Shaving help for newbie

Hello, first of all i have to say this is a great forum and im surprised i hadn't found it before today. In any case, i am needing suggestions/help on what razor i should get to solve my problems. Im a young guy and used to shave once a week when my facial hair was really thick, i was using a gillete sensor and achieved a really close shave. I look terrible with facial hair but i was out of work. Now i am back and need to shave every day or two days, the thing is i can never get a close shave! it looks terrible compared to my shaves once a week. So i did some searching under the assumption it was my sensor, after reading i decided to buy a DE safety razor, it cost me £30 with derby blades. I got the same results as i do with my sensor, only with a bit more irritation. I kept at it for 3 weeks thinking my technique may get better and help get that close shave...alas it didn't. Right now i don't have the option of waiting until my facial hair is thick before shaving, so i would like to ask if a straight razor would solve my problems(or a shavette) and if any member has had the same problem as me could they give some tips? Sorry for making the post so long. Cheers! :)

Im sorry but when u say now that you have to shave every other day , and they r not close what is it about the shave that it isnt close, is it because your face is sensitive and it hurts to do ATG passes or WTG to get that closeness or it feels less smooth.

Anyway straight razor shaving is a fantastic thing however the learning curve is pretty steep and will take time to master, and alot of the members come from DE to straight and love it, if your willing to put in the effort you will reap the rewards. :)

You should be able to get a very good shave with a DE. If you aren't my guess is you either need to experiment with different blades or examine your technique. I don't know that going to a straight would solve your issues at this point. It may complicate things.

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Originally Posted by thewatermark

Im sorry but when u say now that you have to shave every other day , and they r not close what is it about the shave that it isnt close, is it because your face is sensitive and it hurts to do ATG passes or WTG to get that closeness or it feels less smooth.

Anyway straight razor shaving is a fantastic thing however the learning curve is pretty steep and will take time to master, and alot of the members come from DE to straight and love it, if your willing to put in the effort you will reap the rewards. :)

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My skin is pretty sensitive but when i say i don't get a close shave i mean you can still see little specks of hair.. if that's the best way to describe it. I have very pale skin and dark hair so it's very noticeable and makes me look scruffy. If i shave once a week when my facial hair is very thick the results are much, much better and it also takes longer to get stubble again. As for the DE i primarily bought it to deal with this problem which it didn't...im hoping a straight razor may do the trick. Like i said i always used to shave once a week so didn't even know i had this problem until now. Cheers

Hello, tezza11:

Welcome to Straight Razor Place.

I must agree with my friend thebigspendur. You should be able to get a good shave with the double edge razor. That you are not I find surprising. Perhaps your technique needs refining. Also, your blades are probably wrong for you.

Here are some thoughts: watch some of the U-Tube videos on double edge shaving produced by Mantics59. I assume you also use a brush with soap or cream. Work on making proper lather. For blades, you might want to try a better blade than the Derby. Try Gillette 7 O'Clock "Sharp Edge" that comes in yellow wrapping. That's a start. Or send out for a sample pack. Connaught in the UK has sampler packs.

As for your technique, keep the pressure extremely light. The razor's pressure is enough. Do not go over the same area excessively. For now, try one stroke over a specific area and then move on. Don't go against the grain. For a while shave strictly with the grain and let's see what happens.

Take your time with all this. Yes, a straight razor can give you a great shave, but the learning process takes a little time. Also, I, too, must say that the straight razor might not be your answer. The double edge will be a good test for you: that is using the double edge properly, and with properly made lather. Try these and post again in a day or so. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask. We're all here to help.

Regards,
Obie

I think you will have more luck by getting a great shave with a DE first. A straight is a lot more work to learn and the results of a good straight shave ad the same as that of a good DE shave.

Thank you Obie, i will watch those videos and buy some new blades tomorrow. I'll give you all an update in a couple of days, hopefully a positive one! This is a great forum, thanks again to everyone who replied.

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Originally Posted by Tezza11

Thank you Obie, i will watch those videos and buy some new blades tomorrow. I'll give you all an update in a couple of days, hopefully a positive one! This is a great forum, thanks again to everyone who replied.

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Hello, Tezza:

You are very welcome, and thank you. Whatever problems you have we can overcome. Patience, experimentation and improvisation go a long way. So do not lose heart. Embrace the whole ritual and soon things will start to click. Stay with it and good luck. We look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,
Obie

Hello, just an update. Had to order the blades online and took a while to get here but i bought 10 Gillette 7 O'Clocks and 10 feathers. Also bought a taylors sandalwood shaving cream to try, it had good reviews and i haven't tried a cream yet, only soap. They just arrived today and my last shave which was yesterday was with the gillete sensor and i have awful shaving rash under my chin, my face is very irritated so i will try these new blades tomorrow hopefully. The feathers had better reviews than the Gillette so im tempted to try them.

Cheers

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Originally Posted by Tezza11

Hello, just an update. Had to order the blades online and took a while to get here but i bought 10 Gillette 7 O'Clocks and 10 feathers. Also bought a taylors sandalwood shaving cream to try, it had good reviews and i haven't tried a cream yet, only soap. They just arrived today and my last shave which was yesterday was with the gillete sensor and i have awful shaving rash under my chin, my face is very irritated so i will try these new blades tomorrow hopefully. The feathers had better reviews than the Gillette so im tempted to try them.

Cheers

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Hello, Tezza:

Be careful of the pressure you use with the razor. Let the weight of the razor be enough. Your current blades could be a problem, too.

Yes, use the new blades tomorrow. I suggest starting with the Gillette 7 O'Clock first. I assume you purchased the yellow packs. See how they go. The Feather is a bit sharper, but I found the Gillette yellows a bit smoother.

Of course, you will discover which works better for you. Experimentation always works. Keep us informed.

Regards,
Obie

I'm about a month into straight razor shaving, and just beginning against the grain passes. I noticed that when I do that I don't get 5 o'clock shadow until about 36 hours after the shave. Never have I gotten a shave that close, or that lasts that long.

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Originally Posted by markevens

I'm about a month into straight razor shaving, and just beginning against the grain passes. I noticed that when I do that I don't get 5 o'clock shadow until about 36 hours after the shave. Never have I gotten a shave that close, or that lasts that long.

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Hello, markevens:

You are on your way, my good man. Well done. One note of cautions, however: please make sure you don't overdue shaving against the grain. It could lead to skin rash, ingrown hair, and a few other facial discomforts.

Regards,
Obie

Hello again, been a couple of weeks now. I wanted to try and get used to the new blades, try a few different creams and soaps before giving my results. And they are better, but still not satisfactory. I seem to just hit a wall where i can't get any closer yet i can quite clearly still see specks of black hair in the mirror, it's not one of those mirrors that magnify your face so you can see every line and blemish either...i honestly don't know what the problem is. Looks like i might as well just put up with it, it is a far better shave than the derby blades(both gillete and feather) and i prefer the cream to soap. I go with the grain one pass, against the grain and then with the grain again...sometimes i will go against the grain twice. It doesn't really irritate my face that much. Shame i need to wait until i look scruffy before i can get a close shave, but i will just need to persevere and hope for the best. And i must say those videos posted by Mantics59 are brilliant.

Cheers!

I remember when that happened to me except that it took me 48 hours

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Originally Posted by Tezza11

Hello again, been a couple of weeks now. I wanted to try and get used to the new blades, try a few different creams and soaps before giving my results. And they are better, but still not satisfactory. I seem to just hit a wall where i can't get any closer yet i can quite clearly still see specks of black hair in the mirror, it's not one of those mirrors that magnify your face so you can see every line and blemish either...i honestly don't know what the problem is. Looks like i might as well just put up with it, it is a far better shave than the derby blades(both gillete and feather) and i prefer the cream to soap. I go with the grain one pass, against the grain and then with the grain again...sometimes i will go against the grain twice. It doesn't really irritate my face that much. Shame i need to wait until i look scruffy before i can get a close shave, but i will just need to persevere and hope for the best. And i must say those videos posted by Mantics59 are brilliant.

Cheers!

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I know a couple people in your same situation. Very fair skin coupled with darker, thicker beard hair. I've never known them to be without a hint of the 5 o'clock shadow simply because of that combination.

Now, I don't mean to get you down, or discourage your efforts. Those people might not be shaving in the best way. At the same time, there may be the possibility that you will always be able to see that hint of shadow.

I understand that having very pale skin and dark hair is always going to be a nuisance in regards to shaving. But as i said in the first post, if i wait nearly a week until my facial hair is very thick i can get an extremely close shave that will be fine for over 24 hours maybe even pushing to the 36 hour mark. Yet when i shave every day or two days i don't get anywhere near the same results. It's a mystery that's for sure! :)

Cheers

Well i was very silly shaving tonight, put too much pressure trying to get closer and now my face is like a tomato with a few cuts and stinging like mad. :(