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(This post was last modified: 03-17-2021, 12:07 AM by LOOT.)
Great thread. I will only consolidate bits and pieces of other men's comments from my trial and error of DE shaving. I will never, ever shave without a hot shower. And as BP said, you gotta get yourself a quality face wash. I have oily skin so I like a product that gets all of the oil off and leaves the skin grippy. Grooming Department preshave is a must for me. I use a Astra, GSB, and Feather blades and I never count number of shaves on them. Life is too short and blades are too cheap for me to really care. I generally get tired of the brand of blade I'm using before they dull. I also change razors quite a bit and most of them I have blade preferences for anyway. I use razors from 65g to 185g and Shane is right, your hand makes up the deficit. I am heavy handed by nature so pressure can be of concern. The key for me is to only use enough pressure to get the blade to cut without tugging or scraping. I also only use cold water to shave and rinse with. My skin appreciates cold water as I find it much more soothing. Hot blades on my skin tends to lead to uncomfy results.
The only other thing I'll add is beard mapping. If you have never done it, it is critical IMO. IT will allow you the opportunity to maximize the efficiency of the shave (not the razor) if efficiency is your goal. I've learned that 2.5 passes will get me BBS on my face and jawline and allow me to listen to my music. I can autopilot. I can get a 1 pass BBS but it requires lots of concentration as my beard map is weird. I started at 4 passes before I mapped.
I also don't rinse between passes. I'd rather leave the slickness of the soap on my skin and rehydrate the lather as I reapply if necessary.
Not much of this really answers your question of shaves per blade but again, life is too short and blades are too cheap. You need to try a bunch of different blades in all of your razors to find works best for you, in each of your razors.
Another thing is experimenting with shave angle. When I first started learning everything I read said "ride the cap" which, as it turns out, is the worst piece of advise for me personally. If I run to shallow on the cap, I overcompensate with pressure, with less than optimal results. I learned early on that a steep angle and mastering just the right about of pressure was my ticket. Mastering is a poor word use....."controlling consistently" is better. I still have lapses in concentration from time to time. My attention span is short at times. I always ride the bar no matter the razor and use it for it's intended purpose, as I understand it.
The only other thing I'll add is beard mapping. If you have never done it, it is critical IMO. IT will allow you the opportunity to maximize the efficiency of the shave (not the razor) if efficiency is your goal. I've learned that 2.5 passes will get me BBS on my face and jawline and allow me to listen to my music. I can autopilot. I can get a 1 pass BBS but it requires lots of concentration as my beard map is weird. I started at 4 passes before I mapped.
I also don't rinse between passes. I'd rather leave the slickness of the soap on my skin and rehydrate the lather as I reapply if necessary.
Not much of this really answers your question of shaves per blade but again, life is too short and blades are too cheap. You need to try a bunch of different blades in all of your razors to find works best for you, in each of your razors.
Another thing is experimenting with shave angle. When I first started learning everything I read said "ride the cap" which, as it turns out, is the worst piece of advise for me personally. If I run to shallow on the cap, I overcompensate with pressure, with less than optimal results. I learned early on that a steep angle and mastering just the right about of pressure was my ticket. Mastering is a poor word use....."controlling consistently" is better. I still have lapses in concentration from time to time. My attention span is short at times. I always ride the bar no matter the razor and use it for it's intended purpose, as I understand it.
