Thread: Rite of passage.....learning to shave like a man

I am new to the world of DE shaving and would like to make a smoothe transition. I have no frame of reference so I don't know what I don't know. I have been reading over several threads and found that there a some experts with a great deal of knowledge to pass.

A little background I have been shaving with a variety of multi blade, latest and best razors and am continually disappointed. I have coarse facial hair and very sensitive skin so razor burn is a recurring issue for me. I would love to begin using a DE razor and was looking for some reccomendations. Thank you all in advance for your consideration and time.

Hey And Welcome.
I have been using a Merkur 1904 and also a Merkur 34C HD. I like you have very sensitive skin. The 1904 with some Astra blades or Feathers gives me a nice shave, But you have to find blades that work you you. I suggest Buying the "letterK" Blade sample pack from WestCoastShaving because it has a wide variety of different brands of blades. I Get a good shave With no irritation or in grown hairs with this razor. I love the 1904 because its not to aggressive but still has very nice feedback which is nice from a razor. It also has nice grip, its not slippery and weight to it is nice. The razor also looks very stylish. I DO NOT recommend getting a razor like a Muhle R41, dont get me wrong its a amazing razor but It is such a aggressive razor, it would not be a razor to start with
Hope I helped and once again Welcome to the Forum.

I started wet shaving with a Merkur HD barber's pole. It was an easy transition with the longer handle (like many of the craptastic plastic junk on the market now). With the longer handle it also put the weight more towards the head so the blades did the most work without having to fiddle with pressure on top of angle and yada yada. I liked the feather blades, and merkur blades myself. Sharks were good, but just didn't last as long as the other two. Good luck!

Hello Robert,

I have no knowledge at all of DEs; got into this via straights and love the honing too much to try anything else. Just wanted to pop in and welcome you, and recommend reading up on all the accumulated beard prep wisdom. Try posting in the prep thread, ask what other folks with coarse beards find works best.

There's also the forum dedicated to just DEs--you might get more replies there. I don't know if everyone here reads in the Beginners area that often.

The one thing I do that might apply to you is I lather my whole face, shave the neck, sideburns, and cheeks, then rinse everything and relather my mustache and chin. They're the toughest whiskers on my face, and this gives them two things: a generous presoak in the lather, and fresh, moist lather for the actual shave.

Best wishes to you, and again, welcome!

If you're worried about razor burn, the Weishi razor is very mild (and very cheap). A Weishi, with a blade sampler pack, is a pretty safe way to start out. It may not give you the closest possible shave, but it won't nick or burn much.

It's also made of aluminum, and very light. The rule often quoted here:

. . . "Use just the weight of the razor -- no pressure at all"

may not work. But _just a little pressure_ will be enough.

Usually, with DE shaving, "razor burn" means you're using too much pressure on the blade. Good blades (particularly Feather and Astra) are _sharp_. You'll be cutting whiskers, not scraping whiskers.

If you don't have a styptic pencil, get one at the local pharmacy. "First shaves" can give lots of nicks.

Charles

PS - I use an Edwin Jagger DE89 "barley", with a Feather blade. That's a little too aggressive for most absolute beginners. And the razor isn't cheap.

Welcome to SRP.

I made the switch to DEs years ago, but am now using SRs. I started DE shaving by buying a Merkur 33C Classic, and later was given a 1963 Gillette Slim Adjustable; the adjustable became my main razor after that. The Merkur 33C is a bit on the light side, but a good training DE razor. But, I would still recommend the heavier Murker 34C HD; let the heavy head do the shave work. If you don't mind spending a few more $$, then I would recommend getting one of the Merkur Adjustable DE razors; adjustable DEs allow you to adjust the angle of the blade so that it fits your style of shaving.

As mentioned by others, get a sample pack and try various blades. Not all DE blades are created equal or work the same on each person. I found that the Wilkinson Sword & Derby Extra blades work best for me. Also, don't forget to replace the blade at least once a week; as you use different blades, you will get a feel for how long they keep their sharpness.

Thank you all for your information. I believe that I will begin with the Merkur HD and eventually work my way to a Straight Razor. I look forward to being a member of this community and hope to be of value to the group.

Hi welcome to our world of shaving remember read as much as you can on here about prep for shaving as almost the same for both razors and always a good start to a shave have fun with it and enjoy