Thread: Disapointed with DE shave?

Thank you everyone for your ideas and encouragement!

I found some Personna blue blades with the arrows on at Sally Beauty Supply and tried them this morning. OMG what a difference, I can actually hear the blade cutting my beard. I did a 3 pass shave, not sure what the correct terms are but I call them, down, up and across right to left. Took about 10 minutes. Not quite BBS but pretty damn close. I have ordered some different blades from West Coast Shaving and will try them out.

Again thank you all for your help!

Jon

Glad it is all starting to work out for you. Amazing what a difference switching to a different blade can make, eh. Those super speed Gillettes are smooth shavers.

Bob

WTG = with the grain, XTG = across the grain, AGT = against the grain. In general mos shavers use WTG and XTG. Reportsof too much irritation and ingrown hairs from ATG. As they say, who knows and YMMV. Enjoy your new DE blades.

For my DE, I switched to feather blades which I find work the best. I also do a with grain pass, followed by against the grain. I can get BBS with a DE easier than with a straight, but it just doesn't last as long.

As with straights the ATG pass is the hardest to get right. Like straights it takes experimentation and patience too. If you are having trouble with ATG don't push it, it will eventually click. Every shave does not have to be BBS, DFS will do nicely most times. Generally you won't get a shave that will last as long as with a straight so that is normal. OTH there are DE/blade combos that will come kissing close to lasting as long as a straight shave. If you are really bent on getting that then try a Muhle R41/Feather combo.

Bob

I really enjoy my DE. I only have one, the Parker 91r. As far as I'm told it is a fairly aggressive DE. I use feather platinum razor blades which are screaming sharp, some have said the sharpest blade. I'm a huge fan of my Parker because it's a super heavy weight with a log handle. It's my go-to in-a-rush shaver. When I don't have the time for a straight shave I use my Parker and get as close a shave with a fresh blade or one with a few shaves on it. As others have said, technique, DE aggressiveness, and razor blade sharpness/quality will make or break BBS. It won't take long before you can shave as fast with a DE as your old multi blade contraptions. Good luck and enjoy!

I'll pile on by agreeing with the advice you have been given above. I would not put a Derby blade on my face again. I'll add the Gillette 7 O'Clock series and especially the black's as far better choices than Derby. Angles, following face contours with light pressure and beard and better lather preparation will all help you to put your cartridge shaving behind you forever.

This time next year you'll probably be asking similar questions about your new or vintage straight

If you want to try a Med Prep or Feather blades, let me know. PIF.

Be sure to work on pre-shave routines as well. A simple lather before a hot shower will make a difference.

If the blades don't work and your pre-shave is down, it may be time to consider a different razor.

Originally Posted by BobH

As with straights the ATG pass is the hardest to get right. Like straights it takes experimentation and patience too. If you are having trouble with ATG don't push it, it will eventually click. Every shave does not have to be BBS, DFS will do nicely most times. Generally you won't get a shave that will last as long as with a straight so that is normal. OTH there are DE/blade combos that will come kissing close to lasting as long as a straight shave. If you are really bent on getting that then try a Muhle R41/Feather combo.

Bob

Completely agree with Bob, in fact you could buy the more forgiving Mühle closed comb (R89) and when DE shaving has become second nature buy the more aggressive open comb (R41) razor head that Mühle sells separately and convert your R89 into an R41 and see whether you might like the open comb shave better.

My standard go-to DE blade is the Feather blade (I found that a supermarket near me stocks them) and while much has been written about their sharpness, they are smooth and give me very comfortable shaves.
Nothing to be afraid of - I am more afraid of some of the lower quality blades that tug right our of the box.

I use a three passes for my DE shaves and it takes me about 10 minutes without rushing, straight shaves take about 25.
I see no use in rushing a shave, it takes what it takes, but mentioned this only to give you an indication where the road to DE or straight shaving may take you eventually.

And that's what it is, a road - and it's the travel (morning shave) that matters more than destination.
After more than 40 years of wet-shaving I still try something slightly different from time to time, just to see whether a slight change in my routine could make my shave just that tiny bit better.





B.