Thread: How many time per blade!

Just got a DE for the days I am super busy and don't have time to strop. The little card that came with my razors said you can get 5 shaves per razor, seems a little high to me. Is one-two normal or am I wasting money by throwing them away too soon. Or is it strictly a YMMV thing?

I think YMMV and the blade manufacturer. Have you ever used one to the point of knowing it's past time to chuck it in the trash ? Go that far and then back up a shave or 2 :<0)

I use a DE the same way you do. I use it about half of my shaves each week.

Now, obviously my face is different than yours, but I've found each brand of blade I use is a little different. The most I've gotten from a blade is 4 shaves...the least is 2 (should have been 1)

I have about 10 brands which I got by buying one sample pack and then making my own second sample pack by choosing 5 additional brands from a vendor. On average, buying only 5-packs, they cost 40 cents/blade...some more, some less....but not much variance either way.

I usually shave with a blade until I feel pull, then, if my lather is good I change the blade out mid-shave.

This has been an extremely long version of YMMV.

My plan is that when I find the brand I have the best experience with, I'll buy a lot of 50 or 100. That'll drop the price. Until then, I don't mind spending at most 45 cents/week for my DE shaves. After all I have 5 SRs that cost a lot more than that in the short run.

Have fun!

It can vary a lot from blade to blade. With the blades I use, I get four great shaves and change the blade by choice. With some blades I can easily go a week. If I can only get two shaves from a blade, I won't use it again. There are too many good blades out there.

Back when I only used DE's I found that three shaves was the average limit for me.

Now that I only use a DE every once in a while (maybe 1-2 times a month) I put in a new blade for each shave. DE blades are so cheap that I don't see any reason to risk a bad shave from a blade starting to dull, and with my frequence I have no chance to keep track of number of shaves.

Gentlemen,
My blades are Feather, Super Iridium, Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdge (yellows) and Personna "Reds," each used for two shaves, and sometimes just one. Since I have a heavy beard and sensitive skin, more than two shaves with one blade is asking for trouble. Not only that, but I also feel the blade loses its edge after two shaves.

Originally Posted by Obie

Gentlemen,
My blades are Feather, Super Iridium, Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdge (yellows) and Personna "Reds," each used for two shaves, and sometimes just one. Since I have a heavy beard and sensitive skin, more than two shaves with one blade is asking for trouble. Not only that, but I also feel the blade loses its edge after two shaves.

Funny -- I have Feather and they're near the top of my list so far, and I just yesterday got Super Iridium, the yellow Gillettes, and the Personna's yesterday, along with Gillette Black, and something else I can't remember. Haven't tried them yet.

Originally Posted by Haroldg48

Funny -- I have Feather and they're near the top of my list so far, and I just yesterday got Super Iridium, the yellow Gillettes, and the Personna's yesterday, along with Gillette Black, and something else I can't remember. Haven't tried them yet.

You'll love the other blades, too. Good stuff.

One or two for me. Feather and both Astra's are my choice...others are 0-1 shave

I get about 3 shaves out of an Astra blade, and up to 5 with a Feather. This is when I'm using my merkur 39c. When I use my Muhle r41 I will get 3 shaves from a Feather before it gets uncomfortable. So the type of razor can also be a factor fore some.

But as you said, blades are really a YMMV thing. Try how long they last, and remember it for the next time.