Blades Seem to Dull Quickly

[shavepunx]

im still relatively new so i have not used a ton of different blades yet, but so far, most everything i have used seems to become significantly duller after just one shave (3 passes and some touch-ups).

even the feather hi stainless seemed to become much duller after just 2 shave sessions. the other 2 blades ive tried so far are astra (green box) and erbe solingen.

from i have seen so far, the general consensus seems to be about at least a solid 4-5
shaves out of a single blade, many times more than that. so what gives? the only think that makes any sense to me is that my hair is just really that coarse.

is there anything else that could be causing this that im not privy to? also, what are some recommendations more experienced shavers who also have coarse hair recommend?

 

[kaufdrop27]

I would say 2-3 shaves per blade for me. Plenty of folks are one and done. It’s totally a ymmv thing.

 

[Lane101]

im still relatively new so i have not used a ton of different blades yet, but so far, most everything i have used seems to become significantly duller after just one shave (3 passes and some touch-ups).

even the feather hi stainless seemed to become much duller after just 2 shave sessions. the other 2 blades ive tried so far are astra (green box) and erbe solingen.

from i have seen so far, the general consensus seems to be about at least a solid 4-5
shaves out of a single blade, many times more than that. so what gives? the only think that makes any sense to me is that my hair is just really that coarse.

is there anything else that could be causing this that im not privy to? also, what are some recommendations more experienced shavers who also have coarse hair recommend?

Welcome to B&B!

First Feather blades commonly only deliver a couple of good shaves for many B&Bers before they dull. The reason for this is a narrow blade tip angle required to make what many consider the sharpest blades out there. Per a recent MIT study blades dull via micro-chipping when cutting hair so with a narrow blade tip angle they are less able to resist this as there is less material behind the tip.

From my personal experience use of a wetter and slicker lather has, in addition to providing better shaves, delivered longer blade life. Makes sense as more slickness = less friction.

Finally there is Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV) based on hair density, thickness and shaving technique including blade angle. I do use Astra SP (green box) blades myself and typically realize roughly 6-8 shaves (2+ passes per shave so approximately equal to 4-6 of your 3+ pass shaves) per blade.

My recommendation is to see if making your lather slicker helps. Also pay close attention to your blade angle to keep it around 30 degrees as per the MIT study this had an effect on the mico-chipping. Too steep an angle means the blade is spending more time cutting each hair.

You may also want to try some other blades. If all your blades do well on the first shave it sounds like you don't need the extra sharpness and cost of the Feathers. In my case, in addition to Astra SP, I use Derby Extra and Dorco (both Stainless and Prime) blades. Shave quality is similar between these with the Dorcos lasting the longest at 10-12 shaves and Derby Extras at 4-6. Newer made in Vietnam Dorcos have been performing well for many B&Bers. Finally most DE blades, when purchased in 100 packs, are relatively inexpensive. Given YMMV there is nothing wrong from using a blade twice and moving on to a new one if that works best for you.

Good luck on your shaving journey!

P.S. Edit: Saw your in your earlier posts that you use Proraso and Cella shaving creams. Suggest you try some shaving soaps that may deliver increased slickness. Note I occassionally use Proraso Red shaving soap and found that, while good at generating lots of lather, it is not the slickest.

Personal preferences to soaps and creams apply here. I've realized great results from shaving soaps such as Arko, Razorock What-the-Puck (from Italian Barber), Cyril R. Salter and Tabac (new formula). One of my best is Mitchell's Wool Fat (MWF) original tallow formula though that has been replace by a new non-tallow based formulation recently. Also I do use a couple of creams (LEA and Cyril R. Salter) and found that, unlike soaps where slicker wetter lather is best, optimal cream lather is a bit denser.

 

[Frito Ray]

Have you tried letting your soap/cream sit on your face a bit longer (a minute or so) to give it a chance to soften your whiskers?

The razor used also has a say in blade longevity. Most of my first razors give me 4-5 two pass shaves, but the most recent one gives me at least 10 two pass shaves. I just accidentally stumbled onto the one that works best for me (a FOCS). Everyone is different.

 

[ButterfaceX]

Yep, perfect suggestions Lane & F. R.... All I ask is what razor are you using. Also what is your soap? Reason being, I use a lot of slants. I only feed them fresh blades. The way they are torqued and its cutting angle. They are normally a one shot blade for the slant. Sometimes I can get another one or two uses in another non slant de razor. For most of my DEs, I get 3 shaves and then it's an auto toss/recycle. Now on your soaps, try to stay away for soaps with clay. I personally don't like them. The job of the clay is to assist in the glide and protect the skin. But they can do some extra wear on your blades. One tip I do have is before you lay down the soap on your face, apply a light coat of gylcine and rose water (or just distilled) / 50 50 mix..this will help preolp, heal, moisture , an extra softer for stubble execution . ..and makes the blade glide better too.. maybe assisting keeping those puppies less dull... Like all tips and advice here , YMMV.. be open, be smart, find what works for you...but have fun doing it.. BFX

 

[LeroyR]

Some blades do dull quickly, and others stay sharp for what seems like an eternity. It all depends on the blade, the razor, your technique and your whiskers.

I've easily pushed an Astra SP blade to 10 or 12 shaves many times and changed it only because I cleaned my razor, they just don't quit. Kai blades too. But I don't like Feather blades so I wouldn't know. I always throw them away after one use because they're crappy, not because they're spent. I don't have particularly thick hair or anything, I think in that regard (and most others) I'm probably pretty average.

 

[Big_T]

I wouldn't worry about it. Sounds like you might be interested in this group -

One & Done Club

Hi everyone! Welcome to the One & Done Club!! This little spot here at B&B are for those that find that razor blades hit diminishing returns after one or two shaves. I'm a daily head and face shaver so using a fresh blade everyday is something that gives me much enjoyment.

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[Lockback]

I'm hardly a hard-bitten old pro who's been traditional shaving for 40 years. And admittedly I don't have the heaviest beard in the world although it does grow fast.
But, from what I've experienced, three shaves does it for me. There are exceptions, of course, but my favorite blade, the Gillette Nacet, just to use one example, dulls noticeably after the third shave.
When you consider you're paying pennies for a double-edged razor blade, is it worth it trying to extend the life of a blade and suffering through a lousy shave?
Not in my book.

 

[shavepunx]

If all your blades do well on the first shave it sounds like you don't need the extra sharpness and cost of the Feathers

i should have mentioned that so far the feather has been by a mile the best blade i have used. it is noticeably better performing from the start than the other 2 i have tried, so it may be worth it to me to keep getting them and trying other blades on a similar tier i reckon. ill also make sure to keep a closer eye on my blade angle like you mention.

Saw your in your earlier posts that you use Proraso and Cella shaving creams. Suggest you try some shaving soaps that may deliver increased slickness. Note I occassionally use Proraso Red shaving soap and found that, while good at generating lots of lather, it is not the slickest

i will definitely try some other stuff. i feel that both have been sufficiently slick for me so far, but of course i don't really have anything else to compare them to yet. i will look into your recommendations. really interesting bit of info on the feathers too.

thanks a lot for your comprehensive response, @Lane101 - it is much appreciated.

Have you tried letting your soap/cream sit on your face a bit longer (a minute or so) to give it a chance to soften your whiskers?

The razor used also has a say in blade longevity. Most of my first razors give me 4-5 two pass shaves, but the most recent one gives me at least 10 two pass shaves. I just accidentally stumbled onto the one that works best for me (a FOCS). Everyone is different.

yknow i have not really thought about doing that with the lather. that is a good suggestion and something i wouldnt have even considered had you not mentioned it, thanks. also an interesting point on the razors themselves playing a role in blade longevity. makes total sense and again is something that wouldnt have crossed my mind on its own.

Yep, perfect suggestions Lane & F. R.... All I ask is what razor are you using. Also what is your soap?

i have a few different razors but lately i have mostly been using my G1 fatboy and a fatip piccolo SE with the open comb. as for soap/cream i rotate between proraso green cream/white soap and cella extra bio cream. they all work really well for me so far. i also alternate between proraso green/white pre shave. im intrigued by slants, ill have to pick one up at some point and give it a try.

But I don't like Feather blades so I wouldn't know. I always throw them away after one use because they're crappy, not because they're spent.

you are the first person ive ever seen say feathers are crappy. i understand not liking them but calling them crappy is a stretch imo. what dont you like about them? for me they are the best ive tried so far, albeit a bit more unforgiving than the others.

I wouldn't worry about it. Sounds like you might be interested in this group -

One & Done Club

Hi everyone! Welcome to the One & Done Club!! This little spot here at B&B are for those that find that razor blades hit diminishing returns after one or two shaves. I'm a daily head and face shaver so using a fresh blade everyday is something that gives me much enjoyment.

www.badgerandblade.com

cool, ill check it out

When you consider you're paying pennies for a double-edged razor blade, is it worth it trying to extend the life of a blade and suffering through a lousy shave?
Not in my book.

well said, agreed

 

[LeroyR]

They’re unnecessarily rough, not smooth at all. I know this is a YMMV thing, and a lot of people like them, but I don’t.

I will concede that I haven’t used one in a very long time, but I have a generally negative opinion of them from when I did. I do have some though, I haven’t thrown them away or anything.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Blade life varies a huge amount between people. A lot depends on the blade brand, of course. The razor is definitely a factor. I've found the shave prep can make a noticeable difference. Another big factor is your shaving technique.

You might find this thread has some useful info. People report how many shaves they have gotten from their most recently tossed blade. Unfortunately, they don't usually report on their razor, prep, technique, etc.

Which blade did you toss today? After how many uses?

This thread is similar to the "which blade did you use today?" thread. I'm interested in seeing average blade life. No worries if you are a "throw away after 2 days no matter what" person.. :) We'll see if this catches on.. Super Platinum (4)

www.badgerandblade.com

There's also a group of people trying to extend blade life with some pretty surprising results:

Excalibur Club - Blade Longevity DE, SE and Injector

What: A club with a focus on getting the longest useful life from DE, SE or Injector blades. Why: There have been a number of posts on "above average" blade life in the Blades forum, and elsewhere. These include the legendary "One blade in February" threads, and of course the 100+ shave...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[AndyPanda]

I'm about a year into wet shaving with safety razors. When I first started, my experience was much like you describe - blades getting dull and tugging after one or two shaves. Now, after I've had a lot of time to refine my methods, I find blades last much longer than they did when I started.

A few things I suspect might be the reasons:

I think I was using too much pressure at first and I was riding the safety bar (steep angle) to keep the edge of the blade slightly off my skin -- and at that angle, the blade was sort of scraping the whiskers off instead of slicing cleanly thru the whiskers. This is just a wild guess and may not have anything to do with it - but I suspect shaving at that steep angle sort of chips away at the apex (the very tippy tip of the sharp edge) and dulls the blade faster. Since then, I have learned to find the angle where the blade can slice thru the whiskers - this puts the edge of the blade touching my skin so I have had to also learn to not put pressure and just let the blade lightly skim across the surface of the skin.

And probably the more important difference is that I prepare my face better (get the whiskers wet and keep them wet longer while I'm deciding which brush and soap and blade etc. I'm going to use that day) and I'm making better lather (and using better soap). The blade has a much easier time slicing thru the whiskers when they are softened like that - so less damage to the edge of the blade.

 

[VerbaVolant]

...I think I was using too much pressure at first and I was riding the safety bar (steep angle) to keep the edge of the blade slightly off my skin -- and at that angle, the blade was sort of scraping the whiskers off instead of slicing cleanly thru the whiskers. This is just a wild guess and may not have anything to do with it - but I suspect shaving at that steep angle sort of chips away at the apex (the very tippy tip of the sharp edge) and dulls the blade faster...

It is actually a proven fact. You guessed correctly, if it was a guess at all. Maybe a personal observation, that is correct.

...And probably the more important difference is that I prepare my face better (get the whiskers wet and keep them wet longer while I'm deciding which brush and soap and blade etc. I'm going to use that day) and I'm making better lather (and using better soap). The blade has a much easier time slicing thru the whiskers when they are softened like that - so less damage to the edge of the blade.

It goes without saying, prep makes a whole difference, by reducing the force-to-cut considerably.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I've been using double edged razors for over thirty years, so I've had plenty of time to figure out what works best for me. Most blades give me 10 shaves a blade, but some might go 30 or more.

1) Know your face, and which way the grain goes. Shaving with the grain for the first pass has the least cutting resistance, but with the grain might not necessarily be top to bottom

2) Good prep and wetter lather. The meringue face lathers seen in many online vids simply does not work for me. It's far too dry, full of air, and muffles the feel of the shave.

3) Good angle. Get the blade at the right height. Shaving "high" will not just do a number on your face, but on the blade edge too.

All this plus other tips and troubleshooting, can be found in my guide in the first four posts of this thread...

The Wanderer's Guide To DE Shaving

Part One I was self taught with a DE razor 25 years ago, and had to figure out a lot of things the hard way. I learned a lot of things over the years, but wish there had been an experienced DE shaver who could have taught me the basics early on. This guide is offered so that you can get to...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[musicman1951]

And the correct answer is: it depends. I get two good shaves from a Feather blade, but others have reported many more on their face/beard. Some shavers only get one. The most important factor is your beard, and you have no control of that beyond trying different prep routines.

I get 12 passes (4 three pass shaves) from PolSilver and Wizamet. Often more from Med Preps. Feathers are absolutely my worst for longevity. But if you've got a very tough beard you'll probably need a very sharp blade. They're cheaper by the 100, but do experiment with several blades before you go that route.

You may find a razor/blade combination that provides more shaves, and you may not. The good news is that many blades are quite cheap when purchased in large quantities.

 

[BigJ]

Great advice above!

For me, blade life varies considerably. I get 2-4 shaves from Feathers. In contrast, ‘top-tier’ blades (such as GSB, Personna labs, Wizamet SI or Nacets) provide 10-12, sometimes more, close comfortable shaves!!

I recommend you try a good variety to see which blades work best for you.

 

[Alex Jr]

Try a BIC and thank me later. If you don’t get longevity with that you probably won’t with anything else.

I usually go for 3 or 5 with every blade. BICs have gone past 10 without a hint of discomfort.

 

[Quaznoid]

Feathers dull quicker than most blades, but 3 shaves is about as far as many blades will go. I use exclusively Lord family blades and I chuck them after 3 shaves. At 3 cents per shave it doesn’t offend my frugal nature.

 

[ErkRusselReserve]

Sounds like you have a tough beard. RayClem has lots of advice on that. I also have a tough beard and also signp-off on genuine Bic Chrome Platinums. But only buy from trusted sources as I can confirm there are fake Bics on the market.

Ray Clems Blade advice:

RayClem's Blade Evaluations

Over the next couple of months I plan to most evaluations of a number of blades that I had not tried previously. Some of these blades do receive some press on the forum while others are rarely mention

damnfineshave.com

and Blade Biter's blade advice (I have not tried GSB, but he loves them):

Blade Biter's Tasting Notes

Silver Stars are actually very good blades. Sharp enough and smooth, works well in toning down more aggressive razors. I like blades a bit sharper, but I don't need them. Since you've joined the shallow slicers clubs, maybe it's time to experiment with the sharper pieces? I find that with a...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[ErkRusselReserve]

P.S. Edit: Saw your in your earlier posts that you use Proraso and Cella shaving creams. Suggest you try some shaving soaps that may deliver increased slickness. Note I occassionally use Proraso Red shaving soap and found that, while good at generating lots of lather, it is not the slickest.

I sign-off on Proraso Red not being slick. The Blue is quite slick though, if your options are limited, and Blue is available, give it a shot.