You are making great strides. I remember the conceptual chasm I jumped once I realized it was "me" and not the "blade" that was the factor in my shaves.
Excalibur Club - Blade Longevity DE, SE and Injector
- Thread starter jamesspo
- Start date
You are making great strides. I remember the conceptual chasm I jumped once I realized it was "me" and not the "blade" that was the factor in my shaves.
On the opposite of Excalibur, there is Sharp Star. Already having trouble getting good shaves at #10, don't think this one is going to be a keeper. Record winning only in the fewest number of shaves I've gotten since I suffered through my first Derby!
Comfortable, but then dull blades usually are. Spiky stubble by lunch just isn't going to do the job!
Comfortable, but then dull blades usually are. Spiky stubble by lunch just isn't going to do the job!
whats your youtube channel?
I'll have to pm you. Forum rules prevent me, or anyone, from posting links to their own stuff.
Yes please do thanks
How's this razor perform? Mild or aggressive? Got one on its way to me
Excalibur conundrum. Getting longevity from a Gem PTFE. I can get a full month's use out of just about any DE blade, 40 and 50 out of my top-tier blades--Gillette Platinums, Schick Super Chromes, Nacets. This month I'm doing Single Edge SEptember and can't get more than a week out of a Gem blade. I'm perplexed.
Congratulations. I feel mild.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
My next shave on the current Astra Platinum, will conclude three months of active service. Back when I was counting shaves, an Astra blade went for 26 shaves. I no longer count them, but this one has done in the region of 60 shaves. That's not my longest lived double edged blade ever, as I've certainly had longer in years past, but it is certainly the longest lived blade in the four years that I've been a member here at the forum.
Do I continue? I haven't decided. It's still giving close shaves with no post shave discomfort. The blade has definitely lost its zing though. It cuts without significant tugging - yet feels tired, if that makes sense. Maybe I'm paying too much attention to how it feels because of this milestone, instead of ignoring the numbers and just shaving. Maybe I'm just yearning the feel of a fresh blade again. Dunno...
Do I continue? I haven't decided. It's still giving close shaves with no post shave discomfort. The blade has definitely lost its zing though. It cuts without significant tugging - yet feels tired, if that makes sense. Maybe I'm paying too much attention to how it feels because of this milestone, instead of ignoring the numbers and just shaving. Maybe I'm just yearning the feel of a fresh blade again. Dunno...
Looking at my almost full blade bank ( a glass jar I set aside as a blade bank in April ) and my shrinking variety of DE blades made me think about the amount of avoidable waste while shaving. Ironically, I started DE shaving with about 3-6 weeks per blade after an initial rapid blade testing phase. Then one day I shaved with a 30d+ Israeli Personna which left part of my face like stung by nettle. After that, I started shaving with a fresh blade each time ( or fresh edge at least ).
I have decided to try and push my blades to the limit again. This time though I am sticking to my favorite blades (Feather Hi-Stainless) and not testing different brands. Wish me luck.
I have decided to try and push my blades to the limit again. This time though I am sticking to my favorite blades (Feather Hi-Stainless) and not testing different brands. Wish me luck.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
This extract from today's shave journal bears copying and pasting to this thread, I think...
Edwin Jagger Aloe Vera mug soap today. Great first pass, but on the second, the possibly septegenarian or even octogenarian Astra Platinum felt rough. Very rough. Not quite like shaving with a broken bottle, but like it was one shave away from that. I stopped, stripped the razor, cleaned the blade, flipped it, and reassembled. Good as gold. The rest of the shave went great.
I seem to have confirmed my earlier hypotheses... and formed new ones:
Edwin Jagger Aloe Vera mug soap today. Great first pass, but on the second, the possibly septegenarian or even octogenarian Astra Platinum felt rough. Very rough. Not quite like shaving with a broken bottle, but like it was one shave away from that. I stopped, stripped the razor, cleaned the blade, flipped it, and reassembled. Good as gold. The rest of the shave went great.
I seem to have confirmed my earlier hypotheses... and formed new ones:
- Excellent lather is needed with a well used blade.
- Edwin Jagger mug soaps are very good, but stop short of excellent.
- Phoenix and Beau soaps are excellent, as is St James of London cream.
- Well used blades need to be free of soap scum to continue to shave well (assuming they have worn smoothly, and haven't chipped out).
- Edwin Jagger mug soaps are more prone to leaving soap scum than Phoenix and Beau.
- Phoenix and Beau is more prone to leaving soap scum than St James of London cream.
- Soap scum prone lathers are still wonderful on newer blades.
- I have no intention of cleaning/handling the blade any more often than is absolutely necessary (due to vision and coordination issues)
- I usually expect a minimum of 10 shaves per blade, and am willing to go 10 or so shaves per clean on longer lived blades.
- There will come a point when I get sick of trying to keep the blade clean, and chasing optimal lather, and will just grab a new blade.
- I'm not there yet.
Astra Superior Stainless (60)
This blade still cuts very well. I can't believe that I ended up shaving for 2 months with a single blade that costs 0.1$ in Romania. Strange is that I don't feel the need to replace it. I also recently tried a new Feather Pro AC blade, but it didn't convince me to throw away this old Astra SS.
This blade still cuts very well. I can't believe that I ended up shaving for 2 months with a single blade that costs 0.1$ in Romania. Strange is that I don't feel the need to replace it. I also recently tried a new Feather Pro AC blade, but it didn't convince me to throw away this old Astra SS.
After two and a half weeks, I had to toss my Feather blade - too much pulling on the mustache area for my shave to be comfortable. I also noticed rust-like stains on one cutting edge. Overall I estimate 17 shaves, which is a good first try I guess.
Tomorrow I am opening a fresh Personna Med Prep, let's see how well it wears down.
Tomorrow I am opening a fresh Personna Med Prep, let's see how well it wears down.
