What's new

Changing Blades

Christmas morning I decided to get a shave in. I usually shave at night but got to sleep in. I used VDH, C&E BBB, Fat Boy set on 4, Israeli Personna blade. When I started shaving I felt a little tugging from the blade. Just new to using DE and coming from the world of multiblade disposables and being too cheap to frequently change them, I went through the shave still being used to the tugging feel of a blade in need of changing. When you guys start to shave and feel the tug from a blade that's done, do you stop shaving and change the blade or do you have one last shave with it?
 
I'm new to the world of wet shaving but my thoughts are, the blades are so cheap, why risk a serious case of razor burn to save a few cents.
 
I ditch them after 3 or 4 shaves. They're too cheap to keep around for a crappy shave. Change the blade and get a good, smooth, comfortable shave.
 
I'd change as soon as I felt tugging, even if it's in the middle of a shave. One bad shave can lead to several subsequent bad shaves.
 
I have noticed two times when there is tugging: the first shave with a new blade and tugging around shave number 3. If it's a brand new blade there may be burrs on it or something. On Gillette 7 o'clock yellows, the first shave is always rough. Shaves 2,3, and sometimes 4 feel great. Today was shave 2 on a Gillette yellow with a 4 day beard. The first pass took off about 50% of the whiskers. Pass 2 (atg) took off close to 95% of the whiskers with pass 3 (xtg) removing the rest leaving me with a smooth, DFS weeper free and zero irritation. Now if I was on shave number 3+ with tugging, I'd probably go ahead and switch it out. Since the blades I use most are cheap (Shark SC), I can afford to go 2 and out on them giving me a shave at $0.08.

Also, some tugging could be due to a sub-par lather. It happens.
 
I definitely change them if there is tugging, but I chuck them after 3 shaves anyway so it usually doesn't get to that point.
 
I usually just shave until I feel the tug. Its usually 5 or so shaves with feathers but really depends on your beard type I think.
 
I opened a new Blue Bird and put it in my gold ball handled tech. One of my best shavers. The first pass on my neck was not as smooth as I would like. This is only the 2nd Blue Bird that I have used, so I am giving it a try. I will use it again tommorrow in my Fat Boy, if It doesn't perform the way I want it's a gonner.
 
Looks like most of us change blades after 3-4 shaves. I am in the same boat. Coming from a MachIII DE blades are so cheap I have no problems at all throwing a blade out with 3 shaves on it.
 
I only shave every other day, so I toss Derbys after 2, Yellow's after 3. The only cut I've gotten was attempting a 4th shave on a yellow.
 
I just started using Red Pack Personnas and my 3rd shave was as good as the 1st with no pulling. It looks as if I may get 4 to 5 shaves from these blades.
 
I will never continue shaving with a blade that is losing its edge. Especially considering the red persona's are about a dime a piece. Don't risk your face! :001_cool:
 
I opened a new Blue Bird and put it in my gold ball handled tech. One of my best shavers. The first pass on my neck was not as smooth as I would like. This is only the 2nd Blue Bird that I have used, so I am giving it a try. I will use it again tommorrow in my Fat Boy, if It doesn't perform the way I want it's a gonner.

Update: Much to my surprise, the Blue Bird blade that wasn't so smooth on my neck yesterday, was a perfect blade today. There must be something to the fact that a blade can be a little off the first shave and much better the second.

JP, maybe you should pull a few of those blades out of the bin:001_huh:
 
Trying to get one more shave out of a blade is a vestige of cartridge shaving akin to using pressure. It must be resisted. I can honestly say that I had never had a real smooth shave until I started shaving with a DE razor and following the advice of those who had gone before (the members of this blog site) and viewing Mantics videos.
 
One of the benefits of wetshaving is not having to pay mucho dinero for cartridges. I don't even let the tugging happens. Some blades give me 6 shaves other 4 but I don't try to squeeze an extra shave with burn.
 
Maybe I should contemplate changing before tugging (ie after 3 shaves). I really never thought about it but perhaps I have less than 100% results before I even notice tugging ie maybe a weeper when I would have none.

I will also say that I usually do 2 passes max though. Maybe more passes equals less blade life?
 
JP, maybe you should pull a few of those blades out of the bin:001_huh:

I'm not going to keep trying to use a bad blade in the hopes that it'll correct itself. They are cheap enough that I haven't lost any real coin over the several that I've tossed out because they tugged when brand new.

I will also say that I usually do 2 passes max though. Maybe more passes equals less blade life?

The number of passes is a definit factor in the number of shaves you get out of each blade.
 
Top Bottom