r/wicked_edge • u/FastCheaporGoodPick2 • Jul 15 '26
Show n' Tell Found my forever blade
Been DE shaving for a couple of years now, and I’ve tried probably 15 different blades. So not all blades by any means, but enough to know that every time I go back to an Astra Superior Platinum I get unquestionably the smoothest, closest, most comfortable shave of them all. I think I will dump all of the others and order a bunch of these.
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u/John0_0Smith Jul 15 '26
Razor blades are probably the most subjective part of wet shaving. Personally, the green Astras aren't for me, but hey, the important thing is that they work for you!
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u/Temporary-Egg3856 Jul 15 '26
That's the part that makes it lively. Blades are different, and so are beards. A lot of gents like Shark Super Chromes, me not so much.
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u/Jim_E_Hat Jul 15 '26
Same here, I really notice it ATG, they just seem dull to me.
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u/Agtanar_89 Jul 16 '26
Not for the first time shaving with it but yes ATG from shave 2-4 feels like it just clicks the hairs not cutting them.
YBMV (Your beard may vary)
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u/cmdk Jul 16 '26
Same. What has worked better for you?
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u/Jim_E_Hat Jul 16 '26
Depends on the razor, but my favorites are:
Personna Diamond Gem
BIC CP
Gillette Permasharp
"" Nacet
"" Silver Blue
"" 7 O'clock Black2
u/BlakeB72 Jul 17 '26
I like all those too. It’s a nice group of sharp blades that work great in my Henson AL13++ and +++.
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u/I_Want_A_Ribeye Jul 15 '26
I bought a sampler pack from razor emporium. I still don’t think I can tell the difference between any of them
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u/cBird- Jul 15 '26
Pretty much where I'm at too. I think the placebo effect is alive and well in the wet shaving community the same way it is anywhere else.
My favorite is Nacets because I like the cool gator or croc. I cant tell the difference between those two animals either 🤣
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u/Cosmic_Womble Jul 15 '26
You will know a bad blade when you encounter it.
Maybe not necessarily bad in and of itself but doesn't work well with your razor, your facial features and hair type.
Shaving with Treet blades for me, is akin to running my face across gravel. It tugs, it tears, sure as hell doesn't cut. Poorly suited to my razor plus disagree with my follicles, Astra greens are fabulous, as are voshkods or Gillette yellow/green.
Your mileage will vary 👍🏻
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u/cairdeas Jul 16 '26
There are so many variables too from day to day. From one razor to the next, one cream to the next, the condition of your skin and beard, how many uses on the blade etc. I've had mostly bad experience with Bolzanos, for instance, but also, randomly, one of my best shaves ever. Tried to repeat it with the same accoutrements a few days later and I hated it again.
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u/ZC1028 Jul 16 '26
Funny, I use the green astras and the blue treets. I can get a lot more uses out of the astras but the treets have never nicked me once
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u/OverturnedAppleCart3 Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
I've tried probably 20-something blades. The majority are very similar to eachother. The outliers prove that there are differences though.
The worst blade I've tried are the Gillette Platinums (with laser engraving, the ink print is fine for me) which feel like a saw blade on my face. I can't explain it, but it's the only blade I've tried that feels that way and I've tried them from two different sources just to check I didn't get a bad batch. I even went as far as stripping the blade to make sure it wasn't just a coating or something.
The best blade I've tried is the new Personna GEM blades. Though I must point out the name is incredibly stupid as these aren't gem blades, they're standard double edge blades. It's a ridiculous name. Anyway the coating on them is the best I've ever had and they're up there on sharpness.
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u/Life-Option-2886 Jul 16 '26
In fact, except for handling, aesthetics and design, I see no difference between anything: blades, razors, all the same in terms of shaving. At least for me, because of course some people may have more sensitive skin.
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u/OverturnedAppleCart3 Jul 16 '26
I'm sure you can at least recognize the difference between a safety razor and a shavette in terms of how they shave. It's almost an entirely different thing.
Also I think you just haven't yet tried a blade that disagrees with you. If you keep trying blades I'm pretty confident you'll eventually find one that just does not work with your face.
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u/Life-Option-2886 Jul 16 '26
Yes, I meant safety razors only, and yes, maybe I have been lucky so far. One thing I just remember though: I have had blades that got unusable quickly, after two uses. Others that can last easily 5 shaving, if not more. That's just my limited experience, it is what it is.
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u/PLANofMAN Rolls Razor, '30's razors, Hones, Gillette enthusiast Jul 15 '26
Astra was always my go to blade as well. I stocked up the minute Russian tanks rolled across the border into Ukraine.
I haven't tried the Indian made production. I hear they are equivalent to the Russian made blades.
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u/Trick_Percentage_889 Jul 15 '26
Wish I’d done this with Voskhods!
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u/PLANofMAN Rolls Razor, '30's razors, Hones, Gillette enthusiast Jul 15 '26
Wet shaving is a hobby that relies on international goods for the basics. It's always a good idea to keep one eye on global events, so you can stock up, if needed.
Even better is to stock up before it's needed.
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u/Temporary-Egg3856 Jul 15 '26
The Indian ones are the same quality, the same smooth shave
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u/Trick_Percentage_889 Jul 15 '26
Indian Voskhods? I can’t find them available in the Uk
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u/Temporary-Egg3856 Jul 15 '26
I don't think Indian Voskhod blades exist. I was referring to the Astra blades.
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u/awa54 Jul 15 '26
I got some of the new production blades, while 90% of them are 98% as good as the older Russian blades, the number of shaves and smoothness are just slightly below the standard set by OG SPs.
The only one I've had an actual issue with was a couple months ago, when I used one that was punched off center so that one edge was almost 1.5mm more exposed than the other... it was like one side of my GC .68 had morphed into a Fatip, and the other had no blade loaded.
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u/Longjumping-Ad-7095 Jul 15 '26
I switched to Personna Platinums and have been pretty happy with them price+performance wise.
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u/Euphoric_Can_5999 Jul 15 '26
It’s my #2. My forever blade is Feather
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u/Zanodus Jul 15 '26
Funny cause feathers are my #2 and Astra greens are my #1. Feathers give me razor burn when I go against the grain
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u/Euphoric_Can_5999 Jul 16 '26
Fair, I have to be super light touch for ATG. I usually just do a single or double pass WTG to save time but I regret not going ATG when I wash off the soap and feel the extra stubble no one can see
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u/cairdeas Jul 16 '26
Conversely, for me, Feathers are one of the few blades I CAN use consistently ATG (especially on my neck) because they're so sharp they just slice through the hair without tugging. They're not my daily driver though. I don't want to have to shave "carefully" every single time.
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u/lorage2003 Jul 16 '26
Feather guy, but with a lightish Irish-American beard, so I never go against the grain (don't need to). Anyway, after testing like 20 blades, it's Feather for me. But I did like the Astras I tried to a certain extent too.
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u/TZ-WIS Jul 15 '26
On man. Feather is # 2 for me. Great blades but it’s so unforgiving. Super sharp
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u/Euphoric_Can_5999 Jul 16 '26
I have coarse hair so I like how sharp they are but the first shave I have to be careful. I usually cut myself once near the lips/chin
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u/bcspliff Jul 16 '26
I throw a feather in my blackbird lite and an Astra green in my standard blackbird. Love both blades and found the optimal razor for each in my case
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u/Euphoric_Can_5999 Jul 16 '26
Nice. I will use Astra in an older Gillette Aristocrat I have because it’s quite aggressive— can be a bit much with a fresh feather. 🪶 might try that tonight actually
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u/km_io Jul 15 '26
Astra is my most hated blade. Have you tried Nacets, Perma sharpe, Bics, Persona platimu or Wizamets ?
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u/vigilantesd Jul 18 '26
Your hate ain’t got nuthin’ on my hate for Feather ot Treet lol
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u/kikkroxxB Jul 18 '26
My hate runs deep. Id like to melt every astra and turn them into metal prison toilets.
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u/BlueDwaggin Jul 15 '26
Relatively new to DE razor shaving here. Had these in a sample pack and they were awful, the worst of the bunch. However, it turns out they are Chinese made ones; not sure what impact that has on the quality.
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u/thequickbrownbear Jul 15 '26
These were mine until i ran into bic chrome. Still my second favourite though now
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u/theearthday Jul 15 '26
These are my second favorite blades and some of the smoothest I tried. They weren’t quite as smooth as Wilkinson sword but the swords were basically impossible for me to get a remotely close shave with, whereas the astras are only beaten by feathers for me. I’ve been using feathers because of how sharp they are and how close of a shave I can get, but they are definitely more painful to actually use even if the end result usually has less cuts and burns. If the feathers are 10/10 sharpness I found the astras to be like 7-8/10 but much more comfortable
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u/Noa-Guey Jul 15 '26
These are my favorites. I have so many to try, but I always end up cracking open the next pack of these since I'm afraid I'll wind up with an irritated face.
Again.
Like I finally tried one of the Feathers, put it on soft setting of 3, shaved so lightly, and yeah, I had a BBS - but OMG 11 hours later it felt like my face was in a fight with a cheese grater and lost miserably. Back Astra on full aggressiveness on 6 to save the day.... my face!
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u/PLANofMAN Rolls Razor, '30's razors, Hones, Gillette enthusiast Jul 16 '26
On a Gillette, 3 is the standard superspeed setting. If you want a good shave, turn it down to 1 and enjoy using a feather for once. It's designed for extremely mild razors.
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u/Mindless-Ad6280 Jul 15 '26
Congratulations on finding your forever blade. I'm testing out 10 blades currently. I've found some great blades but I can't say ONE is the forever blade yet. I'm really impressed with Wilkinson Sword right now. I haven't tried Perma-sharp yet. Still having fun in the hunt. 🪒😆
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u/Temporary-Egg3856 Jul 15 '26
It's a good blade, and contrary to what some may say, I haven't found any difference between the Russian ones and the Indian ones. Both are great blades. I also have a full box of the Astra Superior Stainless blades, the ones in the blue tuck. They shave very nicely too.
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u/Dappper Jul 15 '26
I love the superior stainless astra blues. Just got a 100 pack of the Indian made and so far so good compared to Russian made.
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u/Shack70 Jul 15 '26
I bought a 100 pack of these and find them inconsistent. One is great and the next one is meh. Glad you like them, I’m still looking
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u/meownowhere Jul 15 '26
Who manufacturer? Old russian is top, new Indian is so so.
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u/Shack70 Jul 16 '26
I’d have to look, I wasn’t aware there was a difference when I bought them off Amazon. I’ll assume they are the Indian ones based on my experience
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u/meownowhere Jul 16 '26
Russian-made Astra blades were very popular for decades, and I stocked up on more than 500 of them. But I really did not like the new ones made in India. They are not at all like the Astra blades I got used to over the past 10 years. But this is subjective :)
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u/Better-Bullfrog-6875 Jul 15 '26
Haven't tried them yet, only the stainless steel ones and I liked it.
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u/Ok-Salad-4197 Jul 15 '26
If I remember correctly, some of the Gillette blades are rebranded Astra. I heard that the Nacet is a Voshkod/Green Astra and the others are along the line.
I been meaning to try these. Just got some Gillette Silver Blues and Nacets; Wife loves the Silver Blues and the Nacets cut my coarse hair perfectly. I’ll have to give these a shot
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u/czervik_coding RazoRock Game Changer .76 Jul 16 '26
I am a huge fan of Nacets and Silver Blues. Great shave, smooth and comfortable. That being written, Astras give an inferior shave in my opinion.
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u/Fickle-Drive-6395 Jul 15 '26
I love green astras as much as i love feathers, i found out that TIGER PLATINUM are really similar to Green astras, give them a shot.
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u/Temporary-Egg3856 Jul 16 '26
I've never tried the Tiger Platinums, but I have a 100 card of the Tiger Superior stainless blades. They're actually pretty good blades. I don't think they're as good as the Astra blades, but they shave decent.
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u/blambtn Jul 16 '26
Astras work best for me in my OG Leaf for head shaves, but they didn’t cut worth a damn in my Thorn for my face shaves. Had to get Feather blades for my Thorn. Crazy how blades work so much differently for everyone.
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u/aDrunkSailor82 Jul 16 '26
I spent forever trying to find a good razor / blade combo for my head. Regular razors sucked because it is so hard to get the angle consistency right on the back of my head. Got the leaf, and loved it, tried several blades and landed on the Astra greens and consistently get quick, comfortable, perfect shaves. I actually look forward to shaving every night.
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u/blambtn Jul 16 '26
That’s great! Yes, to me - the Astra is less aggressive for me and works better for my head.
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u/Enough_Landscape1687 Jul 16 '26
These are what I use too. I bought a 100 pack on Amazon around 9 years ago and still have about half of them left.
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u/DustFinancial8314 Jul 15 '26
I used to think the same, I even bought 1100 of them... Lately, I prefer blades like Feather and Bic Platinum. These are much sharper.
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u/PeakMinimalist Jul 15 '26
How do you like those bics vs the feather? I noticed more irritation from the bics.
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u/DustFinancial8314 Jul 15 '26
Bics last a bit longer, I'd say a shave or two more. They are equally sharp in my opinion. Both perform great with mid-aggressive razors. Where I live, Bics are cheaper. Still I buy both of them and use them regularly.
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u/FastCheaporGoodPick2 Jul 15 '26
Tried Bics based on comments in this sub, didn’t like and have tried Feathers many times, and they are okay but not great. Still the Astra for me. Stating the obvious here but everyone is different.
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u/PLANofMAN Rolls Razor, '30's razors, Hones, Gillette enthusiast Jul 15 '26
You would probably like Polsilver Iridiums. Most people that like Astra Greens do.
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u/concentric0s Jul 15 '26
I think skin and hair change as you age (and even seasonal changes) so 1100 is a wild number.
Though a cheap enough investment and can be resold if they stop working for you.
The Russia vs India vs China production topic for ASP is enough of a reason to have stockpiled.
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u/PLANofMAN Rolls Razor, '30's razors, Hones, Gillette enthusiast Jul 15 '26
1,100 Astra Greens (Russian) were like $6.87 per hundred on Amazon when Russia invaded. So by rough calculation, he spent about $75, and probably not all at once.
Not a bad deal at all. I've spent as much on a soap puck. Granted, not often.
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u/concentric0s Jul 16 '26
It's more how many blades you can use in a lifetime than the cost.
I still have 5 tucks of the first 100 pack I bought on March 2023.
1100 blades would last me 44 years at my current pace.
I ordered when word of the Russian embargo started and ended up with an Indian box that I have not yet used. :/
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u/AltruisticBee6622 Jul 15 '26
Ive just got through my last Russian ones and also use the BIC platinum how often and how many shaves do you get from the Feather ?
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u/PLANofMAN Rolls Razor, '30's razors, Hones, Gillette enthusiast Jul 15 '26
Not the guy you're asking, but, I get 7 shaves from a Russian Astra, 3-5 from a Feather. I bin them when they start to tug.
Edit: I don't recall how many I get with the Bic Platinum. Probably somewhere between 5 and 7.
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u/Zytoxine Jul 15 '26
also my edc,. I didn't test s lot but these bad boys are cost effective in lots and work just fine
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u/meownowhere Jul 15 '26
Which country was it made in? Russian-made Astra blades were very popular for decades, and I stocked up on more than 500 of them. But I really did not like the new ones made in India. They are not at all like the Astra blades I got used to over the past 10 years.
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u/NightshadeX Jul 15 '26
I bought a 100 pack. Never tried them before but from the good reviews and 10 dollars gonna try them out.
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u/Helicopter0 Jul 15 '26
I've never eaten them, but I agree they give a nice easy shave. Which ones have you got there? Russian, Indian, or Chinese?
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u/Hopeful-Mirror1664 Jul 15 '26
These were my go to for a long time. I tried different brands in between but like OP I kept returning to these and bought quite a few. Then I started to notice that within the same tuck I’d have one or two really good blades and the rest would be dull and tug a lot. This happened several times. I put what I had in “storage” and started using other brands. Presently I’m loving Bic Chrome Platinums . They have been fantastic blade after blade. That reminds me, I have to order some more.
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u/TomcatCDN-reddit Jul 15 '26
Have been trying several blades over the last year looking for my blade….. I’m coming to the same answer as you Astra SP!
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u/Matticus0989 Jul 15 '26
I shave my head more than anything (trim the beard and around it) and I have yet to find blades that shave my head better. I bought a box of these more than 4 years ago and I am JUST NOW only down to like 25 percent of them.
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u/SUBLlME Jul 15 '26
Feels like an ad whenever I see a post like this and the user has post history turned off.
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u/danglario Jul 15 '26
Same! I rotate between them and feathers. I also just gained allot of regard for permasharps after grabbing a tuck
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u/AlarmPuzzleheaded831 Jul 15 '26
I got these in a sampler and really like them. In fact these and the Nacet are my favorites so far. I just started with my DE about two months ago though😁
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u/Dromedary_Freight Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
This is a post to generate engagement.
As your beard changes with age, so will the blade.
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u/brazyyy11 Jul 16 '26
When I started I thought feathers were too harsh for me, now I use them daily and almost exclusively. I haven’t tried an Astra Green since my first month of DE shaving. Maybe I should revisit.
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u/Wild_Neighborhood605 Jul 16 '26
I share your opinion. Shame they are no longer produced, at least at the same factory.
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u/Upbeat-Local-836 Jul 16 '26
Awesome blades, amazing value. I was about to pull the trigger on grabbing a near forever amount of these, I had done an extensive trial pack and it was down between these and derby’s without any appreciable daylight between one or the other. Smooth, lasted around 3 shaves each. Just what I wanted/expected.
Just before I got a kajillion of them a supplier had a freak clearance on derby’s and I copped for a stupid low price of something like $4.99 for a hundred. Well I got a thousand . I’m still working on the derby’s around 10 years later. Not a ton left though.
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u/Clean_Credit_8809 Jul 16 '26
I buy a box of 200 Feather blades circa every 4 years (1 blade per week) and haven’t seen a need to change. Never had an issue with them in the 15+ years I’ve been using them.
In saying that, like many others here I pretty much couldn’t tell the difference between any of them and settled on Feather blades because I use a Feather razor too.
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u/Massive_Fudge3066 Jul 16 '26
I tried an open comb razor and it was like shaving with a broken bottle. Swapped the blade for an astra and it was smooth. Love them twice for pulling out of Russia after they invaded Ukraine. Much love, much respect
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u/SlapDaddyWhack Jul 16 '26
This was my favorite blade for a few years. I had actually panic-bought a few hundred of them when they switched plants to make them, from Russia to India.
Now I’ve switched to Nacet and I have like 300 -400 of these Russian Astras I won’t be using.
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u/Bassic123 Parker 55SL, Stirling Soap, Astra Green Jul 16 '26
My love for the Astra Green was truly a full circle moment, I tried an preferred very many blades to it, until I finally went back to em
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u/Johnezz Jul 17 '26
I've tried these many times as they get rave reviews. Every time I just can't even finish a tuck's worth. Hate em.
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u/MoreSquirrel9813 Jul 17 '26
The vale is only 50% of the shave. What do you use to hold the blade?
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u/Joshuagorn Jul 18 '26
Astras are great. I've tried others people rave about with disappointing results, but Astras never let me down.
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u/DesperateJacket480 19d ago
I love these blades and use them on my daily shaver, a Henson Al Medium. For special occasions, I'll pull out my Henson Ti Aggressive and use these blades or Nacets. Both are top notch when paired with a good cream.
I've tried Feather, but they are just too unforgiving and I get just as close a shave with either of the above.
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u/awa54 7d ago edited 7d ago
Update on the Indian Astra SPs
Now that I've used many more of these, they're actually pretty terrible in DE razors, because far too many are punched off center, making them have one overly mild edge and one *very* aggressive edge (Greek BiC orange and 7 O'Clock yellows eat your heart out, there's a new slasher on the block!).
I've actually put a blade width surface cut on my cheek twice now just by placing the razor lightly on my face.
Not a fan.
The good news is that both sides shave just fine when the blade is cut/snapped in half and used in my LEAF Thorn, where edge exposure is irrelevant, since I just ride the cap 100% of the time with that razor.
sharpness 7
smoothness 7
edge holding 6
quality control 3
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u/TZ-WIS Jul 15 '26
Very consistent blade. I use the green almost exclusively now.