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newbie questeions and greetings

hey im staggers and jags. i just got my safety razor a week or so ago. i tried using some gellett shaving gel with it but it didnt really worked out so i bought soap in bowl. ive tried both the blades that came with it and the dollar store blades and i think they werent very good. i got razor burn on my neck pretty bad and i then got some of the viking revolution blades. said they were japanese steel. i tried it with that and the soap today and got a little on my neck razor burn i mean. am i shaving to often? whats the common cause of razor burn and irritation with a safety razor. thanks
 
...i just got my safety razor a week or so ago...whats the common cause of razor burn and irritation with a safety razor. thanks
If you are used to cartridge razors it will take a little while to adjust. You have to practice and your skills will improve. The neck area is the most sensitive for the majority of people.

Cartridge razors encourage you to apply pressure since they are so light. Use the least amount of pressure you can, just "guide" the razor over the area to be shaved instead of bearing down.

Make sure you have made a good, slick lather. Always have a lather coat on the skin when shaving over it.

Don't try to get all the whiskers in one pass. Expect to reduce the whiskers gradually. Most people take two or three passes in different directions.

Learn the direction your whiskers grow. First, shave "with the grain" where possible. Then, "across the grain". If you are getting irritation, don't go "against the grain" for a while. Later on, you can try going against the grain if you want.

Don't "overshave" (go over the same area again and again too many times) trying to get a close shave. Aim for a comfortable shave first, you will get closer with practice.
 
If you are used to cartridge razors it will take a little while to adjust. You have to practice and your skills will improve. The neck area is the most sensitive for the majority of people.

Cartridge razors encourage you to apply pressure since they are so light. Use the least amount of pressure you can, just "guide" the razor over the area to be shaved instead of bearing down.

Make sure you have made a good, slick lather. Always have a lather coat on the skin when shaving over it.

Don't try to get all the whiskers in one pass. Expect to reduce the whiskers gradually. Most people take two or three passes in different directions.

Learn the direction your whiskers grow. First, shave "with the grain" where possible. Then, "across the grain". If you are getting irritation, don't go "against the grain" for a while. Later on, you can try going against the grain if you want.

Don't "overshave" (go over the same area again and again too many times) trying to get a close shave. Aim for a comfortable shave first, you will get closer with practice.
can you recommend quality blades? how can i tell if they are dull or poorly made?
 
can you recommend quality blades? how can i tell if they are dull or poorly made?
Blades that are dull tug and pull instead of cutting cleanly. Try a few good blades and you will learn by feel what is good.

The best thing you can do is try a sample of different blades. If you are in the U.S., I can send you a sampler of good blades.

2 x Israeli Personna
2 x Astra SP
2 x Gillette Silver Blue
2 x Gillette Nacet
2 x Gillette 7 O'clock Green
2 x Gillette 7 O'clock Yellow
2 x Gillette Perma-Sharp Super
2 x Personna Med Prep
2 x Silver Star
2 x Voskhod

Just PM me your mailing info if interested.
 
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hey im staggers and jags. i just got my safety razor a week or so ago. i tried using some gellett shaving gel with it but it didnt really worked out so i bought soap in bowl. ive tried both the blades that came with it and the dollar store blades and i think they werent very good. i got razor burn on my neck pretty bad and i then got some of the viking revolution blades. said they were japanese steel. i tried it with that and the soap today and got a little on my neck razor burn i mean. am i shaving to often? whats the common cause of razor burn and irritation with a safety razor. thanks
The cause of your skin irritation could be due to any number of factors in the equation.

1. It could be that you're using too much pressure. Coming from cartridges myself, it took me many shaves to really learn what "no pressure" means. I was convinced I wasn't using pressure, when in fact I was.

2. It could be that it's your razor, or your razor-and-blade combination. What razor, specifically are you using?

Blade choice is one other factor to consider and the only real way to find just the right blade for you is a matter of experimentation. I would suggest trying a blade that's popular such as the Astra Superior Platinum. It's as good as any place to start, in my opinion. You could also try a blade variety pack (link goes to but one example, there are several such packs to choose from).

3. It could be you're not doing proper preparation prior to shaving. My routine is to use warm (not hot) water to wash my face just prior to shaving. But that's me. Many people like using truly hot water and others swear by using truly cold water while shaving. It's something else to experiment with. Generally speaking, I think it's a good idea to start with clean skin, though, which is why I wash my face immediately prior to shaving.

4. It could be the soap you're using or how you're lathering your soap. What soap, specifically, are you using?

There are a lot of videos on YouTube for those new to wet shaving. You might want to check some of them out.
 
Welcome to B&B.
i tried it with that and the soap today and got a little on my neck razor burn i mean. am i shaving to often? whats the common cause of razor burn and irritation with a safety razor. thanks
Work on the technique to improve your shaves; you should be able to shave daily with no irritation. It takes a few weeks to improve your technique. The Shave Wiki, link top left of page, has some good advice.
Blades can be very subjective so get a blade sampler. All the blades from the PPI plant in St Petersburg are worth trying.
 
Good advice above, but I will add don't forget the angle you present the blade and razor combination to your whiskers. General advice is 25-30⁰, where 0⁰ is essentially razor handle perpendicular to the point where your razor contacts your skin (think handle sticking straight out and away from your face). Coming from cartridges, you may be a bit steep in the angle. See the shave wiki for details and some illustrations.
 
did 4.5 passes today to try something and i have learned that you dont have to be agressive against the grain to get a clean shave. in fact if your lucky and pull the skin tight you may not even need to go against the grain
 
Welcome, S & J,

Be sure too that you leave the soap you're using on your whiskers for at least 3 minutes. That seems like a long time if you're just standing there looking at your stopwatch. But you can find other things to occupy you -- and it will make a great difference in softening the bristles. Gillette themselves used to counsel this in the little instruction pamphlet that came with their razors.

You also do not need to try for a completely smooth skin, i.e., BBS. One to two passes will get you shaved and clean enough for nearly all events in life, unless your wife or girlfriend is checking you for that. In which case ignore what I said. But you may need to approach that goal bit by bit.
 
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