Thread: Thin cap vs. thick cap?

I have two Gillette Razors. Both are tech's or 100 ball ends? One with a thin cap and the other with a thick cap. I have no problem shaving with the thick cap, the thin cap has me running for the alum, leaving me with cuts all over. What's the trick to using the thin cap. I'm not applying pressure, that I'm aware of, and prep the same way every time. Is it an angle thing? Blades? I use Derby's only.

With DE shaving blade choice can make a world of a difference. I don't mind Derby blades, but to illustrate my point Derby's seem to work fine in my Merkur but are absolute crap in my Parker. There can also be variation between models from the same manufacturer, in your case Gilette vs Gilette. So a good starting point would be to pick up a blade sampler.

And now to razor weight, or cap size as you call it. In this regard the thicker the cap, the more weight the head of the razor has, and generally heavier razors are easier to shave with because the weight of the razor does all the work for you. With lighter razors, like the Tech, angle is important, but you should also rely on beard reduction passes rather than shaving the same area over and over again trying to get it smooth (which is the tendency when using light razors). Some skin stretching also comes in handy too.

Give it a shot and see what happens.

I forgot to mention this is my head that ended up looking like it went through a meat grinder. My usual routine is shaving ATG on my head one time. With touch ups of spots I miss. My face actually went okay until I got to my neck. Stretching was employed except for my head, not much there to stretch. So at what angle do you suggest? Blades? My only experience is with the Derby's.

I can't give you any advice on the head shaving bit as I've never done it, but I'm sure someone else can chime in with the tricks of the trade lol

Angle should be kept low, just like a straight. It's always recommended to hold the razor perpendicular to your face and slowly tilt downwards until the blade just starts to catch the whiskers; this will be the least aggressive shaving angle. Any steeper and whiskers may be cut with more ease, but at the added risk of irritation and cuts. As I said, same principle as straight shaving, be aware of your angle and you should be fine. It also helps to shave with arm movements as opposed to wrist movements (cartridge shaving).

Blades can be so personal, but some of my favs are Feather, Crystal (Israelli Personnas), Astra, Irridium and Gillette 7:00.

Try the Super Max Super Platinums and the Red Personnas.