Thread: DE Blade Life

Thanks for all of the responses, just got my first DE - a merkur slant - with some feather and merkur blades, I'm guessing I'll get a few shaves out of each blade from the sounds of it.

I know I am digging up an old thread. But, is that shaves per blade they are talking about, or shaves per side of the blade?

If it is a DE and they say 3 shaves, would that be 6? One for each edge?

Sorry, but I did not want to post a new thread for somthing that was already here.

As most users will use both sides of the blade during a shave, the 3 shaves would be the total number.

For me, with Derby's, 3 or 4 shaves per blade. There was a thread going on at B&B started by Dave Irving who decided to take a DE blade and strop it before each use (IIRC he was using a stropping device designed for either old DE blades or the single edge wedge blades). Last I looked in he was at 29 or 30 shaves on the blade.

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well my DE razor is defective, so I can only get a shave out of one side of it. Usually I can go about two weeks without messing with it, then it starts to get dull so I turn the blade around and shave with that for another two weeks. I'm young though, so my soft peach fuzz is no match for those blades

*edit* I forgot to mention, I usually use Dorco blades. They aren't top-of-the-line, but they get the job done.

Daily DE shaver here. I can get 8-9 shaves out of a vintage Wilkinson Light Brigade, 7-8 from Vintage Gillette "Spoilers", Derby gives about 5-6, others average about 5, Feathers about 4 . Some swear by Gillette "Swedes" and get 10+. I've never tried them, but will.

Roger

I get about 2 good shaves and one more good enough, but I only use it 3 or 4 times a month.

Then I get another shave by flipping the blade over, then I can do that again to get one more, sometimes. I use Wilkinson Sword (they only have one kind in the UK and you are lucky if you can find them) or Bolzano blades that I picked up when i bought the razor, in Bolzano, Italy.

I got 3 from Derbys, and Red IPs. Feathers, Super Iridiums and Personna Injectors can last me 6 shaves or more.

For me, the number of shave per blade definitely varies based on the blade. I can get about 5 -6 shaves with a Gillette Swede or the new Gillette Platinum. For Feather, I get about 3 -4 shaves. With a Red Personna, Derby and Crystals about 4 shaves is all I can get before the blade gets dull.

Gentlemen,

I have a general rule for double edge razor blades: Two shaves per blade.

These days I use Feathers and Gillette 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge ("yellow") only and the rule applies to them as well.

Two shaves and a new blade. Life's too short to wrestle with a somewhat dull blade just to squeeze every penny out of it as possible.

Obie

I usually change the blade once a week, whether it needs it or not. Blades are cheap enough (well, last time I bought any) that I can afford a sharp edge when I'm not using my straight. I can usually get 4-5 out of a Derby, Feather or Merkur without trouble, but I have a pretty sparse beard.