Thread: New to DE / Saftey Razors- Need some insight. What razor/cream/ blades/aftershave?

My dear KidFrost:

You are very welcome. Those products should get you started in the right direction. What's more, we're all here to help out.

Oh, yes, that Pils set of razor, brush and stand is stunning. It oozes class. I've eyed it for quite a while, but the price gives me hot flashes. I have the razor, and maybe one of these days I'll wink at the brush and the stand to complete the set. Let me see, my birthday is June 29th, and perhaps I should print a copy of the set and let it find its way to the dining room table just in case the dearly beloved or my girls sashay by.

Regards,

Obie

Hello SRP,

My package from Obie arrived today, and I got to admire my new Edwin Jagger 89L, Mukur Mergress, and Vintage Gillete Superspeed. All very nice tools. I also got the oportunity to shave for the first time in my lfe with a DE straight razor.
My results well, are mixed. Heres the hardware and accompaning products.



For starters: Heres my 6 day old beard. I let it grow in anticipation of my new shaving endevour.





Heres my first lather using Shea Butter Shave Cream.




My first tool of choice was mt amazing looking Murkur Mergress with a Murkur Platinum blade.
With this setup I proceded to my three pass shave. After the first pass I decided to change the setting from 1 to 3. After my second pass I was not impressed. I wasnt nearly as close as I can get from a "cartrage" razor. And I was getting more razor burn as well. I figured I must have beein doing somthing wrong.

So.. I changed my tool. I then put a Gillette 7 o clock blade into my Edwin Jagger 89L... and proceded with my 3rd pass...

And boy did I change my mind immediately. It shaved like a dream. It glided like a champion hockey player. It was also extremely close in compairson to my previous setup.

So I am not sure if it was my blade, the setting on the Murkur, or simply my technique but switching from the Murkur to the EJ made a big difference.

After I was finished and a quick rinse, I alpplied Edwin Jagger aftershave "Sea Buckhorn" that Obie inlcuded for free. It was a nice soothing feeling, enjoyable.




So my end results are good with a positive outlook. I will continue to experiment with blades and razors and settings but so far I have found an instant winner in the EJ 89L.

One question, Do you guys think my choice of blade in the Murkur was wrong? Im thinking I might try a Gillette 7 oclock in the Mergress next..

So thanks again guyf for the help, advise, and good info.
Again Obie a special thanks to you.

-KidFrost

Hello, KidFrost:

I am glad you enjoyed your starter kit. The Merkur blades work perfectly for some gentlemen and are not good for others. Still, it's good to try a variety of blades to set a standard of sorts.

Yes, I would try the Gillette 7 O'Clock "yellow packs" in the Mergress. Dial the razor to No. 2 and start from there. Those Gillettes are high on the sweet parade. The Mergress is the modified Merkur Progress, which is known as somewhat of an aggressive razor. The smoothness of the Gillettes is bound to tame the Mergress.

I cannot say enough about the Edwin Jagger 89L. The razor is not only lovely to look at and sports impeccable workmanship, but I also find it high on my comfortable list. It's just a sweet razor in every way. Any of your blades should work well in it. On second thought, try the Merkur in the Edwin Jagger, too. If you still experience irritation, then you'll know the Merkur blades are not for you.

Enjoy your stash and keep us informed on your progress.

Regards,

Obie

A little piece of advice that was passed down to me is to try and stick with one routine for a while, especially when starting out. Since there is likely a lot of variation in your technique, angle, and prep from day to day, it will be hard to really tell the difference between different products. Yes, maybe the Merkur blade was no good, but it's also possible that your prep wasn't up to par, your angle was off, etc etc.

Once you know your technique is a bit more solid, then you'll get more out of switching to various other blades, razors, and products. I'm not saying you have to wait until you're a master DE shaver until you experiment with different products, but I'd recommend using the same process for at least 4-5 shaves before trying something new.

I agree wholeheartedly with the previous post by MisterSensitive. Sometimes repeating a process that originally resulted in a poor outcome is beneficial to confirm that a particular blade or technique is not right for you. I, too, did not do well with Merkur blades. I used them for my first 4 or 5 DE shaves and experienced heavy irritation. I noticed Personna blades in the picture you posted of your new supplies - those are my favorites and have been using them exclusively for over a year now. Be sure to give those a try!

Day 2:
I decided to take another swing at my new shave style, this time with ony 24Hrs of growth on my face.

This time I used Mitchells Wool Fat shaving soap, My Edwin Jagger with a Gillette 7 oclock blade and Edwin Jagger after shave lotion.

The results were much better. Still a bit more razor burn than a Mach 3 but far less than yesterday. I felt a little more comfortable today and was a little bit quicker.

I am going to stick to this setup for the rest of the week.

all in all.. thumbs up

Edit:

OOH! Is the Stypic Pencil not suppose to get wet?
Yesterday I got a small nick, so I stopped grabbed my pencil, wet it with warm water and rubbed the nick. It worked very well. I placed it on the back of the sink and continued.

Today I go in for my shave and the pencil is almost completely melted away and dried up on my sink .. just a small piece remains. LOL

Can I buy one of these locally?

Hello, KidFrost:

Always run the styptic pencil tip under cold water, dab your knick, run the styptic pencil under cold water again and just pat it dry on your towel. You should be fine. And, yes, you can get a Pinaud styptic pencil from your local pharmacy. Remember to run the tip under cold water.

Your shave will improve day by day. Don't go over the same spot multiple times. On a given pass, try only one stroke in the same spot and move on to the next. In the subsequent passes in different directions, do the same thing. Also keep the pressure as low as possible. Imagine you're holding a feather in your hand. The Mergress is a heavy razor, so be especially mindful of the pressure.

By the way, by honing your skill with the double edge you'll discover that the Mach 3 will be a distant memory. Don't forget to send me a personal message if you have specific questions.

You're doing fine. Stay with it.

Regards,

Obie

Happy birthday Obie. Thanks for taking KidFrost under your wing and showing him how to get started. You are truly a gentleman. KidFrost, glad you are happy with your new tools and I hope you enjoy using them for years to come.

Walter

Originally Posted by whavens

Happy birthday Obie. Thanks for taking KidFrost under your wing and showing him how to get started. You are truly a gentleman. KidFrost, glad you are happy with your new tools and I hope you enjoy using them for years to come.

Walter

My dear Walter,

Thank you for remembering my birthday, and for the kind words

Yes, our good friend KidFrost is coming along swimmingly. He is a delight to work with. A gentleman. Before long, I might add, he will be floating through his morning shave.

Regards,

Obie

Day 3:

Again today I chose to go with my Edwin Jagger mated to a Gillette 7 o clock as you guys suggested I stick to. I also used the same soap and lather.

Also this time I stuck to a 3 pass shave .. but after the first pass I started to get some serious tug and pull and subsequent bleeding ( little patches of blood spots, which I treated w. my new styptic) I knew I hadent changed my angle or tecnique, nor was I trying to speed up the process. So I decided to change the Gilette 7 oclock blade out (that i have only used twice or 6 passes) with a brand new one and the results were supurb, while I still had some irritation from the previous blade the new one worked nicely.

I did change one thing about my routine, since I ran out of the sample pack of Edwin Jagger aftershave lotion, yesterday I dropped by the local pharmacy and grabbed some Nivea "cooling" aftershave balm, and today I used it.. Much to my approval. At first b.c. of my open wounds It burned but it was soon followed by a very soothing cooling sensation which calmed my face down from the shave. Nivea gets 2 :thumbsup:.

Now, Have you guys ever heard of someones beard chewing up a blade in two shaves? Of only a days worth of growth each time?

Should I maybe switch to a sharper blade? if so what would you guys suggest?

Heres whats in my sampler pack from Obie:
Derby Extra
Dorco platinum- Stainless Blade
Astra Superior Platinum
Personna Platinums
Murkur Super Platinum

or should I order up some Feathers?

Thanks guys

-KidFrost