Excalibur Club: what's the tradeoff?

[cathdeacon]

I've been intrigued by the claims of EXCALIBUR club members who seem to routinely obtain 3X, 4X, 10X the number of shaves as I do on a blade. I wonder just what kind of shaves they are and how much is being given up to obtain them? Are the rest of us "mere mortals" seeking only perfect, pleasurable shaving experiences every time, and have the "enlightened" ones accepted far less, but for far longer? For me, 5 shaves on a good blade (feather, polsilver si) is about it.

 

[jamesspo]

I've been intrigued by the claims of EXCALIBUR club members who seem to routinely obtain 3X, 4X, 10X the number of shaves as I do on a blade. I wonder just what kind of shaves they are and how much is being given up to obtain them? Are the rest of us "mere mortals" seeking only perfect, pleasurable shaving experiences every time, and have the "enlightened" ones accepted far less, but for far longer? For me, 5 shaves on a good blade (feather, polsilver si) is about it.

I can only speak for myself, but I'm definitely not giving up anything. I only use a blade until I start having to do extra work (passes, strokes) to get the closeness I want. I'd never settle for irritation or other issues (that said, I never really see that with blades..instead just a very slow fall-off in sharpness). I don't think anyone's claiming to be enlightened or in any way superior - if they are, that's not in the spirit of the club. The point of the club is to find out, for yourself, what your real number is. That may be five shaves per blade, or it may be fifty or more. The point is to put away any biases you might have about how many shaves you should be getting to see how many are really possible. Most members have found that they had stopped using blades too early, blaming the blade for some small anomaly like a weeper, or a bit of irritation when the blade had nothing to do with the issue. To figure out whether the blade is an issue, you have to experiment with pushing beyond those shaves to make sure it wasn't just you. Most of the time, it will be you , not the blade. I find that blades don't just stop working suddenly, giving you problems. Instead, they gradual loose sharpness over time, resulting in more work required. Beyond the psychological issue of bias there certainly are other things that can lead to longer blade life that may be in play for individuals - shallow blade angle, excellent prep, minimal passes or fewer strokes overall. Please do come over and ask the question on the thread. All are welcome, and I'm sure you'll get some good answers.

 

[dionesius3]

I can only speak for myself, but I'm definitely not giving up anything. I only use a blade until I start having to do extra work (passes, strokes) to get the closeness I want. I'd never settle for irritation or other issues (that said, I never really see that with blades..instead just a very slow fall-off in sharpness). I don't think anyone's claiming to be enlightened or in any way superior - if they are, that's not in the spirit of the club. The point of the club is to find out, for yourself, what your real number is. That may be five shaves per blade, or it may be fifty or more. The point is to put away any biases you might have about how many shaves you should be getting to see how many are really possible. Most members have found that they had stopped using blades too early, blaming the blade for some small anomaly like a weeper, or a bit of irritation when the blade had nothing to do with the issue. To figure out whether the blade is an issue, you have to experiment with pushing beyond those shaves to make sure it wasn't just you. Most of the time, it will be you , not the blade. I find that blades don't just stop working suddenly, giving you problems. Instead, they gradual loose sharpness over time, resulting in more work required. Beyond the psychological issue of bias there certainly are other things that can lead to longer blade life that may be in play for individuals - shallow blade angle, excellent prep, minimal passes or fewer strokes overall. Please do come over and ask the question on the thread. All are welcome, and I'm sure you'll get some good answers.

I would also confirm what James has said above. I too once thought exactly like you that there had to be some trade off either comfort, or closeness, or smoothness, or something, and then I went and read the posts, studied the advice given, and started experimenting on my own. And in a very short time I discovered that what I had assumed and thought about DE shaving and blade life was not fact.
I went from tossing a blade every four shaves to routinely getting 25 or more shaves from a single blade. And I still toss blades before the life of the blade is done. I have six razors that I use daily, and the last time I changed a blade to get a new one was back in September.
If I can't get a perfect BBS shave in Two passes with just one or two touchup strokes I toss the blade. One razor has thirty shaves on the blade as of today, one has 12, the others have just under the double digit marks. I fully expect to not need to change a blade till after the first of the year. And even then I likely will be only one blade.

I can can take blades from my blade bank that I used early in my DE career and shave them with perfect results. That is how I know blades will indeed last much longer than anyone thinks they will. I have not shaved one blade to the 100 shave mark but I have one blade with over 75 shaves that I am waiting to use in my soon to be replated Gillette SHERATON OC TTO.

Check out the thread, and set aside what you think you know, and give the techniques and prep a chance. A bad shave from a particular blade results more often than not from some cause other than a loss of cutting ability from the blade edge. When my prep is off I know from the first half of a single stroke of the razor to the face. And when blades get dull they don't pull the beard, they simply don't cut the beard. It is almost never pulling when the blade life is finished.

 

[DaltonGang]

Usually I get great 20-30 smooth, and comfortable shaves, from high quality blades. Prep and technique is the key.
Read some of the posts in the Excalibur Club, in "Clubs and Brotherhood". At least the first 3-5 page's. Then try some of the members techniques.

 

[TheVez2]

20-30 is average for me. But I rarely keep track to know the exact number. Sometimes when I try to think back to the last time I swapped a blade it ends up being 45-60 days. I don't give anything up, as soon as I notice a blade has stopped giving me close or comfortable shaves, it goes, no matter how many shaves is on it. Sometimes a blade only lasts me a week, but that is rare. The only time I intentionally pushed a blade to the end was a Feather I managed to squeeze 66 shaves from.

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

I've been intrigued by the claims of EXCALIBUR club members who seem to routinely obtain 3X, 4X, 10X the number of shaves as I do on a blade. I wonder just what kind of shaves they are and how much is being given up to obtain them?

I've easily doubled (and at times tripled) the number of shaves I've been getting from blade. Today's shave, number 11 with a Personna Barber blade in my '56 Gillette Blue Tip, was the best yet. A close comfortable shave in one pass with some touch up. All because of technique, which has been improving steadily since I've be a member of Badger and Blade this past year.

I'm not afraid to ditch a blade if it isn't working for me (did that to a Perma-Sharp after two shaves). Am I looking for the perfect shave? Well, I'm not chasing BBS if that's what you mean. But I do seek a close, comfortable, nick and irritation-free shave in the fewest number of passes. And if I can do that with the same blade for 10, 15, even 20 shaves, then good for me.

 

[GaryTha]

What those above said.

I'm a recent convert. If a person's beard will allow a high number of shaves, the only impediment is the individual's belief syste. The techniques to reach the higher numbers are simple and easy.

 

[geneaut]

James hit the nail on the head with the statement that the goal of the Excalibur practitioner should be to find out what their high water mark for a blade is versus just tossing it an arbitrary number.

That said for some people that number may lower than for other shavers, and that can easily be explained by differences in all that variables that influence shave comfort and blade longevity.

I don’t feel I trade out anything much by taking my blades from a 5-7 day lifespan into the teens. The only change I made was increasing my prep

 

[Uncas]

I enjoy smooth clean trouble free shave as much as anyone, and out of curiosity have gone nearly forty shaves on a blade to see what it's all about. Most days I use a different razor with a fresh blade. I'm sure that will bring howls of distain, but nonetheless you will never find me posting or complaining of a bad shave.
I admire the Excalibur guys and will always encourage anyone to pursue their goals, they've always been helpful and courteous to me.

 

[psfred]

The only trade-off I find is that Super Stainless blades pull more on my chin sooner than platinum coated blades. All blades tug a little on my chin, and I'll retire one when it gets too uncomfortable. I have very coarse hair on my chin, and it grows straight out, making it the most uncomfortable spot for shaving.

In most cases, after the initial "sharpness" wears off the blade (mostly PTFE coating wearing off rather than actual apex wear) I find most blades smooth out and give me excellent blood free shaves for quite a few shaves while gradually requiring more perfect technique and eventually more touch-up to get a BBS shave. Super Stainless blades eventually pull more than I'm willing to put up with, but all blades start leaving stubble sooner or later, or the stubble becomes noticable by lunch time. That's when I retire them.

Change your blade to maintain comfort and closeness. With practice I suspect most people will find that good, easy, close shaves with proper preparation and good lather result in long blade life.

 

[Chumango]

I haven't pushed blades as long as some folks, as I change blades after 14 shaves, on a schedule. Sometimes the blade has life left in it. Sometimes, like the one I replaced this morning, it is done, and I have known for a few days that it was about done. The longest I have gone with a blade is 28 shaves.

I have found, as has been said above, that any problem with a given shave is most likely due to something other than the blade. In my case the most common cause is sub optimal lather. The blade is capable of lasting a lot longer than many think.

 

[DougK]

I suspect that I could push blades a lot farther than I normally do. I'll normally toss a blade at a week max, but I really should challenge that and just shave as long as a blade is still working and I'm not getting irritation.

 

[luv2shave]

Reviving almost a year old thread, but I think deserves a mention.

I posted a long post of my first ever experience of trying to excalibur a Gem PTFE blade. I posted my observations in the Excalibur Club.

My two cents to this thread.

There are no trade offs - only learning and cultivating a value system.

While a lot of folks do live with a "Life is too short to count a few pennies" approach based value system, I chase the art of Zen - which is all about art of introducing refinement in ones actions in day to day life by conscious indulgence. The art of slowing down and being in the moment, fully conscious and aware and indulging in the present moment.

I used to get away with bad lather, and a sharp new blade used to at times cover up refined technique or punish it at times.

The last three weeks of experience taught me the true technique and art of zen shaving.

1. Introduced to the razor at a very intimate up-close nature, its personality which I had to work with in order to get it to work with me for a smooth and efficient shave. I got to know my razor !
2. Know the blade - What will the blade and razor combo be able to deliver with my technique
3. I got to know and refine my technique more so than ever in almost 10 years of so of wet shaving. I thought I had it all figured out and a shave dialed in, however by conscious deliberate indulgence I discovered flaws which I was oblivious to due to a sharp blade. Slow, deliberate, conscious strokes - not automatic fast mindless strokes
4. Shaves got irritation free even as the blade edge was naturally getting more dull post each shave. My technique has improved to a point where I can clear the stubborn stubble in some complex contours with minimal WTG / XTG / ATG moves reducing my strokes and hence irritation
5. I learnt about soap character. I had favorite scents earlier which mostly gave good shave grade lather. Excalibur taught me the difference between a good shave quality lather and a great uber quality lather.

Reminds me of those movies where they talk about shooting with an automatic weapon and a sniper rifle with controlled breathing and taking the time for the shot. With an automatic rifle - one can be trigger happy and hope one of the bullets will hit, whereas take that one shot which is a master stroke, planned meticulously, considering all factors and variables to know exactly what pressing that trigger will do.

Frugality is the least of my concerns with over 2000 DE and SE blades stash for trying to excalibur a blade.

 

[dionesius3]

Reviving almost a year old thread, but I think deserves a mention.

I posted a long post of my first ever experience of trying to excalibur a Gem PTFE blade. I posted my observations in the Excalibur Club.

My two cents to this thread.

There are no trade offs - only learning and cultivating a value system.

While a lot of folks do live with a "Life is too short to count a few pennies" approach based value system, I chase the art of Zen - which is all about art of introducing refinement in ones actions in day to day life by conscious indulgence. The art of slowing down and being in the moment, fully conscious and aware and indulging in the present moment.

I used to get away with bad lather, and a sharp new blade used to at times cover up refined technique or punish it at times.

The last three weeks of experience taught me the true technique and art of zen shaving.

1. Introduced to the razor at a very intimate up-close nature, its personality which I had to work with in order to get it to work with me for a smooth and efficient shave. I got to know my razor !
2. Know the blade - What will the blade and razor combo be able to deliver with my technique
3. I got to know and refine my technique more so than ever in almost 10 years of so of wet shaving. I thought I had it all figured out and a shave dialed in, however by conscious deliberate indulgence I discovered flaws which I was oblivious to due to a sharp blade. Slow, deliberate, conscious strokes - not automatic fast mindless strokes
4. Shaves got irritation free even as the blade edge was naturally getting more dull post each shave. My technique has improved to a point where I can clear the stubborn stubble in some complex contours with minimal WTG / XTG / ATG moves reducing my strokes and hence irritation
5. I learnt about soap character. I had favorite scents earlier which mostly gave good shave grade lather. Excalibur taught me the difference between a good shave quality lather and a great uber quality lather.

Reminds me of those movies where they talk about shooting with an automatic weapon and a sniper rifle with controlled breathing and taking the time for the shot. With an automatic rifle - one can be trigger happy and hope one of the bullets will hit, whereas take that one shot which is a master stroke, planned meticulously, considering all factors and variables to know exactly what pressing that trigger will do.

Frugality is the least of my concerns with over 2000 DE and SE blades stash for trying to excalibur a blade.

Your absolutely on to something! It is not about money or anything of the sort. It is about taking the time and thought to analyze each aspect of the shaving process and maximize each of these various things into a whole experience that has the side benefits of extending the blade life and reducing the impact on your skin. It really is not What most people think it is.

And most who think they have perfected every aspect of wet shaving really haven’t even begun to get to the level of expertise.

I still learn from almost every shave and I still have to improve my technique from razor to razor. I used to constantly record each shave on each blade but now I don’t even think about how long I have been using a blade. I use it till it is done or until it starts rusting.I recently changed a blade that had been in the razor for two years. Likely having been used upwards of 250 times. It’s not that uncommon for me at this point. I have four razors that are my core razors and about five that are occasional use ones. I change blades when they need to be changed. I have used two blades so far this year in these razors. So 7 blades have more than a years of shaving and none are close to being dull.

 

[luv2shave]

Your absolutely on to something! It is not about money or anything of the sort. It is about taking the time and thought to analyze each aspect of the shaving process and maximize each of these various things into a whole experience that has the side benefits of extending the blade life and reducing the impact on your skin. It really is not What most people think it is.

And most who think they have perfected every aspect of wet shaving really haven’t even begun to get to the level of expertise.

I still learn from almost every shave and I still have to improve my technique from razor to razor. I used to constantly record each shave on each blade but now I don’t even think about how long I have been using a blade. I use it till it is done or until it starts rusting.I recently changed a blade that had been in the razor for two years. Likely having been used upwards of 250 times. It’s not that uncommon for me at this point. I have four razors that are my core razors and about five that are occasional use ones. I change blades when they need to be changed. I have used two blades so far this year in these razors. So 7 blades have more than a years of shaving and none are close to being dull.

250 !

I am just beginning to scrap the surface of the tip of this iceberg !

 

[SgtCrppls]

I am not sure what the big deal is with getting a huge number of shaves from a single blade, unless it just proves that your technique is great. Unless I am missing something the most I use any blade, Polsilver or Feather is 5 times. I guess unless my 5th shave was bad I should keep using the blade. We will see.

 

[psfred]

These days I'm still handling a blade very carefully at 5 shaves so I don't get weepers. At 5 shaves you are just getting the thick part of the PTFE coating worn off....

 

[samhain666]

What are you guys shaving? My nacets start pulling hair out of my face by shave 5

 

[geneaut]

I am not sure what the big deal is with getting a huge number of shaves from a single blade, unless it just proves that your technique is great. Unless I am missing something the most I use any blade, Polsilver or Feather is 5 times. I guess unless my 5th shave was bad I should keep using the blade. We will see.

I don't think it is a big deal to most people ( even the people who probably enjoy the challenge of it ), but it is something that shavers here who do have experience with it shared so others would at least be aware of it.

I've never taken a blade past the teens, but I still enjoy reading about people who can get insane numbers from a blade even if I never get the urge to even try.

 

[GaryTha]

Wow! It has been almost a year since the last post. I'm already on my second blade for the year. A second three-blade year in a row is virtually in the bag.