Yikes and ouch

I am in the process of looking for my first regular straight.

however, I am noticing that with my feather, using the pro guard blade, I am getting some seriously close shaves. It may be my blade angle, I feel it is...

around my cheeks and the left and right side of my chin I feel like I have had a cheese grater pass over my face.

I do two passes, one with the grain and one against...sometimes I touch up a few spots but I do get bbs on the chin.

What gives?

Moreover, will something like a henkel, or dubl duck etc sheer off that much skin as well?

Lets just say, I do love driving to work with the AC blasting on my face in the morn.

I do not think that will happen with a St8. Although never having used A DE. I can't say for sure. Str8 will work different than a DE, it is also very hard for a str8 to be as sharp. Since I took the plunge, and threw away everything but my STR8's, My BBS skin has never felt so good.

Phil

Have you checked out Mantic's vids on yutube or whatever.

They might help you with your DE.

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I do two passes, one with the grain and one against...

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I'd up the passes maybe double tap the wtg, then x grain before atg.

Again Mantic is the 'man' for DE shaving.

The straight is a different animal than the DE.

Both will provide superior shaves.

But if you use a straight. You will be the 'man'

The feather I was referring to was the feather straight. Maybe I need to try to use a lighter touch.

im giving my feather straight a break

today was not a fun day, raw, and i feel like i have 1000 needles in my face right now :(

Never used a feather myself, but many claim it is harsher that a regular str8. Something to do with the feather's extreme sharpness, so the prevailing theory goes.

- Michael

today I stayed with the DE but when I was finished I did a little on the sides with the feather. I just wanted a little healing time because one bad day was enought to cause some hesitation

but I did get a dduck so I will report shortly

I have used a Feather AC quite a bit and I think that the ProGuard blades are the least comfortable of the three variants available. To me it feels like you are dragging a bunch of wires across your face...wait...that's exactly what you're doing. ;) I find the SuperPro blades to be the most comfortable to use. Don't know why...other than they are thicker and have a bit more exposure outside the holder. If you get a razor burn or scraped skin with those you are just using too much pressure (which is pretty easy to do, unfortunately).

I would say lay off the ProGuards and try a different blade. Despite the fearsome reputation, as you move up the ladder the Feather blades seem to get easier to use. I think that the Guards probably help if you are inclined to stop the blade on your skin or (heaven forbid) move it sideways but beyond that they have few redeeming qualities. Good luck.

Will do. I will put in the Super pro and give it a slow and paced go at it.

Please excuse my ignorance, but I'm new to straight razors. When you say you used a feather ... what does that mean?

I have a straight razor - dovo. I sent my razor to have it sharpen somewhere local. The problem is I couldn't shave with it. It didn't glide and was pulling on the hair to where it hurt to much to keep going.

Not sure what's going on.

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Originally Posted by bastinado

Please excuse my ignorance, but I'm new to straight razors. When you say you used a feather ... what does that mean?

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Feather is a Japanese brand razor and surgical equipment company. So Shaving Samurai is talking about a feather brand, straight razor.

I attempt to use one too, they aren't the friendliest when first starting, I sure hope with practice it gets better.

:HJ

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Originally Posted by bastinado

I have a straight razor - dovo. I sent my razor to have it sharpen somewhere local. The problem is I couldn't shave with it. It didn't glide and was pulling on the hair to where it hurt to much to keep going.

Not sure what's going on.

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Sorry to hear that your locally honed dovo is killing you! It sounds as though it is not sharp enough or possibly has a wire edge if overhoned. Is there a member in your area that can help you? I bet you could out a note in the hone section and find someone to meet with you - otherwise you could mail it to one of the members that offer services or send it to Lynn (AdjustMe69) who does 'em for $20. You owe it to yourself to get it done right the first time so that you have a benchmark.
Good luck and welcome!

If you tear up your face bad, rub in some rubbing alcohol. Yes, it burns like crazy, but it beats the all day burn. I have really sensitive skin, and if I happen to carve my face up for whatever reason or another, my face feels exactly like you describe- heat and needles.

Most of the guys here think I'm nuts, but give it a shot. I rub it in real good after all my shaves. It makes for a cheap, though painful, aftershave with no scent. Plus, it's only for a few seconds.

Another good story on that is a friend that I sold a straight to. I was teaching him how to shave and he wasn't really listening to me as far as numbers of passes. I didn't count, but he WAAAAAY overshaved. I made him soak up some alcohol and he barely got some redness from shaving.

I've been shaving with a Feather Artist Club DX razor almost exclusively for many months now, using the Super Pro blades. The results are quite satisfactory, and the shave is comfortable, but if I strive for BBS on the chin, which I usually do, the area is a little sensitive during the morning hours. I don't use an alcohol aftershave, but rather a Walgreens skin lotion that has just a little isopropyl alcohol in it, and that seems to work out quite well.

All that said, it's been so long since I've had a decently sharp str8 to shave with, I actually don't remember what it's like. One of these days, I hope to succeed in honing my own razor! Meantime, I like the Feather a lot.

-denis

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Originally Posted by bastinado

Please excuse my ignorance, but I'm new to straight razors. When you say you used a feather ... what does that mean?

I have a straight razor - dovo. I sent my razor to have it sharpen somewhere local. The problem is I couldn't shave with it. It didn't glide and was pulling on the hair to where it hurt to much to keep going.

Not sure what's going on.

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Odds are your razor was improperly sharpened. I second sending it to Lyn to get it done right.

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Originally Posted by shavingsamurai

Moreover, will something like a henkel, or dubl duck etc sheer off that much skin as well?

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No.
A DE is much more aggressive to your skin than a straight. Before using a straight, I shaved a couple of months with a DE and it did much more harm to my face than later with a straight. It would be unthinkable to use my straight shaving technique with a DE, I'd probably be disfigured...
A straight is much more forgiving, yet it shaves just as good or even better than a DE - it's the real thing ;)

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Originally Posted by Leon

No.
A DE is much more aggressive to your skin than a straight. Before using a straight, I shaved a couple of months with a DE and it did much more harm to my face than later with a straight. It would be unthinkable to use my straight shaving technique with a DE, I'd probably be disfigured...
A straight is much more forgiving, yet it shaves just as good or even better than a DE - it's the real thing ;)

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Except he wasn't talking about a DE, he was talking about a Feather straight.