Thread: Am I missing something in DE shaving?

I picked up an old 3-piece Gilette DE razor in an antique shop, and bought some Feather Hi-Stainless (coated) blades.

I tried the combination two days ago -- HARSH !!! Tried it again this morning, thinking "light pressure, light pressure" -- HARSH !!!, and several small cuts.

I can manage OK with a straight razor and Gilette cartridge (for the tricky spots), so my lather is probably OK.

Is there a reason (besides low cost) that people use DE blades and razors?

Thanks --

Charles

Absolutely. The reason is near straight razor quality shaves. DE's are like anything else, they require some practice to get perfect results. The fact that you can manage a good shave with a SR (and a cartridge of all things) is a good indicator that you could have success with a DE.

Remember, all DE's shave differently, especially with different blade combos. Bad razor/blade combo + newb technique can definitely equal a poor shave.

Also the different DEs expose a different amount of blade and some are more harsh than others. I prefer my Schick Krona over all others I have used. I have a Gillette Old Type and a Gillette New Type and the Old type is too harsh for my face but my wife and daughter love it for their legs. The New Type is a much milder shave for me but not quite as good as my Krona.

Feathers are known to be harsh so I'm not surprised to hear your experience. You could soften it by swiping the edge on cork. I cannot shave with Feathers. They tear my skin apart. Even when using the cork trick. Others have no issues. It will all depend your skin. I love Derby blades and they shave me extremely well with no harshness.

Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

I picked up an old 3-piece Gilette DE razor in an antique shop, and bought some Feather Hi-Stainless (coated) blades.

I tried the combination two days ago -- HARSH !!! Tried it again this morning, thinking "light pressure, light pressure" -- HARSH !!!, and several small cuts.

I can manage OK with a straight razor and Gilette cartridge (for the tricky spots), so my lather is probably OK.

Is there a reason (besides low cost) that people use DE blades and razors?

Thanks --

Charles

Is that a Gillette with a comb head? And the Feather is notorious.

There is an immense difference between different pieces of DE shave kit, this is part of the pleasure, a totally customised experience with every shave. You need to research the kit a bit more.
Try a Gillette 7 O'Clock yellow pack blade in an Edwin Jagger DE89L and then you will see what it is all about.

You have picked the most aggressive blade coupled with one of the most aggressive razors (if it's an open comb). Add the fact that you don't have the most experience and it would not be a combo most people would recommend.

You should have started with a milder blade and razor IMHO.

Originally Posted by BruceOnShaving

Try a Gillette 7 O'Clock yellow pack blade in an Edwin Jagger DE89L and then you will see what it is all about.

Hello, CPCohen:

Our good friend Bruce makes an excellent point here. That combination of razor and blade is sweet.

I, however, like the Feather and use it in my Edwin Jagger "barley" and the Muhle-Pinsel (they share the Muhle shave head). Of the scores of blades I have tried through the years, though, the smoothest for me is the Gillette 7 O'Clock "Sharp Edge" — yellow pack.

Experiment with razor and blade combination until you find the right blend for you.

Regards,
Obie

Thanks to everyone . . .

I assumed that I would have a quick, easy, and inexpensive experience -- the Giletter was only $4. Nothing is that simple, eh? <g>

The EJ 86 and EJ 89 have different angles and edge exposures? Or do they have the same geometry ?

Thanks again --

Charles

Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

Thanks to everyone . . .

The EJ 86 and EJ 89 have different angles and edge exposures? Or do they have the same geometry ?

Hello, Charles:

The Edwin Jagger DE 89L has the lined chrome handle, the 86 mock ebony and the 87 mock ivory. To my knowledge, the shave heads are the same Muhle-Pinsel.

Regards,
Obie

I bought a Merkur DE Long Handle Classic from SRD and I love it! It is not harsh but cuts far better than the expensive multi-blade razors that we all hate for being over-priced. It is almost as good as the straight and I would recommend it to all. It is heavy like a real tool in your hands!