With the cost of blades so low compared to everything else I use it's 1 shave and done. I clean my razor after every shave with isopropyl alcohol.
This is me to a tee! Seems like a lot of work to extend the life of a blade for one shave with "not so superior results". And cleaning the razor after every shave? I really don't get that either. I know I'm in the minority with this but these are tools IMO. I do clean some of my most vintage pieces after each use but that's because I might use them once in a year or two. However, I can see where it might give you that extra shave or two with hand stropping if you have the time. I sometimes will do this with my SE blades.
3 shaves and I toss it. Even if flipping, stropping, etc, were to get me one more shave ~blades are cheap enough that I just don't care. Although if I were paying the $40 dollars for 12 of those Gillette fusion carts, I would strop them on my but after every shave if it would prolong the life.
I do, but honestly, I only started doing it because someone went to the trouble to number them. Does it make a difference? I have NO flippin' idea (LOL...just caught that on the second read). I couldn't think of any other reason for them to number them than for this purpose. It also helps me keep track of usages. I flip after the second shaving so when I she a 3/4 I know it's time for me to discard and open another blade (for the ones that are numbered, that is). Interesting to see everybody else responses. Great post.
It's the same edge, how can flipping make any difference? It's like moving a knife from your left hand to your right hand and saying it's cutting the steak better because it's in a different hand...
I think it is the principle of straightening the blade, like when using a steel rod on a butcher knife, or a strop on a str8t. It does help get the most out of a still sharp blade, but it cannot sharpen a dull blade. For some blades that degrade in the middle of my 3rd shave, I could see stropping after the 2nd shave to try to improve that 3rd shave. Unless it worked very well, I would rather change blades to assure that next shave is a good one.
That's one of things that's so great about DE shaving. I can throw the blade after one use and not have to care. I LOVE always having a new clean edge to shave with every morning!
I have no idea if I flip the blade or not but starting three days ago, when my wife brought home a strop, I started stropping the blade after every shave. I guess I'l pay attention next time and actually try flipping. What could it hurt? On a related note, when I first started with a DE, it took me three months to figure out why some blades were numbered in the corners.
That would make a difference if in fact you first started cutting the steak with your non dominant hand and then used your dominant hand to cut through the steak. Sorry, I could not resist.
Me too; two shaves and I toss it. I rinse it and give it a quick spray of rubbing alcohol between shaves.
Depends...if it's a standard DE, I use my Allegro. With a Gem, I have a nice 8"x3" strip of Veg. tanned cowhide I picked up at the local A.C. Moore Craft Store for about $6. Whether it makes a difference or not is too close (pun intended) to call, but I strop my straights, so I figure it doesn't hurt to strop my SR blades. Now the Schick Injectors...well, they're on their own.
I actually think both work, but I don't do either. I no longer keep a running count of how many shaves I get with a particular blade. Since I normally can get from 3-10 shaves from my favorite DE blades. I don't worry about it and just use the blade until it tugs or irritates my face, then I change it out be it after one pass or 10 shaves. I figure it all evens out in the end.. Flipping your blade works because a razor blade edge will, however slightly, distort and bend upwards when used for shaving, so flipping it each time will put the sharper side in use, but it would seem to me that flipping would only work well, if it's done from the first use of the blade and everytime there after. Stropping also will work, however you would need to strop at the correct angle of the blade edge and be consistant in maintaining that angle for the entire stropping process each time you strop. Which IMO is quite hard to do with something as small as a DE blade being held by hand. That said I think some people can just naturally maintain the proper angle, which is why the method works for some and not others. I have found however that arm stropping a multi blade cart or Injector is actually possible and fairly easy to do successfully since the blade is locked in place and you have a handle to hold on to, making it easier to find and maintain the correct angle throughout the entire stropping procedure.. Stropping both sides of a DE or SE blade however doesn't seem worth the trouble or effort IMO. I think stropping a SE blade using a shavette that works with SE blades, to hold the blade and help maintain the correct angle, would be a little more practical, since you could strop the edge easily just like when stropping a straight razor. A Valet Auto Strop and Rolls Razor are examples that come to mind.
I do have some Don Juan DE carbon steel blades from around the 60's. I have to keep an eye on them with a magnifying glass to see if there is any rust. I also have carbon steel blades from Japan for the Valet Autostrops.
I'm of the opinion that it is not good to constantly unscrew the handle from the cap of my razors due to excessive wear on the threads so I disassemble only when I change blades, every 3-4 shaves. Plated Zinc alloy heads are probably more prone to excessive wear than stainless or aluminum heads.
