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.