I’d say at the slightest hint of a tug/pull/irritation/whatever. But in fact, I load a fresh blade before that. I shave 5 days/week, I use a blade 2 weeks then change it before I know it’s going to give me problems. I’ve been using Personna med preps, that equates to a whopping 2.5 cents per shave, why even bother to stretch it? I’m certain I use far more than 2.5 cents worth of cream each shave and I don’t fret when I see the bulk of it going down the drain upon rinsing brush and bowl.
When to bin a blade ?
- Thread starter Robknock31
- Start date
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
I count my shaves and when they reach a certain # They usually get the toss. DE I usually get 5-7 shaves so average is 6 and do not like to go more than 6 unless the blade is exceptional and that works out to about $.02-3 cents a shave.
Se I usually get between 8-12 shaves with Schick or Gem blades and the toss is usually 10 unless its a Schick Twin II blade. Gem SS PTFE blades are about $.02-3 cents a Shave and that is good for a SE blade. Any tugging or razor burn or lots buffing the blade is spent IMO. Blades are the cheapest part of wet shaving IMO and should not be used past the prime of the edge if possible. Most blades are at their best on the 2nd or 3rd shave it seems and after that they slowly deteriorate depending on beard type. Some fellows who get large amount shaves on a blade more than likely have full beards and are just trimming neck and cheeks or do not have heavy coarse beards IMO.
Have some great shaves!
Se I usually get between 8-12 shaves with Schick or Gem blades and the toss is usually 10 unless its a Schick Twin II blade. Gem SS PTFE blades are about $.02-3 cents a Shave and that is good for a SE blade. Any tugging or razor burn or lots buffing the blade is spent IMO. Blades are the cheapest part of wet shaving IMO and should not be used past the prime of the edge if possible. Most blades are at their best on the 2nd or 3rd shave it seems and after that they slowly deteriorate depending on beard type. Some fellows who get large amount shaves on a blade more than likely have full beards and are just trimming neck and cheeks or do not have heavy coarse beards IMO.
Have some great shaves!
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Usually after 6 shaves. Depends on how smooth & comfortable the 4th or 5th was. If it's still performing well enough, sometimes I'll go pass 6 and toss it when it starts to get rough.
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Seems everyone is missing the point.
The poster was asking if he should give blades that don't start out very sharp more time before chucking.
Essentially, I believe he is referring to coated blades, which start out unimpressive, but improve after the coating wears off. He believes he might be disposing of them too soon, before they "come into their own" as he puts it.
My experience with coated blades is that they generally have a longer life-span than uncoated ones.
Manufacturers coat their blades for precisely that reason.
Nevertheless, the user, his equipment and products, and the brand of blade and type of coating are all variables that effect longevity.
The responses indicate that at least some here cannot wait to throw away their blades soon enough, lest they suffer the slightest discomfort. Those users will not have the answer the poster is seeking, for they no more know the longevity of their blades than the OP does!
Those that use their blades at least until the performance begins to decline have learnt the average longevity of the brand of blade they are using, and if it's a coated blade, they may have a useful answer for the poster.
My advice...keep using one until you're sure it's declining. That will teach you that particular brand's longevity...for you, at least!
The first time I bought Merkurs, they were so mild I thought I would only get one or two shaves per blade.
Still, I kept using one and, although it did not even noticeably improve, it did not begin to decline until after the ninth shave. If I had thrown them away after one shave, I would have squandered 90% of each blade's potential!
The poster was asking if he should give blades that don't start out very sharp more time before chucking.
Essentially, I believe he is referring to coated blades, which start out unimpressive, but improve after the coating wears off. He believes he might be disposing of them too soon, before they "come into their own" as he puts it.
My experience with coated blades is that they generally have a longer life-span than uncoated ones.
Manufacturers coat their blades for precisely that reason.
Nevertheless, the user, his equipment and products, and the brand of blade and type of coating are all variables that effect longevity.
The responses indicate that at least some here cannot wait to throw away their blades soon enough, lest they suffer the slightest discomfort. Those users will not have the answer the poster is seeking, for they no more know the longevity of their blades than the OP does!
Those that use their blades at least until the performance begins to decline have learnt the average longevity of the brand of blade they are using, and if it's a coated blade, they may have a useful answer for the poster.
My advice...keep using one until you're sure it's declining. That will teach you that particular brand's longevity...for you, at least!
The first time I bought Merkurs, they were so mild I thought I would only get one or two shaves per blade.
Still, I kept using one and, although it did not even noticeably improve, it did not begin to decline until after the ninth shave. If I had thrown them away after one shave, I would have squandered 90% of each blade's potential!
- Thread starter
- #25
Well Im still working my way through my sample's (way to many in retrospect). I usually push to three shaves on the first blade, more if I like it. If I didnt get on with the first blade and the second blade starts out the same I may only use it once.
So far I have got six blade types I'd use again. One thats super smooth but not sharp enough, and three that I wont bother with again. Theres also a pack I'd gladly bin and probably will but I need to try it in another razor first.
So far I have got six blade types I'd use again. One thats super smooth but not sharp enough, and three that I wont bother with again. Theres also a pack I'd gladly bin and probably will but I need to try it in another razor first.
You bring up a good point.
Blades will exhibit different characteristics when used in different razors...especially different "types" of razors.
A DE vs a razorine, vs a shavette, vs a slant, &etc. where blade exposure and especially angle of attack differ significantly.
You may wish to keep those blades handy as cannon fodder for your next new device. Who knows? The blade you didn't like may excel in a different type of razor.
Heavily-coated blades need a couple of uses to reach peak performance, but other than keeping that in mind, I just throw out the blades when they start to dull.
Dull blades actually give me really good results, with absolute “BBS” smoothness. However, they also regularly give me ingrown hairs, which take a week or two to recover from.
So the blade goes in the bin after 5-6 shaves even if it could last longer, because the risk of ingrowns just isn’t worth it.
Dull blades actually give me really good results, with absolute “BBS” smoothness. However, they also regularly give me ingrown hairs, which take a week or two to recover from.
So the blade goes in the bin after 5-6 shaves even if it could last longer, because the risk of ingrowns just isn’t worth it.
When I first started shaving with a DE three years ago I bought a bunch of sample packs and got pifed even more. Now I still have about a hundred blades and have no idea about the longevity of a blade because I usually change them once a week. I wanted to try a popular discontinued blade so I ordered a 100 Wizamet and I will try to keep track of how long these last because they aren't easy to come by at the price I paid and I don't want to waste them if they are as good as people claim.
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