It actually puts the other two bevels into use so you are getting maximum use of the coatings on all the four bevels by flipping the blade. It does not help the egde though. A light wipe would not remove the coatings which are baked on under high temperature.
Blade longevity: misconceptions vs reality.
- Thread starter matthewoli98
- Start date
I love seeing those who can get 10+ smooth shaves from a blade, I sure can't! Still, when I start to feel even a minor amount of tugging or scraping, I'm not pushing it to save a dime, which is what a fresh blade costs me.
Id agree, to a point. I find that after 3 shaves for me a blade simply doesnt cut as efficiently anymore, so I swap it out.
I cant say that Ive ever really experienced very many DE blades that were tuggy, other than maybe Rockwells or the cheap Bailis.
For me, by the 3rd shave with any blade, its edge has dulled to the point where its no longer efficient and when I have to blade buff and still dont get a near BBS shave with it, then its time to swap it out.
I cant say that Ive ever really experienced very many DE blades that were tuggy, other than maybe Rockwells or the cheap Bailis.
For me, by the 3rd shave with any blade, its edge has dulled to the point where its no longer efficient and when I have to blade buff and still dont get a near BBS shave with it, then its time to swap it out.
I toss a DE after 3 shaves and a Schick injector after 6. Why should I suffer an uncomfortable shave? Blades are so cheap that it makes little sense to push them to their limits.
I switch razors when I change blades and I choose to never go more than ten shaves on a blade because I like the challenge of a different razor. If a blade stops being comfortable before that, I change early, but I normally go ten. This thread made me curious as to when I get the best shaves on a blade, so I ran a data analysis. I found shaves 9 & 10 on a blade are my highest rated, while shaves 6 & 7 are my lowest rated. I have no idea why that is the case but I may have to run some experiments to figure it out.
5 minutes actually seems about right to me. Well .. per pass that is. I am still very slow and cautious since I am trying to get my technique down. I expect it will get quicker over time.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.
One thing I do is spritz the razor with alcohol afterwards; I heard somewhere it's supposed to help the water evaporate faster. (I do it before as well to kill germs.)
I've been alternating two different headed razors with the same make of blade installed in each for the last month.
One of them started pulling and just not doing the job today... so I binned the blade and switched to the other razor, which I'll continue to use until it pulls or otherwise doesn't do what it needs to do.
Its your face... you as a user of a blade know when it has ceased to have efficacy. Attempting to artbitrarily number the maximum/minimum number to expect is an exercise in futility, really, isn't it? The best we can do is develop consensus with others or experience for ourselves.
One of them started pulling and just not doing the job today... so I binned the blade and switched to the other razor, which I'll continue to use until it pulls or otherwise doesn't do what it needs to do.
Its your face... you as a user of a blade know when it has ceased to have efficacy. Attempting to artbitrarily number the maximum/minimum number to expect is an exercise in futility, really, isn't it? The best we can do is develop consensus with others or experience for ourselves.
When I started wet shaving 6 years ago I started with an EJ89 and Merkur 1904. I found on day 4 most blades started to bite back. From then on it's been 3 days and done.
There is one thing I have learned here: everyone is entitled to an opinion!
I am cheap. So I stretch a blade out. I could no more throw out a blade after a designated number of shaves that had just given me a fine shave than I could pass up a garage sale! I just ain't built that way! Once you've been poor you don't forget being poor, lol!
And don't assume that a blade that gave you a less than stellar shave is truly dead! I am at 49 uses on a GSB that gave me a not great shave at somewhere around 12, and again somewhere after 40. But the last, 49, was as good as shave number two. The only thing I can blame it on was I either rushed the shave itself, or I improperly prepped my incredibly handsome face.
I am cheap. So I stretch a blade out. I could no more throw out a blade after a designated number of shaves that had just given me a fine shave than I could pass up a garage sale! I just ain't built that way! Once you've been poor you don't forget being poor, lol!
And don't assume that a blade that gave you a less than stellar shave is truly dead! I am at 49 uses on a GSB that gave me a not great shave at somewhere around 12, and again somewhere after 40. But the last, 49, was as good as shave number two. The only thing I can blame it on was I either rushed the shave itself, or I improperly prepped my incredibly handsome face.
3 and out. Blades are cheap.
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Not trying to be the dufus I usually am, but don't you ever wonder if shave number 4 is going to be better than the 3rd one?
I do sometimes - I don't know if I've ever had more than 12 good ATG shaves on a blade. If I push a blade past 10, I'm typically not shaving against the grain. Then again, some blades fade very quickly and some don't feel right from the start and still others I damage being a dingbat.
I've looked at quite a few blades under a microscope. That was part of how I got good at sharpening woodworking tools. Two identical tools can be equally sharp initially, but one will last a lot longer than the other and it comes down to the consistency of the edge. An edge with no faults will last a long time if it isn't abused. A good consistent edge used properly on material it's meant to cut will work until it gets dull. But a blade with flaws in it (gaps, rough spots, etc.) will age quickly because those flaws are weak spots and they will catch on the material you're cutting and damage will begin and spread from the flaw outward. A blade with flaws doesn't so much get dull over time as damaged when the flaws cause it to catch and deform. It's sort of like a sweater or woman's nylons. They're reasonably durable until they snag, and then that snag will catch on everything and the damage will emanate outward rapidly from even a tiny initial flaw.
- Thread starter
- #34
For sure, its all about using it for as long as it works for you without compromising comfort. The only annoying part is when people say i like blunt blades because when a blade tugs i bin it straight away.
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- Thread starter
- #35
Ive had the same experience. Many people ask if the blades arent terribly uncomfortable to use towards the end of their life but i find they actually perform best then.
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- Thread starter
- #36
if I shave my head and face every day, then the blade is shorter, because it has a lot of hair to shave ... 3 comfortable uses on average. If I shaved only the head or just the face, it would probably be 5 shaves on average on one blade. more shaving is still possible but unpleasant. And so, every shaver has his own individual feelings.
Well said!
Some of my favorite blades, for example Personna labs, need a shave or three to really reach their stride.
I also rate longevity (for me 7+ comfortable shaves) as a characteristic of top-tier blades!
But that’s my humble opinion! (And I am looking for enjoyable shaves, not to save a buck or two!)
I also rate longevity (for me 7+ comfortable shaves) as a characteristic of top-tier blades!
But that’s my humble opinion! (And I am looking for enjoyable shaves, not to save a buck or two!)
Yep......
I only keep track becaue I had multiple blades unwrapped at a time. The "tracking"was only for choosing what to use that day, not to "count down to disposal".
I've had blades changed out during the first use (bad examples of good blades happen), all the way past 100 shaves.
So. How far would YOU go?
I finished shave #12 with a British Wilkie blade and was wondering how many more comfortable shaves are left in this blade. I know I have a light thin beard (blond hair, blue eyes, fair complexion) so I get more shaves per blade than many on here do. BUT..... How much further should I...
www.badgerandblade.com
People who think a blade is only good for X nunber of shaves need to look at their routine not the hardware. My car gets between 20 and 35 mpg depending on how I drive. Blades work the same way.
