- Thread starter
- #41
I had one good shave with the Voskhod blades and 3 or 4 bad ones. Definitely moving on to the Gillette Platinum for my next shave along with all the great advice I got here.
Just can't seem to get there
- Thread starter Bundy71
- Start date
You are a beginner, for crying out loud. It takes time and repetitins to get really good at it.
Be more patient! Just keep at it. Shallow angle, good lather, light touch. Stick with the same razor for a while. Don't try to get a perfect shave, stop when the shave is socially acceptable and try again another day.
Give it three or four months before you decide that you are just not quite able to get where you want to be.
Be more patient! Just keep at it. Shallow angle, good lather, light touch. Stick with the same razor for a while. Don't try to get a perfect shave, stop when the shave is socially acceptable and try again another day.
Give it three or four months before you decide that you are just not quite able to get where you want to be.
- Thread starter
- #43
Oh...I know I'll get there. Just reaching out for tips. I'm not giving up and know there's a learning curve.
Another bit of advice is to reduce the length of your stubble on each successive pass, don't try to shave your stubble level to your skin on the first few passes.
A good 2 cents well spent .
You could try another blade, I remember Voskhod isn't the smoothes blade at least for me it isn't, a face toner post shave such as witch hazel could help as well it sooths irritation and strengthens the skin when used frequently
I'm going to be that guy with the spanner and say this.. try a steep handle position. There's a few of us here who shave with the handle pointing towards the floor and swear by it. I only tried it that way because one particular blade I was trying out left my face raw with no obvious reason and before throwing it out I tortured myself with it every other day to figure out just exactly what the issue was. I tried 'riding the cap' with the handle pointing horizontal and still was left raw. I tried zero pressure and just about all other feasible options before finally going against advice and shaving with the steep handle angle.Turns out it gave me smoother and easier shaves with all blades in my collection.
My beard grows very flat to my face though so I have to ride the cap for my neck to avoid a horrible bloody mess if I go against the grain. Something that required more torture testing!
My beard grows very flat to my face though so I have to ride the cap for my neck to avoid a horrible bloody mess if I go against the grain. Something that required more torture testing!
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
When learning to DE shaving we all tend to Chase the BBS and that is what gets some folks in trouble. If you get your technique dialed in you can use any razor IMO. Hand technique and just the right amount of razor feel(weight) wins all the time. I you want a nice smooth feel after you shave use a little balm because it moisturises the skin sinking the chopped whiskers inward a little for a hr or two. It took myself a month or two to dial in my technique and I can use any razor and have a good shave now.
As has been mentioned above, technique is king and hardware rarely the culprit (aside from the occasional duff blade).
The three most common errors I made was:
1. applying a bit too much pressure without being aware of it.
2. shaving over the same patch of skin more than required during each pass.
3. assuming that a mild, smooth feeling razor will yield an irritation free shave and an aggressive razor will not.
The third point may sound counterintuitive but a razor with more blade feel tends to instantly improve one's technique. It might not "feel" as smooth, but it's better to feel the blade during the shave than afterwards...
If you're already going to be trying different blades then throw a Kai into the mix. It's the simplest way to beef up the aggression of a mild razor and works a treat in the 34C.
The three most common errors I made was:
1. applying a bit too much pressure without being aware of it.
2. shaving over the same patch of skin more than required during each pass.
3. assuming that a mild, smooth feeling razor will yield an irritation free shave and an aggressive razor will not.
The third point may sound counterintuitive but a razor with more blade feel tends to instantly improve one's technique. It might not "feel" as smooth, but it's better to feel the blade during the shave than afterwards...
If you're already going to be trying different blades then throw a Kai into the mix. It's the simplest way to beef up the aggression of a mild razor and works a treat in the 34C.
Even if I have a VERY slick lather, and my preferred blade of choice, if I attempt an ATG pass, some of the time it will be irritation free, and some of the time it won't be. I generally skip going ATG. I've tried and tried and tried. Food for thought.
First, congrats on taking up a DE, @Bundy71!
The Merkur 34C is a great razor as is Voskhod a great blade. I went through the same thing that you are going through when I started four years ago. Just stick with it and focus on your fundamentals, and you will be rewarded with great shaves. And by all means, try some different blades, but more importantly focus on mapping your beard and using a really light touch.
I can totally relate to what you are experiencing, as I just completed my fourth month using a straight razor. It just takes time to master both a DE and a straight.
The Merkur 34C is a great razor as is Voskhod a great blade. I went through the same thing that you are going through when I started four years ago. Just stick with it and focus on your fundamentals, and you will be rewarded with great shaves. And by all means, try some different blades, but more importantly focus on mapping your beard and using a really light touch.
I can totally relate to what you are experiencing, as I just completed my fourth month using a straight razor. It just takes time to master both a DE and a straight.
Sugar scrub works well.The Dove for men is just something I had laying around. The bar has pumice in it for exfoliating, though I'm not sure how effective it is. I think I have some 120 grit sandpaper I can try.
Typically, poor techniques will account for 90% of all troubles.
That said, make sure your pre-shave prep is good. I don't mean Proraso or whatever you're using, but proper prep. Plenty of posts on that, just search it.
The Merkur 34C wouldn't be my razor of choice, but it's OK, nothing wrong with it. I'd use Feather blade instead. Yes - the sharper the blade, the easier the cut, hence less irritation IF (!!!) you're technique is good.
Map your beard and go gently WTG, rinse, reapply lather then go XTG, rinse, reapply lather and go ATG. "NO pressure" means let the weight of the razor do the job.
Ditch the alum, as it can cause severe irritation if you've scraped the face, instead of shaving the whiskers. Alum has no soothing properties, it's salt, so it only makes things worse if you had a rough shave.
Skip any alcohol based A/S, instead use mild balm for sensitive skin.
Hope it helps.
Bottom-line: it's 90% technique, so stick to that one razor-blade combo you have until you get it right, then start experimenting.
DE is a skill set that takes awhile to master!
So don’t get discouraged. Focus on razor angle and NO pressure! You might also consider working your way through a blade sampler pack or two.
Stick with this and you will get the results you want!
So don’t get discouraged. Focus on razor angle and NO pressure! You might also consider working your way through a blade sampler pack or two.
Stick with this and you will get the results you want!
Yes. Salt too.
This is also an important thing to bear in mind! I have been ‘proper’ wet shaving since Dec 2009. If I shave ATG I will get some irritation 99 times out 100. I do WTG then XTG.
Get a better soap, TOBS soap is not great since they reformulates years ago. If you want to stick with English get some DR Harris or Mitchell’s Wool Fat. If you don’t get some Tabac or Haslinger. If you’re new your lather is probably not great so using a better soap will help.
Other than that get a blade sampler pack from Maggards or Amazon and try different blades while keeping everything the same. You probably need a sharper or duller blade. Voskhod is fairly sharp, so try an Astra next as well as a Feather. The former is duller and the latter is sharper. One of them will probably work for you and you’ll know what you need to use for a while as you get more experience.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Other than that get a blade sampler pack from Maggards or Amazon and try different blades while keeping everything the same. You probably need a sharper or duller blade. Voskhod is fairly sharp, so try an Astra next as well as a Feather. The former is duller and the latter is sharper. One of them will probably work for you and you’ll know what you need to use for a while as you get more experience.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Try the same setup for 20 consecutive shaves.
Maybe. But it's really impossible to say with any certainty. I would be more concerned about whether or not your razor provides any blade feel. IMO, you cant really learn good technique if you can't feel the blade.
- Thread starter
- #59
Thanks for all the great advice and encouragement!
Had another shave last night and really focused on blade angle and pressure while using the Gillette Platinum blade instead of the Voskhod. Good shave, but ended up with red, patchy irritation in the same spot as my previous shave. Possibly some residual damage was still there making those areas more prone?
The good news is that the irritation is not on my neck where I was getting irritation at first. In fact, my neck area has never been as closely shaven and irritation free. Ever. I think that means my technique in that area, where I really focus, has definitely improved. The bad news is that where I'm now getting irritation – right jawline and lower left cheek, closer to my mouth – probably results from me getting lax in those areas.
One step forward..., right?
I'm thinking of ditching the TOBS. No matter how wet I make it, it ends up "cakey" and sticky. Smells great, but more interested in performance while I learn. I've ordered some of the (apparently) good but stinky stuff: Arko, as well as a couple samples from a local artisan that uses a tallow base.
Had another shave last night and really focused on blade angle and pressure while using the Gillette Platinum blade instead of the Voskhod. Good shave, but ended up with red, patchy irritation in the same spot as my previous shave. Possibly some residual damage was still there making those areas more prone?
The good news is that the irritation is not on my neck where I was getting irritation at first. In fact, my neck area has never been as closely shaven and irritation free. Ever. I think that means my technique in that area, where I really focus, has definitely improved. The bad news is that where I'm now getting irritation – right jawline and lower left cheek, closer to my mouth – probably results from me getting lax in those areas.
One step forward..., right?
I'm thinking of ditching the TOBS. No matter how wet I make it, it ends up "cakey" and sticky. Smells great, but more interested in performance while I learn. I've ordered some of the (apparently) good but stinky stuff: Arko, as well as a couple samples from a local artisan that uses a tallow base.
You're definitely making progress and that's good news, congrats!
Jawline and lower mouth, lip corners and upper portion of the chin can all be tricky. You need to play around with puffing air and pushing with your tongue in order to stretch the skin, to make stubble protrude and ultimately make that area easier to shave. No one can tell you exactly what to do, as it's your face. You need to discover what works for you.
Nonetheless, the same rule of thumb always applies - do NOT go over and over the same spot without re-lathering. Now having said that, this is where the RESIDUAL SLICKNESS plays a HUGE role. Top quality creams/soaps will have great residual slickness. I can say - "been there, done that", so I'd wholeheartedly recommend you to get some soaps from Ariana & Evans and Saponificio Varesino. These soaps will make a big difference. They do not make up for bad technique, but they sure do help.
Lastly, if you ended up with irritation, skip shaving for a day or two. It makes all the difference.
Similar threads
