I bought a few different Russian blades to try out. First up is Rapira Swedish Supersteel. I paired it with my Edwin Jagger and St James of London Sandlewood and Bergamont shave cream. My first impression is the blade is only moderately sharp. I've read these might be best paired with a more aggressive razor so I might move it to a Mekur next time. The result of two passes was a smooth comfortable shave with just a little texture left over. So far I like it. It's not amazing but I'd have no issues using it every day.
I been mostly bearded for the past four years, but on the occasion that I shave, I love Astra blades. I read AKS's less than stellar review, and I disagree. I tried many blade brands and these ended up being my favorites by far. Maybe it is a difference of hair type.
Each individual's experience can vary. I bought 100 of them without even trying them first based on the overwhelming praise. They just didn't perform well for me. They're decently sharp but less smooth than even sharper blades. I didn't get razor burn from Feather or BIC Platinum Chrome, and they are definitely sharper than Astra SP. I'm using Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving creams and a EJ DE89 handle.
Performance depends on the the hair, skin, the aggressiveness of the razor head, and even the shaving cream. A blade that is bad for one person can be great for another.
If you look carefully at the top of that post, I clarified from the beginning my ranking was "Best" for my facial hair and skin.
Well... that kind of disclaimer doesn't mean much. You should've attached physical facial hair and skin samples to the post.
AKS said there are lots of good reviews for the Astra blades so I wanted to give a voice to one of those positive opinions. I don't doubt his experience, but mine was not the same. I also want to add that I love Taylor of Old Bond Street creams, specifically the grapefruit one. However, its an expensive luxury item to have it imported from the UK. I usually use my trusty tube of Proraso and it works very well. I grew up in a place with a heavy Italian-American population, so the smell is a bit nostalgic and I enjoy it.
I bought 200 Polsilver blades from Men's Room Barber Shop for $56. Shipping is free for orders over $49, which was also much faster than I expected. That should last for a few years easily. Voskhod and Polsilver will be my main razor blades for awhile. I really wish Polsilver wasn't owned by Gillette/ P&G. I didn't want to give them any more money, but those particular blades worked quite well for me. I think they have bought out all my top choices except Voskhod, Personna, and Feather. Men's Room Barber Shop also sells Feather, but I've found better deals on amazon. You could get some nice deals there if you wanted to buy a razor handle and a large pack or two of blades, which would probably land you in the free shipping range.
I got a sample of this shaving cream called The Dude. It smells like weed and white Russians. It's not just the worst shaving cream I've ever smelt, it's possible the worst thing I've ever smelt. Oddly my wife thinks its smells okay. I guess some people like the weed smell. I hate it.