I have shaved with a straight razor a couple of times, but they were not anywhere near as sharp as they should have been, so I while I was able to produce an acceptably close shave it usually came at the expense of a bit of razor burn. I have a supervisor at work that I have spent a lot of time discussing straight and DE shaving with. He has a Merkur #180 and has really enjoyed using it. So I figured until I can get my straight razors honed properly a DE would be the next logical step up from the Mach 3 and Fusion I have been using.
I ordered an Edwin Jagger DE89L from bestgroomingtools.com due to all of the positive reviews it has been given here and on another forum I frequent. The razor came with 15 assorted Lords razor blades, and i ordered a 10 pack of Merkur blades to supplement the Lords. I recieved my order on Monday and couldn't wait to shave with my new razor. I prepared the same as I have for my straight shaves. After showering I splashed some hot water on my face, and then did the best I could for lather with some Van Der Hagen soap, a boar brush and a little C.O. Bigelow shave cream to moisten things up a bit.
I have to say that I was very impressed with the way this razor handled. I was able to get a much closer shave in most places than I have been able to get with my Mach 3 or my Fusion. I did find a couple of places that I'm sure I could have gotten closer had I given it one more pass, or payed more attention while performing the passes I did. I did one WTG pass followed by a ATG pass on my face and neck. I went straight to 2 ATG passes on my head, as that has always worked best with my other razors.
When I was done I was very impressed with the closeness of the shave, and was very glad to feel no signs of razor burn while rinsing off with hot water. I know that things will only get better as I learn the technique better, and get some experience.
I would like to thank all of those who regularly share information on this forum, as it was instrumental in helping me make a wise purchase, so that I can enjoy wet shaving well into the future.
Hal
I ordered an Edwin Jagger DE89L from bestgroomingtools.com due to all of the positive reviews it has been given here and on another forum I frequent. The razor came with 15 assorted Lords razor blades, and i ordered a 10 pack of Merkur blades to supplement the Lords. I recieved my order on Monday and couldn't wait to shave with my new razor. I prepared the same as I have for my straight shaves. After showering I splashed some hot water on my face, and then did the best I could for lather with some Van Der Hagen soap, a boar brush and a little C.O. Bigelow shave cream to moisten things up a bit.
I have to say that I was very impressed with the way this razor handled. I was able to get a much closer shave in most places than I have been able to get with my Mach 3 or my Fusion. I did find a couple of places that I'm sure I could have gotten closer had I given it one more pass, or payed more attention while performing the passes I did. I did one WTG pass followed by a ATG pass on my face and neck. I went straight to 2 ATG passes on my head, as that has always worked best with my other razors.
When I was done I was very impressed with the closeness of the shave, and was very glad to feel no signs of razor burn while rinsing off with hot water. I know that things will only get better as I learn the technique better, and get some experience.
I would like to thank all of those who regularly share information on this forum, as it was instrumental in helping me make a wise purchase, so that I can enjoy wet shaving well into the future.
Hal
