Thread: What am I doing wrong? Little Help please

I have been using a DE razor for a little while now, I am having trouble getting more than 2 good shaved out of a blade, some times I can get 3. I have seen where some people get 4+ out of a blade. I have not tried all the brands I have but so far its not looking great.

I have tried Dorco blades, CVC pharmacy blades, Astra Platinum, and Big Ben in the blue box. best results have been Big Ben as far as number of times used I was able to get 4 uses out of them. The Astra blades seemed very nice for the first 2 shaves but tonight it was like I was pulling hair out with a pair of pliers.

I am able to build a nice lather and I can get the BBS shave on the first and second shave with a blade but by shave 3 it all goes to pot, does this mean I have very rough facial hair and its dulling the blade or am I doing something wrong, I wait 2-3 days between shaves also.

Straight Razor Designs is one of many vendors that offers a package consisting of various double edge blades for you to try. I suggest that you shop the various vendors on this site for the combination that suits your needs and try various blades until you discover what is best for you. There is no single answer to your very good question without you doing the work necessary for you to get that great BBS shave that you are looking for. Enjoy the journey and good luck on your quest. All of us have been exactly where you are when we started.
Best Regards
Tom

Looks like I put this in the wrong thread sorry guys

Just a thought...
After shaving, do you take the blade out to clean the DE razor and dry both?

Curious. Just how many shaves does the average guy get from a DE blade? I would think more than 3 or 4??
My old neighbor still uses his Army issue from the late 40's. He was bitching about the blades from Walgreens, etc. I gave him a stack of Personna platinums. He says he can shave a month with one.

Maybe a little face scrubbing/beard softening prep would help.

"Drying the blades and razor" This is another reason every man cave bathroom should have a compressed air outlet.

Most of my experience has been with Dollar General blades made in Korea. I switched the blades out after three shaves because the shaves got rough on shave four. The blade would still cut, just wasn't smooth.

A couple of months ago I bought Personna Platinums and Astra blades. The Personnas would give 4 good shave but I didn't try further. 3 shaves in with my first Astra blade. I might see how many comfortable shaves I can get.

Buy your blades from ebay, 100x astra premium are (or were a few months back) less than $15, and if you bought larger quantities they got cheaper, so even if you only get 2 shaves that is less than 7.5 cents per shave.
Out of interest, how do you know which side of the blade you have already used, i.e. are you using the same edge a few times, and not both edges?

Two things I feel may be an issue. Face prep and technique.

I have a tough beard also, but I can get at least 5 days, 3 passes each from a blade.

I started with Straights then tried Safety Razors. At first I thought my DE blades were replaced by broken glass before the second or third shave. I have tried all the blades you mentioned except Big Ben. Trust me as technique improves the blades seem to last longer. Some vary with performance on the first shave, but by the 2nd they now all preform comparable to me.

#1 Face Prep
These recommendations may be overkill, but same as shaving with a straight blade prep is important. These are what I have used in the past and still use most of them today. Try them all at once then use only the ones that work best for you.
Hot shower or hot towel prep.
Wash face (shampoo or glycerin soap).
Conditioner on face (optional ~ never really could tell a difference).
Preshave Oil (Just a couple of drops massaged in) in my mind keeps the water in absorbed by the whiskers.
Lather your face thoroughly (2 to 3 minutes with your shaving brush).

#2 Technique
Always shave in this order WTG, XTG, ATG (ATG optional) Face mapping is important. Learn the pattern your beard grows and use it.
Try a shallower shaving angle. Safety razors are more forgiving and will still cut even at a high angle, but will wear on the blade.

As your technique improves the blades should last longer.

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