DE Shave irritation

Hi,

I recently decided to try a DE. Picked up a nice 1953 Gillette Super Speed 40's style body and a sample pack of DE blades. The first blade I dropped in was a Persona Platinum. I lathered with Williams and began to shave. General the shave went well it felt fine until I splashed on some clubman. Ouch! that stung. Then for the next 8 hours my face felt all pinchy like I was getting pricked by own beard.

Do you think it is the blade, Maybe try try another brand or New blade? This one only has 3 shaves on it.

Maybe it's the DE style, should I try a different DE? I also have a 1963 Gillette slim adjustable I have yet to try. I read to start with a fixed DE to get the technique down, so I was holding off on the adjustable.

Maybe its the guy holding the razor not doing it correctly? Any general advice would be great. Maybe an Alum block would help.

The odd thing is, I never get any shave irritation when I shave with my straights.

Mike

I seem to have minor issues with DE's as well. I haven't got any real answers except to suggest less pressure and try several other blade brands.


Mick

Hi,

I bought a sample packe that came with 5 different brands. I bought for that reason to test them. I heard on guy suggest that he gets really nice DE shave with surgical prep DE blades from Persona. Maybe they are sharper or designed to cut differently.

Experimentation I guess is it for now.

- Mike

I've settled on both Treets with Astra as a close second. Feathers were super sharp, but I think they were the cause of a few extra ingrowns...I seem to be having far fewer issues now that I've settled on the aforementioned blade choices. Previous blades I've tried are Merkur, Derby, and Personna Red. The order of favour is the same, with Feathers, Astra and Treets completing the list. I also need to work on a slight pressure issue I have when using a DE. I mostly use a Straight and have no issues there.


Mick

Hi,

Then I'll open my next sample. It cam with Derby Extra, Persona Platinum, Astra Super, Feather Hi Stainless, Crystal.

SO far I have only tried the Persona. I'll try the astra next see how that goes.

Thanks for sharing the blades you have tried.

- Mike

Your mileage with blades is going to vary. For example, Mick likes Merkur blades over Derby and I'm exactly the opposite. But, I do agree with Mick that Feathers are remarkably sharp. It's a lot like straight shaving -- no pressure.

Hello, Mike:

As these learned gentlemen note, heavy pressure is a problem for shaving with a double edge (as well as the straight). Keep it light. Also, the brand of blade used can effect skin condition.

I will add another item: avoid going over the same spot excessively. This frequently will cause razor burn and general skin irritation. Finally, the preparation for the double edge must be as extensive as that for the straight.

I use Feather and the Gillette "Sharp Edge" (yellow packs). I find the Gillettes almost as sharp as the Feathers, but smoother. Also, you might consider using a less aggressive double edge razor. I suggest the Edwin Jagger 89L, which is sweet razor.

Regards,
Obie

Hi,

I do all of my prep the same show, then hot towel, lather and shave. The De just glides on my face. I think I may be guilty of multiple passes with the DE.

To I shaved with my straight. I'll pay more attention to pressure and passes and see how that does.

Thanks,
Mike

The choice of blade really is individual. You'll see it in threads on DE oriented forums. Guys will say a blade that you like is terrible and a blade you think is terrible is great. For me the #1 blade was the Gillette Swede with the Feather a close second. As Obie noted, the Feather is as sharp but not as smooth.

It is also a matter of technique. When I first tried Derby blades I didn't like them at all. So many guys posted about them that I came back to them to try them again. I found my technique had improved and in an early Super Speed they gave a great shave. Not the same as the Feather in my Slant or the Swede in an '50s Aristocrat but nice. So matching the blade to the DE seemed to me to also have an impact.

For me the no pressure and multiple pass, gradual stubble removal, was the most important thing I learned to avoid irritation while getting a close shave. If you try the adjustable start at 3 or so and open up gradually. The more blade exposure the more aggressive and you'll have to dial it in to suit your beard.

Yea, not much left to say on this. It's just a matter of finding the blade that suits you and your razor the best and then watching your angle and the pressure you use.

Personally I like the Feathers and the Gillette Swedes but I've also got good results with Mercurs and now I'm using Wilkinson which are pretty good too. My son uses iridiums and he seems to like those.

I think too many people brush off DE shaving as some slam dunk easy skill and compared to straight use it is easier however it's no slam dunk.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I think too many people brush off DE shaving as some slam dunk easy skill and compared to straight use it is easier however it's no slam dunk.

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+ 1. I've cut or nicked myself way more with DEs than with straights. That is one reason why I nearly always shave with the straight anymore.

Hi,

Some how I thought it would be easier than the straight. It turn out be another item to learn. I think my first course should be to try each of the five blades I have with my fix Gillette. Pay attention to passes and pressure, then try the adjustable later.

The more I read, the more it seems to be personal preference on blades.

Thanks for the info.

- Mike

Yes, blades are definately a personal taste thing, and I should have mentioned that in my last post. Sorry If I led you astray there. As I mentioned, I settled on Treets and Astra's, but you may hate both of them. I tried a blade a week, swapping over to a different blade, until I had sampled all the ones in my sample pack.
I picked my three favourites out of those and put them through a week apiece. I'd say it isn't enough time to make full judgement on one blade over another, but it suits my purpose as a sometime DE user.
I have a preference for my Cut-throats and only bought the DE as a plan B. I could use it every day quite happily, but...Well I just love the glint of steel at my throat...To use that most over-used word today...It adds the 'Bling' to shaving. :)


Mick

Hi,

No, I think you were clear. About personal taste or preference. I'm up to the challenge. It won't get figured out in a day, so we'll just have to see how it goes.

Thanks,
Mike

Hi,

I thought I'd update this thread. I followed the advice here. I used light pressure. Basically just let the razor glide on the skin. I also used a new Astra blade. The result was BBS with no irritation.

I noticed a few things while shaving today. It helped to listen to the cutting and feel of the edge of the blade on the skin to try maintain an idea angle. I also came to the conclusion that there is no shame in lathering more than once. I suppose as I pick up speed it may be possible but for now I like to soak a wet wash clothe and apply to re-wet my face, then re-lather. Today I lathered twice.

The next course of action is to go back to a new persona platinum and follow the same process to get a sense of comparison. Maybe alternate between them for 2-3 shaves to see how they degrade.

Thanks again,
Mike

Congrats on the improvement. Nothing wrong with taking time to learn new things, even if it means lathering a dozen times, speed will increase fairly quickly once you have an idea of what works for you.


Mick

Hi,

Thanks. Having this place for support really really make the difference in success or a lot pain the way to success. :beer1:

- Mike

Hi,

I gave my beard some timet to grow. I used the same techniques with new Persona Platinum as I did with the Astra. The results we good. I'd even say very similar. No irritation and a good close shave.

- Mike

Hmm, this is a familiar story. The number one issue is technique, and it sounds like you've got that well in hand, so the next thing is the blades themselves. Methodically trying out various brands for a minimum of a week each will eventually lead you to the ideal blade for your purposes, at which point I strongly suggest that you buy an awful lot of them. Good blades have a habit of being discontinued, and if the rumours about Super Iridiums are true, it's happening yet again.

Hi,

I've read that in a thread somewhere before. It's going to take me a bit to get through my sample pack.

Mike