how many passes before you toss the DE blade?

Just wondering...I realized that after 8-9 passes - the blade was no good....but I think my beard is light but thick...maybe this is the reason?
Thanks...

I do three passes each shave and get 2-3 shaves on each blade... so I suppose 8-9 passes is about it for me too.

The answer is "When it's time." or "It depends." Some blades lose their edge gradually others just go from smooth to tug city in an instant. You'll find some blades that last 3 shaves, some that last 6, some that seem to last forever. Also, it depends on your personal tastes. Some folks keep using a blade until it dulls and starts tugging. Others toss a blade when it dulls a little and doesn't give as smooth a result. Others simply have a max number of shaves they never go beyond.

You didn't mention which blades you are using but personally I've found that Derbys last about 3 shaves for me (or 9 passes since I do 3 pass shaves) while Polsilvers/7 O'clocks seem to last about 6-7 shaves (18-21 passes). I usually toss the Polsilvers/7 O'clocks at the 5 shave mark because beyond that I notice the shave is not as smooth as when the blade is new. The blade doesn't tug at my beard per se but it just doesn't get as close so I just move on.

I would stick with one type of blade for several weeks until you get your technique down. It's okay to toss after 3 shaves to be on the safe side. The blades are cheap enough so it doesn't matter that much. Once your technique is better you can try to stretch the life of different blades to see how long they last for you.

I'm on my second Dorca blade - and am cautious about using it more than 3 days (two passes each). As time and experience builds, I will stretch out each use - maybe.

I never use a blade for more than two shaves. If I'm shaving a 3 day beard, I might toss the blade after one shave. I generally do a two pass shave with some touch up / multiple passes over rough areas. I also soak my razor head in 91% rubbing alcohol while I shower if I'm using a blade for the second time.

I think Dave is exploring new ground regarding this question.

The blade gets tossed when I start to feel it tugging at the beard instead of cutting the beard. Or after six shaves. Whichever comes first.

I can get three shaves at three passes each from most blades that I use. However, I just tried a Merkur blade and got one shave with it, tried this morning the second shave and ended up having to switch to another razor. Needless to say, I won't use anymore Merkur blades.



DL

I toss mine after about three shaves. Does not seem like it is worth any discomfort after that.

netsurfr said:

I toss mine after about three shaves. Does not seem like it is worth any discomfort after that.

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+1

I agree with netsurfer and tstebins 3 shaves and it's out of there.
But you might try this.
Use the same blade until you feel it is tugging or dragging. How many good shaves did you get? One shave less than this number would be a good time to change blades.

Here's my standard blade-changing blurb. . .

You need to learn when to change to a fresh razor blade. Some newer DE shavers will try to get too many shaves out of a blade. Bulk purchases of blades make them CHEAP. Feel free to swap out a blade that has become sub-par --even in the middle of a shave.

Guys here will get 2 to 6 shaves per blade, all depending on personal factors to them. The average is probably 3 ~ 4 shaves or so. Factors are the brand of blade itself, lubrication, sensitivity of their skin, toughness and density of their beard/whiskers, type of razor, personal technique, and so on. Again, only you can determine when swapping in a fresh blade is needed.

So, when to change blades? At some point, the blade will become 'dull' in that it will not reliably 'shave' the whiskers. 'Dull' is relative, because a 'dull' blade is still very, very sharp and can easily cut you. But it will only 'cut' --not 'shave' the whiskers. You will become aware shaving takes somewhat more effort; that the blade is leaving some stubble/uncut whiskers behind after a pass; that there is a little additional 'tugging' or 'pulling' that was not present the day before. This can lead to additional strokes and overshaving an area and leave you with razor burn and facial irritation (and a shave that isn't very close, and certainly not comfortable).

So 'listen' to what your face and your whiskers are 'telling' you and change blades accordingly. The routine I've fallen into is 3 to 4 shaves per blade --that's two blades per week. I don't try to extend this. Ever. You should pay attention to the blade and always shave with a blade that is in its' prime.

Good Luck.

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-- John Gehman

John is right. Try to go too long and you will push harder, like you used to do with a Mach or Quattro. A big mistake with a DE.

yup... listen to John. I toss mine after three shaves (9-12 passes). When I am testing blades, I might just toss them after 2 (6-8 passes).

Hmm... I consider myself to have a pretty light beard as well, but I usually do 3 passes and my Derby's can last up to 5 shaves. Guess it all depends on how coarse your facial hair is.

I'm light beard and sensitive skin. So with Feathers I go 3 shaves (total 9 passes). With Crystals I go 2 shaves (6 passes). I could push the number of shaves per blade. However there will be the occasional blade that doesn't hold it's edge as good as the others. Thus causing some some redness to my face. 3 shaves per Feather and 2 shaves per Crystals and I never have any problems.

inspectoring said:

Just wondering...I realized that after 8-9 passes - the blade was no good....but I think my beard is light but thick...maybe this is the reason?
Thanks...

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Robxcarlson said:

I do three passes each shave and get 2-3 shaves on each blade... so I suppose 8-9 passes is about it for me too.

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Etoyoc_Rebmos said:

yup... listen to John. I toss mine after three shaves (9-12 passes). When I am testing blades, I might just toss them after 2 (6-8 passes).

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This describes my experience as well. Of course, it depends on the type of blade you use and other factors. It's definitely good to learn how to feel when the blade needs changing.

maybe my beard is just incredibly light, but I can go six shaves (two passes each, with touchups) on a single feather blade. Of course most of it depends on the brush and your ability to create premo lather.

Dustinl said:

I can get three shaves at three passes each from most blades that I use. However, I just tried a Merkur blade and got one shave with it, tried this morning the second shave and ended up having to switch to another razor. Needless to say, I won't use anymore Merkur blades.DL

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I get a week of great shaves from a Merkur blade; they would likely last even longer, but I always put in a new blade on Sunday. My only objection to them is that they are quite a bit more expensive than Derbys or IPs.

GardenWeasel said:

I'm on my second Dorca blade - and am cautious about using it more than 3 days (two passes each). As time and experience builds, I will stretch out each use - maybe.

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Experience is not a factor - blades give up the ghost when they do. I get no more shaves per blade than when I first started wetshaving.

I regard Dorcos as single-use blades - one shave and they're toast for me (I have a pretty heavy, coarse beard).

The Dorcos aren't quite as sharp as some other blades, but they're pretty smooth/forgiving (at least I think so...) so while the first shave isn't as harsh as it can be with other blades (Feathers in particular), the trade off is longevity. Fortunately, they're dirt cheap.

Matthew Aldas said:

maybe my beard is just incredibly light, but I can go six shaves (two passes each, with touchups) on a single feather blade. Of course most of it depends on the brush and your ability to create premo lather.

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I generally get 3 shaves to a blade, but with Feathers I could get 4 - the interesting thing I found about Feathers is that they go from good to nasty in a heartbeat.

While one could argue that beard prep could impact blade life (better prep = softer beard = more shaves from a blade), I think that so long as you're doing a decent job of prepping, this isn't a significant factor. Beard prep, rather than lathering ability is the issue. For example if you shave after a shower, your beard will likely be softer than if you just splashed some hot water on your face immediately before lathering up and shaving.

Now proper lathering will improve the quality of your shave in that a proper lather is slicker than a lather than is too thick or thin.

My $0.02 on this issue...

burningdarkness said:

This describes my experience as well. Of course, it depends on the type of blade you use and other factors. It's definitely good to learn how to feel when the blade needs changing.

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Yup - its very individual, also some folks are more sensitive to sharpness than others - even if two guys had the exact same beard and prep, one might feel that a blade is done after 3 shaves, but the other might think its fine for 5.

Try a bunch of blades (get a sampler from westcoastshaving.com) and, by trial and error, you'll figure out what works for you.

For me, it is a bit strange that people shaving with blades find that they need to change blades in a midst of shave??? I shave with a blade to end of shave and also usually shave with them 4 times and then change. Unless I get a bad shave and think the blade is to blame. Which is seldom.

Some blades get even perhaps better after the first shave. Been a long time since I used a Dorco if it is only for a few shaves and not 4 as usual I get good shaves with any blade.

Now I am again for a treat of sorts ... to see how a Merkur blade shaves. It is a gunked up blade same as Astra. Astra is a worse in that department. But a nice sharp blade.

Now I will see how a Merkur stands up for normal 4 shaves or not. I consider my beard a medium tough one.

I find it strange that Chris compares Dorco and Feather that are opposites. Well I am not really familiar with Dorco but uncorked Feather sure gets for my skin irritation.

Jarmo