Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 12
  1. #1
    Senior Member Pops!'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA.
    Posts
    1,672
    Thanked: 275

    Default is it possible the blade doesn't agree with your technique?

    rather than saying a blade does not agree with you.. perhaps it's your technique that should be modified...

    although we try different blades and some work for us while others don't.. i wonder if it's not our skin.. but our method.. if i were to shave with many different blades and find out that i constantly get irritation with a certain blade.. i wouldn't use that blade.. but then say i go to a barber and he performs a perfect bbs shave on me using the same blade.. perhaps it's the technique and not the skin?

    am i making any sense?

  2. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Pops! For This Useful Post:

    JMS (09-09-2010), Obie (09-09-2010), Troggie (09-09-2010)

  3. #2
    JMS
    JMS is offline
    Usagi Yojimbo JMS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Ramona California
    Posts
    6,858
    Thanked: 792

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by vthomlinson View Post

    am i making any sense?
    Perfect sense Sir!

  4. The Following User Says Thank You to JMS For This Useful Post:

    Pops! (09-09-2010)

  5. #3
    Senior Member Pops!'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA.
    Posts
    1,672
    Thanked: 275

    Default

    ok.. it seems as if i get good shaves with feather platinums as well as u.s. personnas.. and now that i'm testing derby blades.. my aftershave sure lets me know i'm not doing a good job.. i hate to blame the blade.. especially one that is known to be so forgiving.. i'm going to figure this out one way or another.

  6. #4
    The Electrochemist PhatMan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Hastings, UK
    Posts
    1,714
    Thanked: 527

    Default

    Victor,

    Very interesting point

    With any shave there is a mix of variables - prep, lather making, the razor, the applying of the razor to the face.

    This is more so in the case of a safety razor shave, where the blade comes into the equation.

    It seems to be, that with good quality straights, properly honed, they mostly seem to give a good shaves for most people.

    This contrasts with DE safety blades, where a particular blade can be rated in a range as great as 'really great' to 'really crap' !

    There a very few blades out there that I have marked as 'really crap' for me, but WRT the others, they might fall under the remit of your point

    I will re-try some of them in the next few weeks.

    Have fun !

    Best regards

    Russ

  7. #5
    Member AFDavis11's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    5,726
    Thanked: 1486

    Default

    My opinion . . .

    It's all about pressure. Our technique becomes ingrained into how we shave and it is difficult to adjust our pressure no matter how well we try and focus on it.

    A super sharp blade requires us to apply little to no pressure, and a duller blade requires some pressure. Too much for the blade, or too little for the blade and we get a bad shave or irritation.

    Of course if your shaving at the wrong angle you are doomed with all but the dullest DE blades.

    For me the best set up is a dull blade with open exposure. This allows me to be as lazy as I want with technique. On the other hand, using a sharp Feather blade and decent exposure allows for a great shave, but I need to be very disciplined in my shave. Every slight turn of the blade increases the amount of pressure I am applying inadvertently.

    It is important here to mention that I have what is called "pocketed skin" around my mouth so irritation is likely.

  8. #6
    Inane Rambler Troggie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Chandler, AZ
    Posts
    574
    Thanked: 128

    Default

    I have thought this too.. I have a few DEs that I use with my early Krona being my favorite currently. I had a blade in a newer Krona and I found the shave rough and irritating. I then put that blade in the early Krona and the shave the next day was nice and refreshing with no irritation. I have yet to find a blade that does not work for me in that particular DE handle so you may be right in assuming it is not so much the blade as it is either the DE/blade combination or the way we shave with certain setups.

  9. #7
    The Hurdy Gurdy Man thebigspendur's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    New Mexico
    Posts
    32,736
    Thanked: 5016
    Blog Entries
    4

    Default

    I think there are many more variables with a straight than a DE. With a DE its angle and pressure but your not constantly changing the way you do with a straight. Depending on the brand of DE the way the blade is presented to your face will change things also. personally I get a good shave from just about any blade and I've tried many. Some I prefer for one reason or another. Much depends on if you have an easy beard or a hard one.
    No matter how many men you kill you can't kill your successor-Emperor Nero

  10. #8
    May your bone always be well buried MickR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Brisbane/Redcliffe, Australia
    Posts
    6,380
    Thanked: 983

    Default

    I am still a DE baby, but I did notice after replacing the Merkur blade in my 34c HD to a Derby, I had barely made one pass and I could already feel the irritation. Like Victor though, I was willing to lay the possibilty of the blame on my technique. I let the face have a days break before shaving today, with the straight again. Tomorrow will be another test for the Derby, paying very close attention to my technique.


    Mick

  11. #9
    Member GoingPostal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    58
    Thanked: 8

    Default

    If you are getting good shaves from the Feather and Personna blades, then I think the issue lies more with the Derby blade than your technique. Derby blades used to be highly regarded, but there have been a lot of complaints at the other forums in recent months concerning a big drop in quality. I used to only use Derby blades and found myself "corking" them to try and get a smooth shave out of them. In my opinion, if one needs to cork a blade to use it, then it's a bad blade.

    As for your barber giving you a good shave with a Derby blade, is he using one of those "straight razors" that use half a DE blade? If so, the technique and angle he uses is completely different than when you shave yourself and will, of course, yield a much different result.

  12. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    594
    Thanked: 66

    Default

    I have a DE Gllette gold ball tech/SE Treet with thick black handle and using Stainless steel blades and various blades with DE..I am starting to like Israeli Personna blades as the smoothest..if I were also to use my SE handle for a month or even 2 weeks..my face would adjust to it with no issues..my point is..it takes a few weeks for your face to adjust to any blade..but only the ones that don't tug or pull on the 1st use..IMOO

    Pcdad

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •