- Thread starter
- #21
My 2 cents is that they're all great blades. Would you like me to pit 7 O'clock blacks vs. yellows in my next comparison?
Blade Wars: Astra SP vs. Personna Lab Blue
- Thread starter cw62803
- Start date
My 2 cents is that they're all great blades. Would you like me to pit 7 O'clock blacks vs. yellows in my next comparison?
Sure. Wasn't trying to change the game though. Just curious for feedback on those familiar with the blades I commonly use.
How many shaves again until the reveal?
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- #23
I'd like to go until there is a clear winner. If silver widens its lead, I could call it as early as tomorrow. If the difference remains as narrow as it is, I'll give blue at least one more shave to see if it makes a comeback.
Two of my favorites!
Same here!
I would say that the Gillette Blacks are closer to the Lab Blues extremely similar in fact. Again, I would say that the Astras are negligibly smoother than both. All three are great blades however. How do the Yellows compare?
Thanks for sharing. I'll have to give them a try. I'm a fan of the Gillette yellows. Sharper than Astras and a bit sharper than personna labs (to me anyway). Probably a hair less smooth than Astras and labs. But not uncomfortable by any stretch. I like all three. Don't know about longevity because I pitch blades after every two-three shaves.
I have a pack of 7 o'clock greens that I have yet tried. I have a 5 pk of GSBs also. GSBs were very smooth, so I see why so many shavers like them, but less sharp than the yellows. Again just my two cents - others probably feel the opposite. Haha.
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- #27
Shave 4
blue razor - right side, silver razor – left side
One day growth
Face lather Tabac with Plissoft brush
Pass 1
Blue – great pass – a little pull/drag
I had to consciously resist the temptation to shave over unlathered areas.
Sliver – A tiny bit of pull, but less than the blue. (I didn’t notice any pull at all during yesterday’s shave.)
Pass 2
Blue – Smooth. I found myself resisting the urge to press.
Sliver – Smooth. I did not feel the urge to press. Even though it feels a little less sharp than yesterday, the silver blade seems to cut with less effort than the blue.
Notes: I followed with Thayer’s Lemon and then felt around. I don’t detect any significant difference in closeness. The silver razor is a little smoother, particular during the first pass, but the overall shave quality is so similar I cannot say one blade is superior to the other at this point.
I finished with Bulldog Aftershave Balm. The combination of Tabac and Bulldog provides fantastic face feel. On to Shave #5 tomorrow….
blue razor - right side, silver razor – left side
One day growth
Face lather Tabac with Plissoft brush
Pass 1
Blue – great pass – a little pull/drag
I had to consciously resist the temptation to shave over unlathered areas.
Sliver – A tiny bit of pull, but less than the blue. (I didn’t notice any pull at all during yesterday’s shave.)
Pass 2
Blue – Smooth. I found myself resisting the urge to press.
Sliver – Smooth. I did not feel the urge to press. Even though it feels a little less sharp than yesterday, the silver blade seems to cut with less effort than the blue.
Notes: I followed with Thayer’s Lemon and then felt around. I don’t detect any significant difference in closeness. The silver razor is a little smoother, particular during the first pass, but the overall shave quality is so similar I cannot say one blade is superior to the other at this point.
I finished with Bulldog Aftershave Balm. The combination of Tabac and Bulldog provides fantastic face feel. On to Shave #5 tomorrow….
It appears to be a close race. Expect nothing less from two great blades!
- Thread starter
- #29
Shave 5
Both blades continue to perform beautifully.
Nivea Men Sensitive Shave Cream, face lathered with Plissoft brush
Silver razor = right side, blue razor = left side
Pass 1 – Silver: smooth pass. Blade felt efficient.
Blue: smooth – felt a tiny bit more drag than with the silver, but still, a very nice pass.
Pass 2 – Silver – nice and smooth
Blue – much smoother than the first pass.
Rinse: both sides feel great. The silver side is a tiny bit closer, but the difference is negligible.
Followed with Thayer’s Lemon and a generous splash of Old Spice. The aftershave gave me a good sting, which makes me think the next shave will be the last for this competition. Finished with some Barbasol Pacific Rush balm.
Notes: Silver is leading the competition at this point, but the difference is extremely small. One thing I know for sure. There’s no practical reason to buy blades that cost 40 cents apiece and more. These two blades are wonderful, and when you buy them in bulk, they cost about a dime.
Both blades continue to perform beautifully.
Nivea Men Sensitive Shave Cream, face lathered with Plissoft brush
Silver razor = right side, blue razor = left side
Pass 1 – Silver: smooth pass. Blade felt efficient.
Blue: smooth – felt a tiny bit more drag than with the silver, but still, a very nice pass.
Pass 2 – Silver – nice and smooth
Blue – much smoother than the first pass.
Rinse: both sides feel great. The silver side is a tiny bit closer, but the difference is negligible.
Followed with Thayer’s Lemon and a generous splash of Old Spice. The aftershave gave me a good sting, which makes me think the next shave will be the last for this competition. Finished with some Barbasol Pacific Rush balm.
Notes: Silver is leading the competition at this point, but the difference is extremely small. One thing I know for sure. There’s no practical reason to buy blades that cost 40 cents apiece and more. These two blades are wonderful, and when you buy them in bulk, they cost about a dime.
I don't recall what I first guessed but am thinking silver = Astra sp.
- Thread starter
- #31
That's what I think, too. I don't know why, but for some reason I've always preferred Lab Blues. I can't wait to find out which one I really prefer.
To be fair I've never tried Astra blades. That said, I don't want to try Astra blades 'cause they are Russian. Not a great reason but I feel OK with it.
Personna on the other hand is American made and far, far superior to any other blade I've tried before. The other brand that works for me is Dorco ST-301.
Now that I have made my choice of blades I spend my efforts improving my shaving instead piddling around trying different blades.
Personna on the other hand is American made and far, far superior to any other blade I've tried before. The other brand that works for me is Dorco ST-301.
Now that I have made my choice of blades I spend my efforts improving my shaving instead piddling around trying different blades.
As you said, that is not a good reason. But to each their own.
How's the shaving going otherwise.?
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- #34
Shave 6 – Will Silver retain its slight lead or will blue stage a comeback?
Face lather with Razorock Acquatico and Plissoft brush
Blue razor = right side, Silver razor = left side
Pass 1 – Blue: felt some slight resistance, but less than I have on previous shaves. It seems this blade is getting smoother with use.
Sliver: felt a little pull for the first time with this blade. It feels as if it is losing some of its sharpness.
Pass 2 (XTG) – I don’t think I loaded my brush sufficiently, so I gave it a boost my giving it a little squirt of Kiss My Face lavender to get a very nice lather.
Blue: again I felt some drag and resistance.
Silver: felt smoother than the blue. It felt like the whiskers were cutting evenly. I’m trying to find the words to describe the feeling… it was like the entire blade was lying against the skin with no high or low spots or irregularities.
Pass 3 (ATG) – Blue: felt a little scratchy, but effective. Silver: again it felt like the whole blade lay flat. A little resistance, as the blade is degrading – but still felt good.
Both sides are extremely close. Wonderfully close. After three passes, neither side of my face is noticeably closer than the other; they are both fantastic! I do feel a little irritation as I rinse with cold water.
Splashed on some Aqua Velva, to which I’ve added about 1/16 of a teaspoon of menthol crystals. It stings. I can feel more sting on the right (blue) side than the left. The difference in irritation is noticeable.
Conclusions: This has been fun. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this thread as much as I have enjoyed conducting the test and writing about it. Both blades are wonderful and a bargain. I don’t know why, but I’ve been rooting for Lab Blue to win. Both [MENTION=110175]kluber[/MENTION] and I have predicted that the silver is Astra. We will know as soon as I open the razors. In any case, the winner is silver. It was smoother on first passes throughout and has caused an infinitesimally smaller amount of irritation. When I have noticed a difference in closeness, it provided the closer shave. The margin of victory is extremely small. I have quite a few of each blade, and I will not throw away the loser. These are two fine, highly recommended blades.
Face lather with Razorock Acquatico and Plissoft brush
Blue razor = right side, Silver razor = left side
Pass 1 – Blue: felt some slight resistance, but less than I have on previous shaves. It seems this blade is getting smoother with use.
Sliver: felt a little pull for the first time with this blade. It feels as if it is losing some of its sharpness.
Pass 2 (XTG) – I don’t think I loaded my brush sufficiently, so I gave it a boost my giving it a little squirt of Kiss My Face lavender to get a very nice lather.
Blue: again I felt some drag and resistance.
Silver: felt smoother than the blue. It felt like the whiskers were cutting evenly. I’m trying to find the words to describe the feeling… it was like the entire blade was lying against the skin with no high or low spots or irregularities.
Pass 3 (ATG) – Blue: felt a little scratchy, but effective. Silver: again it felt like the whole blade lay flat. A little resistance, as the blade is degrading – but still felt good.
Both sides are extremely close. Wonderfully close. After three passes, neither side of my face is noticeably closer than the other; they are both fantastic! I do feel a little irritation as I rinse with cold water.
Splashed on some Aqua Velva, to which I’ve added about 1/16 of a teaspoon of menthol crystals. It stings. I can feel more sting on the right (blue) side than the left. The difference in irritation is noticeable.
Conclusions: This has been fun. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this thread as much as I have enjoyed conducting the test and writing about it. Both blades are wonderful and a bargain. I don’t know why, but I’ve been rooting for Lab Blue to win. Both [MENTION=110175]kluber[/MENTION] and I have predicted that the silver is Astra. We will know as soon as I open the razors. In any case, the winner is silver. It was smoother on first passes throughout and has caused an infinitesimally smaller amount of irritation. When I have noticed a difference in closeness, it provided the closer shave. The margin of victory is extremely small. I have quite a few of each blade, and I will not throw away the loser. These are two fine, highly recommended blades.
- Thread starter
- #35
The Reveal
- Using an aggressive razor (Mentor)...
- On my (insert adjective here) face...
- the winner of the Astra SP vs Personna Lab Blue Blade War...
- is the Silver razor....
....
....
....
-ASTRA SP
I hope you enjoyed the thread! I'm going to take a day or two off after today's three-pass shave, enjoy a couple of my other razors, and be back soon with the next Blade War.
- Using an aggressive razor (Mentor)...
- On my (insert adjective here) face...
- the winner of the Astra SP vs Personna Lab Blue Blade War...
- is the Silver razor....
....
....
....
-ASTRA SP
I hope you enjoyed the thread! I'm going to take a day or two off after today's three-pass shave, enjoy a couple of my other razors, and be back soon with the next Blade War.
Haha. How fun. What's next in your "blade war lineup?"
- Thread starter
- #37
Gillette 7 O'clock Yellow (SharpEdge) vs. Black (Super Platinum)
EXCELLENT! Thank you! 
And thanks for confirming my bias! (The truth is that both contenders are in my top 5!)
And thanks for confirming my bias! (The truth is that both contenders are in my top 5!)
- Thread starter
- #39
EXCELLENT! Thank you!
And thanks for confirming my bias! (The truth is that both contenders are in my top 5!)
Glad you enjoyed it, BigJ. I'm looking forward to doing the next one.
I've had terrible luck with the Labs. I bought a one hundred pack a year ago and most of the blades feel rough. These are the only blades that cut me on the first pass. I decided to stop using them, since nine out of ten blades seem to shave me horribly. I have no issues with other blades. I love the Astras.
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