Astra - Blue Superior Stainless Double Edge Razor Blades

UPDATE: 6/26/2018 I'm so happy I decided to buy these blades. I've been shaving with these exclusively for almost 2 years and I love them just as much as the first time I used them. There may be sharper or more expensive blades out there but IMHO these are an ideal balance of sharp, affordable and effective. Perfect for inexperienced shavers or veterans alike. If you're debating I'd recommend getting them. The 100 blades will last you a loooong time. I easily get 5-7 smooth shaves out of each blade before I consider tossing it. That's usually with shaving 2-4 days worth of growth every time. I knew these would last me a while but I had no idea just how long. It's been nearly 2 years since I bought these and I'm honestly only a little over halfway through them. The amount of money I've saved versus what I would have spent buying cartridges or disposable razors is ridiculous! Even if you go nuts and shave daily with a fresh blade you'll be saving tons of money. The lone complaint I've been able to come up with is the lack of old blade disposal integrated into the packaging. It's up to you to safely store and or dispose of your discarded blades. (These are packaged in very lightweight cardboard and not plastic or metal cases with a disposal slot like some double edge blades.) ORIGINAL REVIEW: So far I'm loving these blades. Keep in mind at the moment I've only used a couple of them but they are worlds better than the cheap double edge blades I was using from our local Dollar General store. Those didn't last long and tended to pull on heavier growth more. These blades were as advertised and described and appear to the real deal. You get two cards containing 10 packs of 5 blades each for a total of 100 blades. Each small cardboard box of blades contains 5 double edged blades individually wrapped in wax paper. The blades have a bit of a waxy coating on them and a dab of wax like material to hold the wax paper on that wipes away with a finger. I noticed no thick dabs of glue etc that you need to get off. These blades glide so much better than the garbage I was using before and are much sharper. I feel like I can let the weight of the razor do the work like I should. Oddly enough they seem to be more forgiving as well. I haven't knicked or cut myself once with these and I usually shave very quickly. I've experienced no razor bumps or razor burn even after multiple passes when my first rushed attempt misses spots. (I really should slow down!) Once you factor in what an insane value these are you really can't go wrong. As long as I can keep buying double Edge blades I'll never go back to cartridges, disposables etc. BACKGROUND DETAILS: Since shaving and choosing the best blade are highly personalized and an area where a LOT of people are passionate about things I thought I'd share a bit of background info so you know where I'm coming from. I'm not a shaving snob. I'm not a guy that spends a great deal of time thinking about shaving. I'm not someone who will sit down and debate or discuss the intricacies of shaving with you. For me it's sort of like politics, the perfect cup of coffee, the perfect car or the ideal partner debate. Everyone has their own opinion and what is perfect for one person may not be right for next. There is no one size fits all solution. I'm not new to shaving with a double edge blade. I've been doing it for about 10 years but I honestly never put a ton of thought in it. I like the closeness it offers and when I discovered how much more affordable it was in the long run I switched and never looked back. As a single dad on a budget my primary reason for shaving with a DE razor is the significant cost savings. Buying a year or two worth of blades for the same price I'd pay for 2-4 of the latest cartridge style razors just seems so much smarter. I have the luxury of working for myself at home so I don't need to shave every day. I usually don't shave every day since I don't have. I typically go 2-3 days or sometimes longer between shaves. I prefer wet shaving and I honestly don't put much thought into what I use. I typically go with cheap shaving cream or shaving gels. I use an old Gilette "Black Beauty" long handle adjustable razor. I have pretty coarse hair, especially on my neck. I also tend to get razor burn, bumps and irritation on my neck very easily. For YEARS I've been using the blades I bought down the street at a Dollar General store. I think I paid a couple bucks for 5 blades. This was primarily for affordability and convenience. I started using them when I first switched to DE shaving. I guess my line of thinking was I'd try the easiest and cheapest blades I could get locally. If I liked DE shaving I could then look into better blades. Life got in the in the way and I just stuck in the same old rut. I'd buy a few packs at the beginning of the year and stretch them out MUCH longer than I should. Sure, most people aren't interested in my frugal shopping habits, but I thought it's important to point out I honestly don't have much experience with a higher quality blade. A couple weeks ago I popped my last Dollar General blade into my razor and I honestly will never go back. I grew tired of raking those dulled slabs of steel across my face. Even with a new blade shaving a three day growth involved more pulling than I liked and multiple passes. Even with a brand new blade and shaving every day I'd tend to get irritated on my neck area due to the previous blades. When I decided to finally buy a better blade I turned to Amazon to research my options and read some reviews. That proved to be a blessing and a curse. Being able to read reviews is helpful but also tends to make things even more confusing at times. After spending an hour or two reading many reviews and reading reviewers debating the intricacies and benefits of countless blades I came across the Astra Superior Stainless. This is the blessing. I honestly have no real clue what I'm doing with all of this and trying to figure out which blade is best by reading what other people think really isn't Since I'm a bit hamfisted and always in a rush I figured I didn't want a very aggressive blade. Reviews seemed to indicate these are sharp yet forgiving blades that are high quality and affordable. I figured I could read all day but it would never help me more than just spending $10 or $11 bucks and seeing what I think by using them. So far this has been the best shaving decision I've made. These are sharp, forgiving and after I shave my face feels smooth with absolutely no irritation. THIS is how it's supposed to feel? ;) If my opinion changes as I get further into these blades I'll be sure to update my review. So far I'm VERY satisfied.

These are quality blades at a great price. Smooth enough to use daily but also sharp enough to easily take down a weeks worth of growth. If I shave daily I get 3-4 smooth shaves per half blade. If I skip days between shaves then I get 2-3 smooth shaves per half blade. I use my blades with a Leaf Twig razor which uses half a blade (snap the blade in half while in cover) so 100 blades gives me about 600 shaves, enough to last 2 years! I've also used Gillette 7 O'clock Super Stainless blades. They provide a bit more of a smoother shave and are a bit more forgiving but don't give as close of a shave as the Astra blades. The sharpest blade I've used was the BIC Chrome Platinum. While they provide a bit closer shave than the other two blades they're not smooth on the face and are less forgiving. I have to use next to no pressure or the BIC blade feels like it tugs a bit. It's also best to use the BIC blades when you have 3 days or less of growth. Out of the bunch the Astra blades are the overall best. They provide a smooth close shave and can be had for a great price.

These Astra blades are amazing! For context, I have course hair and sensitive skin, which is a terrible combination to get perfect close shaves without irritation. However, these Astra Superior Stainless blades work the magic for me. I have been shaving with Feathers and the aggressiveness of the Feathers just leave my face a tad bit red and itchy afterwards; which I've been dealing with for the past couple of months. Prior to that, I was shaving with Astra SP's and while don't give me as much irritation, the shaving experience was not as pleasant as I always feel slight tugging even on the very first shave on the blades. I even was super mindful regarding pressure, lather, and whatever I was doing; I just couldn't get anything great out of the Feathers, and SP's. I decided to switch things up and go with these Astra Superior blades and man do they feel smooth on my face without any irritation whatsoever! I pair this up with my R41, Jack Black's Beard Lube for a quick and easy shave, along with Nivea's post shave balm after and I can shave everyday with this setup and not have any itchy, redness, irritation, or bumps whatsoever. They cut as sharp as Feathers (imo) and leave me no tugging (unlike SP's). I would say I can get a good 3-4 clean shaves with this blade per use, but I play it safe and often times replace it after 2 shaves since my hair is that coarse. I also use cold water as well as that helps with tightening up my pores and preserving the blade from deforming, unlike using hot/warm water. Overall, I am super satisfied with these blades; these ones should be called the "Platinum's", unlike the current Superior Platinum ones they have which don't feel nearly as nice as these ones.

Meh forgettable blades like the superior platinum better

I've had great luck with this purchase. These blades offer quite a good shave. I'm using them with the razor handle linked below. Merkur "1904" Classic Safety Razor - Open-#41- Made in Germany PROS: 1.) The price. $0.13 per blade is an astonishing price considering the price of cartridge blades. 2.) The quantity. I'm not concerned about stretching the use of each blade like I was with the cartridges. 3.) The sharpness. I use each blade for five to seven shaves. I have moderate stiffness and thickness of my beard, but these hold up well if you dry them properly after each shave. CONS: 1) The container. The blades are stored in tiny boxes, five per box, and then 20 boxes are affixed to a display card that you'd see in a 1950s barbershop or pharmacy. I wish they were all in a more compact storage medium. I've taken to jamming the boxes into a 500 business card shipping box to save space on my countertop. 2) The glue that affixes the wax paper to the blade in the box can sometimes stick to the blade. Sometimes that glue can make the blade not seat properly in the blade handle. To avoid this I just use the old blade to scrape the glue off if it's stuck.

Great shave while being a forgiving blade. Excellent value in my opinion.

I've tried most every brand out there and believe this blade is the most balanced: inexpensive, very smooth and comfortable, sharp, great longevity. I sent my brother a pack of 100 and he has made these his go to blades as well. Very similar to the comfort of Bolzano but shaper like a Feather. Perhaps Polsilver are a notch above BUT at 2.5-4 times the price, these Russian blades are a no brainer, even compared to another Russian favorite of mine, Gillette 7oClock Blacks. I've been using these in my Above the Tie H1, R1, and M2 razor and get BRILLIANT shaves. Don't underestimate the great price. Ditch those stupid department store, 5 blade cartridge, razor gimmicks. Shave like your grandfather did. If you looking for a great DE razor, I suggest the Merkur 39C here on Amazon. Update 1: I'm so impressed that I have now stocked up on 700 Astra Superior Stainless (SS) blades. For whatever reason, I find these better than the Astra SP blades. In my opinion, they last as long as the SP but shave smoother for my face. I still like to dabble with all the other brands, but so far these are the only ones that I'm currently stocking up on. I use these in my Weber, Ikon OSS, Ikon Open Comb, Ikon Standard closed comb, Gillette Super Speed, Edwin Jagger de89l, and Merkur 34C Heavy Duty, Merkur 37C slant, Feather Popular, Gillette Tech. Try these blades!!! Update 2: Still by far my overall favorite blade, smooth, comfortable, and very sharp. I really like the Astra SS in my more efficient razors like the Weber and Ikon Open Comb. The Ikon OSS is so gentle, though, that you may want to use a Feather instead. However, nothing else has produced for me a smoother shave than this blade with my more moderately aggressive razors. My other shave friends agree with me as well. Buy these before you might not be able to find them in the future. Astra SP might be cheaper but I prefer the SS just a bit more.

Nice safety razors. I bought a variety pack about a year ago, and went through many different brands and variants of the safety razor blade. This was my favorite. Very close shave, but your mileage may vary. It's a good price, but I would suggest buying a variety pack to test first if you want ~20 packs of 5 blades. For $10 (at the time of purchase), that's 10 cents for a couple shaves, exponentially less than disposable razors which have tons of waste. The shave of these Astra blades is very close. It's potentially more "aggressive", but even with sensitive skin, I don't have an issue with these, and they last for about a week each if you properly dry them after each use.

The blades are good - recommended! Personally i prefer these over the platinum ones. Only problem is that amazon keeps shipping 5 blades instead of 100. Now amazon has refunded every time (well done!) but i am still trying to order the box with 100 blades. I hope amazon fixes this quickly.

Since beginning traditional wet shaving about eight months ago I have tried a number of blades and these are what I now regard as my go to blades. This is a good pack of blades which comes well packaged and is great value for money. Pros Blades are smooth and sharp. This means care is required but gives a great shave. Personally I find these as smooth and sharp as the Astra Platinums but I tend not to use blades until unfit for use. Well packaged - cardboard is better for the environment. Consistent manufacturing means blades are always good Cons Nothing major - don't like the glue on the inner sleeve but not a big deal either. Overall A great blade at a great price with consistency you can rely on for an excellent shave every time.

Vorweg, ich habe leider eine recht empfindliche Gesichtshaut und eine Rasur erschwerend, verschiedene Wuchsrichtungen meiner Barthaare. Da sind Problem vorprogrammiert und eine Rasur macht nicht wirklich Spaß, wenn man vorhergehend bereits weiß, dass Entzündungen vorprogrammiert sind. Da irgendwann ein Dreitagebart leider keine Option mehr war, habe ich mich in mehreren Jahren durch die Welt der Elektrorasierer, Hobel, Klingen, Rasierschäume, Rasiergele und auch After Shaves arbeiten müssen, um ein akzeptables Ergebnis für mich zu finden. Es bedarf zwar Zeit und Experimentierfreude, allerdings muss ich aus meiner Erfahrung sagen, dass es sich auszahlt nach einer optimalen Lösung für sich selbst zu suchen. Da eine Rasur nicht einzig von den Klingen abhängt, hier meine "Testumgebung" mit der ich die Klingen getestet habe. Eine zügige Rasur (in 6 Minuten fertig, da mir ein rumhantieren mit warmen Handtüchern oder umfangreiche Hautvorbereitungsmaßnahmen für die tägliche Rasur zu aufwendig sind) mit zufriedenstellendem Ergebnis (d.h. keine Schnitte, keine Rötungen, so gut wie keine eingewachsenen Haare) erhalte ich so: * Rasur direkt nach einer Dusche * Haut zunächst mit normaler Gesichtscreme eincremen (Rasierschaum reizt die Haut dann etwas weniger) * Rasiergel sensitiv, 3 Minuten Einwirkdauer * Beim Hobel greife ich auf ein Modell von Wilkinson (sword classic) aus dem Drogeriemarkt zurück. Gibt es Blisterverpackt mit einer Packung Klingen (diese sind allerdings so schlecht, dass sie bei mir direkt in den Müll wandern), für eine handvoll Euro. Kann den Hobel nur empfehlen, da ich mit dem Modell genauso gute Ergebnise wie mit einem Mühle-Hobel erhalte, der jedoch um ein Vielfaches teurer war und zudem deutlich schwerer ist. * Astra Superior Klingen, gute Schärfe und kaum Hautirritationen. Ich wechsle die Klingen grundsätzlich nach dreifacher Benutzung. Würden wohl auch ein paar Rasuren länger halten, allerdings braucht man sich bei dem günstigen Preis darüber wirklich keine Gedanken zu machen. Ein 100er Pack für ~10€ reicht so für ein komplettes Jahr und ist damit sogar günstiger als ein neuer Schermessersatz für einen Elektrorasierer. Habe zuvor Klingen von Personna verwendet. Mit den Astra Klingen ist die Rasur jedoch etwas sanfter und ich habe noch seltener Probleme mit eingewachsenen Haaren. Weiterer Vorteil ist der günstigere Preis der Astra Klingen bei gleicher Haltbarkeit. * L'Oreal Men Expert Hydra Sensitiv After Shave. Geniales Produkt bei empfindlicher Haut. Ich habe noch kein anderes After Shave gefunden, dass mit diesem in Sachen Sanftheit und Unterdrückung von Rötungen mithalten könnte. Fazit: Bei empfindlicher Haut sollte man die Klinge nicht einzeln betrachten, sondern nach einer optimalen Gesamtlösung für die Rasur suchen. Für alle Anderen, ich kann die Klinge uneingeschränkt empfehlen, gutes Ergebnis (Schärfe und Haltbarkeit vergleichbar Personna Platinum, jedoch etwas sanfter zur Haut, da bei mir deutlich weniger eingewachsene Haare). Super Qualität bei sehr günstigem Preis von ~10ct pro Klinge, ein besseres Preis-Leistungsverhältnis habe ich noch nicht gesehen.

Spinto dalla curiosità di queste lamette Astra Blu ho girato tanti negozi per trovarle, ma erano introvabili e vendevano solamente le Astra Verdi che ho sempre usato. Quindi mi sono affidato ad Amazon e le ho acquistate . Sono rimasto piacevolmente sorpreso da queste Astra Blu , queste scivolano delicatamente e radono anche barbe dure ( come la mia ) senza lasciare la pelle irritata. Sinceramente queste le preferisco rispetto alle Verdi che nonostante tutto sono anche buone . Comunque vi consiglio di provarle entrambe per vedere quale fanno al vostro caso. Spero di esservi stato utile. Buona sbarbata 🧔

ASTRAの生産拠点はロシアからインドへ移り、僅かながら品質が低下しました。 今回届いたのは移転前にロシアで生産された本物のASTRA Stainlessでした。 メジャーな緑のパッケージよりも切れ味が鋭く、個人的にはこちらの刃のほうが好ましいと感じます。