A Question about shaving and blade longevity.

[Balj86]

Hi Guys!

I have joined the club in wet shaving and got inspired after trying to find out why I get razor burn and needed something else. I didn't want to pay out of the nose for those lousy sensor excel cartridges anymore. I did my research and about DE Safety Razors and really seemed to like Merkurs and ended up getting a Merkur 38M HD. BTW I love it and have already gotten used to using a safety razor and wasn't to big of a change (started the day b4 yesterday).

Anyways I just wanted to ask, when people talk about having 2 - 3 pass when doing the morning ritual, does 1 pass = 1 shave or 2 - 3 passes = 1 shave. The reason why i'm asking because others say a they can get 3 - 6 shaves on average with a blade (e.g., Derby,...). I would really appreciate a response b/c i'm curious myself of how many shaves I can get out of my blade. Thanks!

P.S. I will never ever go back to cartridge because I already feel a change and my skin does not feel like sand paper anymore.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this.

 

[Alec79]

My personal take is that one shave = whatever number of passes you want/need to get the job done.

 

[Balj86]

Great Thanks!

 

[Niles]

One shave is usually two or three passes most of the time.

 

[DE Shaver]

My personal take is that one shave = whatever number of passes you want/need to get the job done.

True to a point. However, if after 3 passes you haven't neared the mark of getting a close shave, I'd re-examine your technique. In addition, there is also diminishing returns and the fact that each pass allows a potential for cuts and irritation.

 

[Alec79]

True to a point. However, if after 3 passes you haven't neared the mark of getting a close shave, I'd re-examine your technique. In addition, there is also diminishing returns and the fact that each pass allows a potential for cuts and irritation.

I rarely do more than two but I see where some on here do more. I don't necessarily need a super close shave but I do want a comfortable, irritation-free shave.

 

[DE Shaver]

I rarely do more than two but I see where some on here do more. I don't necessarily need a super close shave but I do want a comfortable, irritation-free shave.

I also rarely exceed a 2 pass shave and (given a choice) prefer a comfortable, irritation free shave over a close one.

 

[Squash]

One shave equals whatever you do during one wet-shaving adventure.

The number of shaves you can get on one blade is dependant on the individual person and the blade.

I use Personnas made in the USA, and I can usually get ten shaves out of one blade.

What you really have to learn is the feeling you get on your face when you need to go to a new blade, not when someone else thinks you need to change it.

Another approach is to change on the same day every week so that you don't have to start getting bad results before a change.

 

[BlackBard]

A "pass" is a sub-part of a "shave." Hence, a "two pass shave" or a "three pass shave."

 

[gearhead]

The beauty of DE shaving is the ability to controll the number of passes you use to shave various parts of your face. Using a cartridge, say a 5 blade thing, means that every part of your face gets essentially 5 passes with a blade whether you want it or not. With DE shaving, you can shave ingrown-prone areas with a single pass, while courser areas like the moustache and chin areas can get multiple passes. The kind of control that DE shaving offers allows your whole face to be smooth and happy.

 

[Mr. Styptic]

Like you, I took up wet shaving because of razor burn. (mine was near-constant irritation on the sides of my neck.) Now I do a three- or four-pass shave every day because I like it close, but I never use a blade for more than three shaves. Any more and I start to feel the pulling of whiskers, which I fear would leave my skin irritated. This way I avoid irritation, and I'm still spending far less for shaving than I did for cartridges.

 

[Balj86]

Like you, I took up wet shaving because of razor burn. (mine was near-constant irritation on the sides of my neck.) Now I do a three- or four-pass shave every day because I like it close, but I never use a blade for more than three shaves. Any more and I start to feel the pulling of whiskers, which I fear would leave my skin irritated. This way I avoid irritation, and I'm still spending far less for shaving than I did for cartridges.

I completely agree. Although I find Wilkinson Sword DE blades pretty damn good and last more than 3 shaves. Today I put a new Derby blade in and the first shave felt a little rough. But maybe thats b/c its new and needs to break in, so the next shave will be smoother.

 

[Balj86]

The beauty of DE shaving is the ability to controll the number of passes you use to shave various parts of your face. Using a cartridge, say a 5 blade thing, means that every part of your face gets essentially 5 passes with a blade whether you want it or not. With DE shaving, you can shave ingrown-prone areas with a single pass, while courser areas like the moustache and chin areas can get multiple passes. The kind of control that DE shaving offers allows your whole face to be smooth and happy.

I never thought about and seems so true but DOES NOT WORK like DE shaving which rocks.

 

[Balj86]

Thank you all for the kind informative responses!