body-shaving sharpness issues

[hollyholly]

Okay, B&B body hair shavers!

By the time I finish shaving my underarms and legs with a fresh blade, it's done for. Sometimes it even starts to get dull toward the end and tears me up a bit.

I know it's a lot of surface area, but I'm a new DE shaver and want to know whether this is normal. I've got an Edwin Jagger 86 that I've been trying sampler pack blades in. The "good" ones I've used were the Derby blades. My lather is a not-terrible Speick cream with Omega Professional boar, lathering in bowl and whipping it back up on skin.

 

[Myosin]

I shave all of my body.

The dulling is just gonna happen if you're gonna shave everything all at one time. I use a seperate blades each my face and everything below the neck down. I have to change to a new blade everytime I shave my body hair.

The best thing to do is buy a good, but cheap brand of blades and dedicate them exclusively to body and leg hair.

One Wilkinson sword from walmart can shave everything without losing any quality and they cost $1.79 for a pack of 10

I use a DE for most of my body hair and disposable cartridge razors for certain areas around my groin that are almost impossible to do correctly with a DE.

There is nothing wrong with using two blades for one shave if you have need it. It's more expensive by how much, $.20? No big deal at all.

You have the same brush as me, I use a slim on 8 for body hair, and barbasol as my body cream.

 

[Go West Young Man]

My wife burns a blade each shave, which used to bother me until I compared total skin surface being shaved. 2 legs is at least 4 faces, and since I only get 3 shaves to the blade it turns out she's doing better than me!

 

[life2short1971]

try Feathers,Astra, or super Iridium

 

[LinuxMintyFresh]

try Feathers,Astra, or super Iridium

Iridiums are incredibly sharp, smooth, and long lasting. One of these should get you through a shave of everything, no prob. They are a bit more expensive than many blades, but they make up for it in longevity, and they can be had for a good price from one Irish shaving website (not sure of the name, check out the Shopping and Deals forum).

 

[a_bit_crafty]

From another lady, it is completely and totally normal to use a blade only once, and in some cases may need to change blades towards the end, depending on blade, lather, prep, and so forth. You're doing just fine.

 

[zameus]

Personna Medical blades seem to last me longer than anything else I've tried. Very smooth shavers as well.

 

[ImaWestie]

If you want your blade to last longer you could try a straight. There's more than one woman posting in the straight shaving group, and shaving legs with a straight isn't terribly difficult. Well... if you can do DE you can do straight! Away from the legs might be a different story... but I've done my chest, stomach and legs with a straight and had no real problems even the first time.
Stropping is a different issue and it's what has held me up from going 100% straight-razor shaving.

Otherwise, accept that a DE blade lasts - until it's blunt. Try different blades, sure, but it's not going to change the underlying issue ("it lasts till it's blunt"). I have had a great life out of an Astra blade compared to some other brands, on my face.