Newbies: How long do you use your blade?

[dangerousdon]

So...why we are on the topic of blades...Did you all know there was a place here on Badger & Blade where you can try the blades that you have always wanted, but can't seem to find or just haven't had a chance to buy. There is...at The_Great_Blade_Exchange. The Great Blade Exchange is a place where you can receive your choice of blades for the cost of postage and a trade in of some blades you might have in your den. Check it out! There are modern blades, vintage blades, single edge, and maybe even a shavette or two. Anyway...I just thought you all should check it out!

http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/The_Great_Blade_Exchange?p=6840782

 

[janelgreo]

Been wet shaving for about a month now.

I am still experimenting with different blades but I'm around 3-4 shaves, sometimes earlier if I feel tugging or what not.

Have tried about 6 different blades but have settled with Vikings Sword and Voskhod, rotating every week.

 

[dangerousdon]

Have tried about 6 different blades but have settled with Vikings Sword and Voskhod, rotating every week.

 

[Rohleder88]

Been DE shaving for 4 months or so. Whenever I use a blade that's new to me I'll use it right up to its limit, until its tugging & scraping basically... Average values are as follows:

Muhle = 3 shaves
Derby Extra = 3 shaves
Merkur = 7 shaves
Timor = 7 shaves
Croma = 6 shaves
Astra SP = 3 shaves
Feather Hi-Stainless = 1 1/2 shaves

I've recently discovered palm stropping but have only used it on Astra SP blades, after stropping between shaves they now last 5-6 shaves.

 

[mwinne63]

So...why we are on the topic of blades...Did you all know there was a place here on Badger & Blade where you can try the blades that you have always wanted, but can't seem to find or just haven't had a chance to buy. There is...at The_Great_Blade_Exchange. The Great Blade Exchange is a place where you can receive your choice of blades for the cost of postage and a trade in of some blades you might have in your den. Check it out! There are modern blades, vintage blades, single edge, and maybe even a shavette or two. Anyway...I just thought you all should check it out!

http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/The_Great_Blade_Exchange?p=6840782

Awesome info, there is still so much here I have yet to find. Thanx Don you are an excellent steward.

 

[WallMatt]

So when I started out down this road of saving money , I had bought a kit from The Art of Shaving. I got a 33C, a brush, cream, and oil in the kit. I ordered 100 ct of Astra SP blades and just started shaving. I typically got to about 3 shaves before I tossed them. Then I got wiser after I joined this site. I ordered a 34C and got an assorted pack of blades. Having shaved for a few months with the Astra SP blades I kind of had a baseline. If things weren't going well after 2 shaves I tossed them. I would use at least 2-3 blades from each brand before moving on to the next. I also learned something new...the blades acted differently in my 34C than in my 33C. Then I decided to get a 37C and try the slant world. Completely different experience and fantastic at the same time. However, again I had to try different blades because they acted differently.

So far this is what I have found for myself (I haven't gotten through all the blades by the way).

34C - Bic Chrome or Astra SP
33C - Astra SP, Bic Chrome, or Merkur
37C - Merkur or Astra SP

Gillette 7 O' Clock blades aren't for me so far.

Now having said that, I haven't gotten to the Persona blades or the Feather blades yet. I still have quite a bit to go so this can all change again.

 

[CaptainGreybeard]

Newbies: How long do you use your blade?

That question is plain and simple to answer: until I feel that it is no longer sharp. No, not blunt, just no longer sharp.

So I do not use each blade until it starts tearing the skin off my face. An average Astra Superior Platinum blade usually lasts 5 to 6 good shaves, a Feather blade anything between 8 and 10 excellent shaves. Whereas the ASP are more bang for the buck for the economically minded wet shaver, I still favour the much more expensive Feather because of the effortless smoothness of the shaves they provide.

 

[EPfarnie]

I'm reasonably new (around 2 months now).. I use mine until they start to tug. At the first sign of tugging I feel like I should ditch them (although on a couple I had one extra shave and regretted it).. only 2 small weepers so far (One off the feather when it started to go blunt and one off the Merkur blade). So far;
Astra SP - 5 shaves, could feel it was going dull on the fourth but didn't get irritation off the 5th
Feather 3 close, smooth shaves; started tugging on the 4th; tried for a 5th which left my face irritated like I was dry shaving with a cheap disposable
Merkur- 1 horrid tugging shave and a half before I ditched it
Asco orange- weirdly tugged a little bit on the first shave but am now up to 5 passable shaves with (2 in my EJ de89 and 3 in my Merkur) and will see if it goes another one.

 

[MedicDave]

Asco orange- weirdly tugged a little bit on the first shave but am now up to 5 passable shaves with (2 in my EJ de89 and 3 in my Merkur) and will see if it goes another one.

I recently discovered this same effect with Super-Max Platinum blades. Shave 2 was much nicer than shave 1.

 

[dangerousdon]

This is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood bump...

 

[Jasper73]

Hello Gents ,
Started out with feather Blades and still using them today ( Aprox. for 3 years since I started whet shaving ) but what I noticed the number of shaves is going down ! I used to get 6 or 7 shaves with one blade but now its down to only 4 .
Is this due to tougher hairs or shaving technique ?

Please help for being Dutch I dont want to overspend on blades ( LOL )

Cheers
Jasper

 

[AlbertJohnson]

Don't know why nobody answered you Jasper. I wondered the same question this morning on my
Feathers. It was my 3rd shave with this blade (if you consider a 3 pass shave ONE SHAVE. . . or is a 3 pass shave considered 3 shaves? I don't know) And didn't get the close shave so may toss it. I'd think it's shaving technique or perhaps they're making blades cheaper nowadays.
Long live Van Gogh!

 

[Jasper73]

Don't know why nobody answered you Jasper. I wondered the same question this morning on my
Feathers. It was my 3rd shave with this blade (if you consider a 3 pass shave ONE SHAVE. . . or is a 3 pass shave considered 3 shaves? I don't know) And didn't get the close shave so may toss it. I'd think it's shaving technique or perhaps they're making blades cheaper nowadays.
Long live Van Gogh!

Dear Sir ,
I'm sorry for the late reply but thanks for answering .
Nowadays I get a +/- 4 shaves with one blade ( thats mostely a 3 pass shave ) before I have to toss the blade .
Don't think its shaving technique asked my Barbour and he thinks its due to my skin and or facial hair getting used to the proces of wet shaving .
Please let me know your opininion on this .

Yours sincerely ,

Jasper Smits.

 

[AlbertJohnson]

That's about the most I get too on them. I thought something was wrong. They start tugging and more chance of nicks and skin burn. I may go to the Japanese Feather Cartridge.

 

[Jasper73]

That's about the most I get too on them. I thought something was wrong. They start tugging and more chance of nicks and skin burn. I may go to the Japanese Feather Cartridge.

BTW I sufferd a few months from skinburn using Feather blades what I learned is that sometimes a year (one ore twice ) your skin cannot handle supersharp blades like Feather /Shark etc in such a case step back to a more intermediate blade like Personna / Astra , that did the trick for me .

 

[cH3x]

I've been shaving since March. Right now I'm doing 5 3-pass shaves from each blade, the same brand twice in a row (so 10 shaves per brand), as I evaluate blades. I generally like the first shave with a blade least. I've never felt I was "pushing it" going 5 shaves, and if I weren't trying to work my way through a sampler pack I would be doing more shaves with each blade.

 

[AlbertJohnson]

Will keep it in mind; I DO have some Astras tucked away. But look forward to trying out
that Feather MR3 Neo...supposed to be fine Japanese steel. Comes from Japan, so shipment is
a bit slow. You ever seen a real Van Gogh painting Jasper? I think he used Feather blades.
I play online chess and often someone from the Netherlands...they have a lot of good players.

I bet you have a katana at home cH3x.

 

[Jasper73]

Will keep it in mind; I DO have some Astras tucked away. But look forward to trying out
that Feather MR3 Neo...supposed to be fine Japanese steel. Comes from Japan, so shipment is
a bit slow. You ever seen a real Van Gogh painting Jasper? I think he used Feather blades.
I play online chess and often someone from the Netherlands...they have a lot of good players.

I bet you have a katana at home cH3x.

No Katana but for me , look what it did with Van Gogh
BTW I do play Chess but not online ( just beginner )

 

[Ockham's brush]

New enough, and flopping around between blades and razors enough that haven't formed a good opinion yet.

Could tell the Merkur went fast and tugged, and that it appears while I really like the Feathers, they won't too long for me either. And that's about it?