About Us Expand menu Collapse menu. Here are some of them: Your facial hair Both the thickness and coarseness of your facial hair will greatly affect the lifespan of a safety razor blade because of the amount of work needed to shave them off. The quality of the razor blade Another important factor to consider when dealing with the longevity of a safety razor blade is the blade itself.
Leave a comment Name. The coating is the only thing keeping the water out. The problem spots are often the threads. This is where the razors most often fail. It'll start off with the threads feeling like they have a bit of sand in them and it'll progress until one day they snap off in the handle. This is why you'll see people stock up on the R41 heads as they won't last forever. This scenario doesn't take a drop into consideration. Modern Zamak razors will generally last between 1 and 3 years or one good drop whichever comes first.
Some will tell you there's nothing wrong with Zamak but personally I consider them to be more of a longer term disposable razor. The low cost is appealing but figure the lifespan of the razor and compare it to your expected lifespan.
A stainless steel razor might be a bigger investment upfront but it may actually save you money in the long run. Just do a search for Zamak and you'll find lots of pics showing you failed Zamak razors. Edwin Jagger is aware of this and will often replace a broken razor in the first few years of ownership.
Merker razors have a better coating but when they fail they will tell you it's your fault for getting it wet, like there's any way to use the product without getting it wet. Last edited: Nov 14, Clean the razor regularly with mild soap and a toothbrush and lube the threads. Especially if it is made of coated zamac. Not a silly question at all! As you can see, the answer can vary wildly depending on the razor in question. I have vintage Gillettes ranging from the 's up to the 's.
A lot of them are in better shape than me. I actually just took delivery on my only modern razor in my collection, a Razorock old type clone. The head is zamac, so I only expect a couple years of service out of it, but the handle is a nice heavy stainless job, so I'll be expecting that to last significantly longer. The handle has standard threading, so even if the head dies a quick death, I can simply replace it with any flavor of Gillette 3 piece that I feel like using.
As for straights, you'd be amazed at the amount of honings you can put on a razor. Here is my specimen of zamac rot. The cap on the left is 14 months old and has approximately shaves on it's odometer, the cap on the right is it's exact twin purchased 1 week ago as a replacement for when it finally dies in a few months.
Keeping zamac clean will not prolong it's life, but keeping it dry will. If it can't be kept dry, oil is the next best thing to prevent moisture in the form of liquid water, but also humidity from causing the corrosion of impurities in the zinc.
The process when changing blades will be to put 2 drops of mineral oil in the female threaded handle before screwing the cap back on.
The o-ring will keep the water out, the oil in, prevent over-tightening, and in the process significantly increase the life of the threads. Most of mine are all pre and back to the 20's. I've got a Single Ring with a bent tooth that still shaves well years later. I've got some I fear will be victims of Zamak rot, but most of my razors will probably outlive me.
Dovo said:. It's not entirely fair to compare Gillette zamac to generic zamac. Not all zamac is created equal, just like not all steel is created equal. There are over globally recognized steel formulations, many patented, all of which have different performance characteristics. Would you expect the same corrosion resistance from stainless steel that you would from a bar of mild steel?
Probably not. I hope not. When it comes to the lifespan of its blades, it is often shorter than both electric and cartridge razors. This means you will have to buy blades more often than not. But safety razor blades are cheaper than cartridge razors nowadays. Even more convenient is that safety razor blades all come in one industry standard specification.
This means you can easily shop around different razor blade brands for even lower prices. Safety razors, by far, have the best value for money spent. Think of it as an investment; you can never go wrong in buying something that can become a valuable heirloom that you can pass down your family. Click Add To Cart. Close menu. Straight Razor Kits. Single Straight Razors.
Shave Brushes. Razor Stands. Shave Cases. Safety Razors. Container Pour Shaving Soap. Shaving Pucks. All Shave Soaps. Beard Kit. Beard Balm. Beard Oil. Enter Straight Razor Giveaway "Close". Human hair is very strong and can be compared to copper wires.
But the purpose of today's article is to give you at least a general idea of how long your blades should last. How so? Well when a de blade is dull, it won't smoothly glide across your face. 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. 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.
Now let's say you shave every day with a new blade blades in 1 year. Now let's compare that to the cost of cartridge razor blades for 1 year. 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.
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.
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. 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.
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