'evening Well, not kindda blade vs. blade but peep this.. I have this sampler package with various blades, including Astra SP and Rapira. The Astra was very nice on my skin, badass close shaving compared to the Merkur blade. I really digged this blade, 3x3 passes perfect, but the 4th. was too much, tugging, red skin etc. Then I read that the Rapira performs about the same as Astra, so I was really looking forward to try the Rapira, also because it's cheaper = win win. But daaaaaaaaaaaamn... auch... red skin, tugging and what not. Why? If it should perform the same, then why? Maybe it's not the same performance and my skin really reveals that. I know blades are YMMV but in my book it's no way near the same performance, so I wonder why many say it is? Maybe I ran into a bad blade? However I'm keeping notes and in the end of the tryout I'll try the Rapira again, but up til' now it's out. What's your experience with those two blades?
I have something like 1100 Astra SPs stored up against the Shavepocalypse. So, yeah, I guess I like them best.
They both work fine for me. The Rapiras might be worth revisting sometime in the future. Things change with differemt variables and experience. The Rapiras might even perform better for you in a different razor! There are blades that just don't feel good on my face in my EJ DE89, yet are smooth in my Merkur Futur. YMMV.
Just curious, what razor were you using? The more I read about blades & performance reviews, the more I realize I underestimated how much the type of razor affects blade performance....Astra SPs are the only blade I've purchased in bulk, but I ordered a sampler pack with Rapiras (en route) for the same reason you mentioned. I guess I may not be stalking the mailman for that package...
In my EJ 89, Rapiras are very smooth and I get around 5-6 shaves out of one blade. The Astras are tugging and feel rough to me, I can't stand them. YMMV!
I have heard good things about the Rapira blades, especially the Rapira Platinum Lux, Rapira Swedish Supersteel and Voskhod. It is surprising that more vendors do not sell them. Here is a 40 blade Rapira sampler for $8.99 on eBay. The Shave Den store also sells the Voskhod blades, both in a sampler and in quantity.
Astras are on my really wanna try one list. I have to buy in bulk soon and love my feathers but hear great things about astras. I just can't justify spending $10 on a ten pack shipped when u can get 100 for $13 shipped lol and I don't wanna end up with 99 blades I hate lol. I'm still babying my neck from my personna trial lol
I use an open comb Merkur 15C. Maybe the Rapira will work better in my soon to arrive closed comb version.
Update: I just tried the BIC Chrome Platinum today. After the first 2 passes I thought it was the same as Rapira, but then I noticed my lather dried out rather quickly on my face and I remembered that the lather I used with Rapira also did. Same soap. The lather I used with the Astra SP was a different soap. I then added some water to my lather and mixed a thinner lather, still bubble-free and did the third pass with the BIC and this time ATG - much much smoother than the WTG/XTG passes just prior. I'll def. have to try the Rapira again later in my reviews and this time pay a lot more attention to the quality of the lather! Maybe it'll win my heart?
I know what you mean. It's so much cheaper to buy in bulk that it's hard not to do it. Most of the sampler packs I've seen include Astras though. Amazon had Astras at $9/100 shipped last time I looked. Lather does make a big difference and technique does too.
Early in my wet shaving journey common inconsistencies in my soap/lather/prep performance (and probably technique too) distorted my assessment of many blades, that later were appreciated more. Today I have over 10 DE razors, and I tend to pair certain blades with certain razors-which also seems to be a common and natural progression.
I bought about 400 Rapira's Astra's are my go to blade and great, Rapira's do not seem as sharp or as thin, but when I put them in my USA 40's gold 'Crat' I love em (A smooth , yes Mild shave) but that said im able to get a comfortable shave and shave every day! and They are so cheap, glad I found a razor I like them in YMMV but its also worth giving them ago with other combinations.
Based on my own experience, it is definitely a common sense progression. I have found that some blades that are horrible in one razor work quite well in a different razor.
YMMV factor rules!!....But also different blades for different razors rules too!! I've got razors that definitely prefer the Rapiras...So much so that I was thinking they were better....I also found in some razors, the Rapiras really smoothed out after the first 2 shaves and Id get like 4 or 5 more good shaves...thats a whole week worth of shaves on 1 blade...the first 2 a little rough and the last 4 or 5 excellent... What does this all mean?....Keep the Rapiras, they are good blades and in the right razor or with a little palm stropping you might love them...or maybe later.....I honestly don't think the Astras are better....but they are different...the Rapiras are just as sharp or sharper but thicker, less flex...a different animal....
It's a bit like Arko sticks, you might as well buy a whole box for the price of one stick + shipping. I'm late seeing your post, but if still haven't tried Astras, PM me your addy. (If you still want to be a soap guinea pig, I'll also send you a bar from my Eau de Pew line )
True on the Arko, learned that the hard way and are now buying the bulk I should from the beginning On topic - I just revisited the Rapira (Stainless) and this time my prep and lather was top notch, but I just did one pass and had to discard the blade. I'm now convinced this is not a blade for me - at least not in this razor. I just ordered a Mühle R89, so perhaps it'll perform different in that closed comb as it does on my open comb Merkur?
Oops, I accidentally messed up my settings when tinkering with my avatar by phone. Fixed now! Sorry about that
