Thread: Technique Help Needed

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!!!!

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

Originally Posted by britaliano

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

My first DE shaves were with a Merkur 33C (Classic) & Merkur blades. Ah, I remember those days; it was only ~4 years ago. My face was bleeding the same way as yours. About 3 weeks into it my face adapted to the DE shaves and I got better. I switched to DE from a Mach3, so it was something significantly different.

The Merkur blade gave me 4 good shaves before I replaced them. This type of blade works differently on each person. You will have to keep at it to determine when you need to replace the blade, but I would recommend that you replace it after 3 shaves so that you can get a feel for the shave after switching the blade.

DE blades in general work differently on each person. I stopped using the Merkurs because of price and started trying out different blades from sample packs. From online blade reviews, I found that certain blades worked excellent for some people. But when I used them, they did not work well for me. Eventually I found that Wilkinson Sword and Derby Extra blades worked best for me.

Your 34C razor is a heavy one, so try not to "chop" your face with it when you scrape it during your shave. You do not want the blade to hit your face with a heavy force, or you may end up with more nicks and bleeding.

And, above all, take it slow. At this point, quick shave strokes can end up doing more harm than help.

Originally Posted by henryconchile

And, above all, take it slow. At this point, quick shave strokes can end up doing more harm than help.

This morning I had my third shave since posting my plea for help.

I was certainly guilty of short, sharp strokes and made sure not to repeat that today.

Keeping the blade flatter resulted in no cuts until I got to my upper lip where I slices into the bottom of my noise, whereupon the red joy rained down.

But I am much happier with things, thanks to the tips here.

Thanks again.

My other advice is to tell you to grow a Moustache and Goatee and put all your woes behind you that way...


Mick

Originally Posted by MickR

My other advice is to tell you to grow a Moustache and Goatee and put all your woes behind you that way...


Mick

Haha!

Indeed that would fix everything but I have tried them in the past and I don't think a repeat would be too welcome at home!

Well it was just a thought anyway...


Mick

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.

Originally Posted by 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.

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