I'm not a DE shaver but reading this thread I can't help be be left wondering; How expensive are those blades?
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I'm not a DE shaver but reading this thread I can't help be be left wondering; How expensive are those blades?
Not all of us are big spenders!:) The little bit I have used a DE has been with Walgreen special blades or similar. By accident I ran into a store while looking for another shop for ingredients for an aftershave that had Merkur blades. $8 or so for pack may not have been a deal as the other things in that store where expensive but what the hay. I don't know and didn't care.
To me it is more of a matter of principle. Even if half is only 40 cents why throw something half used away? Using a blade a week for example for me that is about an hours wages after taxes per year. I can waste that money on something else! One 5th of one months truck payment maybe.
+1, that is what I do. When the blade starts to dull after a few shaves I'll remove the blade and flip it (possibly palm strop it as well), which usually gets me another couple shaves from a blade before I toss it.
I seem to average 4-6 shaves from a blade, which is better than the 3-4 I used to get before adopting this technique but that's the max for me. I'm not one of the guys who manages 8-10 shaves from a single blade.
$.1 to $.4 a blade. The feather has been the most expensive I have seen but I have found on ebay they can go under $40 per 100 blades so if you find the right deals $.9 to $.32. At that rate I don't worry about even or uneven wear. Depending on the blade I toss it into the tin I use for a blade bank after 3 or 5 shaves. Compared to cartidge razors this still is a huge saving.
Granted the least expensive in the long run is a straight. Much higher start up cost for razor, strop, and hone but you don't have to pay anything else for a long time. Hones last a long time as do strops. If you learn how to hone properly your only expense afterward is a new hone when yours wear done and a new strop is yours is damaged. Blades are a lifetime expenditure. The other problem is it takes more practice and skill to use a straight. I have gotten to where I can shave wtg with no problems but nick alot with xtg and atg. The size of the blade just makes it harder to get in some areas with a "sideways" stroke.
When I need to use a DE because of excessive razor burn from a Str8 I use an Astra blade. If you look the edges are numbered in the corners 1, 2, 3, 4. Easy to remember which edge I used and I change edges after 3 or 4 uses. Not bothered by often need to rinse. Gives me a chance to check progress of shave, i.e. more lather needed, what nicks, how close so far (and a quick look in the mirror to see if I'm watching myself bleed to death LOL).
I used to drive myself crazy obsessing on such details. Especially, how many shaves have I got on this blade. I decided to quit worrying about it, now I use the other edge when the one I'm using is loaded, and I shave with a blade until the first stroke it starts to not shave very comfortably.
After trying many blade ....Lords do it for me. dont seem to see many a mention of them on various forums i read.