The Dull Blade Challenge
- Thread starter Twelvefret
- Start date
TheChrisC
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I give the blade a small dry off and then it goes back in the razor and we're good. Three shaves and it's out of there no matter whether it's still sharp or not.
You are just jealous now.And this from the guy who got six meals from a rotisserie chicken.
Bob
Twelvefret
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I've always rinsed the holder. Primarily because my collection, while small, are significantly historic holders. That said, most are brass. However, leave a TTO razor unkept and it will not respond well.
Burgundy
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I use a blade until it’s dead. The current one (a Nacet) was opened in mid-Jan. I usually find the first shave of a new blade a bit scrapey but I can get many weeks of use before a sudden drop off - at which point it’s binned. I do disassemble each shave to rinse and dry the razor but don’t tend to palm strop the blade.
Holyzeus
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No, I’m the same and like Chris I bin after 3 regardless
SeanC
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Straight razors don't have a Teflon or similar coating though
Yes, and consider in the heyday of hand stropping DE razor blades none were coated much less stainless steel. I think hand stropping modern DE blades loses much of its relevance because of that.
Bob
Twelvefret
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That’s true. They don’t need a coating to be comfortable to use. The uncoated GEM blades or box cutters were usable, just uncomfortable.
SeanC
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I've indeed tried an uncoated early Wilkinson Sword stainless DE blade. Far from pleasant, which begs the question of why persist using a blade that's lost its coating when a new one costs pennies?
FWIW, I bin (toss) blades when sharpness and/or smoothness have noticeably deteriorated. Can be 3 shaves (Schick made in Germany Stainless) or a dozen (NOS Wilkinson and Personna). No predefined time
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Twelvefret
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For me, it was a fun experiment and not a matter of cost containment. The challenge was for me, could I, using the right skills, continue to produce a good quality shave. Could I take a blade from a Superspeed and place it in a 1930's holder and get a different experience. I found that I could and so, I thought I would share it in the form of a thread discussion.
purerockfury
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I use a DE, one edge at a time. Once the edge is dull to me, where i need to do more buffing on the start WTG pass i twist Mr. Gillette to the other edge and do the same. So far since i've been able to shave traditionally again the DE blades i have used average 4-10 shaves each.
Twelvefret
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I have a fairly old brass holder made by Sheffield's John Watts which provides a healthy amount of blade (Astra SP) exposure that I have been getting exceptional shaves using a two pass regimen for 16 days as of tomorrow. I am convinced for myself that it is the holder which determines how long a blade can be used while remaining effective. However, I shave everyday and the entire beard growth area. Someone who shaves twice a week may obtain a different result using the same equipment.