Thread: First Few DE shaves...

well
holli4pirating PIF'd me a DE and a couple of blades and I gave it a shot.



First impression of DE's was not good. Razor burn like a thousand angry bumble bee souls were imparted directly into my face. You people aren't kidding when you say use NO pressure.

A few shaves in now and I've got the hang of it. Smoother than a disposable and no more irritation. Definitely different than a straight but very handy when in more of a hurry. I think I'm going to get the old man one for fathers day. It's all together pleasant and much easier but I still like the effort and skill I have to put in to get a good shave from a straight.

I use a DE frequently as I can shave faster with one than a straight. I can get a good, irritation free shave from one. I agree that the skill and effort a straight requires give a little something extra to the straight shave. However, my DE gets used during the week when I am pressed for time.

Well I just got my first DE and shaved with it for my first time today. I bought a merkur slant from classic and got a pack of merkur blades and feathers, I used the merkur that came with the razor today.

I didn't really get any irritation or razor burn, noticed a little stinging, not much, on my neck when I used the alum though and got a single nick on my neck and a few tiny ones below my bottom lip (was getting a little careless on second pass there). The razor didn't feel like it was cutting at all, just gliding across the skin. I didn't use any pressure and was a little baffled at first wondering if it was even cutting the whiskers, it was though. Not as close as a straight on two passes, but easier to get the bottom of my chin area that I sometimes struggle with with a straight and definately much quicker. I suspect with more practice or maybe another blade combination I may get a closer shave.

I used some CF Limes cream that arrived with the DE from classic shaving that stuff was great, well my first experience was good. I think I may buy another one to keep at work with a tube of proraso or something for days I decide to ride my bike in.

Originally Posted by bevansmw

Well I just got my first DE and shaved with it for my first time today. I bought a merkur slant from classic and got a pack of merkur blades and feathers, I used the merkur that came with the razor today.

well my first experience was good. I think I may buy another one to keep at work with a tube of proraso or something for days I decide to ride my bike in.

Hi there,
If I may, let me offer a few thoughts on your new tools. I imagine you did a bit of research on the slant before pulling the trigger, so you know that model is one of the more aggressive ones. I've never used a Merkur of any kind, so I can't speak from experience, but there's plenty that's been posted about that model. I know many members find it to be their razor of choice, but it's not really the one recommended to start in with. The idea for most new DE shavers is to kinda ease into things, and the slant may be more challenging to master, It can certainly can be accomplished, but you just have to go slooowly.
Now.........those blades you have is the other part of the combo to think about. The merkur blades are not the preferred choice of most DE users. I won't go into detail, but there's other blades with a better chance of being compatible with your face. Hehe, read some threads in other forums about members experiences with those blades and see what you think. Some members love those, but most don't.
The feather blade is one I'd stay away from till your technique improves. It's different animal compared to any other blades I've ever tried, and can hurt you badly if technique is off.The slant/feather combo is well known as one of THE most aggressive set ups available, which I'm guessing is why you purchased it. Sure, you can learn DE shaving with it, but it's tougher than it could be.
First thing, would be to order some different blades to figure out which are best for you. There's 4-5 popular ones to start with, all totally different than the two you have now. Yeah, as you probably know, blades are a VERY personal thing, and they have to actually be used to see how they feel to your face.
That's the easy way to help minimize any initial discomfort with a DE, and blades make a HUGE difference in shaving pleasure (or lack of it).
I can send you a small selection of the more popular ones to sample if you like. Pm me if you're interested, and if not, then best of luck on your DE journey.
Martin

Thanks for the offer, sent a PM. I have read some posts elsewhere about the feather/slant combo and read some reviews of the slant on B&B. I was thinking of trying a feather blade when I changed the blade for the first time lol ... I'll probably give it a whirl and just be careful.. afterall I went from shaving with an electric straight to using a straight when I started this migration to wet shaving. Definately appreciate the offer to try a sampling of some blades