I just saw a vid where a guy has made a Mach 3 cart last for two years by stropping it on his forearm after every shave.
TWO YEARS!!!
What do you guys think?
TWO YEARS!!!
What do you guys think?
Last edited:
Eternal Blade Life?
- Thread starter mjclark
- Start date
Great for an experiment I suppose, but if I were in a situation that I had to make a blade last even a fraction of that length, I'd just grow a beard.
I still don't think something like your arm can do much to a blade. Probably just the effort of wiping it dries the blade preventing corrosion.
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I still don't think something like your arm can do much to a blade. Probably just the effort of wiping it dries the blade preventing corrosion.
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- Thread starter
- #3
I guess the naturally oiled skin on your arm cushioned by the fat and muscle and braced by the bone underneath makes a really good strop.
I agree the problem is that I don’t really want to make a blade last two years.
I got 14 phenomenal shaves from a Personna 74 DE blade before I just got bored...
... I am keen to see how effective this is though.
Around 5 to 8 shaves and in the bin, life is too short.
- Thread starter
- #6
Well, @mjclark there is one way to find out. Are you willing to try the experiment for say a month and let us know how you get on? I’m willing to provide the cart if you are up for it.
Honestly I’d get bored after the first week lol
But it will be interesting to see if it MAINTAINS shave quality over an extended period...
The offer is there. Take it up anytime you want to.
i agree.
I am on shave 8 on my vintage Trac II cartridge and ive been using Blade Buddy to strop it every day and dry it well, but i noticed its not as nice a shave as it was on shave number 6 or even 7. Still a good shave just not as nice as before so i agree that 5-8 shaves is probably it.
Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
I've got 12 shaves on a Gillette Guard. After shave 11 i had slight irritation, so I stropped on leather and then on my forearm. Shave 12 was improved. I'm going to see how long I can go on the Guard. No real reason, other than curiosity. I did roughly figure the Guard to be as cost effective as DE if I could get 10 shaves on a cart. Saving money is not my primary objective. Good shaves are and I'll use any and all formats at my disposal.
I went to the leather for the initial strop, but just plan to do arm stropping as others do in the vids you see online. I'll report back, but I typically only use the Guard a couple of times per week, so it may be awhile before I know.
I went to the leather for the initial strop, but just plan to do arm stropping as others do in the vids you see online. I'll report back, but I typically only use the Guard a couple of times per week, so it may be awhile before I know.
- Thread starter
- #10
Two years on one cartridge, that's pretty amazing!
Out of sheer financial necessity, I only used two Sensor Excel cartridges over the course of an entire year. Granted the shaves got very dicey after three months of daily shaves (wouldn't dare go more than one pass beyond that point), but these were good enough for me to maintain a decent level of beard reduction.
During my many years of cartridge shaving, I replaced them every two to three months and only went through 4 or 5 cartridges per year. Of course my perspective on shaving has changed quite a bit since then!
Out of sheer financial necessity, I only used two Sensor Excel cartridges over the course of an entire year. Granted the shaves got very dicey after three months of daily shaves (wouldn't dare go more than one pass beyond that point), but these were good enough for me to maintain a decent level of beard reduction.
During my many years of cartridge shaving, I replaced them every two to three months and only went through 4 or 5 cartridges per year. Of course my perspective on shaving has changed quite a bit since then!
It guess it must be true since someone said so on youtube. Personally, I used carts for over 35 years, beginning in 1972 or 73, and four uses was probably my max for a decent shave.
I've used carts that were over 2 years old with occasional use. Didn't strop or clean them at all. Tuggy, but they shaved.
I strop my blades on my towel or forearm. They last about 15 good shaves for me.
if i could get 10-12 from a cart that would be awesome since that would make it 2 full weeks. I shave every weekday and usually saturdays too. I have been spoiled somewhat by using DE blades which only cost me between 15-20 cents each and last 5-6 shaves ( 1 week). Im buying vintage NOS carts for between 60 cents to $1 each. So if they last 2 weeks i would be happy.
- Thread starter
- #16
So I just tried arm-stropping for the first time to celebrate the arrival of my Sensor Excel with some 20+ years old NOS blades.
Ha ha - I’ve no idea what the blades would have been like before but after 20 strokes down the arm that blade from the 1990s gave a superb shave!
Ha ha - I’ve no idea what the blades would have been like before but after 20 strokes down the arm that blade from the 1990s gave a superb shave!
But that was your first shave with the blade right? Tell me after shave 10 or 15.
I could see it if you only shaved once a week, only shaved with the grain and didnt expect BBS or even DFS. Ive seen some of these videos touting extreme blade life and theyre interesting but even at their worst, the money you would spending even shaving with a Fusion and a can of shave gel (which most do) is pretty minuscule compared to the money we all spend on other things.
I’ve gotten 43 shaves with A Schick Super II, but after 40, it was miserable so I binned it. It wasn’t bad through 39 but went downhill really fast at 40.
Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
I think on the videos, those guys getting many months or years are probably doing 1 pass wtg and may even have finer beards than most. Those two factors could lead to some insane blade longevity. Or, they are embellishing a bit.
Here is my take on stropping and blade longevity. I'm sure it helps. Having worked with cutting tools for many years I know that honing an already sharp edge periodically maintains the life. Eventually you need to go back to the sharpening media. In terms of disposable blades, at that point you bin it.
I chose to do leather with a very fine compound the first time on the Guard because I hadn't been doing anything, so I figured (total guess) it could use a bit more than my forearm might provide. From here on out at the end of the shave I will arm strop 5 - 10 strokes and see how things turn out.
Carts lend them selves to stropping for the masses because there is very little question on blade angle to strop at, especially for carts that pivot.
Stropping a DE isn't worth my time and effort as the blade is so cheap to begin with. But for higher end carts the price and ease make it a no brainer to at least try.
Here is my take on stropping and blade longevity. I'm sure it helps. Having worked with cutting tools for many years I know that honing an already sharp edge periodically maintains the life. Eventually you need to go back to the sharpening media. In terms of disposable blades, at that point you bin it.
I chose to do leather with a very fine compound the first time on the Guard because I hadn't been doing anything, so I figured (total guess) it could use a bit more than my forearm might provide. From here on out at the end of the shave I will arm strop 5 - 10 strokes and see how things turn out.
Carts lend them selves to stropping for the masses because there is very little question on blade angle to strop at, especially for carts that pivot.
Stropping a DE isn't worth my time and effort as the blade is so cheap to begin with. But for higher end carts the price and ease make it a no brainer to at least try.
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