The vast majority of blades are very mediocre, Astra included. Because I’ve used them for so long, they’re pretty much what I use as a comparison to other blades.

Those are the blades that I felt were better than the Astras in my Mühle Companion:

• Perma-Sharp - My favourites, very sharp but still smooth
• Feather - Sharpest blades you can buy, can be pretty rough and the edge doesn’t last very long
• Derby Extra - On the duller side, but very comfortable due to its really thick coating
• 7 O'clock Super Stainless - Similar to Astras but more comfortable
• Wilkinson Sword (German) - Sharp, nice shave, but not the smoothest
• 7 O'clock Sharpedge - Very sharp, but a bit less enjoyable than the Perma-Sharps
• Gillette Platinum - Very nice blade, but not outstanding in any aspect
• Mühle - Similar to the Wilkies but a bit smoother
• Kai - Excellent steel quality like the Feathers but not as sharp, a bit wider than other blades which makes them more aggressive
• Astra Stainless Steel - Almost the same as the Platinums but a little bit sharper

And now to the soaps:

The quality of the lather really matters. I cannot stress enough how much of a difference it made to me when I switched over to proper soaps. But you don’t necessarily need to spend a lot of money on artisan soaps. While yes, they do perform quite a bit better than more commercial ones, you’ll be perfectly fine with a puck of Cella or an Arko stick, which are way more affordable.