Razor Blade Counts, Explained
A safety razor uses one double-edged blade, cartridges stack two to seven; Gillette puts a Mach3 cartridge at about 15 shaves and a 5-blade at about 20.
By Jennifer HunterContributing writer.
On this page
The short answer
There is no single right number of blades. A double-edge safety razor holds one blade with two sharp edges, and you use one edge at a time. A cartridge razor stacks several blades in a head that snaps onto a handle; Gillette's lines run from two blades (Trac II) to five (Fusion5), and Dorco makes six- and seven-blade heads.
The blade count also changes how long a head lasts and how much practice the razor asks for. Pick by how you shave, not by the number on the box.
How the blade count grew
Gillette launched its original safety razor in 1901, built around a disposable blade sharpened on both edges. Cartridges came seven decades later: Wilkinson sold a bonded cartridge in 1970, and Gillette's twin-blade Trac II followed in 1971.
| Razor line | Blades per head | Type |
|---|---|---|
| King C. Gillette | 1 (two edges) | Double-edge safety razor |
| Gillette Trac II | 2 | Cartridge |
| Gillette Mach3 | 3 | Cartridge |
| Schick Quattro | 4 | Cartridge |
| Gillette Fusion5 | 5 | Cartridge |
| Dorco six-blade (2012) | 6 | Cartridge |
| Dorco Pace 7 | 7 | Cartridge |
The Mach3 arrived in 1998 as Gillette's first three-blade cartridge, and Schick answered with the Quattro, the first four-blade head. Dorco, a South Korean maker, released a six-blade cartridge in 2012 and later a seven-blade one.
Safety razor vs cartridge razor
| Safety razor | Cartridge razor | |
|---|---|---|
| Blades | One blade, two edges | Two to seven blades |
| Learning curve | Takes practice to hold the right angle | Built for ease of use |
| What you replace | The bare blade | The whole cartridge head |
| Good for | Edging beard lines, careful shaves | A quick daily shave |
Gillette describes the safety razor as a skill that builds with time and practice, and the cartridge as the easy everyday choice. It suggests the single blade of a safety razor for people who edge a beard or sideburns.
How often to change razor blades
Gillette's own figures for its cartridges:
- 3-blade Mach3: about 15 shaves.
- 5-blade Fusion5 and ProGlide: about 20 shaves.
- Daily shavers: a new blade about once a week.
Count less and watch more. Gillette's signs that a blade is done: it drags or tugs instead of gliding, you get more redness or bumps, gunk stays between the blades after rinsing, or the colored lubricating strip has faded. Swap at once if you see rust. Coarse hair, dry skin and dry shaving all dull an edge faster.
To make a blade last, rinse it well after each shave, pat or air dry it, and store the razor upright away from the shower. Gillette says the handle itself can last up to 5 years.
Shopping on Wiki Shopping
On October 26, 2026, Wiki Shopping listed 120 cartridge razors. The largest brand groups were Gillette (16), Gillette Venus (14), and Harry's, Dorco and Schick (9 each). Browse them under beauty and personal care, and see electric shaver types if you would rather skip blades, or browse electric shavers.
How we count
The listing and brand counts come from a read-only query of our page data on October 26, 2026. They change as listings are added or removed.