Astra blades

**denim** · 07-29-2010, 02:24 PM

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** · 07-29-2010, 03:02 PM

Don't dispose'em

... PIF'em

!!!

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

Originally Posted by 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.

**americanarmsdealer** · 07-29-2010, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by devil24

Don't dispose'em

... PIF'em

!!!

+1!

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

**DunEdinRanger** · 07-29-2010, 04:00 PM

Which Astras? Because I get great shaves from mine.

**rm71** · 07-29-2010, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by DunEdinRanger

Which Astras? Because I get great shaves from mine.

Yes, I particularly like the Astra Superior Stainless.

**awesomefunn** · 07-29-2010, 06:56 PM

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

**denim** · 07-29-2010, 07:21 PM

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

**New Madrid** · 07-29-2010, 08:15 PM

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** · 07-29-2010, 08:37 PM

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

**Stubblefield** · 07-29-2010, 08:45 PM

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

**Hagbardr** · 07-29-2010, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

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** · 07-29-2010, 09:23 PM

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

Originally Posted by Stubblefield

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

**denim** · 07-29-2010, 11:19 PM

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** · 07-30-2010, 04:43 AM

Originally Posted by denim

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.

**Sledgehammer39** · 07-30-2010, 05:07 AM

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

**raisindot** · 07-30-2010, 05:11 AM

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** · 07-30-2010, 08:48 AM

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** · 07-30-2010, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by americanarmsdealer

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

Resistance is futile-you should know by now.

**americanarmsdealer** · 07-30-2010, 09:05 AM

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?

**bythbook** · 07-30-2010, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by 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?

...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.]