Shallow or Steep?

[JCainIII]

Should I be shaving shallow or Steep on my DE89? I'm only 2 shaves in but I noticed I'm shaving at a very shallow angle and I'm leaving a lot of stubble on the face and causing some irritation. Would shaving steeper be more efficient and less irritating assuming I keep light pressure?

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[GearNoir]

No pressure, always no pressure. All you’re doing with your hand is moving the razor for the pass.

It’s really up to you the angle. In general you have to find what works for you.

 

[Invicta]

noticed I'm shaving at a very shallow angle and I'm leaving a lot of stubble on the face and causing some irritation. Would shaving steeper be more efficient and less irritating assuming I keep light pressure?

Why not try a neutral angle? You should not be getting irritation. These are the angles I am referring to where a neutral angle gets maximum blade exposure. You may need to experiment a little. The illustration is the DE89.

 

[TheKman]

Different combination of razor and blade work at different angles sometimes. The only way to know is to experiment, every face is a little different.

I have two razors with almost precisely the same blade angle. One likes a softer shallower angle with a sharper blade. The other prefers a more forgiving blade and a steeper angle. I've yet to understand why.

 

[ackvil]

First, have you mapped your beard to see what direction or directions your beard grows? Also, how many and what kind of passes are you making?

Shaving with a DE is really beard reduction with each pass. Because my beard grows in various directions I must make multiple passes in different directions to get a good shave without stubble.

If you are using multiple passes in different directions and still leaving stubble behind, then yes adjust your angle gradually.

 

[BigJ]

No pressure, always no pressure. All you’re doing with your hand is moving the razor for the pass.

It’s really up to you the angle. In general you have to find what works for you.

+1! I prefer a neutral angle with the DE89. The main things are to maintain a consistent angle and NO pressure.

 

[JCainIII]

First, have you mapped your beard to see what direction or directions your beard grows? Also, how many and what kind of passes are you making?

Shaving with a DE is really beard reduction with each pass. Because my beard grows in various directions I must make multiple passes in different directions to get a good shave without stubble.

If you are using multiple passes in different directions and still leaving stubble behind, then yes adjust your angle gradually.

Yes I have mapped my beard and I'm doing a wtg and xtg. Still trying to get the no pressure thing down though.

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[Ron R]

Personally I ride the cap side more than than the safety bar. When you ride the cap side you will be able to slice whiskers by small adjustments were to me riding the safety bar is maybe a more a scrapping slicing action IMO. To be honest about the matter about 60% of a normal shave for me is Cap side and the rest is between neutral and safety bar. When I shave now I don't but my mind into a lot of angles, I get good results almost every time. When I first tried DE shaving angle approach was a task to get right IMO.

 

[ackvil]

Yes I have mapped my beard and I'm doing a wtg and xtg. Still trying to get the no pressure thing down though.

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I find that using the correct grip can make a big difference with keeping pressure off of the blade. I use two fingers and my thumb to hold the razor with another finger resting on the tip of the handle. This results in holding the razor very lightly with no pressure on the razor. You want to hold the razor as lightly as you can so that it stays on your face and without it falling from your hand. The wiki deals with holding a razor and may help you.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

If it's TOO steep or TOO shallow, the blade will lift off your face. It will take a while to find what the minimum and maximum angles are which still gives you blade contact. Within those two extremes, the blade might influence which angle is better, in other words one blade might be better with a slightly steeper angle, and another might be better used shallow. So long as you are working within the limits of the razor, and keeping the blade where it needs to be, it's down to your preference.

If you are leaving stubble, and causing tugging, you have probably gone so shallow that the blade is lifting right off the face. You're snatching at some hairs and missing others. See my walkthrough here for more details ....

The Wanderers Guide To DE Shaving

.... the answers to your problems are probably in parts one and four (mainly number four), but I'd suggest reading all four parts.

 

[JCainIII]

If it's TOO steep or TOO shallow, the blade will lift off your face. It will take a while to find what the minimum and maximum angles are which still gives you blade contact. Within those two extremes, the blade might influence which angle is better, in other words one blade might be better with a slightly steeper angle, and another might be better used shallow. So long as you are working within the limits of the razor, and keeping the blade where it needs to be, it's down to your preference.

If you are leaving stubble, and causing tugging, you have probably gone so shallow that the blade is lifting right off the face. You're snatching at some hairs and missing others. See my walkthrough here for more details ....

The Wanderers Guide To DE Shaving

.... the answers to your problems are probably in parts one and four (mainly number four), but I'd suggest reading all four parts.

Thx for the info... I'm reading it now.

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[JCainIII]

I find that using the correct grip can make a big difference with keeping pressure off of the blade. I use two fingers and my thumb to hold the razor with another finger resting on the tip of the handle. This results in holding the razor very lightly with no pressure on the razor. You want to hold the razor as lightly as you can so that it stays on your face and without it falling from your hand. The wiki deals with holding a razor and may help you.

Continued thanks for the advice.

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[alex2363]

No pressure, always no pressure. All you’re doing with your hand is moving the razor for the pass.

It’s really up to you the angle. In general you have to find what works for you.

1

 

[Jer78]

Hey JC, there are so many different opinions on this one. Some razors prefer a specific angle, others have more of a sweet spot. To find yours, play with it a little. At what angle do the hairs hairs pop off with almost no struggle? When are the strokes the smoothest? The razor will tell you..