One pass shaving = increased blade life?

[rmac]

Hi all,

Was thinking about the way our forefathers shaved and from what I’ve read they (generally) used one pass and changed blades infrequently. Also read somewhere that blade manufacturers at the time touted 15 to 30 shaves from a single blade, which might be explained by doing less passes i.e. less stress and mechanical wear on the blade edge.

Does this mean if used say a Muhle R41 daily and did one WTG pass I could theoretically extend blade life to 2 or 3 times what I would usually get? Anyone ever tried this?


Thanks,

R

 

[Kyle89]

I’m curious to see different points of view in this matter. There are many factors to increased blade life. Good technique, slickness of lather, giving a seemingly tuggy blade another chance (I found that sometimes they smooth next shave). Blades are cheap so I’m sure a lot of people don’t care about extended blade life, and that opinion will be stated for sure, but some people do.
Those extended blade lives of the olden times were rough shaves I’m sure, but out of necessity it prevented you from having a beard, so people dealt with it I’m sure. Now we are spoiled.
I’m sure less use wears down a blade less, but other factors attribute to dulling as well.

Back in the day when I could hardly feed myself I’d ride out those cartridges for months, and I was beardless, but it wasn’t a luxurious experience by any means. But it was possible.

 

[Mark1977]

I did go through a phase where I just did just one pass while shaving. I usually did this in the past when I was on long leave from work and didn't really need to have a BBS. Long before shaving became a hobby. And yes the blade did give me double the amount of shaves compared to when I do 3 passes.
But proper prep is necessary. Good lather and slickness does help with the longevity of the blade. Also giving the razor a good shake after shaving to remove as much water from the blade helps a lot. A wet blade corrodes faster than a dry one. I usually keep my razor away from my bathroom. It's hot and humid here in Malaysia and not advisable to keep my razor and blades in the bathroom. Blades deteriorate a lot faster when there's moisture.


Sent from my CPH1969 using Tapatalk

 

[Invicta]

Was thinking about the way our forefathers shaved and from what I’ve read they (generally) used one pass and changed blades infrequently. Also read somewhere that blade manufacturers at the time touted 15 to 30 shaves from a single blade, which might be explained by doing less passes i.e. less stress and mechanical wear on the blade edge.

You are probably correct on a single pass shave being the normal shave in those times but it is hard to compare when those blades were carbon steel and a thicker blade. The grind on the bevel was different and coatings were not a consideration.
You can get more use from a blade doing a single pass but the shave is going to be mediocre at best for most who do the 3 pass shave.

 

[rbscebu]

I must be a little older than @rmac. My forefathers used SR's so their blades lasted them a life-time or more. Just needed a stropping before each shave and the occasional refresh on a rock.

 

[smudge]

I think that the angle at which you shave affects blade life considerably. I can only use my Muhle R41 with a steep angle and struggle to get more than 3 shaves from a blade. At the other end of the scale my Feather AS-D2 requires a more shallow angle and I can get up to a dozen shaves from a blade. Makes sense really - scraping must dull an edge faster than slicing.

 

[BigJ]

Complicated for sure!

The first point was that back in the day DE blades were carbon steel which was very different from the stainless that most use today. You could also reshapen/strop blades.

Second, I expect that most (such as my grandfather) wanted to get it over with to get on with their day, so one pass was the rule. But he also accepted far less than the BBS or DFS that most here want.

Finally, money was a huge issue especially for those with memories of the Great Depression. They wanted to get every bit of use out of a product before tossing it.

Just my $0.02! (And I want my money’s worth for that $0.02!! )

 

[BobbyB]

My dad did a one pass shave each work day. He also a glass tray product he used to re-sharpen his Gillette Blueblades when needed. When a blade was worn out, it went into the medicine chest slot to 'retire' amongst the studs.

 

[Mustard Seed]

I use mainly Astra SP blades that I can get a 100 pack for around 7 bucks on Amazon. Extending the life of my razor blades is just not at the top pf my list.

 

[ackvil]

My father was born in 1902 and my grandfather in about 1880. I was born in 1942. My father and grandfather used Gillette razors and both did a two-pass shave, N to S and S to N. My grandfather on the weekend when he had more time used a SR and he did a two-pass shave with that. When I started shaving at the tender age of 14 I also did a two-pass shave, N to S and S to N. None of us thought about WTG, XTG, and ATG. When I was older I would feel around my face and neck to find any stubble and I would touch-up in those areas.

 

[SillyPancake]

Never tried it, never will.
I use every blade 3 times. If that one blade does not work, I toss it after one use.
I value my face and the pleasure from shaving way more as a one DE blade.

DE blades are just a consumable, and with a laughable low price per one blade, I have zero, 0, reasons to prolong their life.

 

[Wogus]

Blade longevity, much less trying to maximize blade longevity, isn't something that falls on my radar.

 

[iShave415]

I use the blade 3 times and then toss it away.

I could probably use it 4 or 5 times, but why bother. It's easier to just toss it and start again with a brand new blade. That slices and dices with the sharpness.

 

[FarmerTan]

Never tried it, never will.
I use every blade 3 times. If that one blade does not work, I toss it after one use.
I value my face and the pleasure from shaving way more as a one DE blade.

DE blades are just a consumable, and with a laughable low price per one blade, I have zero, 0, reasons to prolong their life.

They are inexpensive, but I'm cheap. And I figure why waste anything?

Besides, I'll bet if you ask 80% of the folks on here, they'd tell you a Gillette Silver Blue is better on it's second shave. It's like it is "stropped" by your face. Astra SS behaves the same for me.

Lol, I've got 51 shaves on a GSB that felt as nice on 51 as it did on the 2nd.

 

[Tanuki]

As a man of leisure, I've been thinking about going to one-pass shaves. Specifically, about enjoying both a morning and a bedtime one-pass each day. (With touch up, so maybe 1.5?) Start clean, finish clean.

Plus, I might get through all my OC razors in OCtober. And get through my oversized SR rotation more frequently. Which might encourage me to tackle my honing/restoration backlog.

Win, win, win, win, win! Can I handle that much winning? High blade longevity would pay for the whole project. Another win!

 

[SillyPancake]

They are inexpensive, but I'm cheap. And I figure why waste anything?

Besides, I'll bet if you ask 80% of the folks on here, they'd tell you a Gillette Silver Blue is better on it's second shave. It's like it is "stropped" by your face. Astra SS behaves the same for me.

Lol, I've got 51 shaves on a GSB that felt as nice on 51 as it did on the 2nd.

51 shaves is a next level cheap
Yes, I noticed that some blades are a bit nicer on second shave, for me Personna Platinum behaves like this.
But, like I said, 3 times and done for me.

 

[MrSpeedy]

Back in the day when I could hardly feed myself I’d ride out those cartridges for months, and I was beardless, but it wasn’t a luxurious experience by any means. But it was possible.

Same here! Those weren't the days.

 

[thombrogan]

@rmac If a one-pass shave gets you the comfort, closeness, and enjoyment you want out of the hobby, go for it!

 

[NoScrubs]

Never tried it, never will.
I use every blade 3 times. If that one blade does not work, I toss it after one use.
I value my face and the pleasure from shaving way more as a one DE blade.

DE blades are just a consumable, and with a laughable low price per one blade, I have zero, 0, reasons to prolong their life.

I agree blades are too cheap to try and extend the life of a blade. There are some blades I use once and out it goes. I also do not believe that I should need to wait until the second or third shave with a blade for the performance to improve.

 

[abershaver]

I get four shaves from a DE blade or two from a half DE. Just a habit I developed! I have never really tried to make blades last because they are so cheap. When I used a Gillette Guard though I would easily get 7-8 great shaves with each cart.