Blade longevity experiment.

I think as far as modern blades go (the magic of NOS vintage is well established) the Russian Gillettes like Nacet, GSB and rubie are the most likely to yield long results.
As it's been pointed out however the cost is so little it may not be worth potentially ruining a goood shave and morning ritual to do the testing, for those loooiing to perfect their technique these things can help as it's like there is something at risk.
 
Ok sorry about the lack of update yesterday my phone decided it wanted to go for a swim. New phone now so here we go.....

Day 3 (Mother's Day)
The dulling is now noticeable. The smoothness is still about the same but I'm not having to put a tiny bit more weight onto the blade to start with but definitely by the third pass I was using more force then usual to shave, over all she's slipped to a 4.5/10

Day 4 today.

The blade is still shaving, it's definitely cutting the hairs without pulling but the blade is definitely slipping in performance now.
If I wasn't doing this test I'd throw the blade away after this shave but as she's not pulling or getting to rough yet I'll see how we go tomorrow.

Still about a 4/10 as we sit after today's shave, got a small amount of irritation on my upper neck from going over and over with the dulling blade but still performs better then treet falcon blades haha.

Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day. I predict the performance degradation will plateau and stay at its current level for a few more shaves before dieing completely.

What do you think?
 
the_shaving_sailor said:
Ok sorry about the lack of update yesterday my phone decided it wanted to go for a swim. New phone now so here we go.....

Day 3 (Mother's Day)
The dulling is now noticeable. The smoothness is still about the same but I'm not having to put a tiny bit more weight onto the blade to start with but definitely by the third pass I was using more force then usual to shave, over all she's slipped to a 4.5/10

Day 4 today.

The blade is still shaving, it's definitely cutting the hairs without pulling but the blade is definitely slipping in performance now.
If I wasn't doing this test I'd throw the blade away after this shave but as she's not pulling or getting to rough yet I'll see how we go tomorrow.

Still about a 4/10 as we sit after today's shave, got a small amount of irritation on my upper neck from going over and over with the dulling blade but still performs better then treet falcon blades haha.

Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day. I predict the performance degradation will plateau and stay at its current level for a few more shaves before dieing completely.

What do you think?
Click to expand...

If your experiance is anything like mine, after shave 8-10 they become surprisingly smooth and it becomes really nice.
 
My benchmark for a blade is when it starts tugging ATG and I have to start using force. Not a pleasant experience if you are chasing a close shave.

I can get a lot of WTG shaves that aren't close past this point though - at least 2-3X the number. These shaves just shave less close and then eventually start tugging WTG as well. They can still be used past this point even for quite awhile with a little force as the degradation slows down as the blade gets more blunt. This is what I used to do with Gillette twin blade disposables back when I was a cheap bastard - they could easily go for a month of average shaves like this. The first week would be great with the next three weeks slowly getting worse...

So I can see how guys (particularly those with stubble less thick than mine) can get a lot more shaves if they want to and are prepared to pay the cost in the shave. These days though I'm chasing BBS and find that noticeably more difficult on the third shave of the modern DE blades I've tried and after 15 shaves on my Artist Club SE blades - by then I am using a bit of force ATG but it's only just starting to tug. They are very smooth by this point though and don't bite.
 
For me it was always 4 before the bin. Cheap enough so why push it. It staggers me that some (other forums) get 100's of shaves per blade. I believe they strop the blade but whatever... I don't see the point in that unless you have system for it. They stropped blades back in the bad old days when money was to tight to mention. Not today.
 
Sxot said:
For me it was always 4 before the bin. Cheap enough so why push it. It staggers me that some (other forums) get 100's of shaves per blade. I believe they strop the blade but whatever... I don't see the point in that unless you have system for it. They stropped blades back in the bad old days when money was to tight to mention. Not today.
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I'm with you! I mainly use Astras and I never attempt to get more than three shaves before tossing them. I hear these stories of dozens of shaves per blade and shudder! I may be on a pension, but I'm not that miserable or poor! My father served in France & Belgium in WW1 and went through the "Great" Depression and resharpened his blades in a glass until the day he died. I reminded him the the Depression was long over one day... and never tried to tell him again. I bought him a new electric shaver once for his birthday and his response was, "Thanks Son, that's really nice." I found it twenty years later after he had died... still unused in its box!
 
littleaussiebleeder said:
I'm with you! I mainly use Astras and I never attempt to get more than three shaves before tossing them. I hear these stories of dozens of shaves per blade and shudder! I may be on a pension, but I'm not that miserable or poor! My father served in France & Belgium in WW1 and went through the "Great" Depression and resharpened his blades in a glass until the day he died. I reminded him the the Depression was long over one day... and never tried to tell him again. I bought him a new electric shaver once for his birthday and his response was, "Thanks Son, that's really nice." I found it twenty years later after he had died... still unused in its box!
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Old habits I suppose. Still, the older generation thinks (and is likely correct) the next is more wasteful. I remember my Grandmother was like that. If we were eating an apple for example and couldn't/wouldn't eat it all, even it is were almost just a core, she would never allow us to throw it in the bin. No, that would be a waste to throw good food out so she would eat it. "Give it to your Grandma, she is the rubbish bin" she would say. I once tried to explain that just eating it for the sake of not throwing it in the bin was pointless. I never did so again either. :)
 
Sxot said:
Old habits I suppose. Still, the older generation thinks (and is likely correct) the next is more wasteful. I remember my Grandmother was like that. If we were eating an apple for example and couldn't/wouldn't eat it all, even it is were almost just a core, she would never allow us to throw it in the bin. No, that would be a waste to throw good food out so she would eat it. "Give it to your Grandma, she is the rubbish bin" she would say. I once tried to explain that just eating it for the sake of not throwing it in the bin was pointless. I never did so again either. :)
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I agree with you! Although at 74 I am certainly a part of the "older generation," I don't really blame younger people for that attitude. Terms like "use by date" and "single use" didn't exist when I was in my twenties and thirties! Things back in the day were actually made to last! The fact that many of us on this forum own and use 60 to 70 year old razors attests to that! I have, in my firearms collection, six rifles of circa 1880-1890 which can still score centre bulls at 100-200 yards. I also have some modern weapons which I doubt will be usable in another 20 years or so. While razor blade manufacturing technology and certainly metallurgy seems to have markedly improved over the years, most are made today in third-world countries where often craftmanship and quality have often given way to profits. As a one-time production engineer, I rate QC as the biggest casualty in manufacturing today! Hence the inconsistency of quality and the occasional "dud" blade!
 
littleaussiebleeder said:
I'm with you! I mainly use Astras and I never attempt to get more than three shaves before tossing them. I hear these stories of dozens of shaves per blade and shudder! I may be on a pension, but I'm not that miserable or poor! My father served in France & Belgium in WW1 and went through the "Great" Depression and resharpened his blades in a glass until the day he died. I reminded him the the Depression was long over one day... and never tried to tell him again. I bought him a new electric shaver once for his birthday and his response was, "Thanks Son, that's really nice." I found it twenty years later after he had died... still unused in its box!
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The Lillicrap green glass razor hone... still plenty around on the Bay ;)
The Depression affected most people profoundly - I don't blame them for being frugal afterward ! Hard for those of us who didn't go through to really understand I guess.
 
the_shaving_sailor said:
Ok sorry about the lack of update yesterday my phone decided it wanted to go for a swim. New phone now so here we go.....

Day 3 (Mother's Day)
The dulling is now noticeable. The smoothness is still about the same but I'm not having to put a tiny bit more weight onto the blade to start with but definitely by the third pass I was using more force then usual to shave, over all she's slipped to a 4.5/10

Day 4 today.

The blade is still shaving, it's definitely cutting the hairs without pulling but the blade is definitely slipping in performance now.
If I wasn't doing this test I'd throw the blade away after this shave but as she's not pulling or getting to rough yet I'll see how we go tomorrow.

Still about a 4/10 as we sit after today's shave, got a small amount of irritation on my upper neck from going over and over with the dulling blade but still performs better then treet falcon blades haha.

Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day. I predict the performance degradation will plateau and stay at its current level for a few more shaves before dieing completely.

What do you think?
Click to expand...
I find the ATG pass tugging is also the first sign of a dying blade...then its into the bin.
 
I can't shave totally ATG with any blade...XTG is the best I can hope for but it gets an excellent shave
 
Ok shave 5 with the Astra........ RIP Astra.

I'm sorry but I did everything I could to soften my whiskers today to make it easier without adding another product which would throw off the experiment. I couldn't even get threw half of the first pass. She's well and truely done to me.

Looking back the Astra is a great blade I always have a pack tucked away somewhere in case I run out of my feathers, great for first starters but I'd only ever use it for 4 shaves.
 
So tomorrow's blade is............*drum roll*

The Aussie Spoiler!!
IMG_0006.jpg

Now I'm expecting a lot of shaves out of this.
Would also like to thank the big kahuna himself for unknowingly contributing to this @Monsta_AU
Pif'ed me a packet at my very first meet up and I think this is going to be my first time using them.

Place your bets ladies and gentlemen!
 
the_shaving_sailor said:
Ok shave 5 with the Astra........ RIP Astra.

I'm sorry but I did everything I could to soften my whiskers today to make it easier without adding another product which would throw off the experiment. I couldn't even get threw half of the first pass. She's well and truely done to me.

Looking back the Astra is a great blade I always have a pack tucked away somewhere in case I run out of my feathers, great for first starters but I'd only ever use it for 4 shaves.
Click to expand...

Yeah..... my elder daughter used to own a Holden Astra.... it didn't last long either!!! Good review, old son!
 
Thant's for sure!!! They were supposedly made in Germany... hers apparently was Belgian made (according to a plate affixed to the chassis. Either way... a pathetic piece of crap! She traded the damned thing on a Renault Fuego or something similar (the name, I mean!) She obviously had a fetish for European crap! No wait... I owned a string of six Fiats, an early Beamer, and a Lancia Beta! All crap!
 
littleaussiebleeder said:
Thant's for sure!!! They were supposedly made in Germany... hers apparently was Belgian made (according to a plate affixed to the chassis. Either way... a pathetic piece of crap! She traded the damned thing on a Renault Fuego or something similar (the name, I mean!) She obviously had a fetish for European crap! No wait... I owned a string of six Fiats, an early Beamer, and a Lancia Beta! All crap!
Click to expand...

My patrol is the first car I've owned made after 1979 and not a Holden haha
 
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