Astra sp

Hey guys . First time using the astra i order 8 blades to try. Everyting smooth and good until against the grain pass. Lots of pulling and tugging near the chin area . I was hoping for a better shave since they're very affordable. Maybe was that particulate blade ?

I tried an Astra once. Looking down the blade in the razor, it was rippled, like a serated steak knife. The shave was a mix of tugging and skin slicing. It felt sharp till it hit a mature hair then pulled. I never gave that brand a second chance.

I tried an Astra once. Looking down the blade in the razor, it was rippled, like a serated steak knife. The shave was a mix of tugging and skin slicing. It felt sharp till it hit a mature hair then pulled. I never gave that brand a second chance.

Uh, you can't see the cutting edge clearly for the coatings. What is a "mature" hair? Over 21?

Uh, to explain further.
I looked lengthwise down the blade. It is possible with the naked eye. I wasn't implying I could see the actual microscopic edge. To suggest thats what I was referring to is disingenuous.

Uh, to explain about the "mature hair", that is to say my experience is it struggles to cut any hair thicker than baby fuzz.

I hope this explains my statement for better understanding.

It is possible that you got a bad blade, those things happen. My first two experiences with the Astra SP were very bad, so I discarded that particular type for quite a while. I had no problems with its sister, the Astra Superior Stainless (the ones in the blue box), which are a tad sharper or so I feel they are.

Last week I decided to give them a third chance and see what happened, and much to my surprise the shave was excellent. They felt almost as sharp as their SS siblings and actually smoother. I feel, though, that as the blue ones they can give two good shaves for my beard, and off they go. They're cheap enough, no problem. This, together with a bad box of Gillette Sharp Edge that I came across recently, mades me think that you might as well have found a lemon. Just ditch that box and go on with another brand or another box.

Im going to try a different blade

There are so many effective and economical blades available it seems trivial to quibble over it so I moved on. It part of our personal journey!

The honing bevel on a Gillette DE blade is 0.0005" (five ten thousandths). No human ever born can hold their hand steady enough to determine how straight it is or see that fine.

I think so called "dud" blades are usually just simply poor prep and/or technique or the shaver just had an off day. It happens to everyone. QC today is done by robots, lasers, etc.. At least for First World blades.

A few years back I had a conversation with a design/mechanical engineer who worked for a major corp. and he told me then that an entire year's worth of improperly manufactured goods by them could be held in one of his hands as their QC was so stringent with high tech means.

You probably got a dud. Astra's are very consistent, and a great blade in my opinion.

My favorite blades so far ...
Tried with Rockwell, Charcoal Goods. Timeless and
Wolfman .. never disappointed