Anyone else like the 2nd or 3rd time using a blade better?

GOing through the blades on my West Coast Shaving sampler, I've noticed that I like the 2nd-4th shave on most blades better than the first. Am I alone? On a related note, I hope I like Derby, which was not included in my sampler, because I just bought 100 of them for $8 shipped from Amazon! I guess at 8 cents a blade I'll learn to love them. Currently have a beard (grew it for Christmas, but everyone says I look better with it, which should tell you something about my looks ) and so I only shave my neck, so I get an easy week out of a blade and probably could stretch it to two weeks if I wanted (just haven't felt the need, unlike how I used to keep Mach 4's around forever because they're so damn expensive). Needless to say, I'll be a Derby man for the next 2 years probably! Not bad for $8.

I agree with you. I like the second and third shave on all blades better than the first. I usually use a blade 3 times.

Depends on the blade.

statistics show that men will most likely choose the correct side of the blade on the 2nd and 3rd shave.

For me, Feather and Kai both feel better after the first use. Unfortunately they lose their juice enough that shave #3 will be the last invariably.

Most of my other choices are fine fresh-out-of-the-wrapper.

I find that to be the case with Feather.
The first shave is a little rough, then they settle in.
I get a good 2 weeks out of one with constant use.

The only smooth-from-the-get-go blades for me so far have been Personna Med/Lab blades, Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum from India, NOS Gillette Bleue Extra, and Shark Super Stainless. The others I've tried so far have been a little rough on shave #1 (at least!).

Palm-stropping sometimes helps that first shave. A palm-stropped Astra SP gives me first-shave bliss.

It depends on the blade. I do get a better shave out of most blades on the second try.

I 2nd the 2nd.

No, except for Feathers.

maxman said:

I find that to be the case with Feather.
The first shave is a little rough, then they settle in.
I get a good 2 weeks shaves out of one with constant use.

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Fixed

Second use of most blades for me is best shave

I completely agree - on Feather blades at least!!!

- I have not had problems with other blades, but Feather blades give me red spots on first try...

Med preps are best After my first couple strokes. After that...6 or 7 shaves out of each one.

I find most blades to be at their peak for the second and third shaves. They are nearly as sharp as on the first shave but smoother. I find this to be the sweet spot for many blades. Several are just right from the get go; Iridium, Gillette Sharp Edge (Yellows) and Med Prep Personnas. As to the Derby blades, they are my favorite in their price range. I could understand someone making them their daily blade as for me, in order to get better performance, I have to pay 3-4X the price. My love of variety prevents this from happening. That said, blade preference seems to vary quite a bit from person to person.

I agree that the second shave with a blade is often better than the first, but I also feel like the second pass during a shave is much better than the first. I don't know if it's the lather or the reduced stubble or perhaps the extra hydration that comes from having lathered, shaved and rinsed prior to my second pass. But I know it is the second pass that I most enjoy.

Whether a particular blade seems to shave "better" on the 2nd or 3rd use.... I tend to judge a blade on it's first use performance. There are too many variables to judge it any other way.

most of the time...yes... they get better after the 1st shave

montya said:

I agree with you. I like the second and third shave on all blades better than the first. I usually use a blade 3 times.

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+1 on this.
Second shave with a blade is almost always the smoothest for me, although I have had an occasional third shave that couldn't be beat.

I fall more in the 2-3 camp. My best shaves have come on the 3rd shave. Although I have to admit I haven't tried a wide range of blades yet as I'm still making my way through a sample pack... Derby's were my first blade. They were a good starter blade and I don't regret learning on them. I was able to achieve near-DFS to DFS consistently after a few weeks. I didn't get BBS though until I tried the Sharks. I'm currently on Gillette 7oclocks and those (to me) seem very sharp. Had a near BBS on my first shave! Yikes!

I'm using Feather blades at the moment, and I find the first shave can give a weeper or two, after that I have none. I don't believe I'm blunting the blade significantly - at least not over the whole length of the blade edge - so I'm wondering if there are some imperfections that need breaking off (maybe in the coatings?)