Thread: Razor advice!

Just started to use a safety razor after years of torment with the multi-blade, and so 2 weeks ago I bought a starter set for £25. The kit included:

• Weishi 9306-E Double Edge Safety Razor
• Proraso 100 ml Pre-Shave Cream & 75 ml Shaving Soap
• Pure Bristle Shaving Brush
• 15 Double Edge Blades - Astra, Wilkinson Sword & Derby Extra

Now some of the youtube videos I have seen mention the Merkur 43C, but before I get it are there any other razors which are better. And are there any disadvantages to the Merkur 43C ?

If there is any particular shaving cream I should, then let me know! I'm currently using some skin treatment to dis-lodge some in-grown hair, which is a result of bad shaving with a multi blade.

Welcome to SRP. I prefer the Merkur brand, but that's just personal. Some prefer the older Gillette twist to open or three piece razors.

Hi Aledj,

When ingrowns are the issue, it will become more important to limit the number of passes over an area. I started w/ a DE after the last ice age, but strongly prefer the str8 now. 'Had alot of shave bumps that didn't appear to be ingrowns, but when I went to a single pass shave for other purposes, the bumps left and haven't returned.

On Soaps/creams, most guy get all light headed over some intoxicating smell (perfume). In broad terms (there's alot of crossover), the creams will have lots of moisture, the (right) soaps seem to give alot of facial protection. Sensitive skin and heavy beard seem the toughest target to hit w/ a good lather. Obie is the guy I'd pay attention to. For a single product, The Provence Sante has been the best of his recommendations I've tried. If you don't mind the 'some assembly required' approach, this uber recipe is the only thing I've seen clearly improve over PS. http://straightrazorpalace.com/soaps...er-recipe.html
Provence Sante Verlaine Shaving Soap Refill
'Hope it helps. Have fun.

I started DE shaving with a Weishi razor, as well. I used it for a while before deciding to get another, which was an old Gillette adjustable. I used the Gillette for a year or two before purchasing a Merkur Progress. I absolutely hated the Progress and quickly sold it; it was way too aggressive (which I've heard the newer ones tend to be) for my liking. I have no direct experience with the 43C, but I do know that you cannot go wrong with an old Gillette. I hardly ever use mine on any setting other than 1, and even then the highest I've ever gone is 2.

Creams, soaps, and brushes are such a YMMV kind of thing that you just have to try a few to find what you like.

Thanks for the welcome guys, and also the advice! I will have a look at the Gillette ones.

Just had a shave and made the mistake of too many passes, now my neck is burning a little. Problem is because some of the hair grows side way under the skin then out, I try to shave it closer. I have some cream stuff that I was given yesterday to get the hairs out, but I think after having the in-grown hair for so long I may need more aggressive treatment. I seem to get the best shave when I not shaved for two or more days, bust shaving day after day just gives bad results.

I should add that I had razor burn from my DE for a while until I figured out how to shave my face. Most of the vids that you see on YouTube show people doing a WTG pass as straight north to south. My WTG passes are all over the place: straight down on my face, straight up on my lower neck, and then outward and down from my jawline down to where I stopped the upward passes for my lower neck. Keep at it, and remember that if it hurts while you're shaving that you're doing it wrong and need to change the direction that you're moving the blade.

I does not hurt when shaving but when I have stopped, so not too sure what I need to do. I start by shaving south all over, then east/west and then north. My face feels smooth all over which is great, just I can see the in-grown hair which is never nice.

You mentioned that you had several different blades to try, but you didn't say which you were using right now. The blades you use can make a huge impact on the quality of your shaves. I found that my skin and beard responded better to sharper blades, and I only use Feathers with my Gillette. If you've only tried one kind of blade, I'd recommend giving the others you have a shot to see what you think. Once you have a month or two of shaves under your belt and have your technique down, you might consider giving the Feathers a try. They're arguably the sharpest DE blade you can get, but they aren't very forgiving and I don't recommend them for beginners.

I tell you what, I'll go through my DE stuff when I get home and put together a sample pack of blades from what I have laying around and send them your way. Just shoot me a PM with your name and address.

I used an Edwin Jagger DE89 safety razor and was/am really satisfied with it. I don't think I could get another which is better than that. What I mean is that probably you can get a lot of very good safety razors, do not worry much about the brand.

But do worry about the blade itself. Just one example: I use/d Derby DE blades and they perform very well - for 1=one (only one) 3 pass-shave (I mean not in general, only for me). After that, they still seem to be sharp, but it is uncomfortable to shave with them, basically I can't do the ATG pass during the second shave, it is VERY uncomfortable.

So if you do not know your face and happened to go ATG unintentionally with a not-brand-new blade... it can be the problem.

Originally Posted by myersn024

You mentioned that you had several different blades to try, but you didn't say which you were using right now. The blades you use can make a huge impact on the quality of your shaves. I found that my skin and beard responded better to sharper blades, and I only use Feathers with my Gillette. If you've only tried one kind of blade, I'd recommend giving the others you have a shot to see what you think. Once you have a month or two of shaves under your belt and have your technique down, you might consider giving the Feathers a try. They're arguably the sharpest DE blade you can get, but they aren't very forgiving and I don't recommend them for beginners.

I tell you what, I'll go through my DE stuff when I get home and put together a sample pack of blades from what I have laying around and send them your way. Just shoot me a PM with your name and address.

Thank you! (Pm sent) The blades I have are:

Wilkinson- Which I am using at the moment.
Derby- Tried this one already
Astra- Not yet tried
Donco- Not yet tried


After shaving most of the hair today, I found there were some spots left. So (and I think I made a mistake here) I just damped the area and shaved. Should I just keep applying the shaving cream, until I have got rid of all the left over areas?

Yesterday I was given some glyco creams which stings like hell, so might just use it before a shave and at the end of the day.