DE blades, What's the story?

[alphage]

I've read about the DE blades at these forums. I get the idea that they last maybe four shaves. But I can get 8 shaves from a Bic yellow handle disposable. Both a DE and a Bic disposable razor cost about 20 cents a piece. So does this mean that a Bic blade is better than a DE blade? I've been thrown off by my readings.

[redorchestra]

How is the shave from the yellow handle disposable? With a disposable you are stuck with the blade, and blade gap combo that the manufacturer chooses. With a DE you get to choose from 50 something readily available blades.http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5756 In who knows how many readily available razors. Many people have varying opinions on blades. There are so many variables.
Maybe you could get 8 shaves from a DE, it depends on your beard.
And finally....Are you comfortable with throwing away all that plastic?

Give it a try, and welcome to the obsession?

[Lionhearted]

Different brands of blades have different life spans. I get around 10-12 shaves with a Schick or UK Wilkinson but only 3-4 with a Crystal or Dorco. Other people have different experiences.

I've used a BIC disposable about four times in my life when I traveled overnight unexpectedly and had to buy a drugstore razor. I never got more than one shave from a BIC and a fairly rough shave at that. Probably there's a trick to using one I never learned.

You can buy decent DE blades for as little as 10 cents in 100 packs but DE shaving nowadays really isn't about saving money. It's a hobby where people pay $15 each for a dozen flavors of shave cream and $150 each for a dozen or more brushes.

Richard

[barbarosa]

"I get around 10-12 shaves with a Schick or UK Wilkinson but only 3-4 with a Crystal or Dorco. Other people have different experiences."

This summarize it very well.
Even if I could never get 10-12 shaves from a blade, the number of uses for each of my blades differ from brand to brand. Astra, IP and Feather seem to have the shortest life span for me.

[Mottern Man]

Blade longevity is a Very YMMV thing.

I used yellow bic's before and got an OK shave but not even half as close as I get with a DE.

If a Bic Dissposable blade last a year longer then a Crystal in a DE Razor. I would use the Crystal in a DE Razor. :D