How to know When A Blade is Dull?

It would seem to me that you wouldn't know a blade was dull until you started to use it....I have used my current blade about 8 times and I don't know yet if it is dull.

Also, on anoter note...I tried the "magical" 4-pass shave, which was posted a while ago on B&B. God, 4 passes is just too much. On the third, my face was so tender that I could hardly touch it with the DE....

And I'm worried about the ATG pass, bc my neck feels pretty raw right now, and I'm hoping I don't get ingrown hairs. Any suggestions?

-Otto

Otto --

There are a lot of threads here on the blade changing topic. Here's one of my postings, and the thread that it's in is quite good.

Click HERE!!

-- John Gehman

Thanks John...I read the post and you were right--Quite good, indeed!

-Otto

Otto,

There is a noticeable amount of pulling, rather than clean cutting.

Otto,
Some people can use their blades for a long time, others very short. I use mine for 2 shaves.
As far as the 4 pass shave, I have never heard it called magical. I would say that a large percentage of members do at least a 3 pass shave. I usually do 4 passes. I would imagine that you have a lot of work to do before you can get a good 4 pass shave, (if you did in fact just start DE shaving recently). I started DE shaving in the summer and I still usually do 2 passes on my neck. It is a tender area and I still have lots to learn.
Best of luck and remember your technique. It will take time and patience.
Cheers

omazzoni said:

It would seem to me that you wouldn't know a blade was dull until you started to use it....I have used my current blade about 8 times and I don't know yet if it is dull.

Also, on anoter note...I tried the "magical" 4-pass shave, which was posted a while ago on B&B. God, 4 passes is just too much. On the third, my face was so tender that I could hardly touch it with the DE....

And I'm worried about the ATG pass, bc my neck feels pretty raw right now, and I'm hoping I don't get ingrown hairs. Any suggestions?

-Otto

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I believe the 4-pass shave is recommended because it allows you to cut your hair from 4 sides, thus giving you a closer overall shave. However, its a bit of an overkill since, as you mentioned, it can lead to excessive tenderness. Firstly, ease up on the pressure, it will help with the tenderness. Secondly, try to map the direction of your hair growth, and use that to implement 2-3 passes - WTG, XTG, and if you still need, ATG. As you gain more experience and figure out the proper blade angle, each stroke will cut hair more efficiently, leading to a more effective pass, and you will get a more effective overall shave with fewer passes.

I usually aim for 3-4 shaves per blade. Sometimes a blade is just darn good that I can get more. When the blade begins drag or tug I stop and swap the blade out.

grump said:

Otto,

There is a noticeable amount of pulling, rather than clean cutting.

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+1

For your neck, you could add a bit of Witch Hazel, it might help.

Thanks to everyone for the input. I'm definitely still learning, and I appreciate the advice from experienced gentelmen, such as yourselves.

Knowing when to change your blade is like the old joke about the guy asking an elderly lady for directions on the bus. She tells him "you want to get off at Main Street. Just keep you eye on me, and get off 2 stops before I do!".

Change the blade BEFORE it gets dull. How do you know it's going to be dull before it gets dull? The same way you learn anything around here - tear your face up a few times real bad, you'll quickly learn the warning signs.

Change the blade as soon as you feel it's not smooth. Don't be like me and keep going only to be left with some rough razorburn.

Also, keep in mind that not all blades are the same. One blade will last you 3 shaves, another will last you 5. Even the same brand of blade (in the same container) will have blades that differ.

Oto,

For me I am lucky to get more than 1 shave from a blade due to the thickness of my hair however Persona Surgical Prep's have proven a great shave, 2 so far will see if I can get 3 tomorrow . Anyways a great way to tell if the blade is dead is to do an ATG pass. If the blade hangs even for a second toss it! Thats what I found in my experience, plus as cheap as blades are it's not worth leaving yourself with razor burn just to see if you can get 20 shaves

omazzoni said:

4 passes is just too much.

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Don't do more passes than is comfortable. If it's sore during the shave, it's going to hurt more over the next few hours.

If aiming for 4 passes you need to faithfully do beard reduction in each pass. Use a very light touch and don't go over the same area several times per pass. Never think "oh, that stroke didn't do much, I'll repeat it." Doing that for each of 4 passes adds up to 8 actual passes, half of which are done without lather.

I can always tell by my neck. If the razor is pulling on my ATG pass then it is time to change. I usually get 5 shaves depending on the blade. Keep using it until the shave is no longer comfortable.

2 passes can give an excellent shave.

Most blades I use have 3 shaves in them. Some have more. If a blade is unpleasant stop and change it.

Phil

Go West Young Man said:

Knowing when to change your blade is like the old joke about the guy asking an elderly lady for directions on the bus. She tells him "you want to get off at Main Street. Just keep you eye on me, and get off 2 stops before I do!".

Change the blade BEFORE it gets dull. How do you know it's going to be dull before it gets dull? The same way you learn anything around here - tear your face up a few times real bad, you'll quickly learn the warning signs.

Click to expand...

This is good advice. I change my blade after every third shave. At a few cents per blade, I find no economic reason to push the blade an extra shave or two and risk some serious razor burn.

Regarding the 4 pass shave, etc., let me encourage you to focus upon your technique AND don't try to do too much as you are learning how to DE shave the right way.

Wheater said:

This is good advice. I change my blade after every third shave. At a few cents per blade, I find no economic reason to push the blade an extra shave or two and risk some serious razor burn.

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Exactly. At 10-20 cents a blade, there's no reason to go more. When you get experienced, you will notice that "magic" blade that wants to keep going. For now, keep it simple and ditch it after 3 shaves.

I use a 3 shave maximum before changing out the blade. After what I was paying for carts, I'm way ahead!

Otto, as far as the tenderness you're describing, I hope you're not doing what I did for the first few weeks.

My shaves got a whole lot better when I realized how much pressure I was using, and backed off. I knew better, and I could have told you all the standard stuff about how to hold the razor and not to use pressure... but I was still doing it wrong. I started challenging myself to see how lightly I could hold the razor against my face.

Just change the blade after 3 shaves. The inexpense compared to cartridges makes it an obvious way to go. Why risk a poor shave?

David