Blade longevity: misconceptions vs reality.

[matthewoli98]

I decided to write this post a couple of days ago after getting a bit of flack for the amount of uses i get from blades, so i decided to write a detailed post on my shaving routine, and perhaps explain how i get the amount of uses from a blade that i do, please remember this is entirely subjective and might not be the case for you.

I believe that blades should be replaced by feel, by this i mean that a blade should be replaced by how it feels when shaving, not by the number of shaves it has been used for. If a blade tugs uncomfortably or compromises the experience at all i replace it, but if i still get a good shave i carry on using it, whether it's on shave number 3 or 15.

There are far too many variables to just say "i get 3 shaves from a feather each and every time." A lot of it has to do with preparation. Showering or washing your face before shaving, using a pre shave paired with a slick soap goes a massive way with helping get the maximum use from a blade without compromising the experience.

After using a blade, i dry the razor and rinse the soap residue off the blade, and dap it dry (never ever wip dry), this can cause damage to the cutting edge and remove any coating whether it be platinum or teflon.

I also flip the blade, this does absolutely nothing with extending blade lifespan, its just an old habit and helps me keep track of the amount of shaves i get, i do this purely as a way to keep track of how well my pre shave routine has been working.

When i started wet shaving, i was looking for a replacement for cartridge razors, as a college student, cost saving is a huge factor, so even though i have tons of blades, i see no need to prematurely replace blades still giving great shaves.

In conclusion, id like to encourage any wetshaver reading this, just try replacing according to feel instead of a fixed number of shaves, you might be surprised by the amount of shaves you get.

Sent from my Redmi S2 using Tapatalk

 

[Timeclo]

I agree to a certain extent. For me, the feel of the blade tends to correlate to the use; at a certain use, the blade will start to feel rough and tuggy. For example, most blades I toss around 5th use because pushing it gets rougher. I've tried an Astra SP upto 30 uses. I got decent shaves throughout it but I couldn't go ATG and did not really enjoy it past 10th use. I think everyone should figure out how many uses feel good on the skin and go from there.

 

[Ad Astra]

I agree with the premise; every blade is different. Every face is, too.

There's no saying how many shaves any given person may get from any given blade.

That said, I toss mine after six dice-rotations. Because every time a blade gives up the ghost, it's in the middle of a shave. Then, with drying lather on half my face, I go fumbling for a blade ... Six shaves and I've got my money's worth - it was only a dime at best anyways.

But it's fun to get 9, 12 or 30 shaves out of a Bolzano or Kai, for example. Go for it.


AA

 

[sarimento1]

I decided to write this post a couple of days ago after getting a bit of flack for the amount of uses i get from blades, so i decided to write a detailed post on my shaving routine, and perhaps explain how i get the amount of uses from a blade that i do, please remember this is entirely subjective and might not be the case for you.

I believe that blades should be replaced by feel, by this i mean that a blade should be replaced by how it feels when shaving, not by the number of shaves it has been used for. If a blade tugs uncomfortably or compromises the experience at all i replace it, but if i still get a good shave i carry on using it, whether it's on shave number 3 or 15.

There are far too many variables to just say "i get 3 shaves from a feather each and every time." A lot of it has to do with preparation. Showering or washing your face before shaving, using a pre shave paired with a slick soap goes a massive way with helping get the maximum use from a blade without compromising the experience.

After using a blade, i dry the razor and rinse the soap residue off the blade, and dap it dry (never ever wip dry), this can cause damage to the cutting edge and remove any coating whether it be platinum or teflon.

I also flip the blade, this does absolutely nothing with extending blade lifespan, its just an old habit and helps me keep track of the amount of shaves i get, i do this purely as a way to keep track of how well my pre shave routine has been working.

When i started wet shaving, i was looking for a replacement for cartridge razors, as a college student, cost saving is a huge factor, so even though i have tons of blades, i see no need to prematurely replace blades still giving great shaves.

In conclusion, id like to encourage any wetshaver reading this, just try replacing according to feel instead of a fixed number of shaves, you might be surprised by the amount of shaves you get.

Sent from my Redmi S2 using Tapatalk

great post!
so what would you say is the misconception?

 

[kingfisher]

Endorse.

I used to count the number of shaves on a blade, but I don't do that anymore. I think people began to feel things that aren't really there when they expect the blade to go bad because they have a preconceived notion in their head about how long a blade ought to last.

 

[Razorcan]

After using a blade, i dry the razor and rinse the soap residue off the blade, and dap it dry (never ever wip dry), this can cause damage to the cutting edge and remove any coating whether it be platinum or teflon.

I also flip the blade, this does absolutely nothing with extending blade lifespan, its just an old habit and helps me keep track of the amount of shaves i get, i do this purely as a way to keep track of how well my pre shave routine has been working

This procedure is LONGER than my actual daily five minute four pass shave so I think I will pass

I will continue changing my blade every Saturday morning.

It is also the only way I will ever actually USE the 1000+ blades I have in stock

 

[matthewoli98]

Endorse.

I used to count the number of shaves on a blade, but I don't do that anymore. I think people began to feel things that aren't really there when they expect the blade to go bad because they have a preconceived notion in their head about how long a blade ought to last.

Exactly. Even i was guilty of this until recently. When i started wetshaving with DE razors two years ago i saw some of the old personna ads from the 60s.

In one the guy claims he gets 15 shaves from a blade. So i believed it. It took me a long time to realise, that i might get 5 shaves or 8 or even 15, depending on the particular blade and tons of other factors, the soap being used, pre shave routine, etc.

Sent from my Redmi S2 using Tapatalk

 

[matthewoli98]

This procedure is LONGER than my actual daily five minute four pass shave so I think I will pass

I will continue changing my blade every Saturday morning.

It is also the only way I will ever actually USE the 1000+ blades I have in stock

Each to his own. My entire shave routine takes me about 7-10 minutes, but thats because I've done it so many times that its second nature.

I wasnt trying to say that any other method is wrong, i was just trying to explain the method behind my madness lol.

Sent from my Redmi S2 using Tapatalk

 

[matthewoli98]

great post!
so what would you say is the misconception?

That you can only get a certain number of shaves from a particular blade.

Theres tons of factors affecting blade lifespan, and thats why i replace according to feel.

Sent from my Redmi S2 using Tapatalk

 

[Atlantic59]

I believe that blades should be replaced by feel, by this i mean that a blade should be replaced by how it feels when shaving, not by the number of shaves it has been used for. If a blade tugs uncomfortably or compromises the experience at all i replace it, but if i still get a good shave i carry on using it, whether it's on shave number 3 or 15...

What about past experience? I think of replacing the blade as preventative maintenance. You don't wait until your car's engine begins making funny noises before changing the oil.

 

[matthewoli98]

What about past experience? I think of replacing the blade as preventative maintenance. You don't wait until your car's engine begins making funny noises before changing the oil.

[emoji594][emoji91]

The point of the post was to explain my standpoint, not to tell you that yours is wrong. Different cars require different service plans. In the same way different blades last longer than others.

Sent from my Redmi S2 using Tapatalk

 

[MtView]

This procedure is LONGER than my actual daily five minute four pass shave so I think I will pass

I think if I tried to do four passes in five minutes I would need to be located right outside of an ER - or better yet - just save myself some time and step inside .

 

[matthewoli98]

I think if I tried to do four passes in five minutes I would need to be located right outside of an ER - or better yet - just save myself some time and step inside .

My record is about 5 minutes, i average about 7, as long as you use a milder razor with 0 pressure its quite manageable.

Sent from my Redmi S2 using Tapatalk

 

[Ron R]

@Razorcan some how does it with his procedure, I have tried to mock his strategy so if I'm in a hurry I can just do a similar procedure.

(This is from another forum I use sometimes & had a little fun trying to get my time down to close to 5 min with clean up afterwards of razor and brush!)
3 passes and clean up all done with one lathering to reduce time!(8-12 minute shave)

I know that every one has time constraints & luckily some do not most of their time(retired). If you are the type that is very active or late riser and want a good quick shave and like just the DE method there is a way. The best way is just use some Gillette shaving gel Goo and fill a plastic bowl (or let the tap trickle)with water wet the face with water & hand lather like you normally would. With one hand you will shave and the other will be the dipping water hand. The objective is to only shave a small area(2X2> inches), you would do WTG first while wetting the hand after 1st pass to pull a little lather and re-activate the slickness for 2nd pass XTG in this 2X2> inch area. Third pass will be if you do ATG will be done by dipping the free hand in the water and reactivating the dried slickness and pulling a little lather in from the unshaven area if needed and Braille feeling the skin if a clean-up is needed and onto the next small unshaven area. You Don't need shaving gel or foam and could use a brush and soap but you have clean up that follows losing time. This method will cut your time easily in half or greater. I HAVE DONE this over 14 times to test for those rushed days that pop up from time to time.
I like the re-lathering method after each pass, but we all have different time constraints and I'm retired and have lots of time to share a little knowledge on saving time.(Lots of times I mentioned time ....... I won't waste any more of your time of this subject any more

.)
Have some great shaves

 

[sarimento1]

That you can only get a certain number of shaves from a particular blade.

Theres tons of factors affecting blade lifespan, and thats why i replace according to feel.

Sent from my Redmi S2 using Tapatalk

personally, i don't think that's a misconception.
imho, it's generally accepted that blade life will vary from person to person, and will vary depending on # days between shaving. again, just my perception.

 

[matthewoli98]

personally, i don't think that's a misconception.
imho, it's generally accepted that blade life will vary from person to person, and will vary depending on # days between shaving. again, just my perception.

A lot of guys i know swear by a certain amount regardless of blade make, so it depends on the person. But yes its varys a lot from person to person.

Sent from my Redmi S2 using Tapatalk

 

[ackvil]

For me, another factor in blade longevity is the razor itself. Since I am obsessive (my wife's words) I have kept a spreadsheet since 2015 in which I record the razor and blade among other things. One thing that hit me is the milder the razor the more shaves I get with the blade. As an illustration, in a Red Tip, I get two shaves with a Feather. However, that blade in a Feather AS-D2 gets me more than 6 shaves. On the other hand, a Personna Lab in a Red Tip gives me four to five quality shaves.

 

[Razorcan]

I think if I tried to do four passes in five minutes I would need to be located right outside of an ER - or better yet - just save myself some time and step inside .

Nah, it's just a matter of technique, experience and,of course, ditching brushes and soaps for canned foam or gel.

 

[Ron R]

A few things to improve longevity of a blade is pre-shave to hydrate the skin and whiskers so the blade slices easier and after use of razor is to dry the blade. If you use Schick injector razor or any other razor that a person likes to leave the blade in make sure you blow off the cutting edges of blade and that will help also. Some fellows can get a lot of #of shaves because they have full beards or partial beards and are just trimming so they will naturally get more shaves. A person getting 5 or more shaves with a DE blade has a cost per shave of like $.02 to $.03 per shave, that is very very good cost effective if that matters to some. Blades might be the cheapest part of traditional wet shaving for some fellows who like the latest razors and soaps or brushes.
This is what I like to use for pre shave and is very inexpensive and very effective in my opinion. I'm still on the same hand bar of CeraVe for well over 8 months and still a 1/3 left and Aloe gel lasts a long time and use it for hair moisturizer also. (most people wash their face anyways, its just a better way but a little longer time wise)
I brush wash my whole face with CeraVe (don't need much at all to produce a lot of lather)and then a small dollop of Aloe Vera gel on the beard area afterwards.(Works well + no oils to grime up my shaving gear IMO)

I like to use a Dedicated synthetic brush for my CeraVe hand bar cleanser.(very nice soap that is gentle to the skin & eyes)
Have some great shaves!

 

[NPK]

I never time my shaves. My goal is to enjoy the process and relax on my time I deserve. I am done when I choose to be.

Spreadsheet...?....dang...that is something.