Quote Originally Posted by georgebsummer View Post
OK I got a DE for my brother to give him both options for a good shave the Straight for when he has time and the DE for when the baby is screaming. I just shaved for the first time with a DE so I could instruct him. Now I normally do three passes with my straight razor, and attempted the same with the DE. My face is on fire!! what the hell?!? I bought a DE from EBay and got some Gillette 7'o clock blades. Now in my ignorance I assumed that the razor made the difference with DE not the holder... am I that wrong?!?! I have never used so mush Balm to restore moister to my face!! If it is the blade what type should I get? if it is the Razor, what type should I get? if it is my technique, then what in the hell am I doing so wrong?? Please what ever help you can give so I can translate to my family would be great.
The DE razor itself can make a big difference...for instance, vintage Gillettes tend to be non-aggressive (though early, open-comb models are relatively more aggressive). Also, owing to the different way they hold the blade, the angle at which you hold the razor can differ significantly between razors -- the blade angle isn't at all intuitive (basically, the handle should be sticking almost straight out from your face -- as close as you can get it to perpendicular with the blade still making contact). I'd bet on either too-steep blade angle or too much pressure.