Astra SP or Astra SS - Who has tried both?

I just tried SS again and I like SP much better. The SS felt less sharp, less smooth and the shaves were not as pleasant as when using SP.

SP for me, are better.

My vote goes for the SS, in a Weber PH.

The SP was a bit smoother iirc as it was a long time ago, but not much in it. Don't use either as it took too much work to achieve desired result.

I didn't notice much difference. Maybe the ss was smoother because of the coating? Or maybe that was just marketing. Both blades performed well though I haven't tried them in my newest razor ( Merkur 1904 OC )

I like both, but prefer the ss. I find it slightly sharper and can get a smoother shave. I also get a couple more shaves out of the ss.

I've been holding out commenting on this thread but...

Astra SS is my preference. To be honest: it could be my only blade.
I find it smoother and shaper. But the SP is still a nice blade that I could use every day too.

Anyone know of a source to get a sample pack of Astra SS's? They don't seem to be easy to find in small quantities. I can find the 100 packs on Amazon, or as mentioned here, bestshave.net, but no one seems to have a sampler.

I quite like the SP's, but I've never tried the SS's. I've always been partial to stainless blades, so I think that I'd like them more, but I'd like to try one before loading up the den with 99 extras.

Fendrihan has the Astra SS in stock last I checked.

Did you check Amazon? Might be in a sample pack too.

I found both blades to be equal in sharpness, but the SS was significantly smoother, especially on the first shave. New SP's tear my face apart the first time. Subsequent shaves are far better, but not as smooth as the SS.

SpikedLemon said:

Fendrihan has the Astra SS in stock last I checked.

Did you check Amazon? Might be in a sample pack too.

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I got an order of 10 from Fendrihan about a month ago. They have them in a sampler pack too but they sell full packs of 5 or 10 so might as well just buy them on their own.

I tried both blind in a Gillette LC and Tech. I could find little difference. As the SP can be found at a much cheaper price I ordered them.

Love the greens, hate the blues

The SS seemed to be rough, like it was ripping the hair out rather than cutting it. SP seems fine, so long as I don't go for longevity and remember to bin the blade after no more than three shaves. I've moved away from them for the most part, preferring Gillette Black to most other blades, and my Feather blades when the weather is warm.

I've not tried many blades, but I've tried both Astras and they are currently my favorite. Perhaps due to inexperience, I can't tell the difference between them, feels exactly the same to me

I seldom use a DE anymore, but when I do...Astra SS is the blade of choice. It (to me) is a smoother blade and just as sharp as the SP.

I prefer the SP's. They are both great for the price. The SP's just gave a more pleasant shave and they tend to last quite a few shaves. As in most threads its a lot of peoples pic for best bang for your buck blade......but I will say you cannot go wrong with either

I keep both in the shave locker, and don't really prefer one over the other. If pressed, I'd say the SS, but that's likely because when I first started wetshaving three years ago, I got my first true BBS with an SS in a Merkur HD.

Of course, the SS also represents the only example of a "bad" blade I've ever loaded, meaning it felt like I was shaving with a piece of broken bottle. If it had been the first one I ever used, I may have never tried the brand again, but it wasn't, so I binned it and grabbed another out of the same box that was fine.

siewlong said:

I've not tried many blades, but I've tried both Astras and they are currently my favorite. Perhaps due to inexperience, I can't tell the difference between them, feels exactly the same to me

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I'm sure you aren't the only one who finds them pretty much the same. They are both great blades IMO.

I did a poll on this a couple of months ago, which you can probably find with a quick search. IIRC, about 25% of the respondents didn't find much of a difference, and the rest favored SP's over SS's by about 2:1 or maybe even 3:1. FWIW.

My experience is pretty much what a lot of of people have said previously. I have them both, like them both. SS has just a minute advantage for me over the SPs.