Welcome! I like how you rated the blades. I've had many occasions where the 'journey' was not nearly as pleasant as the 'destination', meaning the process of shaving was not as good as the result. I've found the Astra SP blades to be the best combination of both. Nice info. HERM
Yea I was looking at picking up the Russian sample pack i saw on amazon and giving them a run. I believe it includes both of those! Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
As someone who really loves Astra SP's, I figured Voskhod would be good for me too. My hair is just too thick/heavy for real enjoyment with Voskhod. The smoothness ends up just feeling like a dull blade to me. It took me a while to realize it, as I was keeping blades in razors and swapping them out when they "felt" dull, without paying much attention to the number of times they had been used. I'm sure I tossed a number of Voskhod blades after one or two uses without realizing it. Astras I can use for seven to fourteen two pass shaves any day of the week.
I find Sputnik to be slightly sharper and longer lasting than Voskhod. The longevity of a blade is secondary for me, the smoothness of the shave is primary. I want to spoil my face. Some brands just can't take many shaves. Even the ultra-sharp Feather is a giving fewer shaves than for example the less sharp KAI.
Lord Super Chrome 6/5.5 This blade started off tugging more than i would like, but soon it started doing a decent job. I got 2 irritation redspots, which went away after i finished shaving. Other than that a fairly smooth shave. Very similar results as the derby but slightly less comfy. Not bad. Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Conclusion of this round. Astra is the best for my face. Im not sure about the durability tho, 3rd shave wasn't that great on same blade. I just ordered a new set of samples that im testing next. Includes Gsb, gillete black, yellow, nacet, vokshod, and a few other russian blades. 10 total i believe. Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Ill be adding a new razor into the mix. Scored this emporium replate for $40 on ebay. Thing looks amazing. Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Well did an astra with the new slim tnite. Ide say at about level 5 the slim is as agressive as my red tip. I kicked it up to 7 and got 2 weepers (never on the red tip). I think i prefer the balance on the red tip, but the slim head on the adjustable made getting under the nose super easy. Guess both these razors got their pros and cons. End of the day astras delivered. Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
I find astra a little harsh on the first shave. First shave I run at a 6. Once that first one is out of the way, I get 8-10 shaves when cranked up to 9 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yea im gonna see if i can get further on this astra. Gonna try flipping it after ever shave and see if that helps. Unfortunately i got such a good shave yesterday im gonna wait till tomorrow to shave lol. Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Nice. That's two 30 Day Rule/Focus. Come April I'll be auditioning blades for the Travel Razor I won in the raffle.
Gillette Nacet 8/8 This was a really weird blade. Started off really smooth. So i figured yolo lets goto town. Felt alot like a Astra SP. Before i knew it i had 2 weepers. So I think this blade must be sharper than i gave it credit. Overall Ide put this right up with the Astra minus a point for the weepers. Gonna have to give this one a second shot and respect it more. I really liked this blade and it may have to grudge match my Astra at a later date. Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Voskhod 5/6.9 This blade tugged real hard in the beginning. So much so i put back in the nacet i had used the day before, and it sliced through like butter. Put the Vosk back in and it was still tugging quite a bit, but eventually smoothed out some. Dunno if this was a bad blade or what. I eventually got a pretty decent shave, but it took effort. Best i can describe this blade is a Russian Derby..and maybe not as good. Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
It is not completely uncommon to find a dud among the Voskhod blades. So give them one try more before giving up. They are not among the most sharp blades, so it might be a blade not fitting you. From the blades you got there, Rapira PL is probably the most sharp one.
These are my mainstay blades. All Russian. They all give great shaves but for the value (low cost and exceptional quality and smooth shave) - the Ladas are really great.
I mostly agree but found the Gillette Silver Blue ok and the Voskhods better but not up to the Astras and RapiraPLs. Different beard result in different selections for what is good