Shave #18 was much better than 17 on my Chick. I may have counted this one out too soon.
TENTH ANNUAL "One Blade in February" Challenge - 2019 Edition
- Thread starter Pippirull
- Start date
Shave #27...
Schick J1 injector / Schick blade (27)
Went back to three-pass this morning. Got a nice BBS but the blade seems to be dragging a bit.
Schick J1 injector / Schick blade (27)
Went back to three-pass this morning. Got a nice BBS but the blade seems to be dragging a bit.
Feather #28. I was confident the Feather would get to the end.
Hi,
Day 28, shave 28. On a blade that I should have called Done on number 25. But, I made it all the way.
Stan
Day 28, shave 28. On a blade that I should have called Done on number 25. But, I made it all the way.
Stan
Nacet (40)
4 passes, but I did get one last BBS shave. I am going to disinfect and put this blade away, and come back to it after awhile and use it for Excalibur Club, but tomorrow, I really just want a new/different blade.
4 passes, but I did get one last BBS shave. I am going to disinfect and put this blade away, and come back to it after awhile and use it for Excalibur Club, but tomorrow, I really just want a new/different blade.
Astra Superior Stainless (26)
Gillette Fatboy, set to 7
Proraso boar brush
Kiss My Face 4N1 shave cream, face lathered
Master Challenge After Shave Lotion
Challenge met. I'm impressed with the Astra Superior Stainless blade, especially with this being the first and only time I've used one. However, if this was just normal use, I probably would have discarded the blade after two weeks of use, which is when I started to noticed it took more touch up to complete a good shave.
That said, I'm tempted to take it to thirty shaves. Save it for weekend shaves, when I'm not in a time crunch to done in the morning.
Gillette Fatboy, set to 7
Proraso boar brush
Kiss My Face 4N1 shave cream, face lathered
Master Challenge After Shave Lotion
Challenge met. I'm impressed with the Astra Superior Stainless blade, especially with this being the first and only time I've used one. However, if this was just normal use, I probably would have discarded the blade after two weeks of use, which is when I started to noticed it took more touch up to complete a good shave.
That said, I'm tempted to take it to thirty shaves. Save it for weekend shaves, when I'm not in a time crunch to done in the morning.
A question for those of you in the challenge pushing the limits of blade longevity for the first time, what's been your take away?
Rapira Platinum Lux (28a)
Pacific Shaving Co. Caffeinated
Proraso Green ASL
Good shave.
The Rapira Platinum Lux blade made it the month. The performance is first pass rough, second pass close and smooth. If pressed I could continue on. The final performance was about the same as a Derby Extra on the first day.
Lessons learned from this challenge. The preparation and shaving cream choice is important. I couldn't use any creams that had a strong scent due to the level of irritation from a dull blade. I'll will reduce the time I spent on blades in the future.
Pacific Shaving Co. Caffeinated
Proraso Green ASL
Good shave.
The Rapira Platinum Lux blade made it the month. The performance is first pass rough, second pass close and smooth. If pressed I could continue on. The final performance was about the same as a Derby Extra on the first day.
Lessons learned from this challenge. The preparation and shaving cream choice is important. I couldn't use any creams that had a strong scent due to the level of irritation from a dull blade. I'll will reduce the time I spent on blades in the future.
Gillette Platinum Plus (20)
Just shy of a BBS today. No pain or irritation.
Learnings from this experience, which caused me to use a blade three times longer than I've ever used one before:
I get how the Excalibur club can exist. It's pretty likely I could get many more shaves out of this blade if I wanted to. If I were hurting for money enough that if this were my last blade and I couldn't afford to buy more, I could easily keep using it. It's proven to me that the GPP is the highest quality blade I've ever used. And I have learned how to shave with a worn DE blade.
I can't precisely say that I appreciate the fact that I now have this skill. It's tiring and hard on my elbow, and less efficient than shaving with a new blade. I generally can't spare 15 minutes on work mornings just to stand there in the bathroom shaving. Has to get done quicker than that. I just hope I still remember how to shave with a sharp blade, or tomorrow is going to be unpleasant.
So I doubt I'll ever repeat the process, and absolutely won't do it under conditions where I'm not allowed to use anything else. Most blades aren't precious. I have hundreds in the drawer and many of them are being made new every day. I don't have a reason to scrimp on their usage.
Just shy of a BBS today. No pain or irritation.
Learnings from this experience, which caused me to use a blade three times longer than I've ever used one before:
I get how the Excalibur club can exist. It's pretty likely I could get many more shaves out of this blade if I wanted to. If I were hurting for money enough that if this were my last blade and I couldn't afford to buy more, I could easily keep using it. It's proven to me that the GPP is the highest quality blade I've ever used. And I have learned how to shave with a worn DE blade.
I can't precisely say that I appreciate the fact that I now have this skill. It's tiring and hard on my elbow, and less efficient than shaving with a new blade. I generally can't spare 15 minutes on work mornings just to stand there in the bathroom shaving. Has to get done quicker than that. I just hope I still remember how to shave with a sharp blade, or tomorrow is going to be unpleasant.
So I doubt I'll ever repeat the process, and absolutely won't do it under conditions where I'm not allowed to use anything else. Most blades aren't precious. I have hundreds in the drawer and many of them are being made new every day. I don't have a reason to scrimp on their usage.
- Thread starter
- #430
Last shave of the month, number 23 with the Wilkinson Sword made in Germany.
Delivered ok, did made a big tug but I didn't cut myself. But this blade is very close to done now.
Tomorrow I will load a new one in my birthday razor and use during the FFFM.
The blade did serve me very well, better than I expected. I was hoping to get at least the same number as last year, think it was 12 with a Rapira de Luxe, but this was almost double up.
Great work everyone!
Delivered ok, did made a big tug but I didn't cut myself. But this blade is very close to done now.
Tomorrow I will load a new one in my birthday razor and use during the FFFM.
The blade did serve me very well, better than I expected. I was hoping to get at least the same number as last year, think it was 12 with a Rapira de Luxe, but this was almost double up.
Great work everyone!
1. Use an aggressive razor with a shallow blade angle
2. Use no extra pressure beyond the balance-point method
3. Stropping a slightly dull blade on some denim will give me a few more comfortable shaves
4. Extra time with moisture on my face pays dividends. It doesn't have to be anything more than warm water; it is the time that matters.
I didn't get to a last shave last night. Ran out of time and will use a new blade tonight. I don't know how many shaves from this blade but over 20 and less than 30 I think. If I had to I could keep it going at least 5-10 more shaves.
I really like a blade now after a few shaves in - which I think means that stropping might be something to try in the future.
The slim makes a difference in using an older blade in that I can do an aggressive first pass on 8 and then go much lighter for later passes. I might try next year using a normal tech and see if I can get as far.
I really like a blade now after a few shaves in - which I think means that stropping might be something to try in the future.
The slim makes a difference in using an older blade in that I can do an aggressive first pass on 8 and then go much lighter for later passes. I might try next year using a normal tech and see if I can get as far.
Shave #28...
Schick J1 injector / Schick blade (28)
AAAnd...the month is done!
This is the fourth time I participated in this challenge. Every year I try some combination that is a little different. I was pretty confident that an injector razor and blade would go the distance because I had taken it to 15 or 20 shaves before and others reported that the blade would last that long. I certainly wasn't disappointed. I got a few weepers on the first couple of shaves but then things settled down and the quality of the blade was outstanding through much of the month. Its only in the last few days that I felt a little roughness. I still feel like it has several more shaves left in it if I decide to take it further.
Lessons learned? Injector blades by their nature are very rigid. This stops blade chatter which may reduce longevity. The ideal angle, especially with a mild version of the injector razors, is very intuitive and mostly fixed. It slices cleanly rather than scrapes. These Chinese-made blades are very sharp and smooth. Finally, this month reminded me that good lather makes a huge difference. My results were much better when I opened a new puck and actually built some suds! Making sure my face was dripping wet when face lathering also helped. I tend to follow Marco's Method for building lather. Nobody else has explained it better!
Schick J1 injector / Schick blade (28)
AAAnd...the month is done!
This is the fourth time I participated in this challenge. Every year I try some combination that is a little different. I was pretty confident that an injector razor and blade would go the distance because I had taken it to 15 or 20 shaves before and others reported that the blade would last that long. I certainly wasn't disappointed. I got a few weepers on the first couple of shaves but then things settled down and the quality of the blade was outstanding through much of the month. Its only in the last few days that I felt a little roughness. I still feel like it has several more shaves left in it if I decide to take it further.
Lessons learned? Injector blades by their nature are very rigid. This stops blade chatter which may reduce longevity. The ideal angle, especially with a mild version of the injector razors, is very intuitive and mostly fixed. It slices cleanly rather than scrapes. These Chinese-made blades are very sharp and smooth. Finally, this month reminded me that good lather makes a huge difference. My results were much better when I opened a new puck and actually built some suds! Making sure my face was dripping wet when face lathering also helped. I tend to follow Marco's Method for building lather. Nobody else has explained it better!
Made it through February using the last Vikings blade. I may have changed out the first two blades too soon. Possibly blaming them for the terrible shave when it was really my rushed technique.
Nacet #15.....and done!
I'm sure the bade has a few more in it, perhaps dozens.
It delivered a DFS tonight and I'm not irritated; maybe the lather or perhaps technique let me get through this month more comfortably than last year...and I went one better.
Still, I'm looking forward to a fresh blade for March.
Congratulations to all the successful participants.
I'm sure the bade has a few more in it, perhaps dozens.
It delivered a DFS tonight and I'm not irritated; maybe the lather or perhaps technique let me get through this month more comfortably than last year...and I went one better.
Still, I'm looking forward to a fresh blade for March.
Congratulations to all the successful participants.
Man, I could have participated. I had anticipated that I would shave with a SR about half of the days, but only did it 3 times in February. I ended up using a Parker Platinum Premium on the 25 other days, and the blade is still in good condition, I think I'll keep using it for at least another couple of weeks. No irritation, no cuts or weepers (except from the SR ), all DE shaves were 1-pass CCS in under 5 minutes each.
The Parker Platinum Premium are good blades which I can certainly recommend. I have donated a few of them to The Great Blade Exchange so that others have a chance to try them.
), all DE shaves were 1-pass CCS in under 5 minutes each.The Parker Platinum Premium are good blades which I can certainly recommend. I have donated a few of them to The Great Blade Exchange so that others have a chance to try them.
This morning's shave with a new blade made me unwilling to go on. Binned at 40...
February 28th, shave #18 - Muhle R41, Feather Stainless.
It seems like every additional shave with this setup got better and better, including this one! I'm using a different kit for the FFFMM, so I'll be putting aside this blade for further use in April.
It seems like every additional shave with this setup got better and better, including this one! I'm using a different kit for the FFFMM, so I'll be putting aside this blade for further use in April.
