Astras?

[leroyale]

I just had the worst shave with an Astra, my face looks like the structure drawings of the Pentagon. Now, may seem normal and the blade doesnt suit me, though, 2 weeks ago I had one of the greatest shaves with an Astra blade, and after going through nearly everything else i came back to it and it completely messed me up.

Any thoughts on why..?

Feathers have been the only other blade out of the 8 blades which i bought, though i am yet to try the Timor blade.

help would be appreciated, I dont want to spend soooo much money on feathers just for shaving, isnt worth it imo.

 

[dillon_b12]

Toss it and try a new Astra. It's possible you just came across a dud.

 

[Nick Danger]

Sometimes you just get a bad blade. I can usually feel in the first few strokes when I get a dud, and I pitch it quickly and replace it. I don't recall having a lot of duds with Astras, but any manufacturer can have an occasional bad one slip through. I'd give them another chance.

For the record, I had the most problem with duds with Personna Labs, but other people love them and seem to have no problems. I think it's just the luck of the draw when it comes to getting bad blades.

The only brands that I've used extensively and never had bad blades are Feathers and Polsilver Super Iridiums. But that just may be my luck. I wouldn't be surprised at all to hear that others have had bad blades with these brands, too.

Nick

 

[leroyale]

Thanks guys, I hope its a "dud" because after that first shave i bought 100 blades....

 

[Cerbul13]

Just make sure you are using the same soap/cream as last time, as your face might be overly sensitive if you are using one that irritates your face. However, if you do say that you noticed lines across your face, I am almost certain that is more of a "dud" blade case.

 

[franz]

If your join date in any way reflects when you started wetshaving, it may be part of the learning curve.
This seems likely to me if you've had success with Astras before. More likely than a dud blade, though I guess that's possible.

My thoughts are: ease off the pressure, take a look at your blade angle, and make sure your prep routine and your lather are up to snuff (slick and protective).
Keeping the other variables (equipment & products) the same can be a good way to isolate problems with technique.

 

[chilliman64]

you sir have discovered a bad blade. I had a similar experience recently with a brand new Progress 510. I changed blades and had THE BEST SHAVE OF MY LIFE!!!

 

[Sawblade]

I did that recently with 2 blades in a row. It felt like I was trying to shave with a steak knife on one side and normal on the other. I just made sure not to flip the razor around the whole time for the first blade, but I got tired of it quick and tossed the second mid-shave when it happened again. Then the third blade was perfectly fine.

 

[leroyale]

Thanks fellas, ill be sure to keep a pack nexto me for tomorrow's shave. Everything including the process I did the first time with the Astra was identical to this time. Has to be the blade, ill come back with how it is tomorrow. Should be good

 

[InHotWater]

It's possible you had a bad blade. I shave with Astra SP blades pretty often, and when I was just starting out, I had some shaves that were less than great. Make sure you are re-lathering before going over an area again too, and use light pressure.

 

[Vercin]

I personally find that Timor work better for me than the Astra's

 

[inspiringK]

Maybe you had the numbers upside-down, it's always good to check that first.



I should mention, from time to time I hear about dud blades, I am not sure if I am just lucky but I have never had a dud blade. And, I have used a lot of blades from a number of different brands and vendors over the years. It may be one of many other variables at play here. Either way, if the next shave is better, I wouldn't worry too much about this bad shave.

 

[Zbig]

I am new to DE shaving. I went through a pack of Derbys with minimal irritation. Some good, some not so good shaves. I switched over to the Astras SP in my sampler, and couldn't be more satisfied. Whereas the Derbys would sometimes leave my skin red and get some bleeders, the Astra gave no irritation and only one very small bleeder that closed with the alum application. I had my second shave with it this morning and it feels great. If they are all like the one I am using, it will be my blade of choice. If I start getting duds, I will not be so happy with them.

I still have many other brands to try out before I commit to a 100-pack.

 

[Haggises]

It might be a bad blade and I know we want to blame the tools.......
but sometimes it's just the user.

Everyone here who hasn't had a bad shave once in a while raise your hand.

 

[Mick]

Astra is pretty consistent for me. In fact it is the blade I like to uses to "evaluate" a new razor with as it is always that consistent.

As others have said, toss the blade and grab another one.

I do find that any blade "mellows" after the first shave.

You didn't say what razor you were using it in?

 

[Swxteacher]

I have some microscopy of Astra and other blades at https://sites.google.com/site/myderazorblades/. I find this external site easier for me to manage than posting all of the information in a BB forum.

 

[Firewalker]

I have had ugly shaves with almost all of the blades I now call "wonderful" due to the angle or pressure I was using when I was first using DE razors. I also found that I needed to shower first before shaving, if not, I would ALWAYS get a good burn every time. I also found that oil on the skin can keep chatter down which for me causes most of the burn I get.

 

[Cerbul13]

I have had ugly shaves with almost all of the blades I now call "wonderful" due to the angle or pressure I was using when I was first using DE razors. I also found that I needed to shower first before shaving, if not, I would ALWAYS get a good burn every time. I also found that oil on the skin can keep chatter down which for me causes most of the burn I get.

Can't agree more. Most blades that butchered me at start, are now good, except the very sharp ones which butcher me anyway due to cutting the hairs follicles. And not only this, I also need to test all the blades I used during my very mild face allergy from soap.. And I should give Personna Platinum another chance.

 

[leroyale]

Maybe you had the numbers upside-down, it's always good to check that first.



I should mention, from time to time I hear about dud blades, I am not sure if I am just lucky but I have never had a dud blade. And, I have used a lot of blades from a number of different brands and vendors over the years. It may be one of many other variables at play here. Either way, if the next shave is better, I wouldn't worry too much about this bad shave.

Can you explain what you mean by "the numbers upside down"?

Im using an Muehle R89 and Poraso green.

Will shave tomorrow, I want my face to heal abit more after that whoppen.