Gillette Aristocrat DE Razor | Fine Snake Bite Shaving Soap 

Guess ?

@Alex, not sure what you are asking here. The Astra SP (green) blades are sharpish and smooth but not very long lived. I find them to be slightly sharper and smoother than Wilkinson Sword Classic blades. But, DE blades are a YMMV thiing. What works for you is determined by how sensitive your skin is, what kind of razor you are using, the blade in, how tough and thick your beard is, and how experienced you are, as well as the preparation that you do. Shaving against the grain is not something that everyone can do. Some people shave with the grain and across the grain, and just can't abide an against the grain pass. Do whatever works for you. I recommend a hot shower to soften the beard before shaving. I also favor a cold or tepid water shave with a lather that is both slick and cushioning. Each of these steps mitigates irritation, ime. I have a grey and coarse beard with average sensitivity skin. For me, I like a mid efficiency razor with a sharper blade (Nacet or Wizamet SI). I am generally a 2 pass shaver with pickups. I avoid buffing, and use tepid water to shave with. Astra SP blades are regarded as very usable and a bargain at the price, or they used to be before production was moved from St. Petersburgh to India. Last time I purchased a 100 pack it cost me roughly $8.00 on Amazon. That was a couple of years ago. I like them. They work, but I have come to prefer even sharper blades that are also smooth. I personally don't care for the Wilkinson Sword blades. I find them to be tuggy, which implies that they are not sharp enough for my beard in my favored razors. I also find that they are not as smoothh as the Astra SP blades. Wilkinson Sword blades are Paul's goto blades. He prefers them. Hardware is a very subjective category. I recommend that a new wet shaver use an adjustable razor and purchase a variety pack of blade tucks. You are going to have to try some out to discover what works best for you, in the razor that you have, with the skill level that you have now. Your preferences will probably change as your technique improves, and as your face becomes accustomed to having a steel blade drawn across it.

@@ivermec-tin666 Thanks.