Your statement was straight out that there is no difference between any razors or blades. I will admit that my response was a bit aggressively facetious. I apologize for that, and should probably head to shower, shave, and bed. It's been a long day.

I was pointing out that there are reasons that people have difficulty with certain blades or razors.

We have both agreed that it's a good idea for a newbie to NOT try to go overboard with purchases until they've learned the basics. (I actually vote for them using their current soap/gel/goo rather than picking up a brush and trying shaving soap until they're comfortable with the blade)

I strongly advise people to not get more than -two- razors to start, and one is good. If two, a TTO, and a 3 piece. I've had good luck giving people a Rimei as a starter. It seems to be forgiving of the cheaper blades, which is often all people can get. Which razors, otherwise... there are so many that would work fine for a new DE shaver. Heck, even a Shick Injector is better than a cartridge.

However, while I feel that sample packs are a bad idea at the very beginning, if you only have one razor, it's not horrible, and I do recommend two very different razor blades. (Derby vs Astra, for example. or Dorco vs Shark) Try one, if it's bad, go slower, and try again. If it's STILL bad, try the other blade, and see if that made any difference. If not, then it's 95% technique (or soap), and just work at it - gently - with either blade.

I have a friend who had terrible experiences with a TTO and Personna. I'm going to pass one of my NEWs to him, and some Astras. He has Cajun hair, if that's descriptive enough.

I think it's good to know that there ARE problems out there, and to not panic that the universal solutions don't fit perfectly. (Oh. My other suggestion is for people not to worry about going for BBS, or even beyond a one direction shave when learning. Figure out how to use the razor before getting into face mapping. (which makes me do face palming) )

But even with all tbat good technique will allow the user to adjust for those little differences. I have razors I like more then others. But I get about the same shave from them all.

I am not talking straights by the way. This is safety razors we aretalking.

It was a facetious reply to @Bama Samurai where he talked about straights, and then went on to 'all razors are the same'. It set off a button. Nothing to do with you.

Gotcha!

For those of you who use a blade until it is "done", that is (I assume) when it starts to tug and pull, is ask --- why put up at all with an uncomfortable shave? A shave that involves tugging and pulling?

I know I can get 6-7 shaves out of every blade in my inventory*, DEs and SEs. I load a fresh DE blade in on Monday, shave every day, toss after Friday's shave.
For my SEs, I load a fresh blade in on the first Sunday of the month, use every Sunday that month, toss after the last Sunday of the month's shave. Knowing what I can get out of a blade before it is done and results in that uncomfortable shave, and keeping track of the day of the week, I NEVER experience an uncomfortable shave.

*I have settled on two brands of DE blades and one brand of SE blades for that very reason. They consistently give 6-7 close, comfortable shaves in every razor I own.

I don't experience an uncomfortable shave, I'll change blades after just a few strokes of the first pass if need be. However, that doesn't happen very much at all anymore maybe once every 2-3 months.
Normally when shave is done based on result of the shave, I can tell if the blade is spent and toss.
I've simplified my whole shaving mentality. When I started I acquired many razors, soaps and blades.
Now only 2 razors, 5 soaps and 3 types of blades. I only kept what works best for me, everything else was pifd or sold.
I know I am in the minority here, but it works for me.

So "unsatisfactory" results are acceptable?

Just messin'. It's your shave. Enjoy it your way.
Ya gotta do what works for ya!

I didn't say unsatisfactory, I said results.
Actually there is 2 areas that I check (jaw bone by ear) and if not at least DFS they go.
When a blade is losing it for me those 2 areas are my telling sign.
Agree, everyone has their own process, no right or wrong answers really.
Whatever one has to do to achieve the results they are looking for its all good.

I never have an uncomfortable shave. The Blade is changed at the first sign of its end of life. I could probably get a couple more shaves with it, but at that point it isn't worth it to me. In fact, I probably toss them too soon. But I don't bother counting the number of shaves. If it is still shaving decently, it gets used. Otherwise it gets replaced.

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Because it's just a shave, and replacing a blade is a matter of seconds. It's easy enough to feel the end of a blade coming before the "tug and pull" stage.

I used to keep a little book noting the razor and blade combo I used and a tick mark for each time I used the razor. Now I just use a blade for two weeks and toss it. I will hone it on an old PDQ razor hone occasionally. I posted about getting 100 shaves from a single blade a while back.

100 Shaves and Counting

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B&B has a few guys like that. Call themselves the Excalibur club. I think they're nuts (but in a good way!)

That is about my answer. The blade will tell me its at the end. I do not wait till the horse dies before I switch my saddle. At least I feel likecI can tell when the next shave is going to suck. That is when the blade goes.

I don't understand the question. I retire a blade at the point it becomes uncomfortable or inefficient, not after.

I don't put up with an uncomfortable shave at all. At the first sign of deterioration in the shave, I change. Between passes, before I finish a pass, when finished, or whenever. If I can get 7 or 8 shaves from a blade, why not? I have also changed after 1 or 2 shaves.

i think hair type and lubrication(or lack of) are the biggest factor in edge deterioration,maybe.many blades have different levels of sharpness,coatings etc .if not sample packs would nt be a needed.with a good technique one could shave with a tin lid,but it may not be pleasant.i like ymmv.

Yep.

I'm a newbie, but wouldn't the blade itself tell you when to change it? That would work if you had a hundred razors and blade types it just one. Tolerances on blades barely vary to any extent. Then you're left with material, which obviously can greatly vary. So once you find you love one material over another, why not just keep buying the same composition th you need.

Many people don't want to push a blade to the point where they feel discomfort, so once they've found that limit, they want to never get there again. So, yes, the blade WILL tell you when it's time to toss it - but a lot of people push through the shave (for example, if you're standing in the shower, and don't want to walk out to get another blade)