First experience with Astra Stainless

[albsat]

As a totally beginner (one month shaving) I tried today the Astra Superior Stainless with my Wilkinson Classic Sword razor.

The blade was sharp. Due to my inexperience I got 3 cuts under nose and an accidental one down the neck. Only a very small irritation at a side of the face.

But, for me I got the best smooth shaving. I really liked the blade, just need to be careful with the angle with my razor.

I am thinking that maybe another razor could help, but it's another topic. So far, Astra Superior Stainless is better than Isana blades, that I have been using.

To all the beginners in DE world. Don't buy razors, buy blades, till you are familiar with each type. Then invest in razor models.

 

[psfred]

The Wilkinson Sword razor is pretty mild, so I think your advice is right on -- learn to use a DE, preferably a mild one, before you try every razor made by man!

Until you have fairly decent technique, razor differences are going to be obscured by less than stellar user action.

Ditto for blades, actually. There are very limited differences in blade sharpening -- not much material there after all, and it has to have a finely honed edge to cut hair at all. The biggest differences are in the actual angle of honing at the edge, and the coatings, with the result that each blade will require minor differences in angle of the razor handle to get the best shave. There are some minor differences in actual width, hence blade exposure, but most blades are very, very close to the same width.

That said, blades are the biggest variable in wet shaving (nearly all soaps will give you slick lather after all when used properly), and minor differences in blades make major differences in feel and performance for different people.

I'd suggest using a single blade brand for a month or two at a time when starting out. Any of the common brands will work, just stick with one until you can get a clean shave with minimal blood (preferably none!), and THEN start trying different blades. You won't be able to assess them very well if your shaves vary wildly from day to day, eh? When you get consistent shaves every day, you will be able to discern actual differences much better.
Of course, that's not really the normal method here at B&B.....

 

[albsat]

@psfred

thank you for your comments. I was using an Isana blade. It doesn't cut like Astra SS. I used like two weeks but never got such a smooth shaving like Astra, although those two weeks were my first ever using a DE razor.

Are you suggesting to get back at Isana, till I perfect using that blade, which requires a lot of steps for me ? Or jump to Astra SS, which gave me several cuts but the best smooth feeling?

I know it's up to me, but greatly would appreciate your advice.

 

[KC33]

I've only been wet shaving for 3 months now and up until yesterday used nothing but Astra greens. Of course, curiosity got the best of me and tried a Feather yesterday. It was a terrific shaving experience but I feel more comfortable with the Astra. I handled the feather like as if I might cut something off if I made a mistake. Now that I feel somewhat more experienced (relatively speaking) I ordered quite a few packs of different blades and look forward to experimenting with all of them.

I agree with @pfred that using the same type of blade for awhile will be a good way to help sort it all out. My only razor is a Merkur 34hd,although I do have an adjustable on order. (Ming Shi 2000s)

 

[homh]

Isana blades are a private label blade sold in German supermarkets and drugstores. Not many people, including me, are familiar with them. Not sure who makes them. Go with the the Astra Stainless. Or try the Astra Superior Platinum if that is available to you. Your doing well, and will learn to avoid cuts.

 

[fast shaver]

Isana blades are a private label blade sold in German supermarkets and drugstores. Not many people, including me, are familiar with them. Not sure who makes them. Go with the the Astra Stainless. Or try the Astra Superior Platinum if that is available to you. Your doing well, and will learn to avoid cuts.

Only buy a Tuck of Astra SP's. My 100 pack is tuggy & they suck IMO. The Astra Stainless is waaay smoother & sharper & is one of my top blades. So many people here swear by Astra SP's but, I have not found them that great compared to the stainless.

 

[guyakaguy]

@psfred

thank you for your comments. I was using an Isana blade. It doesn't cut like Astra SS. I used like two weeks but never got such a smooth shaving like Astra, although those two weeks were my first ever using a DE razor.

Are you suggesting to get back at Isana, till I perfect using that blade, which requires a lot of steps for me ? Or jump to Astra SS, which gave me several cuts but the best smooth feeling?

I know it's up to me, but greatly would appreciate your advice.

Both the Isana (rebranded Cromas from Feintechnik) and the Astra SS blades aren’t slouches by any means, IMO. The two biggest differences between the two are smoothness and longevity (depending on use of proper angle): the Isana (Croma) being much more smooth and a bit less sharp (feeling) than the Astra SS; the Astra SS being capable of taking your shave count to Excalibur numbers, where the Isana may give you 4-6 good shaves before dropping off the whisker tugging cliff.

In my opinion, and if I had to start all over again (knowing some of what I know now), I’d start off with a middle-of-the-road blade (not too sharp, not too smooth, not too forgiving) to stick with for a month or two to learn the ropes with. After the month (or so) is over, and you have a decent technique developed, try other blades and adjust whichever way is needed then suit your facial preferences. It’s easy to get started on milder “beginner” blades (Dorco, Shark, Voskhod, Personna, etc.), but if they’re not effective you’re going to be overworking them in an effort to get a decent shave, which in turn can develop bad habits while not building proper technique. On a side note I’m not trying to denigrate or disparage anyone who uses these blades on a regular basis, just that the general consensus is that they’re on the milder side.


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[psfred]

If you like the shave from the Astras better, keep using them. The fun thing about blades when you are first starting is that every new one feels much better than the last one -- not because of the blades themselves so much as your skills at shaving are getting better!

Aim for bloodless shaves without irritation. Once you can do that, work on close shaves.

 

[albsat]

Great tips.

I wonder if there is a list of categories for razors based on their mild or sharp structures.

 

[psfred]

Several on the forum, but basically it's this order, sharpest to dullest:
anything from PPI in St. Petersburg,
Rapira blades
the better SuperMax blades
other Indian blades
Pakistani/Egyptian blades.

German Wilkinsons are somewhere in there near the top for me, but not for everyone else.

But you will have to try them yourself, the perceived sharpness is different that actual edge sharpness for most people, and what feels super sharp to one person is dull to another!

 

[albsat]

Thanks for the info. I need to get a bundle soon, I think with some of your list.

Several on the forum, but basically it's this order, sharpest to dullest:
anything from PPI in St. Petersburg,
Rapira blades
the better SuperMax blades
other Indian blades
Pakistani/Egyptian blades.

German Wilkinsons are somewhere in there near the top for me, but not for everyone else.

But you will have to try them yourself, the perceived sharpness is different that actual edge sharpness for most people, and what feels super sharp to one person is dull to another!

 

[Canonite.SG]

@psfred

Are you suggesting to get back at Isana, till I perfect using that blade, which requires a lot of steps for me ? Or jump to Astra SS, which gave me several cuts but the best smooth feeling?

I know it's up to me, but greatly would appreciate your advice.

I would say use and learn on what’s commonly available ..


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[razorhead63]

Astra Stainless are fine blades.
I find them a lot better for my beard and face than most other blades.
Good longevity and smooth enough.
I recommend that everyone try them at least once.

 

[BigJ]

Blades are very much YMMV! That said I really like Astra SPs!

 

[strop]

I know that the Astra SP is an almost universally liked blade on B&B, but I find the Astra SS to be both smoother and sharper. I only recently decided to give them a try, since no one talked about them when I first started with B&B several years ago.

 

[albsat]

I am still using the blade since I started this thread. I am getting confidence in my really cheap Wilkinson classic sword razor. Totally satisfied with myself using this blade.

I am only getting skin irritation but no cuts and relatively smooth skin. Shaving with a brush has helped but I think astra SS works for me.

Next try will be a Astor Bic stainless blade.

 

[Borderboss]

I received a couple of tucks of Astra Stainless blades in a sampler recently. Yesterday was my first shave with one. I first stropped the blade as I normally do with all new blades, then loaded it into my 1957 Gillette Red Tip. My normal shave is 3.5 passes: the first down the face and neck, the second across the face and neck from outside to inside, the third upwards on the face and neck, and then the last is a pass across the neck only from inside to outside. The shave cream I used for this shave was the TOBS Royal Forest shave cream.

Overall, the shave was outstanding. I ended up with a BBS shave, with no residual irritation. I had few weepers, no more than usual in the center part of my lower neck. I really was amazed at how smooth the shave felt, to the point where I was wondering if it was actually cutting anything!

I normally expect four shaves from a blade before I toss it out. I'll report back on subsequent shaves.

 

[Borderboss]

Shave #2 this morning was just as good as shave #1, although I have a roughness patch that is likely operator error. I like these blades a lot.

 

[Ted Danson]

When I restarted DE shaving several mos ago, I tried an Astra SP (as that was what I loved in the past) and got a horrible shave. Someone said to try the Astra Stainless and bought a 100 pack (it was like $11). I got a much better shave but it was still a bit tuggy/rough. Since then I tried a few other blades and found most of them to be more enjoyable than the Astra stainless. So the other day I found a tuck of the Astra SP's and gave one a good. SUCH A GOOD SHAVE. I guess I had a bad Astra SP early on. Bought a 100 pack of the Astra SPs and used a new one today. Such a good, smooth shave. As always, YMMV...

 

[Borderboss]

This morning was my fourth and last shave with this Astra blade. I only use a blade four times, twice on one side, then flip and twice more on the other. Then I toss them. Blades are too inexpensive to use until they start to irritate.

This shave was outstanding, every bit as good as the first. It was essentially a BBS shave, with no irritation. I'm extremely impressed.

Next up with be the Astra Superior Platinum, which is supposed to be an even better blade. This should be interesting.