Used a Super-Max Platinum blade on Monday and got a pretty good shave, and then used the same blade yesterday and today and got even better shaves. Now this could be purely coincidence due to my technique improving, but I just thought that it was interesting that the quality of the shave was inversely proportional to the freshness of the blade this time around. Didn't know that was possible.
Second and third shave better than the first
- Thread starter eleuther0s
- Start date
Search the forum for "corking," basically taking the burrs off a new blade.
Simply taking the first shave will also do this ... with subsequent shaves being smoother ... I think.
Noticed it recently with a new Kai. Pulled for a minute, been giving great shaves all week.
AA
Simply taking the first shave will also do this ... with subsequent shaves being smoother ... I think.
Noticed it recently with a new Kai. Pulled for a minute, been giving great shaves all week.
AA
I usually give a blade two shaves and toss it. I like a fresh edge. The exception is the Feather Super Pro blade I use in my Cobra -- it seems like it hits its sweet spot after a shave or two. Of course, that's a different type of edge than a DE blade.
I've always felt the first shave of any blade did not feel as comfortable as subsequent shaves. This is not just applicable to DE blades but goes back to my Mach 3 cart days as well. This is why I began corking my blades, which imagination aside, I truly feel is effective.
+1. The blade may become smoother and milder.
I also find this to be true.
I don't cork blades or anything like that, but I do tend to "break in" a fresh blade in a gentle razor, such as my late model Tech. I don't notice the "rougher 1st shave" phenomenon with that razor.
Nothing bad happens if I put a fresh blade in another razor and shave away, but then I do find the 2nd and 3rd shaves to go more smoothly. Not a big deal, but noticeable.
I don't cork blades or anything like that, but I do tend to "break in" a fresh blade in a gentle razor, such as my late model Tech. I don't notice the "rougher 1st shave" phenomenon with that razor.
Nothing bad happens if I put a fresh blade in another razor and shave away, but then I do find the 2nd and 3rd shaves to go more smoothly. Not a big deal, but noticeable.
Interesting. I had the exact opposite effect. I am still trying out new blades during my early foray into DE shaving, and I put in a Derby yesterday. The shave was OK. Nothing special, and a little more rough than the last shave with an Astra SP. Today I used the same Derby blade again, and it was a pretty rough shave. That could be due to inconsistency in my technique, but I almost want to ditch the Derby blade and try something else.
I have tried the corking, but doesn't always help every blade.
Essentially you're corking off the first shave. Then I shave twice and toss the blade. Vokshod can go longer as well as polsilver, but as far as astra, Personna, etc. I just todlss after two.
Many times I've push futlrther and been sorry. Others I have accidently went further and it was fine. Rather than take a chance on a .08-.13 blade, I toss it lol.
Essentially you're corking off the first shave. Then I shave twice and toss the blade. Vokshod can go longer as well as polsilver, but as far as astra, Personna, etc. I just todlss after two.
Many times I've push futlrther and been sorry. Others I have accidently went further and it was fine. Rather than take a chance on a .08-.13 blade, I toss it lol.
Do you find the late medels more aggressive than the early? I own a 60s and a NDC tech but haven't tried either yet.
Thanks.
I've found this with some blades. If the blade has a tendency to be rough, on the first shave, you can either cork it, or use a less aggressive razor for the first shave or two. I use a Fat Boy razor on 5, so I just dial it back to 4. This does the trick usually.
Gillette patent US5985459 suggests that this can be caused by excess coating material.
Sintered PTFE should be brittle stuff, so corking may remove some of it. Here is a drugstore Personna stainless before and after corking. Note the dark band of coating, and a bright line that was not present before corking.
Sintered PTFE should be brittle stuff, so corking may remove some of it. Here is a drugstore Personna stainless before and after corking. Note the dark band of coating, and a bright line that was not present before corking.
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Gillette patent US5985459 suggests that this can be caused by excess coating material.
Sintered PTFE should be brittle stuff, so corking may remove some of it. Here is a drugstore Personna stainless before and after corking. Note the dark band of coating, and a bright line that was not present before corking.
I hate to say it, but the edge looks better after corking. Before looks more jagged.
How many passes through the cork each side?
If your up for the experiment, try packing peanuts. Less hard on the edge, and still produces good results. I do 3-5 passes through the peanut each side.
I'd love to know what it actually does to the edge using the peanuts vs. The cork
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Me and Derby blades just don't get along either no matter if its the first shave on the blade or the second or the third. I don't even thing i ever bothered trying to finish the pack.
From what I've read, the later Techs, say 60s and beyond, tend to be milder/less aggressive than the earlier models. There are a ton of variations...
My Tech is English made, has a plastic handle, and is from 1979 - about as late as "late model" gets, I think! It's very mild, gentle even, but I get good results with it. And I've never experienced the "rougher 1st shave" phenomenon with it.
I don't know about that. I just had a shave with an m4 tech head, and it didn't seem less aggressive, but YMMV
- Thread starter
- #19
+10000000
In my own experience it seems that shaves 2, 3, 4 are excellent. I change after the 5th shave with Astra SP's and after the 7th shave with Gillette Silver Blues.
