I just scraped my face off.

Hey all, I bought a DE to finish up my shaves, rather than spend the same amount of money on cartridges.

The razor is an Edwin Jagger DE89, with an astra blade (blue packaging, superior I believe).
Prep: Shower, proraso pre-shave cream. Shave: proraso white soap.

So, I was careful to just use the weight of the razor, and I ended up with a fair amount of blood, and it felt like it was pulling.

Now it's likely that I'm the problem, as I'm new to it (same with the straight), but I'm going to try a derby blade next time to see if that makes a difference.

Any thoughts? I also can't seem to figure out what lather is supposed to be like on my face. Maybe it's too thin?

Thanks,

Patrick

Lather should be light in weight and texture but firm. IOW not dripping off your razor or face as you're shaving. I don't know how else to describe it, my preference anyway.

Are you stretching skin ? Skin should be stretched snug. Doesn't have to be pulled until it won't go anymore, just taut. Try the Derbys, they are more 'forgiving' IME. :gl:

I'll let my face heal up a bit and then try again. I did some skin stretching, but maybe not enough. I really want this, and more importantly my straight, to be an awesome experience. So far that hasn't been the case, but I'm not giving up!

Remember: Pain is just weakness leaving the body.

The DE you're using is pretty tame really. You need to work on you stroke with angle and pressure the key words there.

Probably too steep of an angle. Start with the handle parallel to the floor and slowly increase the angle until you find the shallowest position that will still cut hair. That is the angle you want to maintain throughout the shave.

I was where you're at a couple of months ago, and decided that I'd do a lot less damage to my face if I scrubbed mercilessly on the hard spots with the straight rather than the DE. Looking back on things, I don't really understand why DE was considered an upgrade at the time--every time I've used one it's done a lot more damage than my straight.

Lose the DE, and don't look back.

I too had a fair amount of blood when I first made the transition from cartridge razor to DE. I didn't know exactly how much to press (which you know should be almost not at all) and the proper angle yet. thing I noticed was that almost all the cuts I had gotten were over spots where I had ingrown razor bumps. (from cartridge razors of course) It had actually opened up all of them. Haven't had one since. :) My technique has gotten better over time but it will just come with practice. This is probably super contradictory to what most will tell you, but try a Feather blade. What I have found is that super aggressive blades will really put into perspective how little pressure is actually needed when you shave. Of course the flip side of that, which most people will attest to, if you give the slightest hint of too much pressure with a feather blade it will light your face on fire. :p Keep it up man, the muscle memory comes pretty quick actually.

Hi Pat.

I don't know the Edwin Jagger DE89 but I believe it has a bit of weight to it.

I agree with 06 try a different blade I do like the feather blades, just use the weight of the razor and maybe just work straight down your face the first time.

There should be no tugging or pulling when you shave the razor should just slice thru your whiskers.

I'm not sure how everyone else does it but I shave right after I shower, before I get out I soap up my beard for a few min and give it a good wash and then let the warm water run over it for a bit. Then get out of the shower and dry off except for my face. I have my razor and brush soaking in the bowl in hot water wile I shower.

I empty the bowl and apply some cream to the brush and the consistency I like when I am making it there should be little peaks forming around the edge of the bowl and if I pull the brush out the cream should form a peak and not run under it's own weight. Kind of like mixing a good batch of render.

Keep at it mate it really is a good way to shave and fast once you get it down it takes me around ten min to do a three pass shave including prep and clean up. You'll learn fast.

When I started out using DE razors I had similar problems. Partly because all my DE are adjustable. The other reason was that when I used my Fatboy I applied too much pressure. My Father taught me that when you use a heavy DE, or heavier than what you are use to, hold the razor between your thumb and index finger below the head of the razor, and let it do the work. I done this until I learned how to cope with the weight of the razor.

Definietly angle and pressure. When I first started out I did what Ryan82 said to do. I didn't take long and it works perfectly. The hardest thing to forget to do is press down. You kinda have to with disposable razors and carrying this habit over to D.E.'s will almost always leave your face a mess!

I'm thinking about picking up a DE for touching up after my SR on my neck and for traveling. What is the difference between a open comb DE and regular DE? The heavy weight is just the weight f the razor right? After reading some of these posts....I don't know if I want to try....the SR came to me quick...except my neck. I just can't get close enough. Thanks for the advise! :beer2:

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The DE you're using is pretty tame really. You need to work on you stroke with angle and pressure the key words there.

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I beg to differ, it's a middle of the road razor. Quite aggressive compared to Merkur OC, iKon OSS, Feather… It has a blade gap of a Progress on 3. You need good technique to keep from getting cut. If you have razor burn from the EJ your angle is wrong and your using some pressure. If you have smooth skin then by improving your technique you will get a good shave. If not, you may want to consider a milder razor.

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Originally Posted by Brewdaddy

I'm thinking about picking up a DE for touching up after my SR on my neck and for traveling. What is the difference between a open comb DE and regular DE? The heavy weight is just the weight f the razor right? After reading some of these posts....I don't know if I want to try....the SR came to me quick...except my neck. I just can't get close enough. Thanks for the advise! :beer2:

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I prefer OC razors that are mild, Merkur OC, Gillette Old Type. OC or SB is really a matter of preference. Either style can be very mild or very aggressive. Selecting the razor for its efficiency is more important than which style it is. Try one of each, that's what makes this fun. :)

From what I have read about the OC and Regular DE, there is not much difference. Unless you have a beard, then the OC is suppose to be easier to use. From my personal experience I prefer the regular DE razors. They do get clogged easier, but I can get a better shave. Two of my DE razors are made by Gillette. One is the Fatboy, and one is a Super Adjustable. The Fatboy is by far my heaviest DE, and the SA is the lightest in my collection. I like the feel of the Fatboy in my hand, but it has a short handle, which has led to pressure issues at times. The SA has a long handle, but I find it kind of uncomfortable to use. They shave the same, it basically comes down to what feels best in your hand. If you can get DE with blade adjustments, get them. You can adjust the angle of the blade to change the aggressiveness of the shave. All mine go from 1-9. I keep mine at a 4, unless i need to get rid of a lot of hair. Then it goes up to 7 or 8. I don't think they are too complicated to learn, once you find one that feels right.

What about 29c or 21r after descriptions of the DE's?

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Originally Posted by Brewdaddy

What about 29c or 21r after descriptions of the DE's?

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Some terminology I am lost on. What is this in reference to? Is it the type of combs, or style? Thanks.

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Originally Posted by Merc

Some terminology I am lost on. What is this in reference to? Is it the type of combs, or style? Thanks.

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I'm guessing the 21r refers to the Parker 21r DE razor. I'm at a loss for what the 29c refers to. :shrug:

As for recomendations, the Merkur 15C gets my approval. It's one of the milder open comb razors. Pair it with a Personna or a Derby blade.

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Originally Posted by Merc

Some terminology I am lost on. What is this in reference to? Is it the type of combs, or style? Thanks.

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Ya their just model numbers. For the Parker's. I have a Parker 22R DE razor. Shaves well, nice weighty brass. No pressure needed at all.

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Originally Posted by mdarnton

I was where you're at a couple of months ago, and decided that I'd do a lot less damage to my face if I scrubbed mercilessly on the hard spots with the straight rather than the DE. Looking back on things, I don't really understand why DE was considered an upgrade at the time--every time I've used one it's done a lot more damage than my straight.

Lose the DE, and don't look back.

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I'm not looking at the DE as an upgrade, but right now I can't manage my whole face with a straight. That, and there will be days where I simply don't have the time for the full ritual. I bought the DE for those reasons.

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Originally Posted by pitrik

I'm not looking at the DE as an upgrade, but right now I can't manage my whole face with a straight. That, and there will be days where I simply don't have the time for the full ritual. I bought the DE for those reasons.

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Fear not. Compared to everything else but a straight a DE is definitely an upgrade. :tu

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

Fear not. Compared to everything else but a straight a DE is definitely an upgrade. :tu

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Well, from here until my death bed those are my tools. I'm not going back.