# When should razor blades get changed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 13, 2001, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065 "2001-08-13T17:30:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/1 "2001-08-13T17:30:27Z")
In [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=81098&pagenumber=2) thread, we got started on comparing razor blade usage. I’m of the opinion that disposable razor blades can be used effectively much longer than most other people think. My question is; based on an average shaving time of shaving whole legs once every three days, how long should you use razor blades before throwing them out? Are disposable blades from some companies better than others? Is there any difference in blade quality/lifespan between men’s and women’s blades? [link edited at OP’s request. -manhattan] [Edited by manhattan on 08-13-2001 at 04:56 PM] ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/2 "2001-08-13T18:19:05Z")
Too many variables. You say that you shave whole legs once every three days. Is that both legs at once or do you stagger the timing by, say, shaving the right leg on Mondays and Thursdays and the left leg on Tuesdays and Fridays? What is the exact surface area of each leg? How far down each leg do you shave? Please supply more leg-related data so that I can analyse this problem correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Rue\_DeDay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rue\_DeDay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rue_DeDay)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/3 "2001-08-13T18:28:50Z")
Change the blades when the aren’t as sharp as you like. (Not much help, I know.) You might have “tougher” legs than some and can live with a duller blade. It’s your preference. No cite on this, but for many razors, the only difference in men’s and women’s razor is the color of plastic it’s molded in. -Rue. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/4 "2001-08-13T19:12:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rue DeDay \* > \*\*No cite on this, but for many razors, the only difference in men’s and women’s razor is the color of plastic it’s molded in. > \*\* Whenever I am compelled to use a (new) woman’s razor to de-whisker my hoary visage, I end up thoroughly flayed. Sometimes I think it might be less of an ordeal to borrow her tweezers. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/5 "2001-08-13T22:00:36Z")
Interesting comment, **Larry**. I use a man’s razor and blades, and don’t seem to need to change them nearly as often as other woman do. Anyone have any idea how to go about researching whether there is any truth to this idea? (Thanks for the edit, **Manhattan**. Much obliged.) ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/6 "2001-08-13T23:31:11Z")
OK, I’m only going by what I’ve learned from shaving my face every day, but I imagine the general principle stays pretty much the same. I’ve noticed that as my blade gets dull, I develop “five o’clock shadow” faster, thus leading me to conclude that I’m not getting as close a shave in the morning as with a new, sharp blade. If I ignore this for too long, I actually start getting nicks and cuts. I’ve read that only a worn, dull blade will cause this, never a sharp one. Obviously, leg hair is different than beard hair, but I would think that it’s not so different that you couldn’t use this rule of thumb…er…leg…I mean…chin…hell, you can figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/7 "2001-08-14T00:22:29Z")
Razor blades, like most other things, should be changed when they’re soggy-bottomed. ---
**Author:** ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/8 "2001-08-14T00:31:44Z")
Change em when they stop working and it shaving is irritating. I’ve had great luck with Wilkinson Sword disposables, but I don’t come across them often. Some Sensors will last me a dozen shaves and the next one is good for two. I really like the Schick disposables with the little “cleaner” that pushes the crud out of the blades cuz they last forever, but shaving takes three times as long. (The cleaner doesn’t work the greatest and they clog easily). Trial and error and milk em out as long as you can comfortably shave. ---
**Author:** ![OliverTwistofLime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b487fb/32.png) [@OliverTwistofLime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverTwistofLime)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/9 "2001-08-14T00:38:19Z")
The Mac3 blade offers the finest initial shave I have ever had…BUT at least in my case, after 2 xs of usage, goodbye blade…dullsville! ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/10 "2001-08-14T01:31:46Z")
If you keep them under a pyramid they never get dull. But if you take them out to use them they will. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/11 "2001-08-14T06:23:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*featherlou sez: \* > \*\*I use a man’s razor and blades, and don’t seem to need to change them nearly as often as other woman do. Anyone have any idea how to go about researching whether there is any truth to this idea? > \*\* Well, a quick search of the net turns up a cite from “Glamour” magazine: ( [http://www.fortunecity.com/oasis/malibu/321/leglib.html](http://www.fortunecity.com/oasis/malibu/321/leglib.html) ) Q: Do I really need a razor specifically designed for women? A: The people who make women’s razors say you do (and Glamour testers loved Gillette’s new Sensor for Women, $1.99). “Women’s razors give fewer cuts because their handles are longer, making them easy to maneuver when your reaching down your legs,” explains Debra Jaliman, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. Since _Glamour_’s sole purpose is to gratify their advertisers, I’d take that with a pound of salt, though. I also found a thread on another message board that addresses the same burning issue: [http://pub70.ezboard.com/fboutikasimsfrm14.showMessage?topicID=3.topic](http://pub70.ezboard.com/fboutikasimsfrm14.showMessage?topicID=3.topic) > [@](#): > > \*\* > What I’m talking about here is a razor. > Now, maybe I’m archaic here, and everyone else waxes (I just can’t, it hurts too much and I have too much area to cover), but I have to give you my review of a new product. > > Previously, I had always used a men’s razor (Gillette Sensor Excel to be exact). They seemed to work much better. But I thought I would try that horrible new Venus razor for women. (I hate anything they market to women by making it a pastel color - what is UP with that???) Here’s my summary: > > - It’s true that the design of the handle and the weird head makes it easier to do difficult places like the backs of your legs. > - 3 blades are WAY better than 2. > - The design also seems to better protect you from razor burn and cuts. > - HOWEVER I swear to you that I had noticeable stubble the very next day. I don’t think the things cuts close to the skin, which is why you don’t get burned. However, I’m not keen on shaving every single day, so I’m pretty irritated. It also means you use 50,000 blades in a month…and of course the blades are like $10 a piece. > - Also, do not use this thing on your underarms. The design is really wrong for that. And the lack of close shave is a big problem in that area. \*\* My personal feeling is that the razor manufacturers are pushing the “All the market will bear” thing a little too far. I’m on the lookout for a nice straight-razor & strop. A little more caution in the AM, but worth it to save a few hundred dollars each year. (Or does this post belong in the “world’s cheapest” thread?) ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/12 "2001-08-14T09:11:32Z")
A few hundred dollars a year? For the record, I only shave every other day (ah, the benefits of not being brown-haired), using a Protector razor. The last time I changed a blade was June. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/13 "2001-08-14T09:24:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Yamazaki sat on a low wooden stool, watching Skinner shave. > > Skinner sat on the edge of his bed, scraping his face pink with a disposable > razor, rinsing the blade in a dented aluminum basin that he cradled between > his thighs. > > "The razor is old, "Yamazaki said. “You do not throw it away?” > > Skinner looked at him, over the plastic razor. "Thing is, Scooter, they just > don`t get any duller, after a while." He lathered and shaved his upper lip, then paused. Yamazaki had been "Kawasaki" for the first several visits. Now he was "Scooter." The pale old eyes regarded him neutrally, hooded under reddish lids. Yamazaki sensed Skinner`s inward laughter. - William Gibson ---
**Author:** ![bmorey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/76d3ee/32.png) [@bmorey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmorey)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/14 "2001-08-14T10:49:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Larry Mudd \* > My personal feeling is that the razor manufacturers are pushing the “All the market will bear” thing a little too far. I’m on the lookout for a nice straight-razor & strop. A little more caution in the AM, but worth it to save a few hundred dollars each year. (Or does this post belong in the “world’s cheapest” thread?) My barber (trained in Hanoi) uses a cut-throat razor and strop for cleaning up the back of one’s neck. I asked him how much it cost, as it was a new one. He said AUD$160 (approx $80 US) – it is an imported German implement. He also uses cut-throats with a disposable blade as these are much cheaper. I have a light beard and I find a good quality disposble lasts two weeks, then it starts to cause nicks and become uncomfortable. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/15 "2001-08-14T13:09:15Z")
This probably ought to be over in IMHO. I have NEVER understood why an extremely sharp razor should be a good thing. I hate changing blades. After I change blades, it takes a week or so for the new blade to get dull enough that I don’t slice my face and neck to ribbons while shaving. The blade I have on my razor right now has been on there so long that I can’t remember when I changed it last. Don’t even ask me when I bought the package of six razor blades it came out of. The one I am using now is made of black plastic that has started fading to gray. No, this is not from the shaving cream. I don’t use shaving cream. Shaving cream+sharp razor blade=Bleeding like an unsuccessful suicide attempt. Shaving cream+dull razor=Slowly bleeding slashes. Dull razor+hot water=good shave. Hundreds of dollars on razors? Ouch. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-razor-blades-get-changed/76065/16 "2001-08-14T18:27:08Z")
Thanks, **Mangetout**. That’s exactly the paragraph where I got the idea in the first place. Not a bad book, eh? (Oh, **Mort Furd** , this probably does belong in IMHO by now. It did start as a legitimate question, though.)