For the two decades plus I've lived in the Philippines, I've been shaving every day (well, almost every day) with Gillette shavers - mainly because Gillette is the only brand on sale in the supermarkets here. I've got used to getting a smooth, clean shave for maybe a week, then the blade gets a bit blunt, and then after about another week I have to change the blade to a new one because the shave doesn't do the job and is getting downright painful.
Then over New Year a friend from the US came to visit and when he went home he gifted me with what remained of his pack of Schick disposable shavers. Never really fond of disposables, I left them lying around the bathroom - until six weeks ago I tried one out of curiosity.
The Schicks are just great. Once you get used to the shape, which is different from Gillette, Schick gives a smoother, cleaner shave then I ever had with a Gillette even with a new blade. Plus, I'm still using the first Schick I tried, after about six weeks of shaving every day, and the blade is as sharp as ever.
In other words, the Gillette blades they sell in the Philippines are sub-standard compared to Schick. Maybe the steel used by Gillette here isn't as tough as the stuff Schick uses?
I don't know how much the Schick disposables cost compared to Gillette, but I'm going to find out.

You're an expat I think simon? Don't forget that Caucasians have tougher whiskers than Filipinos and most other Asians. I think many Filipinos hardly need to shave and surely not every day.
So maybe Gillette figures it doesn't have to use really toughened steel for the shaver blades it sells here.

You may be right Gino. For sure, different people have different kinds of hair growth, some tougher than others.

However, I noticed a curious thing yesterday when I dropped by the local supermarket to check the price of the Gillette blades I used to use. The packs of Gilette Vector Plus blades now have a big new banner printed across the front proclaiming that the blades last for six weeks. That is nonsense. They last 2 week's max for me and I have soft fair hair.

So the blade's lasting power is obviously becoming an issue for Gillette if the company is now using advertising claims like that. It can't be just me ... others must be complaining too.

How to keep disposable shaver razors sharp

Here's a way to increase the life of shaver razor blades (such as Gillette or Schick) - simple, easy and safe.

All you need is the denim cloth from a pair of jeans, old or new. Place the cloth on a hard flat surface; then run the razor up the cloth about 10-15 times quickly; then repeat running it down the cloth another 10-15 times. There's no need to press that hard, but a little pressure is necessary.

In both instances, you want to point the top of the razor in the direction you are rubbing the shaver on the denim. In other words, don’t “shave” the cloth; point the razor the other way, so that the blades glide over the surface of the jeans and don’t try to cut them.

The threads in the denim cloth will very effectively fix any tiny bends in the blades that inevitably happen and will also sharpen the blades on your shaver cartidge. For an already dull blade, you can sharpen it up pretty effectively by doing 50-100 swipes both ways to get it back up to “like new” condition, but only 10-15 times swiped both ways should be necessary to maintain sharpness.

In my case, re-sharpening the blade on my Gillette disposable shaver with the same piece of old denim jean pants leg has kept the blade as sharp as new for about five months and counting.

I tried this today (with my Gillette shaver) and yes, it works