Technique Help Needed

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!

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

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.

Chins can be tricky, you'll get better with time and practice. One things you might want to check is your lather. A great shave begins with great lather, and learning to lather is as much an art, as learning to use a DE, especially if you have hard water.

When I was starting out with straight razors, my chin was a problem for me. It was suggested to take a golf ball and "shave" it with a butter knife. This enabled me to visualize two things: I was able to see the necessity of continually adjusting the angle as I moved the blade over my chin and I could also visualize that only a small portion of the blade should be in contact with my chin (when using very little pressure) rather than trying to "cut a wide swath" as I do under my sideburns. After that, I was able to shave my chin WTG, XTG & ATG with no nicks or irritation.

Take the blade out of your DE razor and give it a try. If you don't have a golf ball handy, use an egg. It just might help you to see what you are doing wrong and what you need to change to "do it right."

One last thought. Did you start having problems nicking yourself during your 2nd or 3rd shaves? Or did the problem start after that?

The reason I ask is that some of the folks here on this forum only use a blade three times before tossing it because the blade is already beginning to dull. That was a HUGE bugaboo for me back when I used a Gillette DE adjustable in the late 70s - early 80s. I carved my face up every day because I was trying to squeeze 10 or 12 shaves out of the Gillette Platinum Plus blades made back then! :aargh:

Six shaves from a Merkur blade is too many, toss it and try a fresh blade. Merkurs are mediocre IMO and I can't get more than three shaves from them without getting irritation.

Try to keep your angle consistant at all times by locking your elbow and pulling the razor straight down. Just like using a straight, pressure and high angle are your enemies and will be the main culprits 9/10 times when using a DE. When used properly DE's can give fantastic shaves. Good luck.

I don't have a 34C but my understanding is they are to the milder end of DE's. many people don't seem to like merkur blades and IME they aren't very sharp. You could try a sharper blade, e.g. any of the 7 o'clocks, Astra SP's and Feathers. I tend to get 3 shaves with 2 or 3 passes before the blade dulls, then you'll start pressing on to get it to cut.

Loving these replies and am actually really excited at my next shave.

To address a few points:

I replaced the blade after every 2 shaves. I had no idea what life to expect so I erred on the side of caution. I have some Feathers on their way to me.

Cuts started from the second shave onwards.

From the replies I am certain that angle is most of my problem, I am using way too large/wide an angle which is probably causing me to use more pressure than I should.

On the posts that point out taking my time, this is the aspect I like the most about moving to DE shaving. Instead of squeezing a shave in the morning I am giving myself 30 minutes solely for the shave so I can enjoy it.

I will certainly take it easier tomorrow morning and with a much tighter angle and less pressure.

Thanks all for your patience and help, I will let you know how I get on.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MickR

. . .

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

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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!

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

Thanks again.

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

Quote:

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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!!!!

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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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by henryconchile

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

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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

Quote:

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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

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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.

Quote:

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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.

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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

I appreciate the posts and the tips. After3 months of shaving exclusively with a straight, I'm expecting my first DE to arrive tomorrow, along with a blade sampler from SRD. I'll keep checking back. Thanks, gents

Best shave so far this morning.

I have been easing off on the whole 'goatee' region so had to tidy that up with a cartridge razor.

But this morning I was a bit bolder, even went left handed doen the left hand side of my face and only got a tiny nick on a bit of a skin bump on my chin.

Definitely learnt to ease off a little on the first few strokes and reduce pressure.

I do find myself looking forward to my DE shaves as I set aside time to prepare properly, the whole thing is far more enjoyable.