Technique Help Needed

[britaliano]

Hello all, I have a Merkur 34C which I am using with Merkur blades.

I have shaved six times with it.

First shave was great, a couple of small cuts.

Since then I have been really cutting up, especially on the chin and under the nose. I am certainly not moving from side to side but I need some help with an ideal blade angle.

I have been lathering, shaving with the grain then lathering again and shaving across.

If I have time I lather the sides of my face and shave against the grain but would not dare doing that anywhere else.

The cuts come from the very first strokes on the chin, with the grain.

So is it a matter of perseverance or are you jumping up and down, certain that I am making some basic errors?

Any guidance much appreciated!

[MickR]

Hard to say with any definate precision. I have a few words of advice that may help.

1) Try a variety of blades. Merkur blades may not be right for you.

2) Decrease pressure on the stroke.

3) Angle; Place the top of the razor head on your face and slowly roll it towards the blade as you move the razor as if shaving. You have the starting point for the best angle when you feel (more likely hear, if it's a sharp, fresh blade) the blade start to shave.

4) Less tension on the skin. Don't stretch as much.

5) May be a case of needing to condition the skin if you haven't always sported a clean shaven chin.

That's all I can think of at the moment. May or may not help, and as always, there are much wiser people than myself on this forum who may just chime in.


Mick

[cpcohen1945]

. . .

1) Try a variety of blades. Merkur blades may not be right for you.

2) Decrease pressure on the stroke.

3) Angle; Place the top of the razor head on your face and slowly roll it towards the blade as you move the razor as if shaving. You have the starting point for the best angle when you feel (more likely hear, if it's a sharp, fresh blade) the blade start to shave.
. . .
Mick

With a sharp blade, _very light pressure_ and the right angle, you should not get cut up. "Too much pressure" is the bane of beginners with DE razors. I speak from experience.

charles

PS -- Mick's "roll the razor until the blade starts to cut" is a really good rule for finding the right angle of attack -- thanks!

[britaliano]

Yep, gonna try that in the morning. Set aside and extra 15 minutes to get this one right.

Thanks again.

[britaliano]

Firstly, thanks again for all the support.

OK, I set myself a good 45 minutes this morning. I spent a lot more time on the lather. I clearly need a better vessel for this, I am currently using the lid from my shaving cream pot so I will get on ebay in a minute. It was a much better lather than I have created before and I think definitely made a difference.

I diligently followed the tip on starting with the top of the razor against my face and slowly rotate to get a finer shaving angle.

Worked superbly along the side, much more comfortable with the grain and across. I didn't shave against as I didn't want to push it.

On the chin and under the nose, again much better. I did cut up a little but far less than before. i think the problem was that I was shaving over existing cuts so I am going to shave the chin with a cartridge every other shave to give it time to condition.

My DE shaving life starts here, I will follow the tips each time.

Off to ebay!!!!

[MickR]

If at all possible mate, allow yourself a few days to heal those cuts, rather than shaving over them everyday. Of course your lifestyle/job etc might not make that possible, but it is a good idea if you can. I'm glad to read that my advice was helpful in some small way.


Mick

[cpcohen1945]

Firstly, thanks again for all the support.

. . .
Worked superbly along the side, much more comfortable with the grain and across. I didn't shave against as I didn't want to push it.

. . .
My DE shaving life starts here, I will follow the tips each time.

Off to ebay!!!!

I'm glad you're on the right path! Good lather and careful technique are your friends.

My suggestion:

. . . Don't shave "against the grain" until you can get a close, no-irritation shave
. . . using just WTG and XTG strokes.

Shaving ATG requires a really sharp blade, really light pressure, and good skin stretching. Without all of those, you'll get cuts, razor burn, or both.

That's my experience, anyway.

Charles

[britaliano]

Quick update........

First SE shave for a couple of weeks due to travelling. Best shave so far with only tiny nicks.

I need to avoid getting too bold with my strokes and also get better at switching to using my left hand but I am much more happy!

Thanks again all.

[jgthomas11]

Quick update........

First SE shave for a couple of weeks due to travelling. Best shave so far with only tiny nicks.

I need to avoid getting too bold with my strokes and also get better at switching to using my left hand but I am much more happy!

Thanks again all.

britaliano,

I started DE shaving with a DE in late June of this year and have enjoyed it. I have an Edwin Jagger 89d and a Merkur 180L which both give great shaves! I was fortunate and did not have too much in the way of cuts but did suffer from some minor abrasion. Things that helped me were:

* Don't go cheap. Buy good blades, good soap or cream, a good brush, and prep properly
* Prep your face properly. Can't over emphasize this!
* Practiced making lather until I was good with it. My wife thought I was nuts standing in the bathroom "playing with the soap" but I learned how to make a decent lather
* Watch some of the YouTube videos by geofatboy and manic59 on DE shaving
* Bought a razor blade sampler of about 6 different brands of blades
* Threw the blade out after 3 shaves. I now go longer with some blades but this gave me a baseline for experimenting with different blades. I also realized that you will cut and abrade yourself more with a dull blade than a sharp one.
* Don't shave in a hurry. Enjoy the shaving experience!

Personally, I have gravitated to the Feather blade but it may not work for you though I would suggest giving it a try. It is very sharp and tends cut cleanly when some others begin to pull. Mitchell's Wool Fat soap is a treat and cushions well and is slick.

I keep think I left something out but the other posts probably cover it. As I said earlier, enjoy the shaving experience!

Jim

[OldSoldier]

SLOW DOWN. I am teaching myself how to use a DE, actually re-educating myself because I taught myself initially more than 30 years ago how to use one. My primary choice of razors is a straight but I have recently purchased a DE for my grandson so I figured I should get one for me as well so I can teach from a point of experience.
The first shave went pretty well, only 2 abrasions caused by improper angle; I chose the word abrasion because I did NOT cut myself, the angle caused me to get a little deep in the dermis and remove sking along with whiskers. I was quite happy I didn't cut myself because my very first shave with a DE left me quite literally scarred for life. Had I been moving a little slower and concentrating on the angle of razor head I would not have abbrated my skin.
I am currently coaching / teaching my grandson how to wet shave with a str8 and very soon with a DE because he is going in the Navy; another story. ANYWAY... The main idea I drive home every time we discuss shaving is slow, steady, attention to angle and above all else - concentrate on the task at hand. The only cut he has reported thus far is removing a "zit", to which I responded continue at current speed and don't get overconfident.
Back to your situation, without actually watching you shave all I can do is to offer the same advice I do my grandson; slow down and concentrate, watch the angle of the razor head in relation to your face. DO NOT push the into your face, the weight of the razor should be sifficient to remove whiskers, pressing the razor against your face will increase the chances of cutting or irritating skin immensely. Eventaully you'll develop the right amount of force necessary to remove whiskers without tearing up your face.