Blade suggestions for abnormally tough beard on extremely sensitive skin.

[ironfingers]

Bought the green Gillette 7 0'Clock Super Stainless and the black Gillette 7 0'Clock Super Platinum. Gonna try both in the open comb. I shave on alternate days. My skin can only take that much abuse. If I have to shave everyday then I can only do a single pass shave, which means 2 0'Clock shadow. So I kind of got used to the alternate days shave regimen. I still haven't gained the confidence to try a new Feather on the open comb Pearl LS-55. But will try it in the near future.

There's another concern that I have with the Feathers. They rust. The Gillette Wilkinson Swords didn't rust between the 3 shaves I had with them. But the Feathers rust after a single shave. Luckily they rust away from the edges. I tried laying them on paper towels so any leftover moisture is absorbed but still they rusted. Not sure if it's okay to blow dry them. Water quality is kind of poor where I live. Still the Gillette Wilkinson Swords didn't rust.

Gonna try the BIC on the closed comb Pearl LS-55 tomorrow. Waiting for it.

 

[ironfingers]

Alright, what I have isn't the Gillette 7 0'Clock Super Stainless but the Gillette 7 0'Clock Permasharp Stainless which I believe is not so good. So I have changed my plan slightly. Gonna try these first before I try the BICs. So tomorrow is going to be Pearl LS-55 Open Comb with the Gillette 7 0'Clock Permasharp Stainless.

 

[Nomad116]

Don't know why but when you stated where you're from, I read it in the accent , also I feel you on finding a blade for the tough beard. Feather is the champ in those regards, but without an adjustable or mild razor you're planning to bleed yourself out. Astras aren't as sharp as feather but are always up there in top 5 of sharpness. What they lack in sharp, they make up for in smoothness. I'm looking into getting Bic, Personna red (Israeli), Parma-sharp and Gillette series as I hear they are near the level of sharpness to Astra and I wanna widen my range of blades (Feather and Astra hold the spot).

My prep is different from everyone's I would assume as I don't wet my face but use Shea butter stick and Apply a light coating on my area to shave and wait two minutes (prep the shave soap or cream). Then I shave away. It's worked for me and I've had smooth shaves with washing wth cold water when done and AS balm.

 

[ironfingers]

Shaved today with the Pearl LS-55 Open Comb and a Gillette 7 0'Clock Permasharp Stainless Steel blade. The blade seems to significantly sharper than the Gillette Wilkinson Sword Blades but it kind of irritated my skin. It was able to get over the chin area with much ease but still no comparison to the Feathers. But I didn't like how the blade felt on my skin. Shave was close but there was significant burn in the cheeks and the neck. Want to give the blade one more chance but with a thicker and less slick lather and see if the shave is any better. I think this blade will mostly be a pass. I am not very confident it will provide a significantly better shave with a thicker lather either.

 

[Atlantic59]

...My prep is different from everyone's I would assume as I don't wet my face but use Shea butter stick and Apply a light coating on my area to shave and wait two minutes (prep the shave soap or cream). Then I shave away...

Not to get off topic for this thread -- shea is a great skin conditioner, but your beard will be softer and easier to cut if it is very well hydrated. If you could combine your treatment with a warm, moist towel on the face for a minute or two, it might give even better resuts.

 

[Atlantic59]

Shaved today with the Pearl LS-55 Open Comb and a Gillette 7 0'Clock Permasharp Stainless Steel blade. The blade seems to significantly sharper than the Gillette Wilkinson Sword Blades but it kind of irritated my skin. It was able to get over the chin area with much ease but still no comparison to the Feathers. But I didn't like how the blade felt on my skin. Shave was close but there was significant burn in the cheeks and the neck. Want to give the blade one more chance but with a thicker and less slick lather and see if the shave is any better. I think this blade will mostly be a pass. I am not very confident it will provide a significantly better shave with a thicker lather either.

IME, the Gillette 7 0'Clock Permasharp Stainless blades (Indian made green ones) are just OK. They should improve slightly after the 1st shave.

The 7 O'clock Super Platinum (Indian made black ones) may be a very good match for you.

 

[Nomad116]

Not to get off topic for this thread -- shea is a great skin conditioner, but your beard will be softer and easier to cut if it is very well hydrated. If you could combine your treatment with a warm, moist towel on the face for a minute or two, it might give even better resuts.

It is an awesome moisturizer indeed! I have dry skin and have been using the Shea stick for 2 month within a year of wet shaving and prefer this method as less ingrowns have come up.

It's funny as I learned this from a shave guy who saw my face while at Family Dollar to get sime snacks, and he gave me a link to the prep as it seemed to be African American focused.. It was more modern (edge shave gel and use bic disposable razors), so I just use the shea butter as my prep and love it! My face isnt overly bumpy or irritated anymore. I've decided to stick with this method instead of the wet shave but everything else is the same.

When talking to my doctor about my hair (back of neck) she cause I'm young with testosterone as well as the blades I use that I can't cut from the root which might happen. The shea negates it nearly entirely. I just shaved my head for morning training and it's always shiny and healthy

 

[ironfingers]

What does smoothness of a blade mean? Is there even such a thing? I thought it meant a dull blade like the Derby as opposed to a sharp Feather. But after today's shave I am beginning to think that there's more to a blade's smoothness than that because despite being much sharper than the Gillette 7 0'Clock Permasharp Stainless the Feather's were more smooth, maybe? I just didn't like how the Permasharp felt. I am not able to explain it but I didn't like it.

 

[ironfingers]

Don't know why but when you stated where you're from, I read it in the accent , also I feel you on finding a blade for the tough beard. Feather is the champ in those regards, but without an adjustable or mild razor you're planning to bleed yourself out. Astras aren't as sharp as feather but are always up there in top 5 of sharpness. What they lack in sharp, they make up for in smoothness. I'm looking into getting Bic, Personna red (Israeli), Parma-sharp and Gillette series as I hear they are near the level of sharpness to Astra and I wanna widen my range of blades (Feather and Astra hold the spot).

My prep is different from everyone's I would assume as I don't wet my face but use Shea butter stick and Apply a light coating on my area to shave and wait two minutes (prep the shave soap or cream). Then I shave away. It's worked for me and I've had smooth shaves with washing wth cold water when done and AS balm.

How do you avoid your badger getting messed up? Whenever I used pre-shaves my badger won't make a proper lather the next time. There are times when I have had to shampoo the badger hair to get it back to normal. To avoid it I used to just paint the lather on my face instead of rubbing it into the beard like I usually do. But that doesn't give a great shave and defeats the whole purpose of using a brush.

 

[Nomad116]

What does smoothness of a blade mean? Is there even such a thing? I thought it meant a dull blade like the Derby as opposed to a sharp Feather. But after today's shave I am beginning to think that there's more to a blade's smoothness than that because despite being much sharper than the Gillette 7 0'Clock Permasharp Stainless the Feather's were more smooth, maybe? I just didn't like how the Permasharp felt. I am not able to explain it but I didn't like it.

If I could put it as best I can auth context. I have course hair (shave head too), so I prefer blades that are I'm the higher end of sharp, that being feather for me. Shaving with a mild level (I have an adjustable razor so it can be mild or aggressive) the blade glides down my face meaning I honestly don't feel it at all and it easily cuts the hair without the feel of it being tugged or grated against your face. Smoothness is comfort. You shouldn't feel the blade at all. Sharpness is how easily the blade can cut the hair.

Astra Superior Platinum is sharp but more smooth than feather so you'll feel a glide when you shave. Same with Personna platinum but it's more smooth than it is sharp. Someone can correct me if I misled anywhere but that's my experience and research.

 

[Nomad116]

How do you avoid your badger getting messed up? Whenever I used pre-shaves my badger won't make a proper lather the next time. There are times when I have had to shampoo the badger hair to get it back to normal. To avoid it I used to just paint the lather on my face instead of rubbing it into the beard like I usually do. But that doesn't give a great shave and defeats the whole purpose of using a brush.

I don't know what you truly mean by messed up, as I have a Synthitic brush (no animals). I would probably say for you to let the pre-shave sit on your face for a moment (1-2 minutes) and work on making the lather with the brush. What pre shave are you using? I hope you don't mean that you're putting shave oil on the brush cause that's not what you're to do(I'm making assumptions and I haven't slept).

 

[ironfingers]

I don't know what you truly mean by messed up, as I have a Synthitic brush (no animals). I would probably say for you to let the pre-shave sit on your face for a moment (1-2 minutes) and work on making the lather with the brush. What pre shave are you using? I hope you don't mean that you're putting shave oil on the brush cause that's not what you're to do(I'm making assumptions and I haven't slept).

I don't remember the brand of pre-shave oil I used as it was quite some time before. I have also tried Olive Oil and Almond oil. Here's what I used to do. I wash my face with water that is really hot and some scrub or face wash. Then after the water stops dripping and my face and beard are still wet I apply a thin coat of the pre-shave oil with my hands. I let that soak in and wash my hands multiple times to get off the slipperiness in my hands. Then I beging lathering in a bowl as usual. Once I have worked up a good lather I sprinkle some water on my face and then start applying lather on my face. During this process I believe some of the oil gets transferred to the brush. For the second pass when I rework the lather already in the bowl with a few drops of water and repeat the process. For the next shave (next shave, not next pass) I find that the brush doesn't produce a lather as good. I wash the brush with shampoo to wash of any oil it has caught the previous time and then use it to lather. I use badger brush.

Another problem is with the stretching of skin with the other hand. It's mandatory for me as otherwise my very coarse causes skipping of the razor and results in nicks. I have tried pre-shave creams that can are easier to wipe off unlike the oil but still my brush gets messed up in the same way as the oils. However when I use a pre-shave there's less razor burn. But it takes a lot longer and is more annoying as everything gets slippery from the razor to the brush handle.

 

[Ivo4u2]

How do you avoid your badger getting messed up? Whenever I used pre-shaves my badger won't make a proper lather the next time. There are times when I have had to shampoo the badger hair to get it back to normal. To avoid it I used to just paint the lather on my face instead of rubbing it into the beard like I usually do. But that doesn't give a great shave and defeats the whole purpose of using a brush.

When I use stirling pre shave soap I scrub it in with a sisal scrub spongue.
brush my teeth
Make my normal lather in a bowl with a synthetic and apply on top generously as if painting
No problems whatsoever

 

[Ivo4u2]

- in winter it makes a lot of difference if I use some moisturizer the night before shaving (in the winter our indoor air is dry like aircon).
- pre shave soap prep makes a big difference. Some scrub spongue not to though helps too
- I never face lather and I use a soft synthetic brush
- if I can feel bristles the lather is not thick or slick enough.
- rinsing my razor in cold water seems to help.
- last pas with some shave oil and no soap makes a deeper cut
- no pressure but I prefer a heavy razor doing the job.
- try a variable razor like a Parker or qshave in order to make it more or less agressive from day to day or pass.
- sometimes a mild blade in an efficient razor is just the right combo finding it is a challenge. It took me a lot of try and error to find that a silver blue matched my qshave and a platinum was a match for the Parker. The r48 prefered a bic chrome but is not to picky. And I have a couple of razors which do not combine with me.
- ever tried a gilette guard?
- ever tried a slant?
- try bottled water or filtered water if your water is bad.
- you can get silicagel packages to keep razor blades dry and you can press dry them between thick paper towel. Store them in vegetable oil or simply wipe the blade. Blade dryers exist. Do not leave them in the razor because they dry worse and you can get a reaction between razor and blade

 

[Nomad116]

I don't remember the brand of pre-shave oil I used as it was quite some time before. I have also tried Olive Oil and Almond oil. Here's what I used to do. I wash my face with water that is really hot and some scrub or face wash. Then after the water stops dripping and my face and beard are still wet I apply a thin coat of the pre-shave oil with my hands. I let that soak in and wash my hands multiple times to get off the slipperiness in my hands. Then I beging lathering in a bowl as usual. Once I have worked up a good lather I sprinkle some water on my face and then start applying lather on my face. During this process I believe some of the oil gets transferred to the brush. For the second pass when I rework the lather already in the bowl with a few drops of water and repeat the process. For the next shave (next shave, not next pass) I find that the brush doesn't produce a lather as good. I wash the brush with shampoo to wash of any oil it has caught the previous time and then use it to lather. I use badger brush.

Another problem is with the stretching of skin with the other hand. It's mandatory for me as otherwise my very coarse causes skipping of the razor and results in nicks. I have tried pre-shave creams that can are easier to wipe off unlike the oil but still my brush gets messed up in the same way as the oils. However when I use a pre-shave there's less razor burn. But it takes a lot longer and is more annoying as everything gets slippery from the razor to the brush handle.

I see now. Well from my experience I can say less is more. I use to use pre shave oil but stopped and still get a good shave. You will have to experiment. Since you're new it's understandable that the shave will miss some hairs along with nicks. Your prep looks good but I would say for you to go with three process with minor changes.

1. Warm water not really hot.
2. Use a pinky nail or half as small of oil as oil is hydrophobic (doesn't like water so they don't mix). Likely have too much on your face.
3.Use the scrub or tweezers (rub against your face) to get out any ingrowns before you start.

With stretching the skin it isn't a good idea but people still do it. I puff my cheeks such as Nick Shaves (YouTube channel). You'll find out that not everyone has the same face. You'll see people with more chubby faces so they don't need to do that, while mine is more chiseled and I have a defined looking jaw (think of male models), so I need to puff my cheeks as they concave (go inward) I only pull the skin under my jaw as it is hard to get, however respect the blade and be gentle. I like to Keep things simple and use an adjustable as for me I go at the pace I choose.

You won't get overnight or over 6 months. I'm over a year and still get nicks (only on same spots but it's whatever), but my lathering and shaving has improved to where I can shave my head and face faster cause of familiarity. Change things up, experiment, and shave on, brother

 

[ironfingers]

Yesterday was the second shave with the Pearl LS-55 Open comb and Gillette 7 0'Clock Permasharp Stainless steel blade. Surprisingly the blade was far smoother but tugged and pulled extremely around the chin area. I also changed the angle closer to riding the guard and may have even ridden the guard. Last time I was riding the cap to get a closer shave. This shave didn't give me much razor burn and there was moderate burn when applying the aftershave. There was no burn later in the day either. And all this despite going over some areas more times than the previous shave as there was more hair getting left due to the angle. Still it was comfortable. Going to try the Gillette 7 0'Clock Super Platinum tomorrow on the Pearl LS-55 Open Comb.

 

[Nomad116]

I think Gillette platinum, Black, Kai, and permasharp are some reasonable sharp blades to some. Maybe try an adjustable razor?

 

[ironfingers]

Day before yesterday was my first shave with the Pearl LS-55 Open Comb razor and the Gillette 7 0'Clock Super Platinum. The blade was quite sharp, so far the second sharpest after the Feather. No comparison with the Feather though. Shave was close but there was significant post shave burn. Moderate burn at times later in the day. Today was the second shave with the same combo. This shave was far more closer and there was indeed significant burn when applying the aftershave. However that was due to the many cuts I received in the neck region today. Not sure why but today was the most cuts I've received ever. Other than that there was significant burn under the jawline, close to the chin and some other areas of the neck too throughout the day. I am not sure I like this blade. The second shave with the Permasharp Stainless was far better in terms of comfort compared to the Super Platinum which is kind of surprising and shocking. Will try a 3rd shave with the same blade and razor day after tomorrow and see how it feels.

 

[ironfingers]

Today was the 3rd shave with the same Gillette 7 0'Clock Super Platinum and Pearl LS-55 Open Comb Razor combo. The shave was smooth and there was less burn this time when I applied the aftershave. Not having much razor burn about 3-4 hours later. Still I am not very impressed with this blade. Like I said earlier the Gillette 7 0'Clock Permasharp Stainless gave me better shave on the second shave than any of the 3 shaves I've had with this Super Platinum. But I prefer neither. In fact if I had to chose a Gillette from the 3 I have tried so far I would rather chose the Gillette Wilkinson Sword which is cheaper as well gave me far less irritation. It was much duller than these 2 but was more consistent in terms of sharpness. A research says that on the second shave the Super Platinum rates on par with the Feather's first shave in terms of sharpness. However I didn't feel like that. But the skin irritation was extreme on the second shave.

From my experience so far I feel that the blades that are marked stainless give me better shaves than the ones that come with some kind of coating, or at least claim to be so. The Feather and Gillette Wilkinson Sword (I never fascinated that I would rate this blade so high) are so far the best, the first with the closed comb and the second with an open comb. The Gillette Wilkinson Sword was tugging a lot on the second and third shaves but I would much rather live with tugging and pulling than irritation. My opinion of the Gillette 7 0'Clock Permasharp Stainless and the Super Platinum seem to align with my experiences the previous times I have tried and discarded them. I am assuming that the platinum coating is kind of damaged awkwardly and that irritates my skin a lot. There were times the blade felt like the tip of a safety pin on my face today.

I am surprised no one suggested the slant bar razors. Aren't they any good for tough beard and sensitive skin or aren't they good at all? Also I am a little skeptical about the Gillette Nacet blades now given that I didn't like the Gillette 7 0'Clock Super Platinum at all which is almost on par with Nacet. The Nacets are quite expensive from where I live as they're imported. Almost twice the price of Feathers too and about 4 times the price of the BICs which makes me even more skeptical. I am having Voskhod in mind too which I believe I will like as it's sharpness is consistent and is supposedly very very smooth.

The next shave which is day after tomorrow is going to be with the BIC on the Pearl LS-55 Closed Comb. Not sure what to expect. Waiting to find out.

 

[uncle gabe]

Have you tried paring a very aggressive slant with milder blades? It might reduce the burn without a significant drop in efficiency. For instance, the Alpha Ecliptic by Phoenix seems exceptionally aggressive