Thread: DE shaving. Learn from my mistakes.

Hello everyone,

So I just got done shaving with my DE. And let me tell you, the angle I was using was way too steep, so I flatted the head of the razor, and I immediately felt a difference. I was able to go against the grain a bit without feeling that my hairs were getting plucked instead of shaved. All I know is that it's going to take me a long while to learn. I couldn't go to every spot ATG because of the plucking hair feel. The no pressure rule was hard to follow, it felt like I wasen't shaving the hair off at all.

Right? I started on DEs only after having become accustomed to the straight, and I couldn't _believe_ how badly I could mess up my face with a "safety" razor! I guess I thought it would be a lot like using a cartridge, but it sure isn't. Learning the angles all over again was a big part of it: starting with no blade (basically the handle at a 90-degree angle to my skin) then only bringing the handles down far enough for the blade to shave (and no further).

Eventually, of course, it became easy. I love the speed and ease of a DE shave now.

Keep watching the angle and the pressure, you will get there.

Bob

I first shaved with a DE 50 or so years ago, and started again as a substitute when I don't have time to use a SR...My suggestion...take the angle approach opposite to yours (if I understand what you're doing correctly), by which I mean put the edge of the razor against your face first (no blade contact) then rotate it SLIGHTLY away from your face. With a quality DE blade, you should be able to hear whiskers being removed, and not feel hardly anything at all. Also, no pressure should be needed in most areas.

Originally Posted by Glow

So I just got done shaving with my DE. And let me tell you, the angle I was using was way too steep, so I flatted the head of the razor, and I immediately felt a difference. I was able to go against the grain a bit without feeling that my hairs were getting plucked instead of shaved. All I know is that it's going to take me a long while to learn. I couldn't go to every spot ATG because of the plucking hair feel. The no pressure rule was hard to follow, it felt like I wasen't shaving the hair off at all.

Three things come to mind after reading your post:

-Find the lowest angle that will shave hair and maintain it throughout the shave.
-Zero pressure means using the weight of the head to do all the work (one reason why I like heavy DE's ).
-If you use the same prep and techniques as you would with a straight razor you have a surefire recipe for success.