Blade life will vary per your shaving technique (e.g number of passes, etc.), preferences, beard characteristics and blade geometry. On the last one Feather is one of the sharpest blades out there so, as others above have noted, has the narrowest blade tip angle that is more susceptible to blade chipping than others. As a result many have reported that the blade deteriorates quickly with many only realizing one or two shaves from a feather. Some get more so use your blades as long as they work for you.So, how long is a piece of string, I know...
What I'm wondering though, is, as a rank beginner, how long would you keep a blade for? I don't really care too much about cost but as I try new blades, I don't want to form an opinion on one that is more due to pushing it past its useful life than anything else. I'm using a Merkur 34c and while I've tried a few blades, I've just done my third shave with a Feather. The first one was a little bit rough, the second was amazing (albeit with a pre-shave Proraso introduced) and today I've done the same routine as the 2nd shave, but it felt a little bit tuggy. Just a bit. A couple of weepers but no big deal.
Lots of variables at play, so I thought I'd stick to the combo of Merkur + Feather + Proraso green + TOBs (various) for a bit. I normally find I can't shave two consecutive days with a Mach3 due to irritation, so today was comparatively good albeit not as close as yesterday. Face was fantastic again, but the throat was middling. I'm looking for something I can use ideally every day.
So, back to my question - is it ridiculous to think 2 and done for a Feather? I've been told by a barber I have coarse hair and I now have more than a few silver foxes in the mix...thoughts?
Thanks!
I've found that my blades all deliver similar shave quality with the main difference in blades longevity with my Dorcos typically lasting the longest (8-12 shaves), Derby Extras the least (4-6 shaves) and Astra SP in between (6-8 shaves). I use them until they don't work and have found occasional outliers that don't make it through the first shave and others that have lasted for over 20 shaves. I found over time that a shift to slicker lather extended blade longevity a bit.
Note that since you have course hair and blades wear via microchipping that this could effect your blade longevity. Bottom line is this is an area where YMMV so just enjoy the journey as you figure out how each blade brand works for you.