How many shaves per blade do you get on average? I have my first ones coming in the mail; they should arrive today. Thanks!
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How many shaves per blade do you get on average? I have my first ones coming in the mail; they should arrive today. Thanks!
Assume that you are asking about DE blades?
If so, results vary between blades and users - from one to more than 7 shaves per blade.
Smooth shaving...
It really depends on the blade and the razor. With that said, I don't use any blades that I can't get at least four great shaves out of. I usually go from four to seven shaves with a blade. I do have several though that will go 7-10 shaves should I choose to. FYI-Don't give up on a blade if it doesn't work too well in you razor. Try it in another razor and/or wait a couple months and try it again. You would be surprised what improved technique can "do" for a blade. Enjoy!
Thanks, Bob! How does the razor affect how the blade works? By changing the angle? I only have one, an old gillette that was a gift. My main focus is on learning about straights, but I got blades for this razor since I have it. I guess I was under the impression that the razor itself did little more than hold the blade and results wouldn't change much from razor to razor :shrug:Quote:
Originally Posted by Lince
The whole blade/razor/soap/face matrix of variables make this a "your mileage may vary" (YMMV) thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Whipstitch
It's recomended that you try a sample pack for instance. A blade/razor combo that might be wonderful for me might feel like a camp saw to another user.
This is ok, we work hard at not being judgmental...
Also - as you skill improves so does the results, blade life and that blade you hated three weeks ago may now be wonderful and your new favorite.
A good workman never blames his tools, as Dad is fond of saying...
You will enjoy the journey, take your time and keep notes...
Smooth shaving.
+1 on MJC's comment. A few words of advice, order loads of different blades to try, find one that feels ok to you and stick with this make for at least 4/6 months. By this time you should be used to shaving with a DE razor and your technique should be about there. Now try a different make you should now have the skill to define whether this blade is better or worse than the ones you've been using. If worse make a note of which razor you used it in (by this time you';ll have more than one I guarantee!!) and then try another if better use for a week before repeating the process. You'll start to build up a picture of best blades for you and which work best in each razor. The different razors will give different shaves depending one, on the blade, but also how that razor is set up in the manufacturing process.
Now your next question will probably be which blade would we recommend, you may as well save your breath because this is where YMMV comes in a blade that's great for me might be the worst one you've ever tried due to so many variables like preparation, razor type, skin type, beard growth and the list goes on and on.
Bets advice experiment yourself and enjoy the journey, welcome to our world of let's try something new and before long you'll have so many razors, soaps, brushes, lotions and potions you'll have trouble getting in the bathroom to actually shave!!
+2 re MJC's post.
I find that generally I get 3 shaves from most blades. But there are blades that are only good for one shave for me, and one(Crystal) that I get 6 out of.
With DE's I usually get 4 and with some blades 7+.
With SE's I usually get 4 with no more than 7
With Injector blades for some reason I almost always get 7+
I did an experiment with a Personna red pack DE blade and went until it was completely worthless and ended at 17 days which was about 5+ days of semi uncomfortable to finally couldn't do it shaves. YMMV
Yeah, I tried that for a bit. Not worth it, IMO. If blades start getting scarce I might change my tune, but they are cheap enough thatQuote:
Originally Posted by rodb
I don't ever intend to push any blade to that point again. 3 and done, unless, as said before, it's a Crystal.
As others have said the number will vary according to the individual and the razor being used and how it is used.
For me I usually get 3 great shaves from a blade. I can go 4 and maybe 5 but the shave isn't quite as good and after that the comfort factor limits any further shaves.
I get 3 good shaves on mine, 2 additional that are good enuff if needed..
As mentioned YMMV from brand to brand, for me 3-5 shaves per blade, I use Astra SP & Rapira's.
Personally, I drop a new blade in every Monday. I've heard tales of folks getting a month out of a blade. Not sure if they're stupid or still growing peach fuzz. Blades are cheap. A pack of 100 Astra blades cost $11 on Amazon. At $0.11/blade, if you shaved every day and changed blades for each shave, you'd spend $40/year on DE blades. Not breaking the bank on 'em... When in doubt, change blades.
Thanks for all the input guys. I received my order yesterday which included a vintage shave ready torrey straight (from one of the sites endoresed on this site as actually shave ready), pack of astra, shark, and feather DR blades. I started with the straight, and it seems roughly the same sharpness as my other straights. So that that gave me some added faith that the ones I had been using were shave ready and my lack of close shaves probably has to do with technique somehow. Instead of doing more passes with the straight, I did two light passes with the astra DE blade (first time using DE blade). Much different than I thought! I thought it would be closer to the feel of a straight, but I'd say it felt closer to a modern razor. My shave was awesome. It brought me to another question though:
Are straights supposed to be as sharp as DE blades? The astra made my pro-honed torrey seem like a butter knife by comparison.
Although they perform the same one function: to shave with, you cant compare the two. One is made by a machine to be used and thrown away and one is made by hand. Ive always felt although a DE is sharper a straight razor shave is by far more comfortable. For me closer doesn't always mean better.
Do not think a straight can ever approach the sharpness of a quality DE blade.
That being said,Sharpness and comfort level are two diff things,My straights (for me are more comfortable tham my D.Es.
Back to your orig. post,I use only feathers,I get 3 shaves per blade.
I get 2-3 shaves per DE blades on average. Feathers last a bit longer, but many other like Lord, Derby are good only for 1 decent shave for me.
is this true? is a DE Razor sharper than a SR? I started shaving with a SR thinking this is it, this the baddest thing ever. "the whole taking a lethal weapon to my face and shaving with it thing"?Quote:
Originally Posted by pixelfixed
please say it ain't so!
You have to define sharper/comfort/closeness of shave.Is no easy answere.Quote:
Originally Posted by mafuzul1
Gentlemen,
I use a new blade for each shave. My preferred blades are: Feather, Super Iridium, Polsilver Iridium, Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdge (yellow), Perma Sharp Super and Personna Red.
I don't know if a DE blade is sharper than a straight but my Muhle R41 with a feather blade will give the shave I get from a straight a run for the money with a photo finish. The shave is not quite as comfortable though. If you have not shaved with a DE before try that combination for a does of lethal to your face.Quote:
Originally Posted by mafuzul1
I get about 4-5 shaves out of a feather blade.
Bob
I should add I do not mean lethal in a nice way. The R41 with a feather blade is not for a beginner DE shaver.
Bob
I shave with a DE almost never, but the Personnas work well in my razor. I have a box of 100 of them and have been doling them out to my neighbor who uses the same Gillette from his Army days. He says they are much better than any he has bought lately from the drug store. Swears he can shave for almost a month with one. Must have a thin beard, I thought!
A friend sent me some Feathers, so I gave my neighbor a few to try. Next day, he said the razor glided like no blade was in it. Sharpest thing ever! THEN, a day later he tried the same blade. Proclaimed it was awful! Go figure!
I use Feathers for two shaves although I am sure I could get more out of them. The Gillette
Russian made (St. Pertersburg) shave as well as the Feathers for me and maby a bit better but they are not as forgiving as the Feathers.
+1 on a couple of counts.Quote:
Originally Posted by sharptonn
Rarely use a DE but when I do I go for a Personna (Med Prep or Blue - US Production)
The Feather is also great but I don't think I use a DE enough to get the most out of them. In a 37c Slant they well surely get your attention.
And like sharptonn I probably give away 3x more blades that I use as I try to bring the Heathens in to the world of Wet Shaving...
This practice is how I help buy better Shaving Karma and hold razordinkaphobia at bay..
You do what you have to do...
Smooth shaving....
I like Feathers but don't seem to get the mileage out of them, 2-3 comfortable shaves and then they go downhill. My G-slim doesn't pair well with Merkur blades but my Merkur razor does, 4-5 shaves. In general, I change the blades every 5 shaves unless they start to decline. I also have liked Shark brand and Personna meds, they performed well. However, as was strongly stated before..... todays worst blade may become your best next month after technique improves. I'm still messing with efficiency and technique, trying to get the best shaves in minimal passes let alone trying not to bleed too much. Back when I was using carts it was all about mowing down enough to get through the day. Now I have a new hobby that really can lower stress levels. Takes so much focus you can't be dealing with anything else which is REALLY a great break. There are a bunch of small skills that need to be mastered to put it all together to achieve the BBS we all read about here. I'm just not there yet w/consistency..... so many variables :beer1: G
To Me, feathers are the gold standard,followed By Kais and Balzanos.
But have always wonderd,The sharper the blade,the fewer the shaves IME.maybe that fine precision edge degrades faster becuase it is so sharp.
Just curious.
Correct, Pixel! Just like if you get your work pocketknife super-sharp, it won't stay that way long after a bit of use. JMOQuote:
Originally Posted by pixelfixed
I must have the worlds wimpiest beard. For an experiment Thanksgiving day I put a new Walgreen blade in an old beat up Gillette. I don't know off hand what model razor. Now I will have to go look.... Happy so far. I will say that I only shave a little over 1/2 my face so I suppose this only counts for 3.5 days so far. :D
I will report when I am done.
I thought of something that really wears on my blades..... my skull. In trying to learn to use my DE on my head. I've been starting slowly and only doing part of the job BUT that really is cutting down on the number of shaves a blade can do. Even going WTG seems to dull them fast. I'm only talking about six strokes max on my head and they aren't long strokes at that! Can take a blade brand that lasted 4-5 shaves down to 2-3, so quite the change. This morning, new Merkur blade in the Merkur razor, took the time for the third pass (method style) and a pretty smooth face to start Friday! Smooth shaving boys, G
My Feather system blades don't even get "good" until at least 4-5 shaves. I've used a single blade for probably 10 shaves and only changed to get more practice using the Feather system.