Astra SP, Still a Good Blade?

[THall]

Recently discovered Astra SPs after they came with a razor and just love them.

I went online to order more and noticed recent bad reviews of new batches, specifically the new laser etched blades without numbers. A lot of these reviews can be seen on Amazon. It appears to be the same story, not as good as in previous years, they are now duller, pull and are flimsy.

Anyone out there use the ones made before the blade marking change and after that can offer an opinion?

 

[Bogeyman]

They have not changed as regards quality.

 

[fast shaver]

I had some of the old style blades & they were dull & tugged. Then I ordered more & they were great. Quality Control seems to be a problem with the Astra SP blades.

 

[WaffleOverload]

I prefer Feather and G. Silver Blues over them for the most part, but I've not had a problem with the laser etched batch of Astra SP.

 

[johnwick]

They did not change. Still great IMO.

 

[aporetic]

I also noticed the recent rash of negative reviews before placing an order for a pack of 100 SPs. My suspicion (and let me be clear that suspicion is all it is) is that at least some of the reviews are from people who received counterfeit blades. Many of the reviews specifically mention that the blades were "unusually thin" or "thinner than the old SPs" while this video from Shave Nation seems pretty emphatic that the only difference with the newer blades is the method in which they are marked:

Either way, I'll have my order in hand next week and will report back with my own impressions.

 

[Nico1]

My go-to blade.

 

[gigetto]

The old version of Astra green were the rivals, in terms of preferences, of the Personna Israeli Platinum. Green were more sharp, Personna red are more soft but they were rivals...ATT razors suggested to use Astra Green on their...
Now the new are soft smooth but on my skin/bard not offer the same feeling, older were better, i have ever preferred the Blue stainless Astra, that for now are not changed.

 

[les24preludes]

Astra SP is a good blade and I use them sometimes, but I'm more likely to use Nacets or SharpEdge Yellows. The new style ones are fine.

 

[ajkel64]

I think that like most blades some slip through Quality Control and then that batch gives the blade a bad name. I have opened tucks of blades and got four great weeks worth of shaves and one week of shaving has been terrible.

 

[Cracker]

In my experience the ASPs always had a problem with fluctuations in quality from near Feather to near Derby greens. So, as far as I had to learn it always was a kind of Russian Roulette to buy a huge amount of them with a single order, because they easlily could turn out to be crap.

 

[MM879]

All of the Astra's that I have are fine. Just got a 100 and they are the same as a previous batch. The Astra is the little blade that could!

 

[naughtilus]

I have both and I can't tell them apart except for the different marking on the blades.

 

[Ukrainian]

You get what you pay for.

 

[RayClem]

I recently read that Amazon is launching an initiative to crack down on vendors selling counterfeit products through the Amazon network. I do not know if razor blades are one of those products.

Considering that Astra SP blades are some of the least expensive blades you can purchase, counterfeiting Astras would not be very lucrative.

 

[BigJ]

I am working through a stash from several years ago. Great blades for me!!

 

[VerbaVolant]

I do not have ASTRA SP from new stock but I used more than 200 of them in the past years. The most consistent blade, in my experience. I have never had a dud, so far.
And all this talk about counterfeit blades is rubbish without some proof.

 

[Runnin_Ute]

Rarely have a dud SP. They are my co-favorite blades alomg with Gillette Silver Blue blades.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Ukrainian]

I recently read that Amazon is launching an initiative to crack down on vendors selling counterfeit products through the Amazon network. I do not know if razor blades are one of those products.

Considering that Astra SP blades are some of the least expensive blades you can purchase, counterfeiting Astras would not be very lucrative.

I don’t think they are.
Quality control have slipped recently at Procter & Gamble russian plant. Many users reported inconsistent results with new Astra and perma Sharp blades.
There are others great blades personna for instance.

 

[SirPaulGerman]

Why dont you try Dorco prime, maybe a bit better, good quality and same price