So, far after two months of using a safety razor, I have tried a few different blades. Derby Plus: Came with my EJ and the shave was "OK". Feather: The blades can be unforgiving if you make a slight mistake, but the shave is very close. One or two passes usually gets the job done. Astra SP: So far my favorite blade, very smooth and the shave is very good. The only problem with the blades, (which is why I say it is a very good, as opposed to excellent) is that it takes two additional passes to get the job done. Are there any other blades that I should try?
If you like the Astra, try Personna Labs - as always with blades your mileage may vary. Labs are very sharp and very smooth for many people. Voshkods are also similar to Astra, but you just can't tell how they perform for you ecept by trying them. Have you considered getting a sampler pack to try a number of popular blades?
Hey CplJack, as DLP mentioned above, definitely give the Personna Red blades a go. I prefer them over the Astra on my beard (medium / coarse) & can get 4 shaves (12 passes) out of a blade without pulling or dragging. Cheers,
If you like Feathers, you might want to stick with them. I know of no other blade that will teach a person proper technique and a light touch quicker.
You could try Crystal or Voskhod blades. Quite sharp but not as sharp as Feathers. I also find that many of the Gillette blades are very good. Cheers, Lyndon
I seem to like the Russian blades in my EJ. If you like the AstraSP, you may also like Rapira, SuperMax Stainless and Voskhod, which are also value priced. For a step up (in sharpness and price too) the Polsilvers and the 7-O'clocks (yellow, blue and black) are worth a try, with the yellows being the sharpest of the 3 IMHO.
Any and all you can get your hands on. All the suggestions made come with the best of intentions, but only your face can tell you what it likes.
Your best bet IS a sampler blade pack. Research the different blade choices as much you can and then get the pack with the largest number of your choices. Different blade can not only work differently with your face/beard, but also differently with different razors.
Echoing these thoughts. I'm a Polsilver/Iridium/7 O'clock superfan though. I am also very fond of Astras & Voskhod. I've tried to love Feathers, they just don't love me.
I have a question for any Astra SP and PolSilver Super Iridium users. My daily use blade is an Astra SP and I like them enough to have just bought 300 of them. I just tried for the first time this morning a Polsliver Super Iridium blade. This first shave was absolutely wonderful (BBS, long lasting,no blood or irritation)! I'm going to use it all this week or until it gives up the ghost.. Based on this single use I'm going to say I.M.O. this is an EXCELLENT blade! Now for my question: Do those of you who have used both(Astra SP/Polsilver SI) feel the SI($34 up) is worth 3 times the price of the Astra SP($10 up) for a 100 ct pack? I'm very interested in any and all opinions.....
Where did you find SI's for $34? And yes, that is a fair price. I pay between $34 and $40 for feathers. It's still under 40 cents a blade or just over 5 cents a shave.
I found them on eCRATER for $34.74 with free shipping. The seller "alphashave" is out of Canada. Best price I've found so far. I had my second shave with the SI this morning and it still felt good VERY close,long lasting and no irritation. I'm just going to see what the week brings how long the blade will last and still gives me a good shave. So far I will say the SI's have a little edge on the Astra Sp's in both smoothness and closeness, but I'm still not sure it's worth 3 times the price.....
Box looks correct and writing on blade looks the same as the box I just got from ''bestshave". The "bestshave price is $39.50+shipping for a 100 ct pack, but they are showing them as "out of stock". Heres the description on the eCRATER site: The famous Super Iridium razor blades, once again being packaged and sold under the Polsilver label. Made by PPI in St. Petersburg, Russia for distribution by P&G Poland. Does it sound correct to you?
Love Astra SP and Gillette 7 O'clock super platinum (Black Package) Just wished the Black pkg was less expensive.
Yeah those are the new ones. Those are considered to be inferior to the original blades, but as far as I can tell, it's not by much. They are (again as far as I know) being produced on different machines than the original blades, with a different steel source.
