Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I recently stared wetshaving earlier this year and I've been using the Van Der Hagen blades that came bundled with the safety razor however you only get 5 so I had look for a box of quality blades and these seem to be the best deal you can get. Among a few other brands, the Astras seem to be amongst the best in quality and sharpness and supposedly are right in between the Personas and Feathers so I figured they would be the best middle ground to use as a beginner wetshaver. They come in a nice sleek box that doesn't take up much space and have a perforated opening where you can slide out one little box of 5 blades at a time. Upon inspection they're pretty much the same as the Van Der Hagens. Same size, no defects, and the logo and writing is printed on nicely. However I did immediately notice these Astra blades have a noticeably smaller blade edge than the Van Der Hagen. By that I mean the actual cutting area that is shaped and sharpened by a machine so I was wondering if that would cause the shave to feel different. There is in fact a difference between these two blades so I'm wondering if that is the reason why. I noticed these Astras feel less aggressive than the Van Der Hagens and can take an extra pass or so in some spots to get the grain down to where the Van Der Hagens usually do. I personally prefer the more aggressive feel of the Van Der Hagens because I can better feel the blade cutting against my skin to get an idea of how much I'm cutting down the hairs and how smooth my skin is getting. However I don't have sensitive skin so most people would probably prefer a less aggressive blade. Luckily the end result with these Astra blades is the exact same, a very close and comfortable shave. I'm kind of surprised for as sharp as people say these blades are that the Van Der Hagens would be more aggressive (however since I'm new to all these blades aggressiveness might not translate into sharpness but rather dullness.) With the Astras I end up with less cuts on any bumps or pimples and less red spots. Since they don't seem to have as much cutting power I might have to do an extra pass or a different angle to get all the grain in certain areas however if I would try that with the Van Der Hagens I'd get cut almost every time so I prefer these for the all around "safer" shave. I get about 3 to 4 shaves per blade but that will most likely come down to how much facial hair you have and personal preference. I also like how there are numbers on the blade (1 and 2 on the one side, 3 and 4 on the other) so for people that like to flip the blade after each shave you'll always know what side is what. I'll include pictures of the packaging, the blade itself, and a comparison to a Van Der Hagen blade. Since the packaging for the blades doesn't come with a dispenser for used blades I used an old plastic gum container that I widened with a knife for a safe, quiet, and cheap way to store the used blades. Although I do like the feel of the Van Der Hagen blades and will probably experiment with other blades in the future, I really like these Astra blades because I get a really close shave every time and rarely get any cuts and if I do they're much smaller than what I get with the Van Der Hagens. Not to mention the Van Der Hagens have a ridiculous price per blade compared to the 100 Astra blades you get for roughly 10 cents each! All in all I think these are the best quality blades you can get for the price and would pair very nicely with the Van Der Hagen butterfly razor instead of using their overpriced and more aggressive blades especially if you are a beginner with this as your first double edge razor.