I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Please Help

[mumB_L_E]

+1 on loading a Feather or GSB into your Tech

Looking over this thread again, it seems to me your prep routine is too complicated. Your goal for prep should be to inundate your whiskers with continuous moisture. Here are my thoughts on how you can improve your next shave.

• After the shower soak face with cold water I don't know (or personally care) if there is a discernible difference between warm or cold water prep/shaving, but I prefer it (at least during the warmer months). I recall you being in a warmer climate, so I would recommend sticking with cold water.
• Apply remaining's of lather soap on face with hands and gently scrub face with hands Lather from shaving soap or lather from bath soap? Do you have access to glycerin soap? If possible, try working glycerin soap into your whiskers until you have developed a pseudo-lather or slick residue. Leave it on your face while loading the brush.
• Apply REALLY COLD TOWEL on face and leave on for 1-2 min Even if your towel is sopping, this may be an unnecessary step. If it feels good and helps put you in the right mindset, keep it up but repeat the previous step after you pull the towel.
o Take off lather with towel Do not remove the whisker soaking agent!
• Apply Pre-shave Cream PREP Original Try doing without this potentially unnecessary step in favor of leaving the pseudo lather on your face.
• Start 1st pass lather I do not have experience with Tabac. Load the soap as Tabaconados recommend (perhaps with the Marco method). Take your time face lathering and keep dipping the tips to add water. When you have nearly reached the optimum lather, pause to load and/or sanitize your blade and take a sip of water, take a deep breath and say a mantra (if you're into that sort of thing). Return to face lathering, but forget about what your lather should look like. Your lather will be ready when you pull your brush from your face and you don't feel the lather on your face sticking to it. You will never regret extending the amount of time lather soaks your whiskers. If lather starts to dry on your face, dip the dips and give the area a swipe.

In short: SUPERSOAK THOSE WHISKERS!

If at any point you feel the blade tugging, stop! Ensure your blade is fastened correctly and you are using the optimum angle.

Your face needs some time to recover from your current bout with irritation. If your whiskers grow quickly, it is likely your whiskers will be a tad too long for the Tech. If this is the case, beat back the growth with electric clippers and shave the following day.

 

[Maximo77w]

Think of it like an art. Its something that can be mastered but I'm sure even Rembrandt made mistakes and had inconsistencies in his work. Its something that takes time, dedication and patience.

As far as a Tech goes, I'd use one at 100 hours growth and would expect no issues. It would never be as efficient as a Fatip or MMOC, but it would get the job done all the same. My last shave with a Tech below.

I also have coarse and dense growth with, I think, fairly sensitive skin.



The amount of pressure I apply when using a Tech might frighten many people. That pressure is applied evenly to both cap and safety bar so that I can get as much efficiency as possible from it.

I'd expect the same shave at 100+ hours growth but the first pass might need to be done with shorter strokes to knock the growth down enough before starting in another direction.

Using my MMOC below. Notice its the 4th shave on that blade.

As said by John. Shaves 4 to 10 on a GEM PTFE are bliss.






There is very little difference in the feel of the shave between my Tech, Grande or MMOC with a solid technique for each razor, only the efficiency level varies. I've used my Fatip Grande at almost 80 hours doing the same type of shave, a single buffing pass ATG without issue either, but the MMOC does it quicker and with more authority.

The pressure I apply with all my razors, DE and SE, I'm sure would shock many but its all in how and where that pressure is applied. I never apply pressure to the edge of the blade but I'll apply enough pressure to the cap of my Grande or MMOC to create a wave of skin ahead of the edge that rises to meet the edge. The edge contacts my skin with very little pressure but the cap may be pushed into my cheek or neck a 1/2" so that I can achieve the shallow angle I prefer.

A main point to this post is the fact that I've been using DE and SE razors for two years now, exclusively. In two more years you may find it all just as easy.

Quick question, just to make sure. Does the assemble look right to you? Or did I do something wrong. That was before my last shave that I kinda noticed the blade being a little more straight instead of going with the curve of the cap?

Hopefully I explained myself right

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[Maximo77w]

+1 on loading a Feather or GSB into your Tech

Looking over this thread again, it seems to me your prep routine is too complicated. Your goal for prep should be to inundate your whiskers with continuous moisture. Here are my thoughts on how you can improve your next shave.

• After the shower soak face with cold water I don't know (or personally care) if there is a discernible difference between warm or cold water prep/shaving, but I prefer it (at least during the warmer months). I recall you being in a warmer climate, so I would recommend sticking with cold water.
• Apply remaining's of lather soap on face with hands and gently scrub face with hands Lather from shaving soap or lather from bath soap? Do you have access to glycerin soap? If possible, try working glycerin soap into your whiskers until you have developed a pseudo-lather or slick residue. Leave it on your face while loading the brush.
• Apply REALLY COLD TOWEL on face and leave on for 1-2 min Even if your towel is sopping, this may be an unnecessary step. If it feels good and helps put you in the right mindset, keep it up but repeat the previous step after you pull the towel.
o Take off lather with towel Do not remove the whisker soaking agent!
• Apply Pre-shave Cream PREP Original Try doing without this potentially unnecessary step in favor of leaving the pseudo lather on your face.
• Start 1st pass lather I do not have experience with Tabac. Load the soap as Tabaconados recommend (perhaps with the Marco method). Take your time face lathering and keep dipping the tips to add water. When you have nearly reached the optimum lather, pause to load and/or sanitize your blade and take a sip of water, take a deep breath and say a mantra (if you're into that sort of thing). Return to face lathering, but forget about what your lather should look like. Your lather will be ready when you pull your brush from your face and you don't feel the lather on your face sticking to it. You will never regret extending the amount of time lather soaks your whiskers. If lather starts to dry on your face, dip the dips and give the area a swipe.

In short: SUPERSOAK THOSE WHISKERS!

If at any point you feel the blade tugging, stop! Ensure your blade is fastened correctly and you are using the optimum angle.

Your face needs some time to recover from your current bout with irritation. If your whiskers grow quickly, it is likely your whiskers will be a tad too long for the Tech. If this is the case, beat back the growth with electric clippers and shave the following day.

Thanks for the tips! Regarding leaving the soap on after lathering on my face I feel the soap dries out really quick. I know our water here is really hard water so many that doesn’t help either




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[Esox]

Quick question, just to make sure. Does the assemble look right to you? Or did I do something wrong. That was before my last shave that I kinda noticed the blade being a little more straight instead of going with the curve of the cap?

Hopefully I explained myself right

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Yeah that looks fine to me. See mine below.

 

[Maximo77w]

Yeah that looks fine to me. See mine below.

View attachment 982611

View attachment 982612

Ok perfect just wanted to make sure because the last shave the blade scraped the crap out of me which is strange because supposedly it’s a simile blade to a voskhod which is the only blade I’ve had good experience


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[Esox]

Ok perfect just wanted to make sure because the last shave the blade scraped the crap out of me which is strange because supposedly it’s a simile blade to a voskhod which is the only blade I’ve had good experience


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Make sure the handle is nice and snug. Dont over tighten it, but it needs to be snug or the blade can vibrate between cap and base.

Blades do vary. When in doubt, load another one or try a different kind.

The smoothest blades I've used are any of the Gillete 7 O'Clock series, Perma-Sharp Super, Lord Platinum, Rapira Platinum Lux and yeah, I'd include Voskhod in there with them.

If your lather is lacking, too wet, thin and runny that can make a big difference too. Tabac is a great soap but its not the easiest to load. You're using a synthetic brush so that will make it easier to load but dont use too much water. Its easier to add water than remove it. Load the brush like you're angry at the soap lol and start making your lather. If its too thick, dip the tips and slowly add water working it into the lather until you think its just right.

Getting your lather just right takes practice too, and all soaps load differently. Its really quite a process finding what works the best for you in all of this, razors, blades, brushes and soaps. You have one of the best razors ever made, the Tech and one of the best soaps there is, Tabac. Learning to make them work is the trick to it all. Once you do, you'll look back on this and wonder why it was so difficult. We've all been there.

 

[mightyeskimo]

Hi @Maximo77w! Welcome to B&B!

We have a lot of the same gear. Tabac is my regular soap and I also cold water shave.

It took me some time and trouble to get to a point where I could shave comfortably.

I think a sharper blade would do you good. Feather is certainly the sharpest. Less sharp but comfortable would be Polsilvers, Silver Blues, Personna Reds.

I'd also suggest just sticking with the 34C until you get decent, repeatable results.

It's possible your entire routine is just a bit too complicated. Lots of variables will make it hard to find out what's working and what's not. Your lather sounds solid so I'd suggest trying to master the first pass.

 

[mightyeskimo]

Oh, I forgot to mention the grain map. You can print off a grain map and fill it in for your face.

Guys, is that document still around here somewhere?

 

[Maximo77w]

Oh, I forgot to mention the grain map. You can print off a grain map and fill it in for your face.

Guys, is that document still around here somewhere?

Thank you my friend. Definitely have a grain map as well. Thanks again


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[naughtilus]

Today I shaved with Voskhod, Fatip Piccolo mk1 and Tabac. Sweeeeeet and smooooth. Those Voskhods are amazing.

 

[Maximo77w]

Today I shaved with Voskhod, Fatip Piccolo mk1 and Tabac. Sweeeeeet and smooooth. Those Voskhods are amazing.

Yes they are!!!

Would’ve loved to see a video of your lathering on your face with the tabac


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[naughtilus]

Yes they are!!!

Would’ve loved to see a video of your lathering on your face with the tabac


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I don't make shaving videos but there are tons out there on YouTube with Tabac. That sucker loves water. That's the only quirk Tabac has. Hard water is not an issue since it has Tetrasodium EDTA chelating agent.

 

[mumB_L_E]

My water turned out to be harder than I thought, so I started using refrigerated distilled water for dunking my brush. Is this an option?

 

[carm10]

Thanks for the tips! Regarding leaving the soap on after lathering on my face I feel the soap dries out really quick. I know our water here is really hard water so many that doesn’t help either




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Many things in wet shaving are YMMV, but I would say this one is just a descriptive fact: if the soap dries out on the face there is not enough water. More than how the lather looks, and how it might resemble pics and videos, this drying is a dead giveaway that it needs more water. And this is consistent with your description of tugging rather than glide. It may be that you need to add more soap as well as more water, for it to be more stable in that sweet spot. Good luck.

 

[johnwick]

@Maximo77w are you in the USA? If so PM me your address. I’d be happy to mail you some sharper, smooth blades that you may not have in your sampler pack such as feather, Polsilver, Gillette silver blue etc.

 

[Maximo77w]

@Maximo77w are you in the USA? If so PM me your address. I’d be happy to mail you some sharper, smooth blades that you may not have in your sampler pack such as feather, Polsilver, Gillette silver blue etc.

Hello John. Appreciate your response and help a lot. I actually live in south America Ecuador. But I do have feather, polished, and GSB on my sample packs! You think I should try those with my tech?




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[Jer78]

I vote feather as next blades choice

 

[Atinofpeas]

I vote feather as next blades choice

Me too. They would suit that stubble.

 

[Dzaw]

Me too. They would suit that stubble.

I would buck the trend and vote Bic Chrome Platinum.

Not quite as sharp as feather straight out of the package, but after the first shave notably sharper than feather after one shave, and pretty much the same as feather was to start. Keeps that hyper sharp edge longer, and shaves smoother to boot.

 

[Maximo77w]

I would buck the trend and vote Bic Chrome Platinum.

Not quite as sharp as feather straight out of the package, but after the first shave notably sharper than feather after one shave, and pretty much the same as feather was to start. Keeps that hyper sharp edge longer, and shaves smoother to boot.

I also have the BIC Chrome Platinum out of the sample packs but my technique is still so bad that don’t want to use it yet.


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