Thread: What am I doing wrong? Little Help please

I just started using a DE a few weeks ago. I have been switching blades after 4 or 5 shaves. I think drying is key and use one of those cans of compressed air used for computers. I have used those for a long time on cartridges as well before switching to DE and noticed a difference. I have very hard water in my home. The lime build up will destroy an edge quickly.

Originally Posted by BobH

Everybody is different when it comes to how long a DE blade will last them. I am pushing it to get past 5 uses without an ugly feeling blade. A friend of mine "says" he goes 3 months with the same cart head.

Bob

Does he shave 4 times a year? On a serious note they would last me quite a while, I shaved probably 3 times in 2 weeks though, and the head was always clogged up.

Most everything has been covered, but there's one more I didn't see....if I missed it, my apologies.

Just like a straight razor, rather than pulling the blade straight down, up, etc. with the edge at a 90° angle to the whiskers...like an axe chopping wood, "cant the blade slightly" so that it gives a slicing angle on the whisker. Don't over do it and cut yourself.

I only started this after starting to shave with a straight. It's given a significant increase in the durability and shave count on DE, Mach 3, etc. razors that I have.

Give it a try, along with the other hints on prep, etc. and see what you think.

Regards,

Howard

I dry the blade and put a drop of straight razor oil on them. I shave daily with a straight but when I need to use the DE. I rinse and wipe off the oil and get 10 ish shaves out of them. Rust is taking the edge off. Look at the blade with a loupe.

Buddy of mine gets a month worth of head shaves from a cartridge razor by keeping the blades in alcohol. He is slightly off to begin with but swear it works great

drying is key ,, oxidation dulls blades, same as your straights, I used a DE for 40 + years I learned about drying them pretty early on because the blades were cheap and wouldn't last very long. but now we have so many good blades at our disposal, so try and find the right combo, then see which ones last longer for you, since the internet ive found my best blade , in a feather , wish I would have had them all along ,, but ive gotten particular in my old age and I just change it every shave, even at that feathers are cheap considering cartridge blades,, but I only use my Fatboy maybe twice a month so I get a lot of time out of a 5 dollar pack of blades, my straights don't need a new blade ever! tc

I usually get 5-7 out of my blades. As others have said, I think drying is the key and I also do a quick hand strop especially in the summer when it's very humid.

Originally Posted by edhewitt

Does he shave 4 times a year? On a serious note they would last me quite a while, I shaved probably 3 times in 2 weeks though, and the head was always clogged up.

He shaves daily apparently. I think he is nuts not frugal but each to their own.

Bob

One thing I've noticed is that I can get more shaves out of blades that aren't as sharp to begin with. My favorite blade is Red Personna. Now they are not as sharp as a Feather or some others but to me the edge lasts a couple more shaves before it gets harsh and starts nicking my face. Feathers give me a great shave for about one shave and then it's nick city. I do have sensitive skin so YMMV.

For those that take blades out to dry and/or oil, more power to you. But I feel that extra handling of the blade is just risking damage to the edge which is very fragile. One little ding on the edge and you have defeated the purpose of trying to extend the life. I shake water out the razor to dry it but I keep the blade in the razor for 3-4 shaves and then it lands in the blade bank. I am also very careful when removing a new blade from the package making sure I don't drag the edge on the paper.

I am currently using the Astra blades because I couldn't pass up the deal on Amazon for a pack of 100. But I only get about 3 shaves out of them. I can get 5-6 out of Personna.

Hope this helps.

Up until a month ago I used a DE slant bar for 30 years before i stumbled on the joys of SR shaving and you still learn something new! I think this issue is multifactorial as others above have stated ... Prep, technique, blade type etc. With respect to blade types, you may wish to buy sampler packs and take it from there. That would save you forking out $ on blades that you may not like. For what its worth you may want to invest in a quality razor. Good luck with it all.

I think maybe the thing to concentrate on in this discussion is expectation. Given the price of DE blades, trying to "stretch" their life by drying beyond rinsing and shaking out or stropping (at least one brand says rinse but do not wipe blades) is a case of diminishing returns. How much life can you eek out of something that costs pennies each? I personally feel if I can get 3-4 shaves from a 15¢ blade, that beats the dickens out of what you'd pay for a cartridge.