Thread: New to DE

New to the Forum and the DE razor,

Just got 2 DE from ebay a couple of weeks ago, both are gillette one is TTO the other is a travel size 3 piece. Just thought I'd drop in and say hello and I look forward to the DE shave and plan on working my way to straights.

Welcome to SRP! It's a good place to spend time learning about straights if you intend to try it someday. And using a DE will help you get a handle on wet shaving in general, and help with blade angle ,your whisker growth patterns, etc. when you do try a straight razor.

Just remember that a DE is much easier to wield than a cut-throat, so when it comes to a point that you want to try one, be patient. It may take a month of shaves before you start getting some consistency, it may take another month to get a shave better than the DE.


Mick

Welcome! A DE is indeed a fine shaver.

Once you get comfortable using the DE, the challenge of the straight will get the wheels turning. And there is a ton of great information on all aspects of shaving (both DE and Straights) on this site. Good luck.

Welcome to Straight Razor Place!

Welcome to SRP!

As mentioned above, it takes a while to get familiar with all the proper angles and hair-growth direction, but you'll see that once you get the hang of it and get to know your "facial hair geography", you won't want to shave any other way....

...Unless you get bitten by the straight shaving bug!

If your experience is anything like mine, you'll find the first two or three shaves lousy and a bit scary. The big change you will have to make is to NOT APPLY PRESSURE!

When I used a Pro Fusion, I was able to use pressure, make quick passes, not worry about nicks and cuts. With a DE that is not the case. By the fifth shave, I was a bit more comfortable with the DE, and by the tenth shave I felt like I was getting the hang of it. I then tried starting with an ATG pass all the way from the neck to the top of the cheek (very gingerly of course) and that was not a problem. That's where the learning curve flattened out, and I was hooked. By the tenth shave, you will find that you are a DE shaver. But then straights will loom on the horizon, and that is a very different story as I have mentioned elsewhere.

Oh, and welcome!

Welcome to SRP Sharpg! This is the best place on the WWW to find out about anything to do with wet shaving, and most anything else out there! The guys here are great and knowledgeable and willing to help with any problem you have, just ask! I just started out with a DE this week also, but have been shaving with a straight for 2 years now. The two biggest things IMHO, and I'm sure everyone else would agree, is 1. Don't use any pressure, let the razor do the work. and 2. Don't be afraid of the blade. I have to admit it, I was a little apprehensive using the DE for the first time but realized by the time I was done my first shave with it, is if you tense up and are afraid of it, that's when she'll bite! Also getting nervous just takes away from the wonderful shaving experience that a DE can give! Have fun, Enjoy every second of it, hope to see you more here at SRP!

Originally Posted by rrp1501

if you tense up and are afraid of it, that's when she'll bite! Also getting nervous just takes away from the wonderful shaving experience that a DE can give

+1. A confident hand makes for a bloodless shave

But then again, an over-confident hand can rake you up like the razor was wielded by a newb. It's just one of many wetshaving contradictions....