Using razor blades is a fantastic and cheap alternative to electric shavers. They not only save you money but also provide you with a quality shave. Indeed, using razor blades won’t hurt your pocket that much, but how long do they last? If you have to replace them often, maybe there is no real savings. The truth is, you can extend the life of your razor.
A great option is to use razor blade sharpeners rather than disposing of the blade after a few uses. You may wonder, do razor blade sharpeners really work?
Yes, they definitely work! Using razor blade sharpeners will give you at least five times more shaves. So, whenever your razor is feeling a bit dull, you can use the sharpener and with only a few swipes, it will become sharp again for the next use.
Now that you know that a razor blade sharpener really works, read on to find out more about making your razor blade last, and how blade sharpeners work.
How Long Do Razor Blades Last?
If you shave daily, then you should expect your blade to last for less than a week. This means your razor blade will be due for a change after about 6 shaves. Although, this is just a general guide to how long razor blades last. There are still several factors that influence the life-span of your razor blade.
Factors Influencing How Long Blades Last
How long your razor blade lasts depends on a wide range of factors, which are discussed below.
How Fast Your Hair Grows
The time it takes for your beard to grow back influences how often you should shave, and this will also impact how many times you use your razor blade. While some need to shave daily, others need to shave only once a week. Some people don’t mind being a bit scruffy for a few days, while others want to be clean shaven every day. It depends on personal preference.
However, it takes about 6 shaves before a razor blade gets dull enough to notice a declined quality of shave.
| See How Long Does a Straight Razor Shave Last? to read more about maintaining your bearded look using a razor. |
Your Type of Hair
The speed at which your beard will grow and require shaving may depend on the coarseness or thickness of your facial hair. If your beard is thick, it will require the blade to do more work before you get a clean shave.
If you have fine hair, the razor doesn’t have to work as hard, so your blade will last longer.
The Types of Blade Used
All razor blades are not the same, although all blades should be made from a stainless steel alloy. Manufacturers make their blades a little bit different from each other. The thickness, the material and the grinding of the blade will influence the blade’s longevity and performance.
You can try out a few different brands of blades to know what’s best for your skin and how long they last. You will find out how long the blade lasts by keeping track of how often you need to replace them compared to how often you shave.
The Shaving Technique
The shaving technique impacts how long it takes for the blade to become dull. Our hair grows downward, but you may notice that it isn’t at a convenient 90-degree angle, and in fact, the direction of growth may not be consistent in different areas of our face.
A technique you can use to get a close shave is the three-pass technique. This is a way of shaving with the grain, which is shaving in the same direction as your beard growth, then across it, which is horizontal to your beard growth, and then against the grain, which is the opposite way of your beard growth. Using the three-pass technique to shave is an effective way to get a really close shave, but your blade will become dull quicker.
Shaving against the grain right away will wear down your blades faster. If you want your blades to last longer, you should do the first pass with the grain before you start shaving against it.
How the Blade Is Stored
How you store your blade and where you store it will influence how long your blade lasts. Like I mentioned earlier, razor blades are made from stainless steel. This can easily get corroded by chemicals and moisture, especially after some time.
The process by which the blades get corroded due to this exposure is called oxidation. This process will eventually make the blades become dull even without use.
How To Make Your Blades Last Longer
That smooth feel you get after a shave is what you will always want. However, the smooth feeling can come with a price tag that may hurt your pocket a bit. I know how expensive buying brand new razor blades can be.
But do you know that when your razor blade is kept in good shape, you are already bringing down the cost of grooming because you won’t need to buy them as frequently?
Use the tricks below to influence the longevity of your blade:
1. Before Shaving, Prepare Your Skin
It is important to prepare your skin properly for shaving to ensure your blade doesn’t work too hard. You can exfoliate before you shave to get rid of dead skin cells that clog up the skin and the razor.
With exfoliating you can even avoid razor burns. Use warm water to wash before you start shaving. This will soften your facial hair and open up your pores, giving the blade less work to do. Also, ensure you use a good shave oil that will give you a smoother finish.
2. Rinse the Blades Immediately After Every Shave
Some of the shaving creams or soapy products used in lathering up your skin before shaving may wear down your blade. Many blades have Teflon coating, and residue from shaving creams will dissolve this coating, leading to rusting of the blades. For this reason, always rinse your blades after every use.
3. If Possible, Trim First
If you’ve not shaved in a long time, you will probably have a very full beard. I would advise that you use a trimmer first before you shave. Get the hair as short as you can. This will give the razor blade less work to do.
4. Always Protect Your Blade
Many people just throw their razor blades in a bag when they need to pack up and travel. This may seem easy to you but it is very wrong. The more trauma and friction you are exposing your blades to, the quicker they will become dull.
Ensure you keep your blade in a bag or wrap it up in a paper towel. This way, you are protecting it from external factors and will prevent it from getting dulled or dented.
5. Store In a Cool and Dry Place
Earlier, I gave you a hint about oxidation and how it makes your blade rust. Specifically, you learned that humidity can make your blade rust. When storing it, ensure you keep it dry and cool.
Avoid storing your blade in a warm and moist environment. This will make the blade rust and increases the risk of harboring a fungal or bacterial infection. After every use, clean your blade, pat it dry, and then keep it in a closed bag.
How To Know When Your Razor Blade Needs Changing
Following the tips I’ve given may make your blade last longer. However, it is crucial to know when to throw a blade away. Ensure you don’t over use a blade because using a dull blade results in nicks and cuts to your skin when shaving.
Sometimes, you may need to change your blade even before having used it more than six times. But how do you know when a blade is due for change?
When you start noticing more skin irritation, the blade starts pulling your hair slightly, or your shave is now less effective, then your razor blade needs changing. In fact, if it starts taking less time for your hair to grow back, your blade isn’t doing a good job anymore (it’s not cutting close enough to the base). If you notice your blade is getting rusty, replace it as soon as you can.
Do Razor Blade Sharpeners Really Work?
Yes, they really do work!
If you have really coarse hair, after a few shaves, your blade will get dull and won’t work well. If I were you, I would invest in a good blade sharpener such as the Trenton Gifts Razor Blade Sharpener or the RazorPit Men’s Razor Blade Sharpener. They are great for sharpening your blades and turning them almost brand new again.
Sharpening razor blades can be done with different things and shouldn’t sound strange to you as it isn’t a new technique. It is commonly done in the barbershop in a technique referred to as “stropping.”
Stropping is a process where you rely on a piece of material, to polish and refine your razors. It is done to rectify any tiny bends and tears on the metal, to realign the steel, and remove ragged burrs. It can also be used to remove sharp points that might be catching your skin.
You can use a blade sharpener or a common household material to strop and bring back your dull blade to life!
I think we need to talk about the differences between stropping and honing.
Stropping is the act of running a razor blade along a piece of leather to warm up and align the blade edges. This process is used to clean up the edges of a blade to give a better shave. You can strop your blade before every shave.
Honing on the other hand, is the act of using an abrasive material like a stone to improve the blade’s geometry. This process is not done as frequently as stropping.
Conclusion
I believe you now know using blade sharpeners totally works! Just like many people, I was also hesitant to buy a blade sharpener, but right now, I am glad I did. With a blade sharpener, you should get more than 6 shaves per razor.
However, also know that a blade sharpener isn’t a miracle worker that makes your blades last forever, so once in a while, you need to give your razor a few swipes in the sharpener to ensure your blade keeps giving you a close shave.
Also remember to take good care of your razors, specifically protecting them from being stored in a moist environment, or put away without being rinsed. Always rinse and dry your razor, then put away in a dry place.