I must say gents, i cant find a better blade than this. Absolutely a smooth, comfortable shave. I have used all blades, top brands like feathers and personna med prep. I know YMMV but for the money/performance Astra SP it is for me.
Astra SPs are my go-to/all around favorite blade, easily. Like you said - nothing but buttery smooth shaves. I have also used all the top brands, and there have been some that come close, but when it comes to YMMV, Astra SPs are my #1 choice. Reminds me - I should probably order a couple hundred more. I always like to have at least 2-300 in storage. At $10 or $11 per 100 ct., it would be foolish not to.
on of the first blades i ve used,and still a favourite.i also use gsbs,voskhods,gillette platinums and wilkinsons. i have astra ss as well but haven t tried them yet.still waiting on permasharps.
Just to prove YMMV, I've not had any success with Astra. Used 'em in 3 blade auditions and always got better results with other blades. Glad they work for you guys!
I like the Astra SP in my Merkur 34c. I have not tried them yet in my G1 Fatboy. Maybe on Friday. So far the Fatboy seems to take just about any blade and gives a good shave. I did buy 400 Astra SP blades, so they will be with me for a few more shaves.
Agree - when I did my blade test just using the 34c - I ended up with a dozen or so blades that worked well. I have tried the same blades with my Muhle R89 and only about half of the same blades give a good shave.
My favorite blade and I have tried a bunch. My shave today was with an Astra SP. Absolutely BBS. I do three shaves max per blade. At about 10 cents per blade it is a very good value. Just think, 300 shaves for $10.00. IMHO, can't be beat.
I have used Astra SP's probably 90+% of the time for about 3 years now. I think they are definitely the best all around blade for me. Lately however I've been looking for something sharper, but a little smoother than a feather. I'm beginning to wonder if Polsilver SI's are gonna unseat my Astras as my go to blade.(Astra still wins on price by half.)
Astra SP's are in my top 3 also. A daily use blade along with Vikings Sword and Polsilver Super Iridiums.
Astra has a huge following. They're really good blades. I prefer the SS over the SP though. They feel smoother and sharper to me. The SP seem like they struggle to get through my beard, but my beard is pretty thick. I got SP and SS in the first sample pack I ever bought. I tried Voskhods, Sharks, Sharps, and a few others, but once I got to the Astra, I knew they were my blades.
Very good blade and use it 6 out of 7 shaves. Personna 74* is by far my favorite but due to availability at a reasonable cost only use on sundays and my Birthday. I get 30+ shavesnd have 12 left so I am good there for years. As for Astras great value and work well. Other blade I'll use are Ladas, similar in sharpness and feel but don't last as long (2-3 shaves) than Astras (4-5). I had to restock my Astra's and don't see anything taking its place any time soon.