How do your blades die?

Minniegoon

Veteran
Three shaves and done, they are so cheap why risk a bad shave. I have pushed some blades further and some have gone in the blade bin after one.
 

Batch300

Extraordinarily Uncomplicated
Frequently starts with a "painful expression" from razor tugging. Next is a "suck it up for this shave" attitude. Have faith, tomorrow will be a better day (and new blade).
 

Matsilainen

Forum GOD!
I'm not trying to stretch blade life, I just don't see the point in tossing a blade that is still providing excellent shaves. I actually find that most blades don't hit their stride until the fourth or fifth shave.
I get better shaves using blades longer. In my experience the first few shaves on a blade aren't as comfortable as later shaves...it seems I'm in the minority based on this thread.
+1 on this. I do two passes per shave. I usually use my blades for 8–15 such shaves. And in my experience, most blades are better on their third or fourth shave than they are on the first.

If something is wrong with a blade, I won’t hesitate to get rid of it. I won’t tolerate skipping or tugging. Thing is, a lot of blades just seem to keep going strong for me even after half a dozen shaves. So it would feel foolish to toss them – there’s enough waste as is. And even those tiny strips of metal add up.
 

Vacumatic

Testy
Started using a Gillette 7 o'clock this morning and I think it had died just before I unwrapped it. Really spikey shave, almost as if there was a kink in the blade. Took it out for a look and couldnt see anything.

As brandaves said, with most blades I find that their peak is around #4 with #1 usually being acceptable and tailing off quite quickly by #6.
 

Jon D

Forum GOD!
One and done. Only blade I didn’t feel a deterioration on second shave was the discontinued Polsilver.
 

LewisW

Well-Known Member
On average I usually use a blade for 3 shaves then out it goes. This changes though if I use a Gillette Spoiler then it’s up to 20 shaves at its still sharp and smooth.
 

Vacumatic

Testy
With all due respect to the one-shavers, Shave #1 for me is never the best shave, 2 is better, 3 is better still, 4 is pretty good, 5 is not so good and after 6 is usually time to say goodbye.
 

Pattorashu

Senior Moment
5-7 is usually my limit, depending on brand. I can get 8-12 if I take care of the blade, but they're cheap and recyclable so why bother too much IMO.
 

Zwilling

Kamisori shaver
My blades die by first becoming a little tuggy and inefficient, and then if I keep using them by giving skin irritation likely caused by the misaligned serrated bits of the edge. Between 3 and 7 shaves depending on the blade. For the life of me, I cannot understand how people can keep blades going into the 20s and 30s. Sometimes I think we should see a picture of the person with three days beard growth, for reference. Some of these people must surely have relatively light growth?

I mean, I shave with a straight and you would strop/polish it every single day (or know about it!), and the quality of the blade is much higher.
 

mar

Forum GOD!
I go 2 times but am still trying various blades and want to have consistent feedback. But I think even when I find my favorites I ‘ ll be using them max 3 times
 

neil

Active Member
depends on the blad for me, some are bad from the first and the second is awful so its binned. some are sharp but scratchy at first, smooth out and are great for a few then dull off giving less close shaves or getting tuggy, or getting bit of razor burn, or some get really scratchy. I am getting better at knowing when the next shave will be bad and binning before then but 17 months into this DE shaving lark I'm still learning. for some blades that I like shaves 3 , 4 and 5 can be the sweet spot, 6 and 7 can still feel good but stubble seems to grow back quicker so they aren't cutting as close.
 

Chibbs11

Veteran
For me it's just when they start tugging a little, and then they go straight into the blade bank. This has been as little as the first stroke of the first shave and then binned, or I've also had many occasions when I've had more than 12 good shaves on the same blade.

I'm not interested in keeping a count of shaves/passes so just go with how it feels, and when performance is compromised into the blade bank they go.
 
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