I seem to get many more shaves from my DE blades than what appears to be the 'norm'. Most people seem to quote a norm of 'four or five' shaves per blade, one post I read on B&B recently talked of getting only two shaves from a blade. I get at least ten and possibly even more shaves from each blade.
To flesh out my claim I am nearly sixty nine and have been wet shaving for more than fifty-five years. I am from an English/Caucasian background with (originally) dark, moderately coarse, hair. I am not a silky bearded neophyte. I use: a Gillette Super Speed with Feather/Derby/Persona/et al blades, Palmolive Stick Soap/Wilkinson Sword Blue Bowl soap, badger/boar brush as the mood takes me.
So what accounts for the apparent differences in blade durability?
I guess the shaver's expectation must come into the equation: how smooth is smooth? how much drag are they prepared to put up with before changing the blade? How much they relish the feel of a really sharp blade getting to work.
Blades of some manufacturers will presumably last longer than those of other manufacturers but if the user experimented with different blades they would notice that Brand X lasted longer than Brand Y and all other things being equal would opt for the longer lasting blade.
Shaving technique and razor design will probably be a factor. Does a blade offered at a shallow angle give more or less shaves than one used at a steeper angle? Does an 'aggressive' razor get more shaves from a blade than a 'passive' razor or is it vice versa?
Equipment maintenance might be a factor. Does rinsing and drying the blade after use make it less prone to corrosion and thus maintain its edge for longer?
Is the hardness of the local water supply of any significance? Our water supply comes off the nearby mountains, contains no dissolved calcium and has little mineralisation so the soap lathers up easily and your skin is left open and receptive. When I visit the UK the water there was high in dissolved chalk and it was difficult to get a good lather. Could this influence blade longevity?
About the only other variable I can think of is the soap. I have been looking at various soap recipes and many appear to contain kaolin/china clay. China clay is a 'platey' mineral so it's probably added to impart 'slipperiness' to the lather. It also might also be there as an extender. However depending on the method and quality of its preparation china clay can be associated with fine (10u) quartz/silica particles which are highly abrasive. This would dull blades.
Can you think of any other factors that will affect the number of shaves that different shavers will get from a blade? Frankly I think it just comes down to user expectation!
To flesh out my claim I am nearly sixty nine and have been wet shaving for more than fifty-five years. I am from an English/Caucasian background with (originally) dark, moderately coarse, hair. I am not a silky bearded neophyte. I use: a Gillette Super Speed with Feather/Derby/Persona/et al blades, Palmolive Stick Soap/Wilkinson Sword Blue Bowl soap, badger/boar brush as the mood takes me.
So what accounts for the apparent differences in blade durability?
I guess the shaver's expectation must come into the equation: how smooth is smooth? how much drag are they prepared to put up with before changing the blade? How much they relish the feel of a really sharp blade getting to work.
Blades of some manufacturers will presumably last longer than those of other manufacturers but if the user experimented with different blades they would notice that Brand X lasted longer than Brand Y and all other things being equal would opt for the longer lasting blade.
Shaving technique and razor design will probably be a factor. Does a blade offered at a shallow angle give more or less shaves than one used at a steeper angle? Does an 'aggressive' razor get more shaves from a blade than a 'passive' razor or is it vice versa?
Equipment maintenance might be a factor. Does rinsing and drying the blade after use make it less prone to corrosion and thus maintain its edge for longer?
Is the hardness of the local water supply of any significance? Our water supply comes off the nearby mountains, contains no dissolved calcium and has little mineralisation so the soap lathers up easily and your skin is left open and receptive. When I visit the UK the water there was high in dissolved chalk and it was difficult to get a good lather. Could this influence blade longevity?
About the only other variable I can think of is the soap. I have been looking at various soap recipes and many appear to contain kaolin/china clay. China clay is a 'platey' mineral so it's probably added to impart 'slipperiness' to the lather. It also might also be there as an extender. However depending on the method and quality of its preparation china clay can be associated with fine (10u) quartz/silica particles which are highly abrasive. This would dull blades.
Can you think of any other factors that will affect the number of shaves that different shavers will get from a blade? Frankly I think it just comes down to user expectation!