Whereas i live in greece, these blades are not available but from abroad. So, let's get cleared that i don't pay less per blade, cause i buy them from abroad. Only bic astors are available in greece from bic, that are terrible blades. BIC chrome platinums are on the other side. They're brilliant, at least for my type of skin and beard. Something that concerns to all users is the fact that i feel they get sharper after first and again after second use. Sharpness start fading after third or fourth use. So i use them for two or three shaves. I found that my other beloved blade (feather) is a bit sharper out of the pack, but starts fading out from the beginning. So, an once or twice used BIC blade is a bit sharper than an out of the pack brand new feather. I use BICs in my feather razors (ASD2, popular and adjustable) and milder blades in my ikon tech. All in all, BICs are extra sharp and just smooth (not extra smooth as a sharp blade it is).