Count me out! I don't like to push my blades past 2 runs. Good luck guys!!!
Third Annual "One Blade in February" Challenge
- Thread starter goby
- Start date
Gents, may I indulge my more experienced DE brethren (or start a debate!). I am about 4 months into DE traditional wetshaving and working my way through trials of sample packs, soaps/creams, a couple vintage Gillettes. Based on my results so far and my beard and skin type, I am about at a place where I think my "go to" blade may be the Astra SP or Crystal, with Reds just behind. The generic Personnas, Derbys and Reds leave me wanting a sharper blade. So, for the experts that have been down this road, what other blades close in sharpness, quality, smoothness, and durability to Astras and Crystals would be worth a try before I settle on a blade for a 100-count order? I'm thinking I probably need to give the Gillette 7 O'Clocks a run but they seem a little pricier than the aforementioned brands. Ultimately I am looking for a blade that will be a good value (maybe 15-20 cents/each in a 100-count order) and be on the upper end on the sharp scale.
Any advice?
Any advice?
Ill join but I shave only 3 times a week if that......I use to shave daily but I got lazy lol
Im in with a big thank you to John for sending me a blade to the UK, looking forward to getting it, thanks John
I went down the same road as you and I ended up ordering a carton of the Astra SP, the blade I'll use for the "One Blade in February" challenge. I shave at least five times a week and have a heavy beard and I'm hoping I can make it at least half-way through the month before the blade starts to tug and I'm forced to change to the next one.
Are you up for the challenge?
I'd guess one blade a month was the norm for lots of folks during the Depression. Maybe even one blade per season.
- Thread starter
- #27
I'm thinking of trying it with the cheapest blade I own, a Dorco 301!!!
Inspired by your thread (2011) I used a Personna Med Prep (in a R41) for 31 daily shaves (3 to 4 passes) a couple of months ago. This is very tempting but I am learning straight razors now.
Great thread! I encourage everyone to participate. It'll be a learning experience.
Great thread! I encourage everyone to participate. It'll be a learning experience.
- Thread starter
- #29
Awesome, Noah. I think I'm going to use a Dorco this year.
Ok Chris ... I'll bite.
Would love to get into this competition.
I'm in with my Lord L6 and trusty Treet.
Good luck to all!
I'll give this a try. Not sure what blade I'm going to try or what routine I will follow to extend the life of the blade. I'll figure it out this weekend.
I wonder if I should try this with a Schick Plus Platinum or a Bolzano. Using one of my 74s seems like cheating.
Are we using the same razor the whole time too or just the blade?
Are we using the same razor the whole time too or just the blade?
+1. Occasionally I'll get four days out of a blade, but that's as far as I have ever pushed it.Man...I can't believe some of you guys don't shave daily....I could never get away without a clean shave daily...but being the boss I need to lead by example....would love to try, but I have never gone more than three days with a blade.....
I'm out.
I'm still dipping them though.
How? Why?
Just shaving as normal morning ritual.
The blade is still good. Why dispose of a blade that still shaves well.
This year I'm going with a Super-Max 'Tiger' Super Platinum in the black wrapper. They're hard to find and are supposedly Vidyuts' super premium product that they engineered for an extended blade life. We'll see...
-- John Gehman
-- John Gehman
- Thread starter
- #38
P74s aren't cheating, but it makes it easier. Feel free to change razors. Remember, no rules!
Just shaving as normal morning ritual.
The blade is still good. Why dispose of a blade that still shaves well.
How many passes per shave? Is he 16 & have Wispy Whiskers?
I'm not trying to be funny but I couldn't use Treets for more than 2 two-pass shaves and my whiskers aren't wiry or thick.
BTW, I'm in with my Easy Rider Injector/ NOS Schick Plus Platinum that has two shaves on it. I figured the One Blade Challenge would be a good test, the first two shaves were very smooth and I'm guessing 25 comfortable shaves is possible. I also have a current production Personna Shaper Blade in my Schick Grip with 7 shaves on it, when/if the Plus Platinum is uncomfortable, I'll continue with the Shaper Blade which I figure has another 5-7 comfortable shaves on it. No special care is taken to extend the life of the Blades, except for rinsing in water after the shave.
I'm looking forward to this challenge. It's going to be a stretch for me, but I think if I'm careful I can make it. I was planning on using my current Astra SP blade in my Merkur Slant up until the start of February and then changing blades, but that last blade gave out on me after three weeks so I put in a Red Israeli Personna to get me to the brink of February for the challenge. The last Astra SP was used with a couple different razors with three pass shaves up until I started favoring two passes on the Sledgehammer (WTG / ATG) which is all I need to get a great shave with this razor / blade combo. I've got hard water and a thick beard which are known factors that shorten blade life, but I think I might just be able to make it through the month.
