Do Your Razor Blades Dull Suddenly or Gradually with Ongoing Use/Additional Shaves?

[Lane101]

Hi everyone, I've found that my blades tend to dull/deteriorate gradually with each additional use. With the exception of a couple really bad blades, that were discarded in the middle of a shave on first use, I've always been able to complete my shave with the same blade and then decide if it was time for a new one. This has become even more true as my technique has improved from changes such as a shift to wetter/slicker lather. When I've experienced a sudden deterioration in razor performance it has turned out to be a technique issue such as trying a new shave soap with insufficient slickness because I had not dialed in the loading correctly. Blade would be fine on the next shave with quality lather.

That said there are many posts from fellow B&Bers who do experience a sudden deterioration in blade performance sometimes requiring a mid-shave blade change or a mandatory limit in shaves per blade to minimize the possibility of a bad shave. Saw a post earlier today where a backup razor with a fresh blade is always on standby.

There are lots of factors in play that can effect blade wear from really sharp blades, such as Feather, that have a narrow edge hone angle with the result that they wear rapidly with many B&Bers only realizing one or two shaves per blade. Less sharp blades, with a wider edge tip hone angle, may be more resistant to the microchiping that is the primary driver of blade wear. I suspect that hair thickness/density could also come into play here. We've another thread regarding how aggressive razors might impact blade life. Believe there was some research that blade angle geometry can affect wear. Of course carbon steel blades can deteriorate quickly due to susceptibility to corrosion vs stainless.

What is your experience with razor blade wear? Do your blades suddenly drop off in performance or do they only gradually deteriorate? Does this vary based on the brand and type of blade that you use and have changes in your shaving techniques effected blade life? Any sense of what drives rapid blade deterioration when you experience it?

 

[Steelerfan]

Most blades I use fall off gradually but the Treet Black Beauty falls of very quickly. I can manage only 2 shaves with them.

 

[nav]

I rinse my razor with soft water, thereby preventing carbonate build-up on the blade edge.

My blades dull gradually so I'm able to get a full 5 awesome shaves from each BIC and Wizamet blade.

If I rinse under tap water, the blade will dull suddenly after 2 shaves.

The exception is feather, which lasts me one single shave in any case. But what an AMAZING shave it is!

 

[Phoenixkh]

Mine seem to just hit the wall, both DE and AC blades. Now, I use any DE blade twice and AC guarded blades 6 times routinely unless something happens to force their early retirement.

 

[NCJack]

My Feathers and Gillette Silver Blues seem to fall off noticeably after about six shaves, and start to feel rough. My Astra SPs still feel smooth after more than ten, though they get less effective as cutters.

 

[Mitzie]

Feather blades dull almost instantaneously even whilst shaving

 

[Dave himself]

For me my Permasharps, Nacets, GSBs and Gillette Platinums all seem to fade over a period of time. Were Personna platinums and Wilkinson swords ( German ) are a two shaves and done.

 

[Labibaranda]

For me my Permasharps, Nacets, GSBs and Gillette Platinums all seem to fade over a period of time. Were Personna platinums and Wilkinson swords ( German ) are a two shaves and done.

 

[Dobric]

Gradually.

 

[JPO]

For me this depends on blade type and razor. Some blades like Feather might fail during the first pass.

 

[c__port]

For me, razors that are more effective at a steep angle cause blade wear to accelerate. Razors that work well with a shallow angle cause less blade wear.

I have a Yaqi slant that gives me a (very slow and steady) WTG single pass shave for about 3 uses on most blades. In this case the wear is remarkably sudden and obvious.

Any razor that is similar in geometry to R89/DE89 allows 15-65 shaves ATG/XTG. With these, wear is gradual. When I can't shave ATG above my lip comfortably, I'm done with that blade.

The two exceptions are Feather (1-3 shaves) and IP red/Crystal (1-5 shaves) in any razor.

 

[rbscebu]

It's hard to tell. One DE blade normally lasts me about two years but I only shave with my shavette about once every 3 or 4 months.

 

[JPO]

A DE blade used in a shavette usually last longer.
When you are a using a shavette you are in full control of the blade angle. By using a shallow angle you are putting less lateral force on the edge, which causes less micro chipping, which is the main wear cause of a de blade.

 

[NorthernSoul]

I don't think I've ever hit a wall. I have sometimes realized after starting a shave that I should have put in a fresh blade first, so just go ahead and make the switch in the middle. It was a gradual deterioration that went on too long.

 

[RayClem]

The way the edge of the blade deteriorates depends upon the toughness of your beard and the fragility of the edge. I have a tough beard, so if I use a single blade for the entire shave, I rarely get more than 4 shave from the blade. With most blades, the blade becomes sharper after the first shave as the coating wears off, stays sharp for a couple of shaves, and then quickly fades.

For me, Feather blades start off super sharp and are quite comfortable for the 2nd shave, but the super-sharp edge is so fragile that the 3rd shave is harsh.

Then there are blades like Astra SP that are not quite sharp enough for my beard. I can use them for a couple of shaves, but the experience is not enjoyable. Unfortunately, a number of blades I have tried are even less sharp than Astra SP and any attempt to use them results in painful tugging.

That is my experience. However, I suspect I am atypical. Some guys are able to get 100 shaves from a blade; they are likely to be at the opposite end of the shaving spectrum. From what I have read, the typical shaver can use a a mid-sharp blade and can probably get 7-10 shaves from the blade. Your own experience is likely to change as you get older. Usually, beard hair becomes more coarse and tougher and skin becomes thinner, more saggy and more sensitive. That makes shaving more of a challenge as you age.

My recommendation is that you do not worry about what anyone else does. What they do might or might not work for you. Just because I cannot get more than 4 shaves from a blade does not mean that you cannot get more. Some people can get 100 shaves from a blade, but that does not mean you should try to do that. Purchase the blades that are sharp enough for your beard and smooth enough for your face. Use them until they begin to feel either too dull for your beard or too harsh for your face. There are approximately 4 billion males in the world. That means there are 4 billion different variations in shaving needs as no two men will be identical.

 

[Lane101]

Most blades I use fall off gradually but the Treet Black Beauty falls of very quickly. I can manage only 2 shaves with them.

No surprise that a carbon steel blade has a short life. Do you see visible corrosion on the Treet blades when they are done?

 

[Lane101]

For me my Permasharps, Nacets, GSBs and Gillette Platinums all seem to fade over a period of time. Were Personna platinums and Wilkinson swords ( German ) are a two shaves and done.

Which of your blades do you consider the sharpest on your first shave? Curious if there is a pattern where the sharpest blades wear the fastest as is the case with Feather for many B&Bers.

 

[Lane101]

The way the edge of the blade deteriorates depends upon the toughness of your beard and the fragility of the edge. I have a tough beard, so if I use a single blade for the entire shave, I rarely get more than 4 shave from the blade. With most blades, the blade becomes sharper after the first shave as the coating wears off, stays sharp for a couple of shaves, and then quickly fades.

For me, Feather blades start off super sharp and are quite comfortable for the 2nd shave, but the super-sharp edge is so fragile that the 3rd shave is harsh.

Then there are blades like Astra SP that are not quite sharp enough for my beard. I can use them for a couple of shaves, but the experience is not enjoyable. Unfortunately, a number of blades I have tried are even less sharp than Astra SP and any attempt to use them results in painful tugging.

That is my experience. However, I suspect I am atypical. Some guys are able to get 100 shaves from a blade; they are likely to be at the opposite end of the shaving spectrum. From what I have read, the typical shaver can use a a mid-sharp blade and can probably get 7-10 shaves from the blade. Your own experience is likely to change as you get older. Usually, beard hair becomes more coarse and tougher and skin becomes thinner, more saggy and more sensitive. That makes shaving more of a challenge as you age.

My recommendation is that you do not worry about what anyone else does. What they do might or might not work for you. Just because I cannot get more than 4 shaves from a blade does not mean that you cannot get more. Some people can get 100 shaves from a blade, but that does not mean you should try to do that. Purchase the blades that are sharp enough for your beard and smooth enough for your face. Use them until they begin to feel either too dull for your beard or too harsh for your face. There are approximately 4 billion males in the world. That means there are 4 billion different variations in shaving needs as no two men will be identical.

Thank you RayClem, that was a really thoughtful reply. You are absolutely correct, the only right answer is the one that works best for you based on beard characteristics, technique and preferences. A thread like this helps to illustrate that for everyone.

 

[NorthernSoul]

No surprise that a carbon steel blade has a short life. Do you see visible corrosion on the Treet blades when they are done?

Treet makes another blade, called Dura-Sharp. I think they are teflon coated carbon steel. These work better than Black Beauties for me, having the smoothness of carbon steel with a bit longer life. They are inexpensive, too.

You need to keep them dry like all carbon steel blades.

 

[ShavingPrimate]

From what I have read, the typical shaver can use a a mid-sharp blade and can probably get 7-10 shaves from the blade.

The impression I get from the threads on the forum is that most will get between 4-6 shaves before changing the blade.

Considering the use of a DE blade, that is only getting 2-3 shaves from each edge. Considering that we are talking about modern steel as compared to facial hair, that does not seem like very many shaves. As specially when many shavers change out their blades even before this many shaves.

My observation seems to be that modern blades become damaged before they become dull. Micro-chipping degrades the edge and damages the quality of the shave which appears to be the major reason people change out their blades early.

As I don't feel that most modern blades will last me for two weeks, I am finding that I am able to get 1-full week of daily shaves out if a blade, while maintaining a quality shave.

Most of my blades that are not subject to actual edge damage seem to get less sharp evenly over time. Still, I feel that most will get me through a week and still retain enough of their original sharpness.