I would say don't bother stretching any blade for more shaves? One shave & use a new blade. And, decide what blade works best for you? Not a matter of waste really. Steel is very much recyclable. There are so many other things to worry about when it comes to waste!!! Let's get REAL!!!!
Dosn't make sense to me to throw away a good blade. That would be like opening one box with a box cutter then changing blades. But as I like to say...whats right is what works for you. No matter how weird. I use a blade until it says its done.
I wish that we could still get a blade that would last like a Personna 74, or a vintage Spoiler. Schick Platinum's were good too. Clayton Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
Being the blades were mainly made out of carbon steel and not stainless steel I can see why Gillette wanted men to change their blades daily. Most guy's back then left the blades in their razor's after they got done shaving and the edges rusted. When stainless steel blades came about that's when blades started lasting longer. Clayton Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
Similar routine here. Fresh blade in on Monday, a 3-pass shave every day, toss after Friday's shave. Saturdays are my straight razor shaves. Sundays are for SEs. With that routine I never get to the point of the blade tugging or pulling (for me that usually happened at shave 7 or 8). In other words, never a bad shave caused by a spent blade.
Two and through! I can definitely feel a difference on the DE third shave, so I usually don’t go there. Maybe with polsilvers I take a third day. Have mostly been rocking the injectors for the last several months, and I get 5-6 shaves from the shick SE injector blades.
As others have mentioned this is also what I do. The blade will tell me, and it’s not like I wait for a bad shave. I have spots (by my jaw under ear) that when a blade is on its way out will not be DFS (but still acceptable). Once I notice, the blade gets tossed be it 1 or 10 shaves. It tends to be 3-4 with Astras for me. Personna *74’s last 30+.
I try to get about 4 shaves on a single blade. Some that I have don't seem to last that long. But, I have so many that "one and done" doesn't bother me at all.
One blade per week. Now that I am retired I shave three times a week - Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Change the blade on Friday. Every now and then I might shave an additional time if my social calendar demands such action. I have found the blades will easily last a week even if you shave every day.
Hey, this might be a bit of a twist on this thread, but does anyone notice a difference in DE blade life (same brand/type blade) when used in more aggressive open-comb razors vs. less aggressive closed comb/straight bar razors? I seem to get less blade life when using open comb razors of greater aggressiveness. I get smooth comfortable shaves with an aggressive razor only if the blade is a good sharp one, in good condition (I prefer Astras and Gillette Silver Blues or Platinums). I can't use an aggressive razor more than a couple of days in a row (I shave daily -- moderately heavy beard), so that blade gets transferred to a closed comb razor, but I notice more of the life is taken out of that blade if I start using it in an aggressive razor. Incidentally, I change blades when I notice discomfort during or after a shave, or when I have to work too hard to get a smooth shave -- these things are connected, for sure. I usually get a week out of my preferred blades in moderately aggressive closed-comb razors, but more is possible -- I quit at 10 in a comparison between a Feather and an Astra in the same razor, alternating days (the Astra won hands down for me -- in my experience, Feathers start to go off after about a half of a shave, then plateau into a not-very-sharp blade). Sometimes I only get 4 shaves even on an Astra. I think for me blade life also depends on the lubricity of my shave cream/soap, etc. I use a lot of different razors and products. Cheers! Tony