Thread: How do you keep track?

For those of us who mainly use a straight but use a DE on a regular basis and have more than one, how do you keep track of how many shaves you got since you last changed the blade? Do you do it by how the shave progresses or do you put little tic marks in the blade or some other system? I just use the particular DE 3 times in a row daily and then trash the blade and so when I come back to it I know to put a new blade in.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I just use the particular DE 3 times in a row daily and then trash the blade and so when I come back to it I know to put a new blade in.

I pretty much do exactly as you described, otherwise I just rely on memory. Sometimes this becomes problematic, as I experiment with how many shaves I get comfortably (or sometimes not so comfortably) from a new type of blade I'm trying out for the first time.

I use my gold tech ball end Gillette and it depends on the blades..Irridium/personna red american goes once..2nd use ends up showing rust spots..but I go 4-5 passes to get BBS

Pcdad

If I use it for 3 days in a row then I will pitch it. More often than not I tend to rely on memory and if I forget, I simply pitch it and grab a new one. DE blades are cheap IMO and not worth the fuss or an uncomfortable shave.

SE. I use a different method. I still use the typical 3 shaves however, for the first shave I have the word GEM upward, then flip it after the shave. So, when the second shave comes around I read "stainless" and know it is ready for round 2. When I see GEM upward again I know to pitch it after shaving.

I've got a piece of paper and pen in my shaving drawer that has my DE's and straights - with a tick per shave.

I've been using my straights regularly, so like to know how many shaves I've been getting before I have to take a particular razor back to the hone...or when I've had 5 shaves per DE blade.

I don't let it go longer than a Sunday. If I pick up the DE "today" and haven't replaced the blade yet this week, I replace it.

In my case I use a straight most all the time. Anymore, if I pick up the DE, seldom would it be twice or three times in a week. In my imagination's eye, I see that blade rusting away sitting there.

Gentlemen:

I have two double edge razors left in my stock, and both are part of the regular rotation with my straights — every seventh shave goes to the double edge. I shave with the same razor three times and then change the blade.

The razors sit in a converted smoking pipe rack. After each three shaves, the razors are switched around in the rack so that I know which razor is next in line. Also, I try to make my mind remember how many times I have used the same blade. Keep using the mind is what I say.

Regards,
Obie

I just change blades when they don't perform. Might be three shaves, might be five.

My system, if there ever was one worthy of the name, broke down long ago. About three weeks go by between my DE shaves typically, so I've been trusting my memory, and against all the odds this has worked very nicely thus far, but I really am going to have to start writing things down. When in doubt I just change the blade before starting - I'm not about to run short any time soon after all.

I do not use DE at home any more but when at work for longer periods i use DE. Probably i just change the blade when it doesn't shave nicely any longer. Something between 3 - 6 shaves i guess.