Methods to remember how many times you used a blade

Discussion in 'Shave School' started by Shave Fu, Apr 16, 2017.

  1. Shave Fu

    Shave Fu Shavette Sensei

    I am curious to see different methods of remembering how many times you used a blade. What i do is:
    - Before each shave, i mark with 1 vertical line, the paper that the blade comes in, using a permanent ink marker.
    - After the shave, i rinse the rasor and blade under tap water, put them on microfiber cloth to dry and wipe the razor. I just lay the blade flat, i don't wipe it, because this would ruin the edge. Later, it's dry, i put it back on the paper it came with and back into the plastic dispenser that came with Derby (that's the only reason one should buy Derby).
    - Next time, i mark the paper for second time and so on.

    What's yours?
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2017
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  2. Taipan

    Taipan Well-Known Member

    I load a new blade on Monday and use it each day until it's done. Except on holiday, I always change on Monday so seven shaves is the max. I then record the blade/razor combo with comments on an Access database.
     
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  3. wchnu

    wchnu Duck Season!

    That is alot of blade handling. I just use a blade until it tells me it's done. Is there a reason to pull the blade from the razor each time?
     
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  4. wchnu

    wchnu Duck Season!

    I thought it was a joke that people use spreadsheets and stuff.
     
  5. Shave Fu

    Shave Fu Shavette Sensei

    Access database! Wow! And i thought that i was thorough! :D The only problem for me with this method is that if i were to try to shave for 7 times with a Derby, i 'd probably either shred my face or fail to cut any hair. I don't know which comes first and i don't intend to find out. :happy097:

    I just want to remove the white film that remains on the razor and well, at that point i have to remove the blade too. Plus, putting the blade back to its wrapper, is what allows me to remember the numbers of shaves with it. I don't exactly handle it. I just let it fall flat on the cloth, then take it from the sides and put in the paper gently.

    I also shave half of face with one side of a blade and the other half with the other side of the blade. To keep the blade evenly used.
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2017
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  6. Taipan

    Taipan Well-Known Member

    Building Access databases is one of my core skills so not a biggie for me. Plus, I have a collection of over 120 razors; my rotation consists of a dozen razors and nine different blades. That takes a bit of organisation.
     
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  7. Shave Fu

    Shave Fu Shavette Sensei

    120??!! :eek: No wonder you need an Access database! It's impossible to remember what shaves well with which blade otherwise.

    P.S: I am a big James Clavell fan too! Good joss! I have the book, film and even an old PC video game made of it.
     
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  8. wchnu

    wchnu Duck Season!

    Any blade will shave just as good in one razor as in another once you have the technique down. Don't get to caught up in the blade game.
     
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  9. wchnu

    wchnu Duck Season!

    You mean 9 different brands of blades? I also have a large amount of razors out at one time. 3 different types of blades going. SE, DE and Injector. Shave until it gets dull then change. I am curious as to why so many blades.
     
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  10. Taipan

    Taipan Well-Known Member

    Interesting. I have certainly found some blades that I don't like in any razor (so far) and some razors that I don't like with any blade (so far).
     
  11. Taipan

    Taipan Well-Known Member

    I tried a lot of different blades from starter packs I got in the early days. Plus, I have added blades on recommendations from sites such as this. The ones I liked I bought in lots of 100 so that I would have a variety to try on new razors as I got them.
     
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  12. wchnu

    wchnu Duck Season!

    Your trying to use tools to cover technique issues probably. With proper technique a blade plus a razor will equal a solid shave.
     
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  13. Shave Fu

    Shave Fu Shavette Sensei

    Maybe if i ever become blade ninja. But for now, the blade differences are very evident to me, at least between Derby and Shark SS and Astra. The same cutting you can do with 2 passes with Astra, i need like 5 with Derby and the Astra will shave closer still. And i am using the same razor and my technique is the same, since i am newbie and the only thing i know is "don't press the razor, let it come down my its weight" and i try to follow a shallow angle of attack on the skin. Still, i saw cutting difference between blades, like Astra > Shark SS >> Derby.
     
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  14. wchnu

    wchnu Duck Season!

    My point is that if a newer shaver jumps from blade to blade instead of sticking to one he can not develope proper technique.
     
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  15. Shave Fu

    Shave Fu Shavette Sensei

    I will go back to the Derby after trying 1 Dorco and 1 Personna Red that i already bought. I want to get rid of them, so i have additional motive to return to shave with them. We 'll see... I sure hope that technique can equalize a Derby and an Astra!
     
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  16. wchnu

    wchnu Duck Season!

    I firmly think you will see soon it will.
     
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  17. drwevil

    drwevil Well-Known Member

    I'm up to 13 shaves on a Perma sharp. I just use them till I decide they need changing.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
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  18. Taipan

    Taipan Well-Known Member

    I tend to use the same blades and rotate the razors weekly until I have tried all the razors with the same type of blade.
    The tirelessly (tiresomely?) quoted YMMV does come into play, I think.
     
  19. John Beeman

    John Beeman Little chicken in hot water

    I use dice. (for no particular reason)

    I have several injectors loaded with blades so sometimes it can be weeks before I wear a blade out in one particular razor. I just keep a die next to the razor to remember the number of shaves on the blade.
    I also go by feel. No matter what the die says, if the blade is dull then I pitch it.
    I don't know that I need to keep count but it has just become part of my ritual.
    I do have one injector razor with a Personna 74 loaded and I'm very curious how many shaves I'll get out of it.

    I also usually have at least two to four DE razors in play and maybe one or two blades (sometimes more). I'll use the same razor two or three times or more, rinsing and wiping it after each use, before giving it a thorough cleaning and trading it out for another one. I'm doing this with two to four DE's and an occasional injector so there's always a variety of hardware out on the shelf to choose from and the dice tell me whether a blade is brand new or if it's getting to be time to pull out another blade from my assortment. Blades just get rinsed and they sit on their little paper wrappers till next time.

    I do find that some blade/razor combos work better than others but I quit keeping track of that a long time ago. If I notice that a particular blade doesn't give the best shave in a particular razor then I just don't use it in that razor the next time.

    With over 100 razors and nearly 70 blade brand/types there's just too much to keep track of so I play around with whatever strikes my fancy and if a blade feels dull then it's done and even though I keep count with a die, I can't tell you how many shaves I got out of the last blade I retired.
     
  20. Fly2High

    Fly2High Breaking Frugal

    The best way to track and keep a record of your shave is

    Post in The Shave Den SOS or like I do in the Rules/Focus threads.


    Can them just search on your username to get all your history!
     
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