Thoughts On Reusing A Blade

[Hugh]

I am now only using a blade twice. Yup, two shaves per DE blade. Blades are so inexpensive compared to cartridges and give such great shaves by comparison to cartridges that I no longer worry about the cost of a single DE blade. I always make three passes when I shave, WTG, ATG and ATG. I get amazing shaves this way especially when using a great cream or soap.

Two shaves per blade with three passes for each shave for a wonderful close and smooth result for a few cents per blade. In addition, I have to say I can get this kind of result regardless of what blade I use. Why try to save a few cents by trying to get four or more shaves out of a blade? I generally shave every three-days anyway except for special occasions or if I just want to shave again for the enjoyment.

That said, I do have my favorite blades; Feather and Nacet. However, I seem to get great shaves regardless of which blade I use when I only use each blade for two shaves and replace it. I have yet to run into a BAD blade regardless of blade brand when I use a new one every two shaves.

Am I imagining things?

If I spend 40 cents on a Feather blade and only use it twice it is costing me 20 cents per shave. If I buy a lesser brand blade at 10 cents per blade it costs me 5 cents per shave using that blade twice. I seem to get amazing results with any new blade. Meanwhile, I will continue experimenting with lots of different blades and see if I keep getting the same results. I am using the same DE razor each time, a vintage Gillette Adjustable made in the 1960s.

Your thoughts are welcome.....

 

[H4nk]

5 days per blade for me and that is stretching it.

 

[Hugh]

5 days per blade for me and that is stretching it.

Are you shaving every one of those five days? Five shaves per blade? And, is this only if you are using a particular blade or can you do that with any brand blade?

 

[Texchappy]

Check out the Excalibur club to see what a blade can do.

 

[Frito Ray]

When I started I got a maximum of 4 shaves a blade, ten years later it has grown to 7 or 10 depending on the blade.

I didn’t get any manlier or tougher, neither did my beard wimpier. It’s just practice.

 

[NorthernSoul]

...Two shaves per blade with three passes for each shave for a wonderful close and smooth result for a few cents per blade. In addition, I have to say I can get this kind of result regardless of what blade I use. Why try to save a few cents by trying to get four or more shaves out of a blade?...

Am I imagining things?...

Your thoughts are welcome.....

Totally up to you, of course. I usually find the second and third shaves on a blade to be smoothest and best, but can easily go 4, 5 or 6 shaves on many blades with no issues. I would change a Feather blade out after 3 or 4. Personna Med Prep can go 8 or more.

 

[Alum Ladd]

Your thoughts are welcome.....

My over-riding thought is that you should stick with whatever pattern or practice makes you happy!

Things may or more accurately will change over time. Your technique in all aspects will modify and adapt, and that which previously seemed satisfying to you will change, and an enhanced satisfaction will follow, buttressed by your own earned improvements.

Wet shaving is never static. Technique is always in flux, even if it may be some aspect which is so incrementally minor that it's almost unnoticable.

You may find as noted above, that blade life improves. That will only be experienced if you take a blade beyond say 2 shaves. Blade longevity is something you may wish to explore. I'm on a Nacet at the moment with 2 shaves on it. I expect it to serve me 7-8 excellent shaves. I shave every 48 hrs on average. I exclusively use vintage razors.

Some blades do actually improve with use in that some brands, especially the 'platinum' coated blades have quite a thick coating. It may take 2-3 shaves before the blade edge is fully exposed. They seem to sharpen. After that they can plateau or decline. Gillette Silver Blues and Personna Platinum Chromes spring to mind. To test the envelopes you should try several different blades and see how they perform after 3-4 shaves.

If a blade is still treating you right after 4-20 shaves, I see no reason to ditch it due to some arbitary figure of life expectation. I have a Personna IR that has 50 shaves on it. Still gives a buttery smooth and DFS. Some Gents regularly achieve 3 figures.

Have fun!

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I have noticed several B&B members proclaim that blades are so inexpensive that they care nothing about the cost. Coincidentally, it is often those same members who have performed extensive cost per shave per blade calculations, sometimes with Excel spreadsheets containing data diligently recorded over years. It makes me wonder what they would do if they actually did care about the cost of blades

 

[Hugh]

I have noticed several B&B members proclaim that blades are so inexpensive that they care nothing about the cost. Coincidentally, it is often those same members who have performed extensive cost per shave per blade calculations, sometimes with Excel spreadsheets containing data diligently recorded over years. It makes me wonder what they would do if they actually did care about the cost of blades

I think those who keep Excel spreadsheets or highly detailed records are actually just hooked on compiling data for the personal fun of it rather than the actual monetary savings. I think my own simpler data gathering is just a part of the hobby and I assume it will not take long and I will simply find what works best and stay with that, at least for the most part. It is always fun to try different blades, razors, soaps or techniques. That's the hobby.

 

[gpjoe]

I seem to get great shaves regardless of which blade I use when I only use each blade for two shaves and replace it. I have yet to run into a BAD blade regardless of blade brand when I use a new one every two shaves.

Am I imagining things?

Nope.

I get great shaves from every (modern) blade that I've used, and I use each blade for 5 or 6 3-pass shaves.

Astra, Bic, GSB, Shark, Wizamet, Gillette Platinum, Nacet, Wilkinson Sword, Derby Extra (yes)...there are others but that's just off the top of my head, and the blades I've purchased in quantities of 100 or more. I've also used Feather, Perma-Sharp, Personna, Crown, Derby Premium, Merkur...???

Personally, I stopped looking at blades once I found that I can shave with (what seems like) any blade.

 

[Bsamps]

When I first started back in August of last year, I thought 1 blade per shave was the normal. Now I have discovered that 7-10 shaves is the norm. Every blade is different, I know. I have gotten to the point where I know when a blade is about done before it’s done. That’s when I change. Discovery is a wonderful thing!

 

[Hugh]

Nope.

I get great shaves from every (modern) blade that I've used, and I use each blade for 5 or 6 3-pass shaves.

Astra, Bic, GSB, Shark, Wizamet, Gillette Platinum, Nacet, Wilkinson Sword, Derby Extra (yes)...there are others but that's just off the top of my head, and the blades I've purchased in quantities of 100 or more. I've also used Feather, Perma-Sharp, Personna, Crown, Derby Premium, Merkur...???

Personally, I stopped looking at blades once I found that I can shave with (what seems like) any blade.

That's pretty much been my own experience as well. So far I find it somewhat difficult to have a poor experience or a much better experience regardless of what blade I use. I always get a pretty high quality shave. Shaving technique seems to be more important than blade selection. At least that has been my experience.

 

[Lockback]

I've tested probably around 25-30 different blades and, unlike a few here, I have found some blades I don't like. They are few and far between but at least in the razors I was using with each blade, I got lousy shaves. I'm not the brightest penny in the bank, but if something doesn't work for me, I don't keep going back to it. As someone once said, "The definition of stupid is trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."
On the other hand, I've found some blades I love. Gillette Perma-Sharps, Nacets, 7 O'Clock SharpEdge, Astra SPs, Voskhods and Rapira Platinum Luxes are at the top and my second tier would include Shark Super Stainless, Treet Falcon, Derby Extras, Derby Premiums, Lord Platinums ...
The bottom line is this: I've found 3 shaves with a blade is enough for me. I'm hardly wealthy but I can afford 7 cents per shave or whatever. So that's what I do because I pushed a couple of blades to more shaves and was left wanting.

 

[Brutus]

There is evidence that (quality) razor blades improve over the first one or two shaves and then plateau for a few shaves before starting to deteriorate.

Of course, beard growth, pre-shave technique, and shaving technique have some effect on blade longevity as well.

The blades that I use are good for at least seven close and comfortable shaves (Feathers may start showing some deterioration earlier), which works well for me because that way I change blades on the same day of the week, which makes it easy to remember for this 71-year-old brain.

That even excellent DE blades are cheap is no reason for me to discard them prematurely.
Shoelaces are cheap too and I don’t toss them ahead of their time either…

But of course, that’s just me.



B.

 

[DougK]

When I first started DE shaving, I just assumed that I'd get at least a week of decent shaves per blade, regardless of brand, and I did. It wasn't until I started obsessing about shave quality that I started binning a blade after two or three shaves. I then realized that I should just shave until the blade told me it was done...and I'm back to about a week or so per blade. Go figure.

 

[KW Driver]

DE/SE blades I never counted. I’d use them until they fell off.

I’ve got some blades that are 100-130 yrs old and they shave just fine with a touch up on a finisher now and again. They do get stropped before and after. No idea of the shave count on ‘em, or how many generations have used them

 

[DesertIguana]

I change DE's when I feel they are getting dull, or start what I call drawing, not gliding n shaving off beard.

 

[Tha Baron]

I’ve sort of gone overboard on razors, plates, brushes, scuttles, soaps, creams, after shaves I’m at the point I use a fresh blade every week…. One shave or three, don’t matter. I’ve blown threw thousands on replating razors and Ti this and Manchurian that, I’m not gonna stress out on stretching a quarter into a dime. YMMV

 

[Wombat ESQ]

at a buck a blade and one use every 21 years, i think i'm all in a 3 bucks so far, I could least halve that cost if i could find the same blade in two years time

 

[JimL911]

Your money, your face, your shave. You do you.
I have a birth year Slim and SS that I use on my birthdays. If I use the SS it's with a Kai that gets binned with 1 use.