Astra, revisited

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by '65 G-Slim, Mar 16, 2017.

  1. '65 G-Slim

    '65 G-Slim Well-Known Member

    Pulled out a loose Astra blade last night & loaded it in my '41 Ranger Tech. Maybe it's my using Clubman as a base to slicken things up a bit, but I got a good, smooth shave with no pinpricks or irritation. Not as clean as a Voskhod, but a good shave all the same. I'd always considered Astra to be a low-end blade (after my first experience), but I may have to move them up a bit. I reckon I'll try another Derby tonight and see what happens.
     
  2. McGrande

    McGrande Well-Known Member

    I've had good luck with Astra SP blades. Out of all the blades I've tried they are my favorite. I have a set rotation between Astra SP, Personna Red, Voskhod and Rapira. From my experience some blades work better (or worse) in certain razors than others. I'm trying a Shark blade this week and it seems fine. Didn't like Lords, Derbys or Feathers. Blades may be the king of YMMV.
     
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  3. dapper636

    dapper636 Active Member

    Interesting, I consider Astra to be the "standard" blade that I compare other blades against. Some I think better, others worse but I will use any blade that I rate "as good as" Astra. Curious how others choose.

    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
     
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  4. RetLEO-07

    RetLEO-07 likes his penguin deep fried, with pink sparkles

    There is definitely good razor/blade combos. Shark Super Chrome work great in my DE89BL(I'm using it this week), but not in my other razors. Vive la difference
     
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  5. RetLEO-07

    RetLEO-07 likes his penguin deep fried, with pink sparkles

    My "standard" is the Gillette Silver Blue. Russian steel uber alles.
     
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  6. theguitarshaver559

    theguitarshaver559 Active Member

    I like the Astra blade. I used an Astra SP blade in my Gillette Adjustable Tuesday. I previously used a Pol Silver blade in my adjustable but to compare Astra to PolSilver, I feel Astra is much better. PolSilver didn't do much of a good job as the Astra did.
     
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  7. RaZorBurn123

    RaZorBurn123 waiting hardily...............

    That's a sign of good technique. Using a blade that once didn't work. :happy088:
     
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  8. dapper636

    dapper636 Active Member

    Yes, this is certainly true, razor and blade pairing is very important - what works well for one razor may not be so great for another. IMHO, Astra's just seem to be "pretty good" across the board and on average, usually a safe bet. Personally, I've been using Polsilver's lately and Voskhod's before that, really like both of those but would have no hesitation recommending Astra's to anyone, especially those just starting out.
     
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  9. Demidog

    Demidog Well-Known Member

    I've been getting this quite a bit lately and it's the first time I ever saw someone else mention this sensation. What exactly causes the pinpricks? Sometimes it feels like the blade has a tiny microscopic jagged bit jutting out that occasionally pokes my skin but then quickly smooths out. It usually results in a nick and a lot of post-shave irritation for me.
     
  10. brit

    brit in a box

    astra sp are my comfort zone blade.this is the blade i own the most of and use for only a couple of shaves.also in my rotation i use voskhod and gsb.i am more frugal with the gsb because they are more pricy and harder to find.gsb blades are also my special shave blade.they are all top notch for me.they all work well in techs and rockets. this may change as i am waiting on gillette 7 oclock sharp edge yellows.
     
  11. Slipperyjoe

    Slipperyjoe Rusty Metal Tetanus

    Astra's is low end blade on the price scale but, as with many things in shaving that have a modest cost, can produce high end results...
     
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  12. theguitarshaver559

    theguitarshaver559 Active Member

    Actually, there is no perfect DE blade, you just use the one you're most happy with. For me, the Astra SP works well. All this time, even before getting my Adjustable razor I looked under my sink and I found other DE blade brands. Those brands are: Vokshod, Derby, Wilkson, and of course PolSilver. I forgot all about those other blades. Anxious to try those other blades in my adjustable razor and see which ones I like best. As for PolSilver, it is not my favorite.
     
  13. swarden43

    swarden43 "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way."©

    SS or SP?

    Try hand stropping the blade.
     
  14. theguitarshaver559

    theguitarshaver559 Active Member

    How do you strop a DE blade?
     
  15. '65 G-Slim

    '65 G-Slim Well-Known Member

    swarden> It was an SP.

    I've had pretty good results with Shark chromes, not so mush with Lords (although I might try the platinums again in the Ranger).
     
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  16. '65 G-Slim

    '65 G-Slim Well-Known Member

     
  17. swarden43

    swarden43 "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way."©

    Thanks G :happy088:
     
  18. Fly2High

    Fly2High Breaking Frugal

    So far I have found in my Merkur 34c I like the Voskhods and Astra SP and did not like as much the Gillette Silver Blues. I find the Astra SP to do a smoother and closer shave than the Voskhods and to be more reliable from blade to blade in quality. I had some great Voskhods but others from the same fold were not as good. Also, the Astra SP seem to last longer for me as well over the Volskhods. Just started using the Gillette SharpEdge yellows and they seem very good too.
    To each their own
     
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  19. swarden43

    swarden43 "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way."©

    Three schools of thought:

    A) It does nothing. Don't bother.
    2) If it does work, blades are so cheap. Why bother?
    III) It smooths the edge and will give you a few more comfortable shaves.

    I'm in Class III. People strop stainless steel str8s, not just carbon blades, before every shave, why? For a smoother shave (stropping does not sharpen, it removes microscopic burrs and help align the edge). Why not strop DE and SE blades? I figure it can't hurt, might help. And I do believe it helps.
     
  20. Jayaruh

    Jayaruh The Cackalacky House Pet

    Supporting Vendor
    Astra has always been a good blade for me.
     
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