I ordered some sample astra blades from a fellow B&B member and put them in my Merkur HD and WOW. I was sold on the Red Pack personna's and still am, but I'm adding the astra to my HD. I get a great shave with that combination. Has anyone else tried this combo?
Astra blade in an HD
- Thread starter meglad
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As a matter of fact this morning.
Got a great shave.
Astra also work great with the 1904 Merkur.
Enjoy!
The Astra was the only blade that worked for me in my 38c (HD Barber pole).
Interesting. I'm testing a bunch of blades right now (got about 7 or 8 brands thanks to some gracious members), and found the Red Pack Israelis to be terrible in my Super Speeds but rather good in my Merkur HD. Guess I'll have to try the Astras next!
I really get great shaves from an astra in my 40's SuperSpeeds
I have Old Type Gillettes, News, Techs, Superspeeds and Slims. The Astras work fantastic to me in all of them. I buy by the hundred. I keep some Derbys around for a Tech when I really don't have time to be careful but other than that its Astras.
Which Astras are we talking about? The Keramiks? The Superior Platinum? or the Stainless?
I've got the Astras Superior Platinums.
I was leaning toward the feathers but in the last week I think I have changed my mind. I think the feathers are sharper, but the astras are smoother and more consistent. They have given me a great shave every time. I cant say that about the feathers. mater of fact I have a window minimized that has West coast shaving in it with 100 of the astras in my cart. I need to go check out LOL.
I get a great shave also from Astra SPs in an Flair Tip SS. Will try it in other razors when I get the chance!
This is the setup I use the most. Every now and then I will switch blades and razors just to play around a bit. My Astra and HD work so well together I'm not sure why I even deviate, just for something new I guess? Astra blades seem to work well in all my DE's. I really like the Derby's in my HD but just used my last one. Funny thing is the Derby's only seem to work for me in my HD and not my Gillette vintage razors. I have some sharks coming in the mail from Bullgoose and am anxious to try them.
For me, astra SPs worked well in my HD but I still go to Derby when I want what works best. Feathers in a '60s SS - one of the few exceptions for me.
I'm loving the Astras, I wish I'd tried them sooner. Pretty much feather-smooth shave with no nicks/irritation. They work well in all my merkurs.
I used to use Astras years ago when I lived in the bush (country!). More recently I've been using Feather and Bic blades. Anyhow, someone sent me a pack of Astra Platinums a few weeks ago, and I was really surprised how durable they were... got six shaves out of each one, and they're cheap. I think the next time I order blades ~ I have enough for a couple of years at the moment! ~ I'll certainly get some olive-box Astras. They seem to be readily available and popular with barbers, which is a good sign they might not disappear from the market anytime too soon.
One of the better blades for me in all my razors.
- Thread starter
- #17
You guys have convinced me to try the Astra in my 40's superspeed so I'm getting ready to give it a go! These blades must be really good!
I find they are conducive to irritation and dull pretty quickly.
I tend to use either Red IPs or Astra Platinums in my HD also.
I have the Merkur 38C and tried Astra Superior Platinums this morning.
The smoothest shave so far with only two passes and the second pass was just for touchup.
I was sold on Feathers until now. Feathers ARE sharp but almost too sharp for my face. Closest shaves but high risk of irritation.
Granted, I'm still a DE neophyte and my technique may be improving hence the nice Astra shave this morning. I'll revisit Feather blades in a week and see what happens.
The smoothest shave so far with only two passes and the second pass was just for touchup.
I was sold on Feathers until now. Feathers ARE sharp but almost too sharp for my face. Closest shaves but high risk of irritation.
Granted, I'm still a DE neophyte and my technique may be improving hence the nice Astra shave this morning. I'll revisit Feather blades in a week and see what happens.
