First shave

[bigDee]

This is all that I have now.

100 feather blades.
Murker HD
C&E BB
C&E sweet almond oil shave cream
QED Da Vinci water
GFT Lime shave cream
Nancy Boy shave cream
Proraso green tube shave cream
Nancy Boy cooling a/s gel
Proraso pre/post

I think thats it. Today after I took a shower, I spent about 45min in the bathroom because I was taking my time going through the process. Also wasted some time because I used the Nancy Boy shave cream and it didn't look like the amount of lather I see in the pictures here so I didn't even shave with it. I washed it off my face and put on some proraso green tube shave cream and it made a bit more lather. I really messed up with the water:cream ratio with both creams so I still don't know how to get whip cream like lather.

Here was my setup for today.

Murker HD
Feather Blade
Proraso shave cream (excellent)
C&E BB
Nancy Boy cooling a/s gel
QED Da Vinci water
Proraso pre/post

When I opened the Nancy Boy cream it was moving a bit when I tilted the tub. Is it supposed to be like that or is it melted?

Overall I had a pretty good shave. I don't know the definition of "close" since this is my first shave but my face definitely feels much smoother. I just need to work on my chin. My cheeks, under the jaw line, and below my lip went pretty good. I also need to work on the angle of the razor. Any tips for that? I don't understand how to measure this 30 degrees that people say its optimal.

 

[jmhUT]

Big Dee,
Overall I'd say your maiden voyage went fairly well. Regarding razor angle: 30 degrees is a good guideline but will not be the optimal angle for every face. Depending on your razor and the individual contours this can vary a little. Plus, as you say, it is impossible to measure a 30 degree angle by sight. Start with the razor head, not the safety bar, against the skin under your sideburn. The handle should be parallel with the floor. Allow the weight of the razor to initiate the downward motion and rotate the head downward until you hear, not feel, the first hairs being cut. That is your angle, continue the pass with short strokes. Simulate this approach for those passes that are upward or sideways instead of downward as best you can. In time you will happen across the correct approaches for these passes also.

Regarding lather building here is how I do it:
1) Soak brush
2) Flick ALL excess water from brush (in this way you will begin with too litte water)
3) Put al almond sized blob of cream in a bowl
4) Begin whipping lather and add water as needed until it starts to resemble whip cream.

By starting with too little water and adding as needed you will eliminate the possiblity of starting with too much water. If you start with too much you need to add cream or start over. It is much easier to begin with too little and add as you go.
Cheers,
Jeff

 

[jmhUT]

By the way, you said this is your first shave. Did you mean your first shave ever or your first with the DE?

 

[Jim]

Great to hear that things are going so well. It will all come together!

 

[bigDee]

By the way, you said this is your first shave. Did you mean your first shave ever or your first with the DE?

First shave ever!

 

[bigDee]

Thx for the advice. I will consider it when I shave again for my second time, this afternoon.

 

[jmhUT]

First shave ever!

Boy you really dodged a bullet. I don't know that any of us can say we have never suffered through a cartridge shave.
Cheers,
Jeff

 

[bigDee]

I have done better with the blade angle. It seems a little easier to go s-n or e-w than it is to go n-s. Especially under the nose its easier to go s-n.

I still don't know how to make good lather. Or maybe I am just overstating it. I probably have a good lather but I'm not for sure.

 

[jbasl]

Check this guide by Joel. Since reading it my lather has gone from good to great.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=9)

 

[bigDee]

That did help a little. With the combination of starting out with less water, and using a bowl instead of a mug, I had a lot more lather and it didn't sling everywhere across the sink when I painted my face. But I still can't get it to stay thick on my face. I can get parts of my face to have a lump of lather but its definitely not consistent. Everythime I move the brush it wipes some of the lather off and just slides down on to the handel of the brush. Then I have to twirl the brush in a weird way to get the lather from the handel of the brush on my face. Anyway I think I have it pretty decent.

Cliffs: How do I put the lather on my face once I have made enough? Is there anything to know besides painting side to side and up and down?

 

[TraderJoe]

Cliffs: How do I put the lather on my face once I have made enough? Is there anything to know besides painting side to side and up and down?

slap the brush (bristles down) against the sides of the bowl to shake the lather down to the tips of bristles. This may aid in propagation of the lather somewhat, not to mention get it off the sides of bristles.

 

[ouch]

Great start, D. You have better supplies than 99% of everyone on Earth, so it's just a matter of refining your technique, which will come with time.

If you'd like a sample of any particular cream, or want to try a specific blade, I'd be happy to send them to you.

 

[htownmmm]

This is all that I have now.

100 feather blades.
Murker HD
C&E BB
C&E sweet almond oil shave cream
QED Da Vinci water
GFT Lime shave cream
Nancy Boy shave cream
Proraso green tube shave cream
Nancy Boy cooling a/s gel
Proraso pre/post

Welcome to the collective, bigDee!

You will be assim- oh wait , too late- you have been assimilated!

Marty

 

[bigDee]

I need to find the source of another problem. After the third shave I got a little razor burn and my jawline and chin started to itch. I thought hmmm... I guess its because the wiskers are growing and popping out of my skin so thats probably causing it to itch. So I shaved again for my forth shave. 10min later it was already a little worse than it was before. And I have reason to believe that after using the same blade for four shaves, it went bad.

I don't think they're supposed to go bad after only 4 shaves but I did get my blades two days before I got my razor so I was messing around a little with the top blade so I might have accidently hit the blade against something which could have ruined it.

Anyway, my chin itches really bad I can't stand it. I don't know what exactly I did wrong. I keep putting st ives intensive lotion on my face so it won't be dry and itch as bad. I haven't shaved in two days and don't plan to again anytime soon

Is there anything else that could have caused the light razor burn and itching?

edit: I'm using feather blades

 

[bigDee]

Great start, D. You have better supplies than 99% of everyone on Earth, so it's just a matter of refining your technique, which will come with time.

If you'd like a sample of any particular cream, or want to try a specific blade, I'd be happy to send them to you.

I'll let you know if I need to check somethin out. kthx

 

[mrob]

Is there anything else that could have caused the light razor burn and itching?

My guess is the Feathers.

 

[TraderJoe]

I need to find the source of another problem. After the third shave I got a little razor burn and my jawline and chin started to itch. I thought hmmm... I guess its because the wiskers are growing and popping out of my skin so thats probably causing it to itch. So I shaved again for my forth shave. 10min later it was already a little worse than it was before. And I have reason to believe that after using the same blade for four shaves, it went bad.

I don't think they're supposed to go bad after only 4 shaves but I did get my blades two days before I got my razor so I was messing around a little with the top blade so I might have accidently hit the blade against something which could have ruined it.

Anyway, my chin itches really bad I can't stand it. I don't know what exactly I did wrong. I keep putting st ives intensive lotion on my face so it won't be dry and itch as bad. I haven't shaved in two days and don't plan to again anytime soon

Is there anything else that could have caused the light razor burn and itching?

edit: I'm using feather blades

I would guess improper angle/too much pressue could be the culprits. Let it rest a day and go at it with a new blade, paying close attention to the pressure & angle factors and let us know what happens.

 

[bigDee]

My guess is the Feathers.

no.

 

[bigDee]

I would guess improper angle/too much pressue could be the culprits. Let it rest a day and go at it with a new blade, paying close attention to the pressure & angle factors and let us know what happens.

kk

 

[Leisureguy]

Short strokes will help you maintain correct angle and light pressure.