In trying out blades, I've been trying to figure out how many shaves I can get from various blades. I'm absolutley knocked by guys on this site telling about 30, 60 or way more shaves with some blades. My beard is average but I've finally realized that with very few exceptions, on the second pass of shave three, I can feel the blade loosing sharpness. Exceptions are maybe multi coated blades like Bic Chrome Platinums where I can go seven or 8 shaves. Decided to count three shaves and pitch it. Blades are to cheap to get a 'settle for' shave to pinch pennies.
Done with: How many shaves per blade?
- Thread starter sternej
- Start date
Yeah, some things remain mysteries... Let them be !
3 at bats and out for me regardless.
I have a let say standard coarse hair, I shave 6 days a week, and I’m also trying many blades (even if I think I could use any in the Overlander now, the Merkur Futur at my beginning was very blade sensitive…). Also, I do 2.5 passes.
I have some good surprises with Bic, Gillette, Triton R3, with 5/6 good shaves.
But yes usually 3 is perfect.
Even 2 with Treet Carbon (the 3rd shave is really with random experience/feeling, so as the price is low, I stop,at 2
)
I can also adapt the technic moving the razor slightly away the perpendicular axle of the blade to help slicing, it works, I could go easily to 10+ but it’s not a pleasure and it’s risky…
So yes definitively 3 in general.
Life is too short to be bored by a blade
I have some good surprises with Bic, Gillette, Triton R3, with 5/6 good shaves.
But yes usually 3 is perfect.
Even 2 with Treet Carbon (the 3rd shave is really with random experience/feeling, so as the price is low, I stop,at 2
) I can also adapt the technic moving the razor slightly away the perpendicular axle of the blade to help slicing, it works, I could go easily to 10+ but it’s not a pleasure and it’s risky…
So yes definitively 3 in general.
Life is too short to be bored by a blade
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
I do not believe that most of those who obtain huge numbers of shaves from a blade do so in order to 'pinch pennies'. There are people with 365 shaves from a single blade - used in a $700 razor with a $500 brush. They have their own perfectly valid reasons for extended blade use, but saving money is not normally among them.
Long blade life is a testimony of good technique or light beard or goatee. Or all of them .
Saving a penny is not a goal. Most money goes to software and other hardware anyways.
Saving a penny is not a goal. Most money goes to software and other hardware anyways.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
Most of the blades I like can (but not necessarily will) give me 10+ shaves. Some blades in the pack, might give up or chip out sooner. There are some blades which can (again - not necessarily will) go 30+ shaves for me.
I believe this is a side effect of my technique, in both lather and razor handling. It's not something I "try" for. I just don't throw blades away until they need to be thrown away. I'd say I have a fairly average beard, overall. I also stick with the same razor most of the time. My technique would be nowhere near as good if I was constantly swapping razors.
I believe this is a side effect of my technique, in both lather and razor handling. It's not something I "try" for. I just don't throw blades away until they need to be thrown away. I'd say I have a fairly average beard, overall. I also stick with the same razor most of the time. My technique would be nowhere near as good if I was constantly swapping razors.
I've never really had a prescribed number of shaves per blade that I aimed for. Instead I have always used a blade for as long as it is comfortable. Usually that equates to a blade a week (I do a 2 pass shave every day).
Blade longevity seems to me a crap shoot.
I'm currently 9 shaves in with a Muhle blade and it still buttery smooth. I used a Perma Sharp for a whole month earlier this year and it was excellent throughout.
Blade longevity seems to me a crap shoot.
I'm currently 9 shaves in with a Muhle blade and it still buttery smooth. I used a Perma Sharp for a whole month earlier this year and it was excellent throughout.
Bic I can go for 5+. Others usually between 3 and 5.
I shave every day. And change the blade every Friday)
)My beard is no longer, thick, dense, and hard on blades. When I sense a blade needs replacing, as I get the sense BLADE is getting Dull. I replace. Do not suffer from necessity to track how man shaves, and two blade from sake 5 pack may heal different results, and last different times I am not buy expensive blades, so if they lash short time I reload with new fresh blade.
Now engineers at MIT have studied the simple act of shaving up close, observing how a razor blade can be damaged as it cuts human hair — a material that is 50 times softer than the blade itself. They found that hair shaving deforms a blade in a way that is more complex than simply wearing down the edge over time. In fact, a single strand of hair can cause the edge of a blade to chip under specific conditions. Once an initial crack forms, the blade is vulnerable to further chipping. As more cracks accumulate around the initial chip, the razor’s edge can quickly dull.
This is from the engineers at MIT in 2020. So it seems that dulling is not as big a problem as the small chips in the blade that shaving produces. Different blades and different faces, but I get 2 good shaves from a Feather, 4 from most blades and 5-6 from a Med Prep.
I was intrigued by the reports of exceedingly longevity and tried to see how far I could go, but the 8th shave was absolutely disagreeable. I keep track of my shaves because I'm not at all interested in getting to another poor shave - ever. If the 4th shave seems ridiculously good (it happens occasionally) I'll go to 5 - but at that point it's saving me 3 cents. I'm delighted to report that I just don't care about 3 cents, and I care a great deal about my comfort. I admit to being as spoiled as I can manage - but who better?
This is from the engineers at MIT in 2020. So it seems that dulling is not as big a problem as the small chips in the blade that shaving produces. Different blades and different faces, but I get 2 good shaves from a Feather, 4 from most blades and 5-6 from a Med Prep.
I was intrigued by the reports of exceedingly longevity and tried to see how far I could go, but the 8th shave was absolutely disagreeable. I keep track of my shaves because I'm not at all interested in getting to another poor shave - ever. If the 4th shave seems ridiculously good (it happens occasionally) I'll go to 5 - but at that point it's saving me 3 cents. I'm delighted to report that I just don't care about 3 cents, and I care a great deal about my comfort. I admit to being as spoiled as I can manage - but who better?
My ‘top-tier’ blades are good for 7-10 comfortable shaves. 
Head shaving : One and done.
Beard shaving : Two and done.
Beard shaving : Two and done.
3 on a DE, 6 on a Schick injector.
I'm pretty much a 3 and done guy, as well. I know I can get more out of some blades but, like you said, blades just aren't that expensive.
I've gotten as few as 3 shaves out of a blade, and as many as 30. On average I can get about 14 or 15 shaves out of a Gillette 7 O'clock yellow. One thing that helps in my case is the men in my family only have facial hair in the mustache and goatee area, nothing on the cheeks.
With me, it depends on the blade. Nacets and GSBs for instance, it's usually 7 or 8, with Feathers it's 3. 
- Thread starter
- #19
Never thought so.
Five seems to be the magic number for me, at least with Nacets and Astras
