Thread: Safety? really

Well I've only used a DE a few weeks and have only tried the one I have which is a Muhle. I haven't had a problem with it yet. I have also been using mild to medium aggressive blades based on what I've read. But after reading quite a bit about them it could be that you just have an aggressive razor and/or blade. There are mild blades such as Derby. Have you tried different blades?

Also, light to no pressure on the DE same as straights. Don't press down like a cartridge. I have found that I can even shave right over a raised mole with it with no problems. I used to nick that mole every couple of months with a cartridge.

One tip I saw somewhere said to hold it down near the end of the handle with the thumb and two fingers to lessen the likelyhood of applying pressure. May have been Mantic on his shave site, not sure.

I have been using a DE for over 7 years. I switched from a Mach3 to a DE razor. I started using a straight razor late last year, but I still use the DE for touch ups on my chin and lip areas.

As mentioned, the DE razor has its own learning curve. I remember nicking and cutting myself the first few times I used it. You should not apply pressure with the DE. Let the weight of the razor do the work and drag the razor across the face. I never realized it until now, but I do what Jetmech mentioned: I lightly hold the end of the DE handle with my thumb and 2 fingers when shaving to prevent myself from applying pressure.

Also, some DE blades are more aggressive than others, so that is another factor to consider.

Originally Posted by RVShave

I'm short time straight user and also got a safety razor for travel away from the rig. I figured a safety razor was named for a reason, but while learning to use it in between straight shaves, I'm nicking myself more with the safety and it makes me wonder why it is so named? Is it just the learning curve or the cheap razor I got (didn't want to put a lot of money into it), not sure I ever want to pick it up again.

What kind of DE did you get? I just got an Edwin Jagger DE87, imitation ivory handle, for $35, which is cheap compared to a straight, but then there are also cheap DE's on ebay made of plastic (not sure what your definition of cheap is). I haven't cut myself yet, and yesterday was my first time with a DE. It's like my new best friend. I've heard that cheaply made DE's can cut and nick your face up terribly, one of the reasons that I didn't get an ebay cheapo and took my time deciding if I wanted a DE enough to spend a bit more than $10. If you want a DE that's smooth smooth smooth, get an EJ87, 89 or whatever other handle you prefer according to your taste. I'm not a DE expert so I'm sure some other guys will have more options than just the Jagger