What are the signs of a blade becoming dull?

[zenbamboo]

Hi everyone,

What are the indications when shaving telling you that the blade is becoming dull and has to be thrown away?

I was shaving last night with an Astra blade (third shave with it) and a few tiny drops of blood came out, which never happens on the 1st and 2nd shave.

Is that a sign? What are other signs y'all use to detect it?

 

[buca3152]

For me its when you start to feel the hairs pull slightly instead of just chopping them off. After a while you will know how many shaves you can get out of one and each blade is different. There are as many opinions on blades as there are shavers. I use straights now but my favorite de was wilkinson sword, with feather no 2. YMMV. People have a tendency to apply more pressure when the blade doesnt cut so that may be why you drew a little blood.

 

[Firewalker]

It depends on what part of me I am shaving. If its on my head, I can tell because the blade chatters or skips when I pull the razor. On my face, it is pulling whiskers. I never save the blade or continue on with the shave if this starts, I mark it down in my journal and go get a new blade.

IMHO, blades can crash for many reasons and you may find that a blade shaves the right side of your face fine on the WTG and XTG shave but on the ATG, it pulls and you get a weeper. That has happened more than I like to admit so I personall limit the shaves I do with any blade, some get more shaves others less depending on at what point they have crashed in the past. I shave twice with Astra SP if I am shaving my head and will use the blade three times if it is just my neck. I use a str8 on my cheeks most of the time lately testing out edges.

 

[mblakele]

I used to change blades when the old one started to irritate my skin, much like what you describe. Recently I have been working on the idea that this roughness is caused by crud on the blade: cracked coatings or soap scum or some mix of the two. I find I can get more shaves from some blades if I jeans-strop after every shave: just three strokes on each side. I call this "stropping" but really I think I am just wiping off the residue. The blade edge itself probably does not change at all.

So far I have had success with a Feather and a Gillette Silver Blue, while jeans-stropping seemed to do nothing for a Captain CS. This may not work for all blades or all people, but it might be worth a try.

 

[chrisf8657]

If the blade isn't cutting as much anymore, but not tugging, does this mean the blade needs to be changed, or is it just my bad technique on 2nd use of the blade?

 

[hookem11]

If the blade isn't cutting as much anymore, but not tugging, does this mean the blade needs to be changed, or is it just my bad technique on 2nd use of the blade?

Could be but not necessarily. Blades are fairly inexpensive so I would just toss it and eliminate the doubt

 

[Wingnut]

If the blade isn't cutting as much anymore, but not tugging, does this mean the blade needs to be changed, or is it just my bad technique on 2nd use of the blade?

Chris, you didn't mention the blade brand that you're using, but I'm betting that--after just one use--it's probably not the blade. Your blade angle probably isn't yet consistent, and a relatively small change there will result in BIG changes in how a blade/razor combo will cut. Try "locking" your wrist and shaving more with your shoulder and elbow to keep your blade angle more consistent. Good luck, and keep at it!!

 

[snarf]

I'm a month in DE shaving. I've been using the pack of Merkur blades i got with my first razor. On the 4th shave, without fail, with the first 3 blades i got a bit of burn and a neck full of weepers. Since then I've been swapping out after 3 shaves whether I felt the blade pulling or not (since I'm not sure I always recognize that.) That seems to have fixed the problem. I'm guessing that I noticed it wasn't cutting as well and applied pressure.

Finished up the Merkurs the other night and shaved with a Shark for the first time tonight. So far so good woth it.

 

[zenbamboo]

Today I shave with a brand new blade and it's so much better than on the 3rd shave! For what they cost, I guess it's no big deal to change blades every 3 shaves. At least there is always a sharp blade in the razor

 

[BigNickel]

Once a blade starts to tug, it is getting dull. I once took an Astra SP to 7 shaves, and it all went fine and dandy. When I swapped out the blade for a fresh one, was when the problems started. You see I was getting into a habit of applying pressure with the old Astra and didn't realize it. Popped in a fresh blade and weepers everywhere.. had to re-adjust my technique for the sharper razor.

Now I only go 2-3 shaves on a blade, to keep my technique on point. These blades are inexpensive and plentiful, but I only have 1 face!

 

[Wingnut]

...blades are inexpensive and plentiful, but I only have 1 face!

Truer words were never spoken!!

 

[zenbamboo]

These blades are inexpensive and plentiful, but I only have 1 face!

That is such a great sentence! Very wise words, and very true! I shall remember it every time my blade starts tugging

 

[gunterbr]

When I first started I would actually use a fresh blade for every shave! For the cost, I wasn't throwing away much. After I got consistently decent shaves I started to go every other shave. Then three. Then four, and that was it. So now I toss after 3 and i'm happy with my shaves (Astra SP by the way). I tried to take my first few blades "the distance" and ended up getting burned (pun intended). YMMV, but this approach seemed to make it much easier, plus I knew any issue I had was likely technique.

 

[mastershake]

same here 3 is pretty good with my wire like hair sometimes 4. i have gone longer a few times but imo not worth it unless im testing out a new blade.

 

[cfender]

I used to change blades when the old one started to irritate my skin, much like what you describe. Recently I have been working on the idea that this roughness is caused by crud on the blade: cracked coatings or soap scum or some mix of the two. I find I can get more shaves from some blades if I jeans-strop after every shave: just three strokes on each side. I call this "stropping" but really I think I am just wiping off the residue. The blade edge itself probably does not change at all.

So far I have had success with a Feather and a Gillette Silver Blue, while jeans-stropping seemed to do nothing for a Captain CS. This may not work for all blades or all people, but it might be worth a try.

I think you might be onto something here. I have been using the GSB's a lot lately but I toss them after 2 shaves. Even after just 2 shaves there is a lot of soap/cream residue on the used blade, not to mention the 4 wax spost from the packaging.

I presume you take the blade out of the razor, hold betwen thumb & forefinger, and perform 3 wipes times 4 (3 wipes for each side of the blade), correct? I'll give this a try tomorrow after my shave as I will be loading a fresh GSB.

 

[mblakele]

I think you might be onto something here. I have been using the GSB's a lot lately but I toss them after 2 shaves. Even after just 2 shaves there is a lot of soap/cream residue on the used blade, not to mention the 4 wax spost from the packaging.

I presume you take the blade out of the razor, hold betwen thumb & forefinger, and perform 3 wipes times 4 (3 wipes for each side of the blade), correct? I'll give this a try tomorrow after my shave as I will be loading a fresh GSB.

Not quite: when I jeans-strop I leave the blade in the razor. It looks just like someone jeans-stropping a cartridge razor. I chose this way because I am lazy, and cleaning the cap side seems to make enough of a difference to be worthwhile. The bevels and coating on that side can make contact with skin, while the guard side should not. You could still strop both sides if you like, but I suspect any benefit will be marginal.

Take a look at http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/334585-Problem-area-at-50x?p=4963502#post4963502 for some magnified images of GSB blade edges before and after this treatment. Also Mantic did a video in this: http://sharpologist.com/2011/07/video-how-to-extend-the-life-of-razor-blades.html. He demonstrates towel-stropping with a cartridge razor, along with other techniques.

 

[Chuckaluck]

Tugging!

 

[Mick]

First sign is it coming out of the razor and heading down the slot in the back of the medicine cabinet

 

[aihpcfl]

For me it depends. One indication that it is time is what others have said, tugging or pulling. In my imagination, the blade is still sharp but the edge is breaking down with nicks or rough spots that hang on the whisker instead of cutting it clean.

Another indication is when the shave isn't close. This has nothing with technique. And it may happen even with no tugging and pulling. In my imagination the edge is dull as opposed to damaged, that is worn down, rounded off, maybe bent, and it just rides over the whisker some before digging in and cutting, or maybe rides over the whisker completely.

Overall I'd say you will know what a good shave feels like. You'll know it while the blade is on your skin, to when you are washing the remaining lather off, to when you are applying your aftershave lotion or balm. You will know when the blade isn't cutting it by knowing what it's like when it is.