How do you make your blades longer?
- Thread starter M. Diego
- Start date
Drying your blades off will make a significant difference. Shake your razor and blade dry at the very least. If you wipe them down, be careful as you can damage the blade edge. You can gently dab it with a tissue. I use alcohol to displace any water after I shake dry. I dip the head into some alcohol, swish for a second and let it drip off. The alcohol will then evaporate off in seconds, leaving your blade perfectly dry.
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I found a way to extend my blade life by 20%. That extra 0.6 shaves I now get out them really makes a big difference!
The only way I can figure you can extend the life of any single blade is improve your technique and use less passes to achieve the same result. Sometimes the passes you save can give you one more shave. Even with the most expensive blades availabe the total money you'd have saved by the end of the year would be less than 10 euros, or 3 eurocents per day. The alcohol costs more than that 
If you are using cheaper blades, or not shave everyday it would be something less than 1 cent per day. Unless someone comes from a developing world country, it is not something to care about.
If you are using cheaper blades, or not shave everyday it would be something less than 1 cent per day. Unless someone comes from a developing world country, it is not something to care about.
Just keep on using them and learn to live with the drag....
Maybe there is a way to re-use the lather as well.
Maybe there is a way to re-use the lather as well.
While I do rinse and dry my blades after shaving, this is not intended to make them last longer. Pretty much every DE blade gets tossed after 3-4 shaves.
Bulk buy online and pitch each blade after the usual 3-4 shaves. They don't last any longer but your dollar sure does.
+1 to fewer passes. Also, I believe that better prep will help, because the beard is softer and wears less on the blade and because a slightly worn blade is more usable with better prep.
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I just filled a small glass jar with isopropyl alcohol. I will rinse my razors in it after every shave from now on and see if it a makes a difference compared to water. Should help prevent grime buildup anyway.
I just shaved with a Feather that had three shaves on it already and this fourth was ok too (the most I've ever bothered to try with a Feather, by the way). I'll have to see if soaking in alcohol makes them last even longer. That would be great.
I just shaved with a Feather that had three shaves on it already and this fourth was ok too (the most I've ever bothered to try with a Feather, by the way). I'll have to see if soaking in alcohol makes them last even longer. That would be great.
Also, I suppose I should mention that there is a technique of stropping the blade on the inside of a drinking glass. I haven't tried this, since I get good blade longevity, and I would be surprised if anyone else here does this.
Good point. If the effort or cost of extending is more than replacing the blades, then what is the point? Cartridge systems use expensive blades, so an effort to extend their useful life will likely have a payoff. With DE razor blades, there isn't much payoff due to their low cost. Most people spend $20 or less a year on blades. I prefer to dry my razor and blades off with alcohol, not for cost savings (as I discard after 3 shaves) but as a good way to clean and dry them off quickly. I prefer not to wipe down a razor for various reasons. Regardless, oxidation does play a big role in blade longevity.
Shave every other day?
- Thread starter
- #14
To be more precise, I asked this because I wanted to make my 7am blades last longer.
They are relatively cheap and after looking at the reviews apparently they don't have a good reputation, however in my Dovo Shavette they give me incredible results: the smoothest shave and totally irritation free......for only 2 shaves.
If I can get 4 quality shaves, as somebody said it's the most a blade gives, I would be duplicating their longevity.
They are relatively cheap and after looking at the reviews apparently they don't have a good reputation, however in my Dovo Shavette they give me incredible results: the smoothest shave and totally irritation free......for only 2 shaves.
If I can get 4 quality shaves, as somebody said it's the most a blade gives, I would be duplicating their longevity.
I heard some grandpas doing that in the past in some villages in rural Greece. But that was half a century ago, with sky high poverty, lack of abundance of blades in general and mostly chrome steel blades which benefited from the stropping. Also it was supposed to be a trick that not all knew how to perform with good results. My grandfather made shoes back then and he had the best hones and strops in the village because he had to cut the leather with precision in order to make shoes. The barber serviced his straight there from time to time to give it some fresh life.
The alcohol is not to kill bacteria, and bacteria do not dull blades. The reason to dry them is because with water on them they are prone to oxidation, and that is what may accelerate the process of the blades becoming dull.
Alcohol displaces water and then rapidly evaporates, leaving the blade dry.
I pay 18-cents per blade. I recently switched from 1 blade per week (6-7 shaves) to a new blade every three days. So, I went from 4 blades/month to 10 blades/month. My MONTHLY blade cost is $1.80.
How many more shaves are you going to get out of making it "last longer"? 1? 2? How good could those "extra" one or two shaves be? You will probably spend more buying the alcohol to dip them in than you would simply by replacing the blade.
The shave quality alone is more than worth the extra one or two shaves you might squeeze out.
Cheers!
-Greg
How many more shaves are you going to get out of making it "last longer"? 1? 2? How good could those "extra" one or two shaves be? You will probably spend more buying the alcohol to dip them in than you would simply by replacing the blade.
The shave quality alone is more than worth the extra one or two shaves you might squeeze out.
Cheers!
-Greg
I didn't switch to soaking in alcohol just because of the blades. It helps keep the razor cleaner also - or at least I hope it will (I don't have any empirical evidence yet).
I originally hoped to get a lot of shaves out of my blades, but I figured why not blow a little money on something I enjoy. i love a good shave, why not spend a few ERTRA cents on a quality shave. My Feather will go 3 shaves regardless, everything else after 1 or 2 shaves. Simple pleasures...
There is something on Ebay for about 4 usd shipped that can resharpen blades. I am going to try that on my injector blades. Should work on DE blades too. Doubles the number of shaves, One pad can resharpen at least a 100 blades/cartridges (according to the seller).
