Astra Platinum Double Edge Safety Razor Blades,100 Blades (20 x 5)

I finally went through a 100-pack of Astras I'd bought 5 years ago and it was time to order another. I was a little nervous, seeing the negative reviews/claims of diminished quality. My original pack was labeled for sale in Turkey. The new pack was labeled for sale in Czech Republic. I don't see any difference (think, it's the same factory, it's far easier to have a single line making same blades rather than making multiple different blades). These are great. After I ran out, I was going through different samplers I'd purchased and I have not found a better value. Great balance of sharpness, smoothness and value. UPDATE 05/15/2015: I tried these in Merkur 37c SLANT BAR razor - wow, great! It mowed down a week's worth of beard in one pass without clogging and I only used subsequent passes to get that smooth feeling in all directions. I've never been able to do this before - longer growth always took extra passes. UPDATE 06/10/2015: I just got a Merkur 15c "open comb" razor and the Astra SP blade also worked great in it. It is neither harsh nor too mild - seems just the right balance of sharpness and smoothness, it slices, no tugging. IMHO these are a great value. Only straight edge would be cheaper (but that takes more time/effort and more up-front investment). I am new-ish to DE shaving, but also got into straight edge shaving a couple of years ago. I can only compare these to the German blades that came with my Van Der Hagen razor and maybe I'm not sophisticated enough yet, but they both appear to shave great - better than the "best" cartridge razor i.e. Gillette Fusion ProGlide. I like the value, but the packaging could be a bit more travel-friendly, but perhaps that would increase costs. Still, the little 5-blade boxes are great. I am curious to try other blades and sharpnesses, but I don't feel like I need to. UPDATE 05/26/2015 - I have since tried a Wilkinson Sword and a sample Merkur blade (by Solingen) that came with my Slant. I have to say that my perception is that Astra is better - both: a closer shave and a milder shave with less irritation/injury. So far, out of the 4 I've tried - Van Der Hagen (Germany), Wilkinson Sword, Merkur and Astra - Astra seems best and Merkur seems worst (wow, really, Solingen?). I'll keep updating as I have Feathers coming in soon :) UPDATE - 06/03/2015. I also just tried a Feather blade with my Slant. The first shave was great and very smooth, the second - not so much. I am thinking that the Feathers are a one-shave blade. I still think Astras are the best blade AND cheapest blade out there.

This is probably the best combination of price and value in the razor blades I have tried. Feather Blades are the Cadillac of Razor blades, but they are almost twice as much, and these Astra Blades start out almost as sharp and are lasting almost as long. The ones I purchased say they are manufactured in India for Gillette, (which is why I purchased two packs of 100.) I have a relatively light beard, but my blade is still sharp after 7 shaves. I expect I will get a few more days out of it, since I am still shaving very smoothly, and closely, with no nicks. When the blade is new, it is so sharp, and cuts the beard so easily and fast that there is absolutely NO DRAG at all. You might believe it skipped the beard entirely. The only other blade I got that kind of performance out of was Feather. And for reference, I am doing multiple passes, including a final against the grain pass for a "clean as a baby's butt" level of smoothness. NO irritation. Very smooth. So far, I tried the original King Gillette blades that came with my razor (not good), the Feather Blades (AMAZINGLY sharp, made with Japanese steel), and these Astra Blades (made in India). They are inexpensive enough to buy several years supply. Totally recommended. UPDATE: After using both Feather and Astra for a year, Astra keeps their edge much longer than Feather. Feather starts to dull very quickly, whereas Astra, which I think are every bit as sharp, are still delivering absolutely perfect shaves after 6 uses. They are good for 10 shaves if you want to pinch pennies. And I wait 2-3 days between shaves, so my beard is significant every time I shave. If you get the proper angle, you can just let the weight of the shaver do the work with no nicks. BTW, I recommend Viking Shaving soap. It is the perfect combination of lubrication without a clogging build-up on the razor. Cheers.

Just started using a safety razor to shave my head. I'm getting like 3 shaves out of 2 of these on my head and around my beard before I pitch 'em. For this price I figure every 3 shaves I can just replace. So much cheaper than cartridge razors. They're so sharp it almost feels like you aren't shaving. There's no tugging or pulling. No irritation. Haven't cut myself or had any razor burn....another reason I'm pitching them after 3 shaves. Before I bought this pack of razors and the Leaf handle, I purchased a new razor and cartridges from Costco....absolute trash. I had a brand-new cart in the razor and it felt like it was ripping out parts of my hair rather than shaving. I use an alum block after shaving and I had TONS of "zings" letting me know I had a ton of irritation from a cartridge on the very first shave. For a set that cost $35 that's unacceptable. So far so good with these blades. No zings from the alum, nice and smooth results. No irritation, very close shave going with then against the grain. Very impressed with this new system.

Years ago, I made the switch from modern multi-blade cartridge razors to traditional safety razors, and it has been one of the best choices I've made. Not only is it a fantastic way to save a ton of money over time, but the overall shave quality is good. Since making the switch, the Astra Platinum Double Edge Safety Razor Blades have become my absolute go-to option. They consistently deliver an incredibly smooth, close shave. Best of all, they slide across the skin effortlessly without causing annoying nicks, cuts, or scratches. It has just been a great experience all around. If you are looking for a reliable, high-quality blade for your daily routine, you can't go wrong with these.

Astra was a Czech Republic based company that was bought up by Gillette (which is owned by parent company Procter & Gamble). These are made by ZAO Petersburg Products in Russia for Proctor & Gamble(Gillette). Some say they are also made in Turkey but I have seen no proof of this. I have only observed Russian made but distributed and labeled for sale in Turkey. I've been wet shaving for about 30 years now. I have coarse facial hair and somewhat sensitive skin. This review will be from that perspective and based on that experience level. Remember that shaving is a very personal thing; therefore; it is subjective and conditional to the individual's needs, preferences and skill. Let's breakdown the individual merits - (see my pictures for reference) Price: My price was $10 for 100 count (20 boxes of 5) - in my opinion 5 out of 5 stars here. Packaging: Each blade is labeled, oiled and individually wrapped in paper. The labeling consists of the product name and they even go through the trouble to print a 1 and a 2 on each side to make reversal easy for single edge shavers! Very professional! They are then placed into a 5 count mini box that allows for portability or easy placement in the medicine cabinet. In my case, I bought 100 count, so I had one large box containing 20 mini boxes of 5. The parent box, as shown in my pictures, has a side window to show the level of 5 packs left and the front has a tear out section that would allow for easy distribution if on a shelf or a rack. This is very likely mostly a benefit to a small corner store to aid in selling. I love everything about this packaging. Again, 5 out of 5 stars. Quality Control: I have used these blades many times over the past few years. I have not had a single bad batch and each blade seems as good as the previous. 5 out of 5 stars. Sharpness: Sharp enough to get the job done yet leaving your skin intact and unirritated. If I had to compare them to another brand it would be the Personna Blue Label blades. 4 out of 5 stars. Longevity: This is a VERY subjective thing to rate. I have coarse facial hair and these last me 3 to 4 shaves at the most, which I consider to be good. 4 out of 5 stars. Performance: I’ve used these blades in 3 or 4 different types of DE razors. Some are mild and some are aggressive builds. The Astra Superior Platinum performed perfectly under all conditions. I’ve never experienced irritation, cuts or soreness unless I rushed or got careless, but that’s true for any blade if you aren’t careful. 5 out of 5 stars. FINAL THOUGHTS As I ponder this blade I think about who and what it is for. I feel this blade is best for beginners and sensitive skin types due to it being very forgiving. Shockingly, I am very surprised it performs so well with my coarse beard but it does! I would consider this blade to be an excellent daily shaver for the work week or touching up that 5 o’ clock shadow for happy hour. You could shave twice a day with this blade and remain unscathed. Earlier I compared this to the classic and beloved Personna Blue label blades. While those still are my personal favorites, I honestly feel the Astra Superior Platinum is a notch above. And that is where the rub is for me! Astra is owned by Gillette but made in Russia. Personna is made in the USA. I can’t imagine Astra couldn’t be made here for about the same price, if not for a meager two or three dollars more. I’m not a fan of Gillette (P&G) either because they just want to reap tremendous profits by hustling everyone into buying 5 blade vibrating disposables which are insanely over-priced and can’t deliver a quality shave nearly as well as a DE blade can. Don’t even get me started on how bad those gimmick blades are for the landfill or the environment!!! In the end, I concede that this is a darn fine razor but I’ll continue to purchase and support MADE IN THE USA – PERSONNA brand blades. If you have no ethical conflicts like I do, the Astra should serve you well.

I've been wet shaving for several years now and after my initial trial and error with several different brands of blades I settled on Timor blades that have treated me very well since. Having ordered a massive amount of them as soon as I fell in love with them, I recently found myself going into my drawer for the next sleeve of them to find that I have just a few razors left. Taking a look at ordering more I see that they've become quite difficult to get in any quantity so I had to find a new option. Years ago when I was trying razors I skipped right over these Astra razors because they actually seemed too cheap to be any good in my mind, how foolish I was. Looking at my options now I just popped in the search and sorted by the customer reviews to see what WE thought were the very best razors. Without question there is a clear winner there by a HUGE margin and this is her, the Astra Superior Platinum, so I put in an order for 100 blades at the bargain basement price of like $8 - just amazing. They came very well packaged in an easy to manage and store box of boxes of 5, when it came time to shave I was still apprehensive about trying a new razor after years loving the Timor razors. Taking the razor out of the wrapper it seemed somehow "fatter" I guess is the best way to describe it than the Timor razors I was used to as well as far more flimsy, not an excellent first impression at all there. I still made sure to do the rest of the ritual I've come to love so much heating up my mug in the hot water before pulling it out and setting it on the counter with just about 2 inches of hot water left inside and the outer reservoir filled to keep the inside nice and toasty, in went my beloved Merkur 38C and silvertip badger brush so they could start getting nice and toasty, off came the top of my new favorite Sir Hare tallow based shaving soap (previously Cella which is also excellent, tried Sir Hare wanting tallow to be more prevalent and after my first go stocked right up, order from their official page for better deals and selection of majestic scents). I do my business as usual, flick the excess water from my now warm brush and load it up with soap before I add just a few drops of water to the brush itself and build a glorious warm tallow later on my face that is one of the very best feelings there is. Now I'm ready, razor and blade have been sitting in the hot water for a few minutes and my face is a creamy tangled landscape ready to do battle with a new foe. From the very first stroke of the blade I knew I'd made a horrible mistake years ago, it was magnificent the effortless destruction to two days of growth. Not only did the blades give me a replacement for the Timor blades I've used for years, they greatly improved the experience of the shave we all love so much. After another week of this to make sure it wasn't a fluke, I went ahead and stocked up on these blades to a point where I'll never need to order another blade again. Heck, the next generation of my family may not need to order another blade ever again and it was just a few bucks, seems unreal. These blades go above and beyond to provide the luxurious shave that we rely on to pull us out of bed every morning and I really can't say enough good things about them, out of the box they don't have the look or feel that I was used to but once in the razor they take me places I never knew I wanted to go. If you're just now thinking of getting into wet shaving absolutely do not hesitate to give these wonderful blades a try along with any others you are trying, they will without question not let you down. Please do invest a bit more in a quality razor, this cannot be said enough. Anything at all Merkur can be trusted and relied on, they have razors for any price point so there is for sure no reason for this to be why the experience isn't everything that it can be. Your brush choice is far less important, a $5 synthetic brush will be just fine as long as it feels good on your skin and builds the lather you're looking for. If you're looking for an option that suits the best of both worlds you can get an incredible silvertip badger brush for around $30 if you do some looking. For your soap choices there are more options than there are days in the year, I've tried over 100 of them and every single time come back to tallow based options being hands down the best many times over. Cella is a great option for getting started here, as I mentioned previously the Sir Hare line of shaving soaps are my absolute favorite after years of trying different options. They offer several different fantastic scents at their official page and shipping is just a couple dollars, their containers are also over-sized so you can load your brush there without any extra mug or dish and lather right on your face. Make sure to get a stand for your brush and razor as keeping them well taken care of and dry is by far the most critical piece to keeping them happy and healthy for years to come. Some folks are put off by the seeming initial cost of wet shaving, but if you stand even the VERY best of wet shaving needs up against the yearly cost of shaving with Mach-5 (or whatever) blades and your spray cans of cream, ours comes out to literal pennies. It's so very much cheaper and the quality of the shave just isn't even fair to compare, it's laughable. Before I tried wet shaving I used to look like a mountain man, seriously hated shaving. Wet shaving has made it something that I truly look forward to every single day, everything about it is an experience that so very many men are missing out on thanks to the 5 blade garbage and spray cans that have been hammered into our minds for a generation. Shaving is your time for yourself and with these tools and just the smallest amount of trial and error you will feel like a king every single time you step up to your sink. I wish I hadn't shaved yet today.

TL;DR — These are my go-to blades for great, close shaves at an unbeatable price. Here is my review of the blades I've tried. There are a lot of sampler packs on Amazon, but after doing some research I chose to order around 30 each of just a few different blades to try, avoiding all of the lesser-quality "filler". I'll compare here and there to Mach-3 blades since that's what I previously used before switching to electric, and now this. First off, Derby is what came with my razor. These you can practically rake across your face any way you see fit. They aren't very sharp, on par with a Mach-3 that's been used a few times. Shaving requires more strokes which leads to more irritation, especially on the neck. That said, I'd say these are a good blade if you're super worried about cutting yourself, because it's practically impossible. But even beginners might want to look elsewhere as these blades kind of ruin the "shaving experience". Don't be disappointed if you just bought this razor and have only tried these blades! Keep reading... I ordered a 100-pack of Astra SP Platinum (that's Astra Superior Premium Platinum, not the regular stainless) since it's under ten bucks at the time of this writing. These are great. Beginners, start here. They're sharp enough that you don't have to press the razor against your skin—which you shouldn't have to! You're supposed to let the weight of your razor do the work as you guide it along your face in short strokes. So naturally, these are sharper than Mach-3 blades, but if you do press a little, you probably won't nick yourself. I love these blades because for me, they're comfortable enough for everyday use and provide good, close shaves at a very inexpensive price. Easy on my neck with care. My go-to blade. Great for beginners and pros alike, and eligible for Subscribe & Save! Wilkinson Sword Classic seem to be great blades for people who have their technique down pretty well. Compared to Astra SP Platinum, they are sharper. They provided the best shave of the lot, but I did nick myself here and there on my neck and below my chin the first time around. Do not push these blades against your skin. It doesn't take much mastery to use these, and they're worth working up to. Downside: more than twice the price of Astra SP Platinum. I'll keep some of these around for days when I want the closest shave possible, or I just feel like something different. If you're new to traditional shaving or think Mach-3 blades are sharp, maybe don't start here, but definitely try them out. Feather "New Hi Stainless" Platinum Coated blades are exactly what the reviews say: sharp. My first shave I got a good amount of nicks, but my second I had almost none. I adapted well, and you have to; each brand is a little different and the best require good technique, but some are more forgiving than others. These are negligibly sharper than the Wilkinson Sword Classic but they aren't forgiving at all and I didn't achieve any better of a shave. They're incredibly sharp compared to a Mach-3 blade. At 2x the price of the aforementioned and more than 3x the price of Astra SP Platinum, I won't be keeping these on hand, but your mileage may vary. If you only want the sharpest blade around, this is it. Fun fact: these come ten to a pack instead of five. In conclusion, I'm sticking with Astra SP Platinum for regular use and Wilkinson Sword Classic when I'm up for something sharper. I shave every other day, and either is priced reasonably enough that if I want, I can use each side of a blade just once for a fresh edge every shave. That's about a 100-pack every year, so do the maths on price. Of course, both brands last much longer than this if you're looking for even better value.

I share a couple boxes with family members and we all have the same basic opinion. This is a quality blade. I haven't had any issues with these and they are easy to use and eventually dispose of.

Perfect thank you

Cilt dostu. Benim cildime iyi geldi. Tahriş yapmıyor. Merkür 34c makine ile kullanıyorum. Keyifli mi keyifli tıraş sunuyor. Teşekkürler Amazon.

son las navajas hechas en Rusia, muy buen filo y calidad, este paquete me dura muchos años de afeitadas al ras y sin irritacion.

disposable blades are a scam. this will last me a few years at least. the biggest scam is it is more convenient to use disposable razors. its not.

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