Complete newbie to de shaving

daithi1970

Hi all, I stumbled onto this thread while looking for cheap mach 3 blades (ha!) and have become mightily intrigued by the whole subject. It seems that everybody on this thread is completely in favour of DE over multiblade systems. I have a few questions for ye..What is a good razor for a complete beginner- looking at the Complete essential safety razor starter kit on shaving.ie there are 3 choices- I am blessed with a wire -like beard, in addition to super sensitive skin and a tendency to get loads of ingrown hairs on my neck..are there any recommendations products-wise? I am thinking of getting the Essential Starter Kit, Blade starter kit and the ProRaso Pre and Post shaving cream and industrial quantities of styptic pencils:rolleyes: If anyone has any recommendations I would be most grateful,

Cheers,
Daithi

Gran Hermano

Daithi,any of the razors you can chose from in that starter pack are well suited for a beginner.
They will all do the job equally well.The difference in price between the three is down to aesthetics, the Muhle is a great looking razor. Search YouTube for Mantic59 for some tutorials on how to use a DE razor and how to create a lather with cream and brush. The brush in that kit is a monster, its the biggest brush I own! However it does the job.

You'll surprise yourself and hopefully find you don't need as many styptic pencils as you fear.
My advice would be to focus on proper preparation, have a shower before you shave to soften the stubble and take your time for the first dozen shaves. Shave late at night rather than rushing in the morn. My money is n you discovering you don't have skin as sensitive as you think but rather it is sensitive from using cartridge razors and gel!

Share any questions you may have here and let us know how you get on. A few years ago I was in the same boat and it was this forum that helped me greatly.

deaglan169

sorry for jumping on board been DE shaving now for about 2 months with cheapo wilkinson sword plastic razor so far all is good, except i have small mole type thing just under my chin and i always end up slicing it, it never used to happen with the mach 3 oddly, is it the angle im using?

MadsL

deaglan169 wrote: »

sorry for jumping on board been DE shaving now for about 2 months with cheapo wilkinson sword plastic razor so far all is good, except i have small mole type thing just under my chin and i always end up slicing it, it never used to happen with the mach 3 oddly, is it the angle im using?

DE razors are sharp, Mach 3s not so much.

deaglan169

MadsL wrote: »

DE razors are sharp, Mach 3s not so much.

got a decent razor today a gillette slim , and i now realise what a razor should be like and its certainly alot sharper, just got to practice going around it:D

daithi1970

Hi my starter kit arrived today- got the starter kit, pre and post shaving cream, 50 blade sampler and alum block. I have a few questions..
1. Do I leave the pre shaving cream on my face and then add the shaving cream on top?
2. Do I just load some of the shaving cream onto the shaving brush?
3.After shaving, do I use the alum block and then the post shaving cream?

apologies for the compete newbie questions, and I ll give an update,if I have managed not to decaptitate myself:pac::pac:


daithi

Gran Hermano

daithi1970 wrote: »

Hi my starter kit arrived today- got the starter kit, pre and post shaving cream, 50 blade sampler and alum block. I have a few questions..
1. Do I leave the pre shaving cream on my face and then add the shaving cream on top?
2. Do I just load some of the shaving cream onto the shaving brush?
3.After shaving, do I use the alum block and then the post shaving cream?

apologies for the compete newbie questions, and I ll give an update,if I have managed not to decaptitate myself:pac::pac:


daithi

Have a hot shower first, then shave.
Rub in some of the pre-shave cream and leave on your face whilst creating the lather.
You apply the lather on top, don't rinse off the pre shave cream.

Watch this for tips on how to create a good lather

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7Aj9vwrtc

Re-apply lather between each pass, do not shave skin that does not have lather on it.
Take your time. Use short strokes and aim for stubble reduction with each pass.
Do not apply pressure, let the weight of the razor and the sharp blade do the work.

When finished, rinse off the face with cold water. The alum needs to work on wet skin. Run it around your face. I tend to leave it on for a few minutes and then rinse the skin again.

daithi1970

thanks for the advice:)

daithi

andrew1977

daithi1970 wrote: »

thanks for the advice:)

daithi

Persist with it and dont give up, for the first week or so I want convinced it was going to work for me, I was using the Mach 3 blades for years.

After doing my research on here and some excellent excellent advice from the guys on her, i switched over to the DE razor method.

I have shocked at the amzing results I am getting, keep trying out the blades to eventually find one which you like.

I never thought I would say it, but i look forward to "enjoying " a clean shave now.

daithi1970

I tried the derby blade 1st and..my neck is red raw:( time for a blade change next time around-i'll keep ye posted..

daithi

Columbia

For what it's worth, I have the same combination as you (tough hair and sensitive skin), and I too found Derby blades to be nightmarish. I think I shaved half my face (WTG - with the grain) with them on two occasions, and both times had to swap them out because it was so bad.

I advise going really, really easy on your first pass (WTG), easier than you think you need. If you take away 20% of the hair on the first pass, I find that the bulk can be removed on the second pass (also WTG) far more smoothly and comfortably, I don't know why, but it works for me.

Personna blades are the only ones I use these days, although the Gillette 7 o'clocks weren't bad.

andrew1977

daithi1970 wrote: »

I tried the derby blade 1st and..my neck is red raw:( time for a blade change next time around-i'll keep ye posted..

daithi

My first blade when i switched to a DE razor was the Derby blade and I personally found them useless.
Very hard to get a clean shave without having to go over and over the same area.
My second blade so far I have tried is the Timor Sollingen Double Edge Blade. Do you have them in your sample pack ? Of course each persons skin is different, but the quality shave is far superior using them compared to the Derby blade.
I too have very sensitive face skin and suffered a lot of ingrown hairs, almost 2 months into this new method of shaving, not a trace of an ingrown hair. (fingers crossed it stays that way )


So keep at it , and keep trying the blades until you find one that suits.

daithi1970

Hi folks,taking Andrew1977's advice, I switched to the Timor Sollingen blade-it has made a huge difference-the one thing I have noticed that up until now, I have gotten away with shaving every 2 days, but since switching to de blades, I seem to be a lot beardier:eek: Is this down to my as yet crappy shaving technique (3 passes-up across and down)-I shave at night,if that makes any difference..

daithi

hitemfrank

It could be a case that a DE blade will only cut to the level of your skin, while a cartridge razor will cut slightly lower. It's due to the design of the cartridge where one balde will pull the hair out slightly and another blade will cut the hair.

It may also be a case of you just noticing the stubble more than before.

andrew1977

daithi1970 wrote: »

Hi folks,taking Andrew1977's advice, I switched to the Timor Sollingen blade-it has made a huge difference-the one thing I have noticed that up until now, I have gotten away with shaving every 2 days, but since switching to de blades, I seem to be a lot beardier:eek: Is this down to my as yet crappy shaving technique (3 passes-up across and down)-I shave at night,if that makes any difference..

daithi

So its not just me who is imaging it too .. , i have the exact same scenario.my beard seems to grow back a lot quicker . But i can live with that considering the benefits ( so far ) , i am getting out of it.
The timor sollingen is a far superior blade in my opinion, those derby extras give a terrible shave.
I tried the Feather blades Sunday and last night, serious sharpness off those blade .. am i right in saying that ? It shaved very precisely but has left my skin feeling sore and raw. The joys of experimenting with different blades i suppose.

daithi1970

..i'll definitely be leaving the feathers blades until i'm reasonably proficient in de shaving, otherwise i might be in need of numerous blood units..! maybe its just a case of being more aware of stubble because production involved in the de shaving process (well in my case anyway..) I might try the persona blade next,,ah yes, the joys of experimentation at the expense of my facial skin cells:pac::pac:

daithi

markesmith

Persona/Asta/Gillette 7 O'Clock Green seem to suit me best. Failed with the Feather, need to develop my technique...

skafish

daithi1970 wrote: »

Hi all, I stumbled onto this thread while looking for cheap mach 3 blades (ha!) and have become mightily intrigued by the whole subject. It seems that everybody on this thread is completely in favour of DE over multiblade systems. I have a few questions for ye..What is a good razor for a complete beginner- looking at the Complete essential safety razor starter kit on shaving.ie there are 3 choices- I am blessed with a wire -like beard, in addition to super sensitive skin and a tendency to get loads of ingrown hairs on my neck..are there any recommendations products-wise? I am thinking of getting the Essential Starter Kit, Blade starter kit and the ProRaso Pre and Post shaving cream and industrial quantities of styptic pencils:rolleyes: If anyone has any recommendations I would be most grateful,

Cheers,
Daithi

It may seem like a daft question, but what, exactly is a DE Sorry to sound thick.

For the last 20 years, I have been using a multi blade with proper brush and soap. It works for me, but if there is a better way, I would love to try it

Amalgam

skafish wrote: »

It may seem like a daft question, but what, exactly is a DE Sorry to sound thick.

A DE is a, 'double edged' razor. The razor head will have a shaving edge on opposite sides of the razor head, instead of just one side, like disposables/multi blades.

What confuses things somewhat, is that a DE can also be called a, 'Safety Razor', because of a bar or teeth (open comb) keeping the blade at a certain distance from the skin of the user.

What most people in this forum will be using then, is a: Double Edged Safety Razor. DE for short.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_razor

skafish

Amalgam wrote: »

A DE is a, 'double edged' razor. The razor head will have a shaving edge on opposite sides of the razor head, instead of just one side, like disposables/multi blades.

What confuses things somewhat, is that a DE can also be called a, 'Safety Razor', because of a bar or teeth (open comb) keeping the blade at a certain distance from the skin of the user.

What most people in this forum will be using then, is a: Double Edged Safety Razor. DE for short.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_razor

Thanks for that. Are they really so much better than using for eg a gilette fusion?

Amalgam

skafish wrote: »

Thanks for that. Are they really so much better than using for eg a gilette fusion?

Your situation, your skin is unique, so, I can't presume what might suit *you*.

I changed because of ingrown hairs along my neckline. I would cry shaving.. really, I couldn't stand it. That's my reason. Neckline cleared up, so, I'm happy with this method.

daithi1970

the astra blades are very smooth and sharp..the best in the starter pack so far..

daithi

andrew1977

daithi1970 wrote: »

the astra blades are very smooth and sharp..the best in the starter pack so far..

daithi

It really is a case of everyones skin being different, I used an Astra for the first tim during the week, found it very tough on my skin, got quite a few nicks and bleeding which I hadnt really got on other blades. It was very sore after shaving.

Will be trying them again though, , as I agree with you, very clean shave and growth didnt seem to come back as quick.

statesaver

Finally getting the hang of DE shaving.

I like the Astra blades so far. Sharp and very forgiving which i really like.

Like someone above said, i will try the Feather blade when my technique improves.

Insect Overlord

I shaved with a Gillette Fusion Pro-Glide on Friday to save myself some time. 3 passes of DE shaving takes me more than twice as long as 2 passes with the cartridge, and I was in a hurry to catch a bus to Dublin. I find myself this evening with a few bumps, the early signs of a few in-grown hairs, and more shadow on my face than I would like.

I'll be going back to my Merkur 33c and Feather blade tomorrow! :eek:

hitemfrank

I had a partial shave with a cartridge razor the other day. I was amazed at the amount of pressure I had to use to get it to cut any stubble. After trying to get it to shave my neck and finding it really uncomfortable I went and got one of my straights to finish the job.

It made me remember why I grew a full beard in college and why I looked for an alternative to cartridges when I shave the beard off.

daithi1970

Just a quick update, with a few questions for the more experienced de shavers..
I was getting ready to shave with an astra blade in a muhle 69 razor, and I noticed a whole lot of gunk between the blade and the top of the razor - this was to be the second shave with this blade, so I switched out and replaced the blade.
I then found the new blade to be a bit "draggy", so much so that I involuntarily winced while shaving, and opened up a nice big cut on my cheek :rolleyes::rolleyes:
The rest of the shave was a bit hit and miss, with a good few small,slow-healing cuts on my neck-try and picture the guy shaving in the movie airplane and you'll get the picture:D the alum block stung a fair bit..
This had not happened at all with my first few shaves..i'm wondering, did I tighten the screw mechanism too much when changing the blade, or am I missing something else here? I noticed that the new blade had become gunked up very quickly and could not be readily cleaned off under a hot or cold tap.
Also, what do the numbers on some of the DE blades signify?
Sorry for the epic post,

daithi

beardybrewer

1. You may want to try a few different blades. Certainly get a sampler and try a few.
2. it's not unheard of to get a bad blade. they're cheap so replace it. I replace mine mid-shave all the time if they drag
3. lather consistency... this is a common newbie problem and you're lather may not have been as slick that day.
4. watch angle and remember never apply pressure.

With a fresh razor and a good lather, the weight of the razor held in the proper angle should slice your beard like a hot knife thru butter.

hitemfrank

The numbers on the blades are just there for manufacturing purposes.