can get BBS with Red Packs. In fact, I think I'll shave with one tonight just to see how close I can get. I'm at about 36 hours growth right now.

**Topgumby** · 08-01-2009, 06:25 PM

Ladies and Gentlemen, in dis cornah, that Aquatic Egyptian Predator, the Lad from LORD, weighing in at $16.50 a hunnert, the Shark!

And in dis cornah, that Russian Renegade, the Standout of the Steppes, weighing in at $19.00 a hunnert, the Astra Superior Platinum!

Ladies and Gents, what a fight we'll be in for! The Astra may be overconfident (hey, with a name like Superior) and the Shark may be a little green around the gills, but we are expecting this match to be decided by a whisker!

They both come from fine lines, with the Russian being from Gillette (YAY!) and Proctor & Gamble (BOO!) and the Egyptian being from the LORD line of blades. If Sharks had been around sooner, Cleopatra might not of had to use that fat asp.

Remember folks, this match is brought to you by Your Mileage May Vary, proving that even if there is a clear winner, it don't mean squat!

And there's the opening bell, and they are coming out shaving.....

**Walter Sobchak** · 08-01-2009, 06:36 PM

That settles it. I'm going to have to buy a hundred more Astras and a hundred Sharks to go with my hundred Red Packs. Twice each week I'll have my wife load up my Slim with one. I'll do it for a couple of months so that I can try each blade several times. I'll log which days give me the best shaves in terms of comfort, closeness, and overall feeling of contentment. Then I'll compare that to my wife's log of what she loaded and when to see which blade works best for me. Then, of course, I won't share my results because it's my mileage, not yours!

JK- If I ever get the motivation to actually do this (which I doubt very much), I'll share the info.

I've got a few dozen Feathers, but I don't really consider them to be in the running. They're pricey and they seem to be hard on my sensitive skin. In fact, I might put up a WTT on the BST for some Astras.