Thank you for your thoughts. No, I most likely will not be using the Bic blades, although I'll give the second Bic blade a try just to be fair. I have at least a dozen to try out from the tryablade pack and I'll continue working my way through them to see which blade is best for me and my razor. Appreciate it.If Astra (presumably Astra SP) and Star blades work well for you, you probably have no need to use BIC Chrome Platinum blades. I have never used Star blades, so I cannot comment on them. Astra SP blades are not nearly sharp enough for my tough beard. I have yet to get a good shave from Astra SP blades.
I love BIC blades, but prefer using them in a very mild razor due to my sensitive skin. Typically, I use them in a VDH/Weishi TTO razor that is about as mild as you can get. They work wonderfully in that razor. I can use them in a slightly more aggressive DE89 razor, but I would never use them in anything more aggressive than that.
Although BIC blades are not quite as sharp as Feather blades out of the wrapper, once the coating on the BIC blades starts to wear off, they become just as sharp as Feathers. Thus, for those who have tough beards, BIC blades are wonderful. Your shaving technique, however, has to be excellent to be able to use them without irritation or weepers.
Cliff