It's no secret that I think safety razors give a substantially closer and smoother shave than any cartridge razor on the market can. And although one of the reasons I switched to a safety razor was that I would save money in the long run, the primary reason was all about better performance.
However, that's not the case for all guys that make the switch. In fact, for a lot of guys that are tired of shelling out so much money for cartridge razors, saving money is the sole motivation for switching. But how do you know if you will actually save money by switching to a safety razor?
By doing the math and figuring out how much you would have to spend on razor blades annually. After all, razor blades and shaving soap/cream are really the only recurring costs a wet shaver has after the initial purchase of a safety razor. So once you have a good estimate of how often you might have to change blades, then you can back into an answer of what your monthly or annual costs might be.
But unfortunately, the answer to how often you will have to change a double edge blade varies, just like it does with a cartridge razor. There’s just no clear cut answer because there are a lot of factors that affect blade durability and longevity.
Some guys might be able to get as many as 7 or 8 shaves out of a double-edge blade before needing to change it, while other guys might only be able to get a de blade to last 3 or 4 shaves. But the purpose of today's article is to give you at least a general idea of how long your blades should last.
Why Do You Need a Sharp Blade in the First Place?
Dull blades not only give less than superior shaves, they can also cause skin irritation or small nicks/cuts. How so?
Well when a de blade is dull, it won't smoothly glide across your face. Which subsequently causes you to overcompensate and use a little force/pressure to shave your beard. And this is exactly what you want to avoid when using a safety razor.
Essentially, dull blades tug at facial hair before cutting it instead of just mowing those suckers down. Bottom line -- if you want to get a good shave, you need a sharp blade without deformities. There is no way around it.
Back To The Budget Though: What’s The Worst Case Scenario For Cost?
Before I get into discussing all the factors that affect how long your double-edge blades might last, I first want to walk you through the “worst case” scenario when it comes to cost. In other words, what would be your annual cost for de blades if you changed them out every single day? I've never heard of a wet shaver that actually has to change the blade out every day, but this is just a hypothetical worst-case scenario.
You can get typically find a box of 100 top of the line, premium razor blades for less than $30. But for simplicity in this example lets use $30 for a pack of 100 safety razor blades so this comes out to $0.30/blade. Now let's say you shave every day with a new blade (365 blades in 1 year). Multiply that (365) by $0.30/blade and it comes out to a total cost of $109.50 for an entire years worth of blades.
Now let's compare that to the cost of cartridge razor blades for 1 year. So let’s say you stick with your current cartridge razor and find a great deal and can get them for around $3/blade. Suppose you only have to change this blade once a week so you’re using 52 cartridge razorheads in a year.
52 cartridge razor blades is a whole lot less than 365 double-edge blades so it has to be cheaper, right? Wrong! This still comes out to a total cost of $156 per year for cartridge razors.
Even in the “worst” case scenario, double-edge safety razor blades are cheaper.
10 Factors That Affect Razor Blade Longevity
#1) Metallurgy, Coating, Grinding Finish & Blade Thickness
The metallurgy, coating and grinding finishes have a big impact on the durability and longevity of a blade. Are they stainless steel, stainless platinum or chrome with a thin layer of stainless steel on top? What is the coating? Does it have a very thin grinding finish? How thick is the blade?
Knowing what your blades are made of and they finishing techniques can give you insight into their potential longevity.
#2) Manufacturing and Quality Control
Are you buying cheap blades that break down easily? How well are they made? Are they well-engineered? Are they actually stainless or do they just have a thin stainless coating that will fade quickly? Do some of the blades have imperfections that will cause them to deteriorate faster?
Buy high-quality blades from well-respected companies and they will not only provide a better shave but may also last a little longer.
#3) Beard Thickness
How thick is your facial hair? Do you have a thick 5 o’clock shadow everyday?
If you have a thick beard, you are going to have to change your blade out a little more frequently than someone with a thin beard has to.
#4) Surface Area of Shaving Area
Beard thickness basically refers to the number of hairs per square inch, but surface area refers to how much of your face and neck is actually covered in hair. These are typically correlated, but not always.
Some guys may have a thick beard on their cheeks and chin and very little hair on their neck. Some guys may only grow hair above the lip and on the chin. Some guys are all neck beard.
The more surface area you have to shave, the more frequently you will have to change blades.
#5) Hair Follicle Coarseness & Thickness
Human hair is extremely strong in tensile strength. In fact, it’s often compared to copper wire in strength. Thick, coarse hair follicles will cause a blade to dull more quickly than thin, fine facial hair will. How thick and coarse are your hair follicles?
#6) Do You Shave With The Grain or Against The Grain? Do You Make Multiple Passes?
Believe it or not, shaving with or against the grain can impact how quickly a blade will lose its sharpness.
First of all, I always recommend shaving with the grain on the first pass. If you’re going against the grain on the first pass, you’re not only causing the blades sharpness to deteriorate faster but more importantly you’re also probably causing quite a bit of skin irritation.
Making multiple passes will also dull the blade a little faster, but don’t let this prevent you from doing it if that’s what it takes to get a smooth shave. After all, if that’s what it takes to get the smooth shave you want, it’s only going to cost you maybe $5 - $10 over the course of a year.
#7) Beard Prep
Proper beard prep is vital to getting a good shave, and it also helps your blades last a little longer. Why? Because helping soften your beard will allow the blade to cut the follicles much easier.
This impact is pretty marginal though so don’t think that excellent beard prep will allow your blades to last a month. It won’t. But it’s still a decent side benefit on helping ensure your blades stay good while completing a task you should be doing anyway.
#8) Razor Aggressiveness
How aggressive is the safety razor you use? A more aggressive razor helps shave the beard easier, but don’t buy an overly aggressive razor though just because you think it will allow your blades to last longer.
If you need an aggressive safety razor, this is an added bonus. But if you don’t need an aggressive razor, don’t overdo it and buy an overly-aggressive razor. This benefit is really marginal, most of the time not even noticeable.
#9) Proper Post-Shave Blade Maintenance
Scientists have recently done research to try and figure out how to get razor blades to last longer. And what was the #1 factor they found that helped blades stay sharper and fresher longer? Keeping them dry after you use them.
Scientists said that the combination of water and salt from your skin reacts together to chemically break down and eat away at the stainless steel. And as long as water and salt from your skin remain on the blade, this chemical reaction will continue. However, if you clean and dry the blade, in theory it should prevent any further damage.
During their research, they even went so far as to blow dry their blades dry after each use to make sure they were completely dry. They claimed some pretty impressive results from doing this to cartridge razors. We aren’t sure how well this directly translates to double-edge blades, but there are still a few key takeaways you can learn from this.
- Rinse your blade thoroughly with hot water after every use.
- Hang it from a safety razor stand to allow it to adequately air dry. This helps to slow down the chemical breakdown and rusting.
- Don’t keep your safety razor in the shower or near any other areas in your bathroom that stay damp. Make sure it is kept somewhere in the bathroom where it can stay as dry as possible.
#10) Shave Frequency -- And Don’t Forget You Have 2 Sides Of The Blade To Work With!
This last factor should be pretty obvious: how often do you shave? If you shave everyday, your blade is going to dull quicker than if you only shave every 3 or 4 days.
That said, I think there is kind of a “time limit” on how long you should keep a blade, even if you have only used it a few times. For example, let’s say you only shave once a week and you hear that most guys typically get 4 or 5 shaves out of the blade you’re using.
So you should be able to use it for 4 or 5 weeks, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, once you use the blade and it gets wet, it will start to oxidize and break down. Therefore, I recommend changing the blade at least every other week, even if you have only used it once or twice. More on this later.
And don’t forget, double-edge blades have 2 sides you can shave with! Make sure you’re taking advantage of both sides.
Do Sharper Blades Dull Faster or Slower?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a clear cut answer to this question. Why?
- Opinion #1: Yes, sharper blades dull faster
- The reason they start off so sharp is because the edge is so thin. Therefore, the edges get reduced much quicker. One they lose that initial sharp edge, they are not effective.
- Opinion #2: No, sharper blades dull slower
- They start off sharper and will therefore lose their sharpness at the same rate as other similarly constructed blades. However, since they start off sharper, it takes longer for them to get the point where they are dull and unusable.
Honestly, I don’t know which opinion is right. My opinion is that the sharpness doesn't dull faster or slower just because it starts off sharp. It has more to do with the quality of the blade than the initial sharpness.
There's also some psychology at work here too. Think about it, if you start off with an ultra-sharp blade, anything remotely less sharp is going to feel dull. Whereas if you start with a more moderately to mildly sharp blade, it takes longer to be able to tell when it starts to dull.
Don't buy a sharp blade just because you think it will last longer. Really the only reason to buy a sharper blade is because it's what you need to get a superior shave, not because it might last slightly longer.
Can You Just Give Me An Estimate Already?! How Often Will I Have to Change My Blades?
What’s the average I hear most guys have to change their double-edge blades? Around every 5 shaves, plus or minus a few.
Part of it is personal preference. Part of it is the 10 factors I discussed vary big time from guy to guy. 5 shaves plus or minus a few is a good estimate though.
Are you okay with a slightly dull blade that still gets the job done or do you pretty much always need a nice sharp blade? Double-edge blades are inexpensive enough that I personally prefer changing more frequently. I typically go a max of 4 or 5 shaves with the same blade.
Beginner Wet Shavers Should
Replace Their Blades More Frequently
While most veteran wet shavers can typically get 5+ shaves out of a blade, I don’t recommend beginners go this long, even if the blade still feels good to use.
Beginner safety razor users should be focused on 1 thing: perfecting technique and learning the fundamentals of how to shave properly. And guess what? It’s really hard to have good technique with a dull blade.
Using a dull blade will throw off your technique and you will revert to bad habits like applying pressure when making passes.
So if you are a beginner and still learning how to use your safety razor, I recommend changing your blades every 2 or 3 shaves. That way, you will always have the best, most optimized razor to work with and you won't learn bad habits.
Once you really feel comfortable with your technique after 3 or 4 months, then you can see if your blades can last 4 or 5 or maybe eve 6 shaves. Take it slow though because this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Is a Bad Shave Worth Saving $0.30?
I am all for saving money. And I believe switching from a cartridge razor to a safety razor will certainly help you do that.
But I also like rewarding myself with a high-quality shave when I take the time and effort to do it. Double-edge blades are incredibly affordable, and that’s why I always recommend changing the blade 1 shave too early rather than 1 shave too late.
Earlier, I talked about the cost of double-edge blades and I modeled the worst case scenario using blades that cost $0.30/blade. So my question to you is, are you willing to risk getting a bad shave because you need to save $0.30?
Look, I am not saying to change your safety razor blades every day. That is wasteful, i my opinion. But I also don’t think you should be so cheap as to try to stretch a blade out another couple of shaves when you can already feel it tugging at your hairs.
Stop Delaying and Make The Switch to DE Blades
Ready to make the switch to a safety razor but not sure what double edge razor blades your should get? Then go read my comprehensive guide on what I think are the 10 Best Safety Razor Blades. I go into a ton of detail on everything you need to know in order to find the right blades for your face and razor.
