Excalibur Club - Blade Longevity DE, SE and Injector

[jamesspo]

MY RESUME FOR THE EXCALIBUR CLUB

I thought I was doing good by making my Feather blades last six shaves. That’s about four cents a shave.

Then I log onto B&B, and a few members say that they get forty shaves per blade. They’re not bragging, but they don’t exactly make their achievement secret.

That’s less than a penny a shave. I’m not a spend-thrift, but I’d wanted to know how these masters of shaving do their magic.

At first, I thought they were just making things up. On the internet, you can say anything. A few guys say they strop their double edge blades on their jeans, and the blades last for weeks. One claimed he sharpened his blades by pyramid power.

So, here we are, on B&B, this time - trying to document something that may not even exist. I not only wanted to have shave results like the Masters; I wanted to show how anybody could do it.

I think I know how they do it. Kind of.

First, learned things about shaving from people who’ve been generous with their wisdom. The following six steps is The Method:

1. Shave lightly. This makes sense; the more lightly you shave, the longer your blade will last.
2. Shave two passes. Don’t over-shave areas of your face with the goal of a perfect shave; just aim for a great shave
3. Use lots of water, and lots of soap.
4. Shave with short strokes.
5. Watch your prep. Minimum three minutes softening the beard with hot water - just like good barbers do.
6. Use a sharp, good blade. Something like, say, a Feather.

Welcome to the club. You're most definitely qualified. The idea is to just discover what your personal limit is. If it's 14 shaves, so be it. From the cost savings perspective, you've tapped any real gains. From there, it's all gravy.

I very much concur with your list. I'd like to say a few words about 1 & 2. This is something I've been meaning to post about. Over time, I've been able to both improve blade life, and reduce the amount of time I spend shaving in the morning by really concentrating on making my shaves more efficient, overall. By this, I mean less total strokes with the razor..sort of independent of passes. This would be in contrast to the basic rote passes of WTG, XTG, ATG, over the entire face.

Today, my passes are what I call "hybrid". Through experimentation, I've discovered how get to the BBS level in certain areas with a single stroke in a particular direction, and that's sometimes not even directly ATG, WTG, or XTG. My first pass is a combination of strokes - mostly WTG, but some ATG and XTG. The second pass is ATG on my cheeks, and a funky stroke that goes from my ear, diagonally toward my adam's apple with some buffing. Doing rote passes, it takes about 3.5 to get to BBS, and some places can be a bit over shaved. In the latter case, I'm clearing wasting shave strokes, and that means both extra time and reduced blade life.

 

[Guru17]

poikkeus - great post. Nicely put down your experiences, and welcome to the club.

 

[poikkeus]

Today, my passes are what I call "hybrid". Through experimentation, I've discovered how get to the BBS level in certain areas with a single stroke in a particular direction, and that's sometimes not even directly ATG, WTG, or XTG. My first pass is a combination of strokes - mostly WTG, but some ATG and XTG. The second pass is ATG on my cheeks, and a funky stroke that goes from my ear, diagonally toward my adam's apple with some buffing. Doing rote passes, it takes about 3.5 to get to BBS, and some places can be a bit over shaved. In the latter case, I'm clearing wasting shave strokes, and that means both extra time and reduced blade life.[/QUOTE]

That "hybrid" technique is very important.

If you look at online videos - even good ones on the Sharpologist - they follow the same technique: WTG on the first pass, ATG on the second pass, and touch-ups. Frankly, with a new Feather, it's easy to shave ATG every pass - though it's not the most efficient way of mowing down a beard. We're stepping into the land of Skill.

BBS is another thing I need to learn more about. For some shavers, BBS denotes that a beard is very close; for others, it's literally no whiskers, like a baby's butt. The first is do-able; the other is rare for most shavers.

 

[bosseb]

That "hybrid" technique is very important.
...
BBS is another thing I need to learn more about. For some shavers, BBS denotes that a beard is very close; for others, it's literally no whiskers, like a baby's butt. The first is do-able; the other is rare for most shavers.

I have been using these irregular strokes for some years now. I am slowly working my way down to a strict 2 pass shave. I can manage on only 2 passes for the first 15 or so shaves and on several more just after changing to a more efficient razor. I change razor every Saturday to a more efficient (ie. one that shows more blade to the skin) one. I have reasonable expectations to do only 2 pass shaves in the future.

Regarding the BBS result I think the definition is pretty strict. BBS = no whisker standing anywhere. Whether it is reachable for all shavers is another matter...

Enjoy your shaves!

 

[TheVez2]

First of all, I wanted to say that in honor of this club, today I used (what I am calling)

the Un-Official aftershave of the Excalibur Club:
Avon Excalibur!


(Not my Pic. This bottle is the cologne decanter, but was too cool to not share.)​

MY RESUME FOR THE EXCALIBUR CLUB
...
First, learned things about shaving from people who’ve been generous with their wisdom. The following six steps is The Method:

Great Post. Here are my comments on your six steps...

Shave lightly. This makes sense; the more lightly you shave, the longer your blade will last.

This makes sense, but I don't shave lightly. I've always thought that I am using more pressure that I probably should be. I definitely don't follow the advice we tell all the newbies of "zero pressure, let the weight of the razor do the cutting".

Shave two passes. Don’t over-shave areas of your face with the goal of a perfect shave; just aim for a great shave.

A 2 pass shave is all most people need to have a great shave, that'll get you through 99% of your days. The only time (I think) you should need more, is if you plan on being intimately close to someone and want to have very smooth skin. If my 2 pass shave was good enough for a military inspection, it's good enough for the rest of the world. No use spending the extra time chasing that last 1-2%.

Use lots of water, and lots of soap.

Sure, just build a good lather. You don't want your lather to be too thick. And using a nice slick soap (like William's) will help as well.

Shave with short strokes.

Hmmmm. Not sure I agree with this. When I use short strokes, I tend to go over areas I've already shaved a few extra times. By using longer strokes, I am more efficient in my blade to face time.

Watch your prep. Minimum three minutes softening the beard with hot water - just like good barbers do.

Prep, prep, prep! I believe there is nothing more important. For me, it's a hot shower right before I shave. Washing my face in a hot shower is all the prep I need. For those who don't shower before they shave, then getting a good prep routine is key. I always have horrible shaves if I don't shower first.

Use a sharp, good blade. Something like, say, a Feather.

Feather, Personna (Platinum Chrome, Blue Labs, Red IPs) , Voskhod. These are my favorites.

 

[poikkeus]

It's always good for shavers to respond to posts: everybody ends up a better shaver as a result. I agree with nearly all your responses, especially with your emphasis on prep, and letting the razor do the cutting.

And pressure. So many shavers, myself included, began with carts, where it didn't matter how much pressure you used. Wet shaving is a different animal.

Short strokes vs longer strokes? That has to be a personal choice, of course. Some parts of the face, like the cheek, work fine with long strokes; but short strokes are almost mandatory of me on the mustache, chin, and neck.

I'm still unable to achieve BBS whenever I want. Not that it's necessary, but I'm told that it's "do-able" - but I've only been able to achieve BBS with a two-day shaving schedule.

 

[bosseb]

... I'm still unable to achieve BBS whenever I want. Not that it's necessary, but I'm told that it's "do-able" - but I've only been able to achieve BBS with a two-day shaving schedule.

If you are able to do it with 48 hours of growth it's IMHO 'only' a question of developing your technique before you will be able to do it daily.

Be mindful about the whole process, including prep and post shave details. You will reach your potential, much like these guys:

​

Only one hasn't reached his potential yet. Yes, it's the young Prince Buddha - the second from left. He will inherit the kingdom and has all the wealth one can dream of but he chose a different path and became the learned Buddha and the fat happy Buddha. Of course everyone sees that Homer S is happy and enjoying his potential fully.

 

[bosseb]

Early report in advance for week 5. Currently on shave 31.

During the weekend I will be staying at a hotel using my travel LEA stick but mainly I will be using this equipment:

L'Occitane ASB, Mystic Waters Vanilla Sandalwood soap, the Wilkie and Simpsons M6 LE in Manchurian badger.

​

The razor will be a comparison of a Goodwill and a US NEW LC to find out which one will take place in my 'mere mortal' rotation of vintage 3 piece Gillettes. I only have two spots for NEWs and the first one is firmly taken by the British Raised Flat Bottom NEW. Unfortunately the Goodwill is too long to fit on my aftermarket handle so I will have to use my travel kits fat Tech handle.

I am glad to report that the Wilkie is holding well up to expectations but it does feel quite different compared to the Polsilver SI I used before. The Wilkie is still remarkably sharp and agile. Only during the last two shaves have I been using more of the clean up pass to get to the usual BBS after the main two passes. This indicates that the blade is still very sharp and this feeling is confirmed by the amount of stubble after 24 hours.

Of course this whole exercise with a NOS blade has no bearing on which blade I will use in my regular shaving except that I'm so curious about the quality of the blades from the past...

Gents, enjoy your shaves - I certainly do!

 

[Guru17]

Bosse, James and Mike - I have a question for you gents, though other members of the Excalibur club can also chime in.

After getting a regular Excalibur performance from your chosen blades, have you, at any point of time, encountered a blade brand which couldn't last for even a few shaves, say less than a week? Or is it that having once found your go to blade you have not ventured to explore other brands? (exceptions are those English Wilkies of course - they are legendary, and moreover, they are vintage)

 

[bosseb]

Bosse, James and Mike - I have a question for you gents, though other members of the Excalibur club can also chime in.

After getting a regular Excalibur performance from your chosen blades, have you, at any point of time, encountered a blade brand which couldn't last for even a few shaves, say less than a week? Or is it that having once found your go to blade you have not ventured to explore other brands? (exceptions are those English Wilkies of course - they are legendary, and moreover, they are vintage)

I have only a few blade brands in my rotation and possession. I have 'mere mortals' - Shark SS, Astra SP and red IP and 'sharper ones' - Polsilver SI and the black Indian 7 O'Clock. All these render at least 4 weeks of shaves (4x7=28). The sharper ones are good for at least 7 weeks.

I am now using the British Wilkinson which seems promising - I think it will equal my sharper blades performance. I will also be using the one NOS Polsilver I found in my blade container and some Feathers my son left when he moved out of the house.

Honestly I don't think I will have problems with these blades - at least if the one loose NOS Polsilver isn't damaged. I think I could use other blades also, but I have 3500+ blades of my favorites so I won't be looking for more anytime soon...

To answer your question: No, all blades I've tried seem to work for me.

 

[Mad Hatter]

The only blade I've tried that didn't last at least a week was a dollar store brand blade. I just could not use it. If I remember right it pulled bad even shaving right after a shower.

On the other end I think I've found the end of my current blade on shave 13. Shave the same spot 3 times and the beard still remained. Mabey just a bad blade or is there a big enough difference in armpit hair from facial hair to cause a bade to deteriorate more quickly? I know that I have gotten at leat 14 before. Or is it mental? Perhaps I'm just paying far more attention to the blade then I usually do. I'm going to try a new blade and see what happens.

 

[mswofford]

Bosse, James and Mike - I have a question for you gents, though other members of the Excalibur club can also chime in.

After getting a regular Excalibur performance from your chosen blades, have you, at any point of time, encountered a blade brand which couldn't last for even a few shaves, say less than a week? Or is it that having once found your go to blade you have not ventured to explore other brands? (exceptions are those English Wilkies of course - they are legendary, and moreover, they are vintage)

Guru; I'm rather new to this concept and only have longevity experience with Feathers in DE and Schick in SE injectors. I do have Astra SP blades (another favorite) on hand which I will try next. As we are finding out, it takes a while to wear out a blade. I plan on posting once I reach 30 shaves with any blade. So, right now my blade selection wil be:
1. SE razor: Gem PTFE in an Ever Ready Streamline
2. SE injector: Schick in E2 and I2 Hydro-Magic
3. DE razor: Feather and Astra SP in various razors
My simple log method is 4 vertical marks and a slash to make 5.
My emphasis continues to be a very shallow blade angle and excellent prep using Tabac soap or Biotique Bio Palmyra cream.
(If I don't reach 30, I will post that also).

 

[bosseb]

Wilkinson Super Sword-Edge report for week 6, currently on shave 39.

No photo today, we've had really dull weather for a while and I don't use artificial lightning.

Last weeks comparison between the Goodwill and the US C2 LC NEW left me with a clear winner: the LC, because it fits my aftermarket handle and is already replated. The shave experience is almost the same.

The Wilkinson blade is holding up very well - I now expect this to be a long run. In comparison with the Polsilver SI that I did 56 shaves on this Wilkie feels distinctly sharper at 39 shaves. My strategy to move on to a slightly more aggressive razor each week is working very well, the cleanup pass is still minimal.

Because I have two lines of razors in my rotation, the 3 piece Gillettes (6 razors) and the TTO Gillettes (7 razors), I have a total of 13 weeks of slightly more aggressive shaves at my disposal. After starting in the middle of the week with three shaves i have the potential to do 13x7+3= 94 shaves without changing my strategy. That should be enough...

This is the first time I combine both my razor lines into one line, I haven't really felt any need for it before. When I went 56 shaves on the Polsilver SI I did it with my TTOs and did two weeks with my British Aristocrat #16.

On deck for this week is my British NEW (with the raised flat bottom) on my Connaught handle, Mystic Waters Vanilla Sandalwood soap, Shavemac finest brush and my ASBs.

I will report back next week or earlier if something unexpected happens.

Enjoy your shaves!

 

[bosseb]

Something unexpected happened today while doing my shave No 41 on the NOS Wilkie.

I started my 2+ pass shave with pass No 2 (ATG) by mistake. This has never happened before.

Since there was no sign of catastrophe or even discomfort I mindfully finished the pass (including some free form strokes) and proceeded to the final touch up pass. The touchup was more of a ½ pass really but the result was my usual comfortable BBS.

It has now been more than two hours since the shave and I don't detect anything unusual at all. I will repeat the 1,5 pass shave the rest of the week to see if anything is different by the razor/brush change on Saturday.

This just might be the logical step to spare the blade as they did back in the days. we'll see...

 

[Guru17]

I've always wondered about this, but never had the heart or courage to try it. I did once start the shave with an XTG pass, and that was not as pleasurable, but it was quite some time back.

Maybe one day I'll gather the courage for this. Who knows, it might even turn out better.

 

[bosseb]

I've always wondered about this, but never had the heart or courage to try it. I did once start the shave with an XTG pass, and that was not as pleasurable, but it was quite some time back.

Maybe one day I'll gather the courage for this. Who knows, it might even turn out better.

Please be very careful. I have done this on purpose earlier, once. My try this morning was an accident!

 

[TheVez2]

Been using my Mongoose ever since I got it. Today was shave #19 with a Feather Pro.

 

[bosseb]

Been using my Mongoose ever since I got it. Today was shave #19 with a Feather Pro.

It'll be very interesting to see how the Feather Pro handles blade stretching. These new type of razors are always fascinating to me, they are so different from my vintage Gillettes.

 

[Daveho]

it looks as though im treading on toes, ive just started a thread to see how long i can make a single derby blade last by improving on prep, sorry comrades

 

[bosseb]

it looks as though im treading on toes, ive just started a thread to see how long i can make a single derby blade last by improving on prep, sorry comrades

The Derby blade is not any more considered a nice blade - just a few years ago it was considered just that. Something happened with the blades production or the members perception of that production.

Good luck with your effort!