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How I use those numbers on the Astra blades...

Latherdude

Latherdude

Okay, pardon me if this has been brought up before. I know it's been discussed on the forum that those numbers on the blade don't mean anything to us in terms of "this side up" or anything, but I had a bit of a "EUREKA!!!" moment the other day when shaving.

With a DE at my SWMBO's place and the rest at mine, it can be tough to remember off hand how many times I've shaved with a blade that's already installed. And then it hit me.

Shave #1. Install the blade with the "1-2" side up, and shave away. You just installed it, so obviously you'll know that it's the first shave on the blade. Leave it in the razor when you're done.

Shave #2. Next time you shave, you'll see the "1-2" side in, but since you didn't just install it, you'll know it's shave #2. But this time, flip the blade over when you're done shaving.

Shave #3. This time when you go to shave, you'll notice the "3-4" side up, indicating it will be your third time using the blade.
​


Now, I realize this only would really work for three shaves, but that just happens to be about the number of good shaves I can get out of an Astra SP. And they're so cheap that it doesn't really save a huge amount of cents by stretching 'em out further to get one or two more "meh" shaves. YMMV, of course, but I find it more important that I'm not paying for Gillette Fusion carts.

At any rate, this could help you remember where your blade is in its lifespan, especially if you leave blades in all the DEs in your rotation. However, you could use the same system if you moved a single blade from one razor to the next.


Happy shaving!
 
Mad Dog

Mad Dog

Brian,

This has been brought up before. My personal feeling is that, with just a few shaves on the Astras (I also only get about 3 per blade), it's not worth the effort to keep changing/rotating them. Now if you were to get, say 7-8, it might be worthwhile. Of course, my personal opinion is only worth what you paid for it, so if the system works for you, by all means, carry on!
 
OnTheRoadToZen

OnTheRoadToZen

Mike H said:
Blade flipping has been mention one or twice...

IMO it does not make a difference, regardless of which side is up, there are only 2 cutting edges on each blade.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure he only meant that you can use the numbers on the blade as a way to keep track of have many shaves you've had with that particular blade, not that flipping the blade means anything else.

Btw, if you have a razor with a distiguishing feature on one side, you can use that to "align" the number on the blade with that feature to keep track of how many shaves you've done with a blade.
E.g. with an Astra blade and a fatboy razor. If I point the "adjustment indicator" (the little red bar which indicates what your setting is) towards me, and put in an unused blade so that the number 1 is in the upper
left corner, I will know on my next shave that I've done 1 shave with that blade. Then, I only need to remember to turn the blade around and/or flip it whenever I'm done shaving. So when I see a 4 in the upper left corner, know it's time to consider tossing that blade in favor of a fresh one. I hope I managed to explain that in an understandable manner! :)
 
Mike H

Mike H

Instagram Famous
You are corret Zen. Sorry lacrossestar, I misunderstood your post. Yes, that would be a way to keep track of shaves. :biggrin1:
 
PFP_Dad

PFP_Dad

Boy do I feel lazy, I just replace my blade on Friday, regardless of how many shaves I got out of it. This usually equates to about 5 shaves since I use straights on the weekend. For my SE's I replace the blade at the first sign of dulling since I don't use them as often.
 
ackvil

ackvil

Brian, I am glad to see someone is as compulsive as me in keeping track of the number of shaves per blade. :wink: I use Astras at times but my usual blades are Lords and Personna Med - Lab blades. I keep track of the shaves by making a notation on the blade wrapper.
 
Mick

Mick

ackvil said:
Brian, I am glad to see someone is as compulsive as me in keeping track of the number of shaves per blade. :wink: I use Astras at times but my usual blades are Lords and Personna Med - Lab blades. I keep track of the shaves by making a notation on the blade wrapper.
Click to expand...

I have a half dozen (or more) DE blades unwrapped at any given time. The only way I can keep track of how many shaves is on each blade is the old blade wrapper with numbers on them routine. I have not found any other way to keep track of a couple months worth of shaves that are left on my open blades.

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Mad Dog

Mad Dog

ackvil said:
Brian, I am glad to see someone is as compulsive as me in keeping track of the number of shaves per blade. :wink: I use Astras at times but my usual blades are Lords and Personna Med - Lab blades. I keep track of the shaves by making a notation on the blade wrapper.
Click to expand...

Jim,

Are the Med Lab blades the same as the Personna Blues? How do you like them compared to the Reds? I've been very pleased with the Red, but this is the 3rd time in as many days I've heard about the Med Lab blades. Very curious.
 
Mad Dog

Mad Dog

turtle said:
I have a half dozen (or more) DE blades unwrapped at any given time. The only way I can keep track of how many shaves is on each blade is the old blade wrapper with numbers on them routine. I have not found any other way to keep track of a couple months worth of shaves that are left on my open blades.

proxy.php
Click to expand...

Ah, of course, I didn't think about this - having multiple blades open/loaded at any given time. Now it makes sense why you'd notate how many shaves on each.
 
Latherdude

Latherdude

Thanks to everyone above for clearing up any misconceptions about my original post. Indeed it wasn't intended to be about blade performance being affected by flipping them, but about keeping count so I don't end up trying to squeeze a fourth shave out of an Astra. It helps me even more since I split time between my den (Grandpa's Red Tip) and my girlfriend's bathroom (Fatboy). I remember where I left off more easily this way, so I thought I would share my idea with y'all.

Also I read a long time back that another B&Ber uses dice to help him remember. He'd just put one underneath each razor on the stand and have it display the appropriate number of dots. Just another idea.

Take care and happy shaving!

turtle said:
At the low cost of Astra blades, why bother counting?
Click to expand...
Because bad shaves suck! Hahaha.

But yes, Astras are cheap, so that's why I use them as long as they are good, but no longer than that. I feel it would be silly to toss 'em after one shave, but I don't want to lose track and have a bad shave with a dull blade. This system helps me keep track of the blade's progress.

Rivendell said:
I use the handy dial on my Merkur Futur to keep track of blade usage. I always seem to cut myself on day 6.
Click to expand...
Now that's a heck of a great idea. I think I'll begin doing this with the Fatboy at my girlfriend's place, and keep the "slip, flip, toss" system in my den with Grandpa's Red Tip.
 
Sully2

Sully2

Mad Dog said:
Brian,

This has been brought up before. My personal feeling is that, with just a few shaves on the Astras (I also only get about 3 per blade), it's not worth the effort to keep changing/rotating them. Now if you were to get, say 7-8, it might be worthwhile. Of course, my personal opinion is only worth what you paid for it, so if the system works for you, by all means, carry on!
Click to expand...

Just about as I do. I can work it for 4-5...but those last 2 get sorts ROUGH!
 
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