Astra superior platinum blades i found to be the perfect combination with an EJ razor.
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Astra superior platinum blades i found to be the perfect combination with an EJ razor.
If you want to get some modern razors, a Merkur Progress is great as it is adjustable. I have a Tradere Open Comb that I love, but is on the aggressive side. My favorite (along with my EJ DE89) is my Ikon Bamboo with the dual head, one side open comb and one side closed. I don't recomend the Feather Stainless, as it is so mild to the point of being ineffective. I must say you bought the best razor when you got the EJ DE89...it is my deserted island pick...if I could only have one, it would be that one. And, it is the cheapest razor I own, so that says a lot.
I agree with your suggestion of putting a heavier handle on the DE89. I wasted my money on the Feather Stainless, but the handle is great on my EJ! Guess I paid 200 large for a handle.
The way the flow of your post reads, I'm getting a picture of your not shaving at a 30 degree angle. It also could be that when it doesn't hurt you apply more and more pressure and by the time you're finished your face is really irritated.Quote:
Originally Posted by Silents
I watched this video a few mornings ago and it was a great refresher on blade angle. Ever since I've gotten fantastic shaves with much less irritation. You can know what to do but still lapse into bad habits without realizing it. Watch how this guy sets the angle with his DE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzeqIqtJ9ns
The straight razor is as close to perfection as you can get when used right, so why settle for hamburger when you can have a steak?
Progress Report
I just concluded my second shave, with no nicks and no razor burn. I had to do quite a bit of touch up after my 3rd pass, but I just re-applied some more lather and the touch ups were comfortable..
One question, as this was my second shave with the same blade, the shave wasn't as close as the first. I'm assuming this is normal, but how many shaves can I expect from one blade?
I clean and dry my blade after each use and can get as many as 10 or more shaves from them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Silents
Well that the $64000 question lol. There are many variables that determine how long a DE blade will last - beard thickness, the coating of the blade etc. And because blades are mass produced item there are QC variances as well. Some guys will get 2 comfortable shaves from a blade, some will stretch it out to 8 or more (!). I've found that most blades drop off in quality around 3-5 shaves, but to be safe I usually toss them after 3 shaves. A little experimentation is in order to find out what will work for you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Silents
Congrats on your progress, sounds like it's going well for you.
And I just picked up on eBay a 1953 NOS Gillette Super Speed w/Astra blades. Very inexpensive ($30) and the seller had 2 others (a 1957 and 1963) at the same price. But by the time I completed the sale the other two were already sold. I don't think the seller realized what he had in his hands.
That depends largely on the blade itself, but 3-5 shaves is generally the sweet spot but the blades are so inexpensive that if you can change them before 3 shaves if you desire.Quote:
Originally Posted by Silents
Depends on the blade, but three 3-pass shaves is pretty much a minimum with even a fairly cheap blade. Again, depends on many things including the technique. Improper technique will dull the blade faster. Namely the angle. If you use your razor in "paint scraper" mode, i.e. at an angle greater than 30 degrees, the edge will suffer as well as your face. The reason you got a less close shave, IMO, is that you eased up on the pressure and saved your skin. That's the absolutely correct thing to do, however, the closeness of the shave is also dependent on the blade sharpness and smoothness and your razor's aggressiveness level. I have said this before, but I get a closer and more comfortable shave with an aggressive razor than a mild one. With a mild razor such as a Super Speed or a Tech I can either get a comfortable shave or a close shave, but not both. This is YMMV thing, of course, but I find a mild razor to be incapable of giving a real close shave with no razor burn. It will do just fine, a DFS or even a BBS that will grow back relatively quickly, but something like a Cadet OC will give me a BBS that will last for 36 hours and no razor burn at all. I think mild razors are excellent to learn on, but at some point if you want a real, REAL close shave you'll need to go a bit more aggressive. How much more depends on the individual. This is why do not tire of recommending Merkur Progress. It goes from milder than Super Speed to as aggressive as R41 Muhle. I shaved with a super Speed for a long time before I realized this. I love Super Speeds for their excellent construction and rock solid performance, but at the end I could not get a super close shave out of them. This is why I avoided Gillette Adjustables. They are just Super Speeds with adjustment. So, I think this progress is excellent and the fact that you got a less close shave this time makes total sense. You saved your skin at the expense of closeness of shave. It is a compromise that is always in the balance. However, you can come closer in shave and still not hurt your skin. Now that you have a starting point, just keep trying to repeat it. Go easy and be okay with having a less than BBS as long as your skin is comfortable and the shave looks good. With repetition you will get closer without going into razor burn zone. It's just going to take some number of shaves. You may or may not also realize that you need a more aggressive razor than a Super Speed. I would say EJ DE89 is excellent and more aggressive than a Super Speed, but not by much. I think there is more blade gap on the EJ. You can also shim any DE razor you have to increase aggressiveness. Shim is an old DE blade with edges cut off by scissors. Cut the edges off an old edge just past the bevel of the edge. You want most of the blade to be intact. This "shim" goes under the working blade and effectively raises working blade above the safety bar increasing blade gap and in some cases blade exposure (depends on the razor head geometry). It works on Super Speeds, EJ, pretty much any DE razor. You can also use as many shims (within reason) as you want. Most people use one to three. If you find yourself wanting more you get a Progress or other adjustable, which pretty much mimics the shimming.Quote:
Originally Posted by Silents
Great to hear your results are improving. DE shaving is not as simple as it may first appear, but once you get it, it's the simplest thing in the world. I imaging straight razor shaving is similar. I am waiting on my first straight now and am pretty nervous, but ultimately it's probably the same in the sense that it will take so many shaves and mistakes and corrections before I get anywhere. DE has less of a learning curve, I think, but it still does have a learning curve. Again, please do not rotate your razors or you will only be more confused by results. Load Astra SP in the EJ and stay with that combo for a month at least and you will be getting awesome shaves.