Excalibur Club - Blade Longevity DE, SE and Injector

[Spock88]

Shave # 11(Shark Super Chrome)

Razor: Gillette New LC
Blade: Shark Super Chrome
Preshave: Neutrogena Skin clearing shave cream
Lather: ARBAC
Brush: Synbad Synthetic brush
Postshave: Alum, Pacific Shaving Company Caffeinated aftershave

Blade is still going strong. I'm learning that angle is a really critical factor in whether or not you apply pressure. Though in some areas the right angle is really difficult to get. This is especially true around the neck and adam's apple area.

 

[matthewoli98]

Well, Gillette did advertize "up to 60 shaves per blade" on the original DE razor in 1914 -- and those were hand sharpened!

I've suspected for a while that people mistake the PTFE coating wearing off for dullness. After a few shaves the hair drags more on the bevel as it's cut although the actual edge is just as sharp as it was to start with, making the blade a little less comfortable. I've found a way to manage that, mostly with shallow angle, a large blade gap, and excellent lather. I use blades until the stop giving me good shaves, I can put up with a little more dragging sensation.

As far as longevity, some blades give me less than thirty and some give me more than 100 shaves, I suspect due to differences in the steel and heat treatment, not the "sharpness". I prefer platinum blades, they are more comfortable and last longer, although the actual presence of platinum metal is not assured by the name.....

The "platinum" thats just on the actual cutting edge right?

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[matthewoli98]

Currently on use number 8 with the gillette 7 oclock sharp edge, still going strong, a slight but of tugging but not unbearable, i suspect its just the coating Wearing off. Im going to try my very best to push this blade to the absolute maximum amount of shaves i can get out of it.

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[psfred]

The platinum is sputter coated onto the cutting edge, probably in a very narrow band. Otherwise the blades would be very expensive....

 

[Cal]

I'm going to try my very best to push this blade to the absolute maximum amount of shaves i can get out of it.

This type of comment drives me crazy!

The whole point of the Excalibur Club is to get more "great" shaves per blade by improving one's technique. If you find that a blade "isn't cutting it" more than two or three times in a row... bin it, start a new blade, and focus on your technique to see if you can improve further.

Here's a quote from the OP:
"The point here is to find out what your real number of great shaves per blade is..."

The BRAGGING RIGHTS part of this can be a bit of fun along the way but should not be taken seriously. I got so sick of it that I removed "Excalibur" from my signature a while back. Also, seeing folk achieving large numbers and then complaining of weepers etc when starting a new blade makes me want to SCREAM! What happened to that great technique they originally set out to get?

Hey Matthew, I'm not picking on you personally. I suspect that you've just been misled. Rant over.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Steady on, @Cal

Take some long deep sniffs of Prorasso Red, and all will be well in the world again

Currently on use number 8 with the gillette 7 oclock sharp edge, still going strong, a slight but of tugging but not unbearable, i suspect its just the coating Wearing off. Im going to try my very best to push this blade to the absolute maximum amount of shaves i can get out of it.

Sent from my Redmi S2 using Tapatalk

Cal is right though, Matthew, but don't let him know I said so

I've been shaving a good while, and consider myself to have decent technique, but can't get anywhere close to the number of shaves that many of these guys do - well, not comfortably anyway. Most blades get me to ten shaves, but a couple fizzled out at six. Only two blades have gone beyone thirty for me, but when the shaves stop being comfortable, or stop shaving as close as I like, out they go. I could go further, but the only "prize" I'd win would be irritation. I can live without that

Don't make it happen, just eliminate the obstacles and let it happen.

 

[Saxonbowman]

This type of comment drives me crazy!

The whole point of the Excalibur Club is to get more "great" shaves per blade by improving one's technique. If you find that a blade "isn't cutting it" more than two or three times in a row... bin it, start a new blade, and focus on your technique to see if you can improve further.

Here's a quote from the OP:
"The point here is to find out what your real number of great shaves per blade is..."

The BRAGGING RIGHTS part of this can be a bit of fun along the way but should not be taken seriously. I got so sick of it that I removed "Excalibur" from my signature a while back. Also, seeing folk achieving large numbers and then complaining of weepers etc when starting a new blade makes me want to SCREAM! What happened to that great technique they originally set out to get?

Hey Matthew, I'm not picking on you personally. I suspect that you've just been misled. Rant over.

This is one of the things I learned. There are techniques for pushing a blade but they can be counter productive with anything but a dull blade. This kind of put me off of trying to get a lot of shaves off of one blade. I still sometimes went two weeks but that was about it. Right now I'm having fun with this injector blade. I've made some big improvements in my lather technique, or at least relearned that. Sometimes pushing a blade can help you focus on what you are doing.

 

[psfred]

Seeing just how far you can take a blade can be fun, but I'm stopping when the shaves either don't suit me for longevity (too much stubble to early in the day) or they get to be uncomfortable.

Last year I barely made 28 shaves on a Rainbow from Lord -- the last couple days were not all that much fun, but I didn't want to start another blade and then feel I had to finish it (yeah, I'm a bit OCD). Better blades just fade away -- the current one, a Topaz Platinum, is doing OK but the shaves aren't lasting as long, will make 70 easy, but probably not 80. Not uncomfortable like the Nacet I used or the Rainbow from last year, but it's taking a lot of work to get to BBS and then it's gone too soon.

I'm still working on technique, especially with fresh blades as I tend to use too much pressure all the time, and that's not a good idea with fresh teflon -- less feedback. I've only gotten one real nick in the last year or so, twitched when the phone rang while shaving the other Sunday and snicked a bit out of the point of my chin. Otherwise it's just a weeper or two, and none after ten or so shaves on a blade.

However, attempting to get more uses out of a blade is definitely improving my shaves -- far less trouble with leaving small patches of less than perfect closeness, far less irritation, and no weepers most of the time. Getting a close shave from a worn blade requires accurate ATG shaving, and that works fine with a new blade too. Better in fact.

You have to determine how many comfortable shaves you personally can get form a blade, too many variables to give a universal "number". However, I do get a good idea of how long blades will last for me when someone does a review and compares the blade being reviewed against others I have used -- they may only get say four as opposed to two, but that tells me I can expect about twice the life myself. I don't have a heavy beard, I'd guess my brother, who does, will get less shaves per blade than I do since he's cutting a lot more hairs, and they are coarser.

Shave for comfort, blade life will improve as you get better.

 

[Saxonbowman]

I reached 40 shaves with a made in China Schick blade in a J1 injector razor. While this isn't many by Excalibur Club standards I feel pretty good about it. After all, it's just one edge. It's taking more and more work to get a really close shave so I'm going to call it quits.

Still in the mood for blade longevity tests I'm going to see if I can get 10 shaves from a Treet Black. After all, guys could push carbon-steel blades pretty far in the old days when blades were expensive. We'll see how it goes.

 

[Cal]

I reached 40 shaves with a made in China Schick blade in a J1 injector razor. While this isn't many by Excalibur Club standards I feel pretty good about it. After all, it's just one edge. It's taking more and more work to get a really close shave so I'm going to call it quits.

But Mike... that's just fine by Excalibur standards! I'm betting you've forgotten what it says in the OP.

Still in the mood for blade longevity tests I'm going to see if I can get 10 shaves from a Treet Black. After all, guys could push carbon-steel blades pretty far in the old days when blades were expensive. We'll see how it goes.

I'll be interested to hear how that goes, particularly how the blade feels. (I've only ever used SS blades.)

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

I reached 40 shaves with a made in China Schick blade in a J1 injector razor. While this isn't many by Excalibur Club standards I feel pretty good about it.

More shaves than this Excalibur has reached.

I haven't been chasing longevity for a while, just testing blades in different razors...shave a week, ten days, move on. But I rode the Astra Superior Stainless I used in the One-Blade-in-Feb challenge to 30 shaves and could go a little longer. Good blade. On the other hand, I binned a first-time-I-used-it Bolzano after a 17th shave in Gillette Super Adjustable.

 

[psfred]

My first Polisilver SI is finally done -- still have stubble in a few places after a three pass shave. 107 shaves, not too bad, but it is done.

I will never run out of them, I have 154 more......

 

[Saxonbowman]

My first Polisilver SI is finally done -- still have stubble in a few places after a three pass shave. 107 shaves, not too bad, but it is done.

I will never run out of them, I have 154 more......

Great work @psfred!

But Mike... that's just fine by Excalibur standards! I'm betting you've forgotten what it says in the OP.

I'll be interested to hear how that goes, particularly how the blade feels. (I've only ever used SS blades.)

Thanks @Cal! I can give a report after one shave I put the Treet Black in a Fatip Piccolo because that has been a good combination for me in the past. Wow! The shaving experience is completely different than with a Shick J injector. It felt like I was getting a lot of tugging but that may have been due to the more aggressive razor and the roughness of a new blade. The shave itself turned out great. I dried the razor and blade carefully so we'll see if that helps.

More shaves than this Excalibur has reached.

I haven't been chasing longevity for a while, just testing blades in different razors...shave a week, ten days, move on. But I rode the Astra Superior Stainless I used in the One-Blade-in-Feb challenge to 30 shaves and could go a little longer. Good blade. On the other hand, I binned a first-time-I-used-it Bolzano after a 17th shave in Gillette Super Adjustable.

Those are great results @Dog Whiskerer! That seems like a good comparison of the two blades.

 

[John Rose]

Tonight: Single-ring Old / Personna Lab Blue (90)
I'm thinking that this Personna is a wee bit better at 90 than the Astra SP and GSB at 90, but not as good for the first 50 or so. It took longer to break in.
When I retire it at 100 I will go back to an Astra SP and only take it to 75, tops, and try the experiment of "corking" it for the first shave.

Also, for "SE Sunday" I used a Lady Eversharp with a Shick blade on shave #10. I'll be curious to see how far that will go.
I'm starting to like those injectors, even my Soluna/Type G Frankenjector:

Frankenjector v2

• John Rose
• Feb 19, 2019

Type G injector head duct taped to an orphaned Soluna aluminum handle. The stud has a single...

 

[_DOC_]

Gonna go ahead and give this a shot since I just put a new blade in last night

Setup
Razor: Timeless custom
Blade: Feather
Pre-shave: Hot water and some lathered soap on my face
Soap: Barrister and Mann or Noble Otter
Brush: Simpson Captain 2 Manchurian
Post Shave: Clubman or Stirling AS balm

will check in from time to time to update my progress on here!

 

[matthewoli98]

This type of comment drives me crazy!

The whole point of the Excalibur Club is to get more "great" shaves per blade by improving one's technique. If you find that a blade "isn't cutting it" more than two or three times in a row... bin it, start a new blade, and focus on your technique to see if you can improve further.

Here's a quote from the OP:
"The point here is to find out what your real number of great shaves per blade is..."

The BRAGGING RIGHTS part of this can be a bit of fun along the way but should not be taken seriously. I got so sick of it that I removed "Excalibur" from my signature a while back. Also, seeing folk achieving large numbers and then complaining of weepers etc when starting a new blade makes me want to SCREAM! What happened to that great technique they originally set out to get?

Hey Matthew, I'm not picking on you personally. I suspect that you've just been misled. Rant over.

I bin blades as soon as they tug, but if they dont tug i dont replace them. Anyhow im on use number 13 with that very same blade without tugging.

By saying i will try get 20 uses i didnt mean ill try tolerate tugging, but that id try my best to take care of the blade as much as possible to extend the lifespan.

The tugging in that post was due to the top cap not being tightened sufficiently.

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[Saxonbowman]

I thought I would write a progress report on my shaves so far with the Treet Black. I've shaved six times with this blade and frankly, I don't think I'll make it to ten. If I had to judge MY number for this blade right now I would put it at a big two shaves! I'm still getting great results, but the shaves are uncomfortable.

So, why continue? Because there are a few factors I'm curious about. I did have one shave where I didn't tighten the cap all the way so I had to get beyond that one. I started with the Fatip Piccolo with the theory that a more aggressive razor would be a good match for a not especially sharp blade. I don't feel like I ever dialed that razor in, and by four shaves in it the blade felt like it was ready to be binned. I switched to a NEW short comb for shave five and got a slight increase in comfort but still plenty of tugging.

I had one more thing I wanted to try. There are tales from the old days about using a drinking glass to hone the blade thus extending its life. So I honed the blade this morning with a nice cylindrical glass. I used varying amounts of flex in order to make sure I actually honed the cutting edge. When I flipped the blade over I saw what looked like rust on the edge. I honed that off only to find it again on the other side. Turns out this just wiped off. I don't know if it was rust from the edge, some of the blackening from the blade or hard water residue from the glass.

After this process the shave was better. Not what I would call good but an improvement; still plenty close with a slight decrease in tugging. I could see this technique being used during the depression years to extend a blade when money is tight. Kind of pointless now that good stainless blades can be had for pennies. This has been a worthwhile exercise to see how guys might have coped with carbon steel blades in years past.

I'm going to give it one more try tomorrow in a Tech. I figure a milder razor might just be a little more comfortable. I'll report back then. I'll probably summarize this in the blades subforum when I'm done so I apologize if some of you have to read about this twice.

 

[Saxonbowman]

Shave 7 on the Treet Black blade, and it's done! I put it in a post-war Tech after a bit of honing on glass. Still the same amount of yanking and scraping. The shaves have actually been pretty good, just uncomfortable. I think to a certain point having the blade pull on the whisker helps it cut off closer to the skin. Either that or it pulls them out by the roots!

So again, its been a useful experiment but those blades are good for maybe two comfortable shaves. Even then they aren't great. I wanted to like them because they are so cool looking but I don't think I'll be buying any more.

 

[Cal]

So again, its been a useful experiment but those blades are good for maybe two comfortable shaves. Even then they aren't great. I wanted to like them because they are so cool looking but I don't think I'll be buying any more.

Many thanks for your updates on the Treet Blacks, Mike.

I've just removed them from my eBay "Watch list."

 

[Go-T]

Cold water splash
Noxema Preshave
Williams Puck
Parker Boar Brush
Gem MMOC
Gem SS Blade (#9)
Cold Water Rinse
Alum bar
Thayers Witch Hazel (Alcohol Free, Scent Free)
Prorazo Sandalwood AS
CO Bigelo Elixer Black Pepper No. 1586 Cologne

DFS