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first time Merkur HD = thumbs dowwwwwn

I've got to say, WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!
Perhaps I'm jumping the gun here, I thought the handle would be too short, turns out that was OK, but the shave the razor itself produced, was less than wonderful. I went ahead and tried the sample blade that was packaged with it and I'm hoping the lousy shave was because of the blade and not the razor. Seems like I remember reading somewhere that the blades Merkur makes are good and I have to disagree with that entirely at this point. I lost the little paper that came with the blade, but it says it's made in Germany.

I should start off by saying that before the Merkur, I've been using my dad's old Schick Krona, i'm pretty sure it's a Krona anyways, with just some cheap blades I picked up in Albertsons grocery store... The Merkur did not come with any instructions, but I did notice that when you tighten the blade down that it bends - does this mean it was too tight? I would think it has to be tight for a good shave, but why did they design it to bend like that?

On a side note, I've been shaving with the Krona for oh about a month or so now and I have to say that wetshaving, although it doesn't cause skin irritation, produces a truly lousy shave. So the catch 22 for me is, use an electric Panasonic or Mach 3 and get a baby butt smooth face and neck for about half a day until all the irritation sets in OR use a DE razor and get a shave that leaves my face feeling like sandpaper, yet not have any redness or irritation.. I suppose a shadow is better looking than razor bumps and redness so I'll stick with the wetshaving..

On my chin area and above the lip, I don't even attempt to use the DE razor anymore, I just shave those areas with the electric and do the rest with the DE.. For some reason the DE razor simply does not cut the beard in those areas, especially the chin. Fortunately, the electric doesn't cause irritation on those two areas so I can get away with that..

If anyone has any advice or can concur that the blade that comes with the Merkur is crap, or address the bending blade thing, I'm all ears :confused:
 
Opinions on the Merkur blade vary greatly. Unless yours is damaged, however, you should be able to get a decent shave from it.

Every DE razor that I have ever seen or used bends the blade. This is done so that you can ultimately achieve the appropriate blade-to-face angle for shaving. Certainly, there may be a DE razor out there that does not do this. Would any of our other members care to chime in here?

As far as the closeness or quality of your shave goes, I'm surprised you're not getting better results.
 
Interesting.. well it didn't seem damaged, it just seemed like it was scraping along and not cutting well. I've got the angle thing down, I've been doing it for a month so I know how to find the right cutting angle. I think I will try one of my Albertson's blade in it on the next shave.. I have a tough beard - the only way to get smooth for me is to go agains tthe direction of growth, and I can't accomplish that with the DE like I could with the Mach and Electric.. With the DE, the blade jumps whe going against..
 
How many passes are you doing? If you are only doing one pass that could explain your poor results as far as the shave quality.
 
S

Sam

1. Every thing I have read says toss the blade that came packed IN the razor.

2. Merkurs are good blades, I prefer them the most save for the Feather blades. You can certainly find worse blades easier.

3. DO not make the mistakes I did and give up on something too quick. I have sold razors that I regretted. You may move on to a Gillette or some other razor, but give it two weeks minimum. I started with a Vision and had a very steep learning curve. This was before the shave forums really took off. A guy named Gordon really was a great sounding board for me. Ill be glad to be yours, and so will this whole forum basically.

4. Sit back and enjoy

Sam
 
As James points out, there really is a lot to wet shaving, and he didn't even touch on the quality of your lather. If you would be willing to share a detailed explanation of your process and technique, perhaps we can provide you with the help that will get those shaves on their way to baby butt smooth.
 
Well that blade that came with your razor should have been tossed first thing. I think that if you take your time, and try several different blade combos like I did, you might discover the magic combo that works for you, for me this was the Derby blade. Also the angle will be quite different than with the injector razors.
Cheers, DJ.
 
Dax,

First, I'm sorry that you're not having better luck so far. I know how frustrating it can be when you have all this cool stuff to shave with and it just isn't working.

First off, give your face a break, and try to get your hands on some new blades--I'd suggest fresh Merkurs or Derbys; they are gentle and plenty sharp enough to do the job. Whatever you do, chuck the blade that came with the razor. And if you can't get the Merkurs or Derbys right away, try the Personnas you can get at WalMart.

There's also some great advice in the posts above, specifically about not getting your expectations too high too soon, and focusing on your technique. Think about starting with a 1 or 2 pass shave at the most, and gradually work your way up to more passes. Understand that you won't be baby butt smooth--but don't be surprised if you still get really good results with 1 or 2 passes.

Finally, slow down and enjoy the experience--the smells of the creams and the feel of the razor on your skin. A good wet shave can be very relaxing if you take your time and enjoy the "experience" of the whole thing.

And hang in there and let us know how you're doing!
 
Shaving is a totally individual thing. The cream that produces the perfect shave for one man might be just ordinary for another man. No two faces are alike. Nobosy's skin is axactly like another's. So if the electric or a Mach 3 works for you - then great! Mach3 is not a bad shaving device.

I have a Mercur Hefty Classic and I have been using various blades. I find that my shaves are getting better and better as time passes. I would say that after only about 10 shaves with the Mercur Heafy Classic my shaves now are as good as my best shaves with a Mach3 or Fusion. But then, I am also using other high quality products that I never used before.

Again, do what works best for you. I've tried electrics in the past and found them terrible. But that's just me. If they work for you that's great.
 
Like some of the other guys have mentioned, technique and being your first time is probably the reasons why you did not acheive tha shave that you were after.
Also sounds like maybe you should try another blade. Sometimes the ones in the box are not the best.
Wet shaving with a DE is like learning a musical instrument. Getting your technique right and using the correct blade for you, shaving creamsetc.
Be patient with it, try to see what you are doing wrong(that what i did) and as you go correct it. The angle is important and also the way you apply the pressure.
Dont give it up, it was only the first, and im sure it will come good in the end.:001_smile
 
You definitely have to learn how to use a DE razor. Being able to get great results first off is unusual IMO. Read through the advice on this board,try different blades and creams/soaps, you should get better with time.
 
For sure you MUST try another blade either a derby or a feather would be my choice, it's way to early to admitt defeat after just one shave.
I had a similar attitude after my first HD shave but now I love the thing.
For me the most important things to concentrate on when starting out would be a very light touch,correct blade angle, and not trying to slice to much off with one pass all this after a good prep of course.
It's very much a case of getting your technique down solid with good skin
stretching and taking your time.But stick with it does tend to click after a
little while.
 
Kyle said:
Opinions on the Merkur blade vary greatly. Unless yours is damaged, however, you should be able to get a decent shave from it.

Every DE razor that I have ever seen or used bends the blade. This is done so that you can ultimately achieve the appropriate blade-to-face angle for shaving. Certainly, there may be a DE razor out there that does not do this. Would any of our other members care to chime in here?

As far as the closeness or quality of your shave goes, I'm surprised you're not getting better results.

I was wondering about the bending blades. I myself had previously ordered an HD, cancelled the order when shipping was delayed, and as was predicted recently ordered one again. It should come any day now. I bought Merkur blades as well--seemed like a good start point from what I had read. This will be my first DE razor.

So you put the blade and and screw own or lock in how tight? Finger tight or really hard? It makes sense to me that you would want the blade locked in and therefore bent a bit to insure that the angles is just so? Also seems no directions included so I hope its self explanatory but any quick pointers would be reassuring.

MJB
 
MJB said:
So you put the blade and and screw own or lock in how tight? Finger tight or really hard? It makes sense to me that you would want the blade locked in and therefore bent a bit to insure that the angles is just so? Also seems no directions included so I hope its self explanatory but any quick pointers would be reassuring.MJB
MJB,
You want to tighten the razor to a point that it won't come loose while shaving. You don't have to get over zealous to accomplish this. Just make sure it is nice and snug.

Besides helping with blade angle, the blade curve will give it (the blade) some added rigidity.
 
Don't give up yet...give your face some time to get used to the change...and your technique will improve. Remember...with a DE you reduce the beard with each pass. You won't get a good shave with one N-S (with grain) pass. I would start with 2 N-S passes...this should be much better then 1 pass. If you did attempt an against the grain pass on the first or even second pass I would say the whiskers aren't short enough which will cause pulling...skipping...irritation.

The other thing is I don't believe you mentioned what cream/soap you are using. Make sure you don't cut any corners with prep...that is the key to your success.
 
Thanks for the replies, I didn't give up, and I'll chuck the blade that came with the razor as you suggested... For the prep, I fill the mug with hot hot water and put the brush in it, then I wash my face with hot water, leave it wet, dump out the water from the mug, and I put some of the Palmolive shave cream in the mug, then whip up a lather with the wet brush and apply to my face.

Question: How long should I leave the palmolive lather on my face before shaving? Or does it not make any difference?

I then shave N-S from my sideburns down my cheek areas. Then I shave up on the sides of my neck, and down around the jawline. The middle neck/throat area is a ***** to shave, so I just do what I can there.. and again, can't make any progress on the chin, and just under the chin with a DE razor, still using the electric to cut that first...For some reason the beard on the chin is super rough and hard and the DE blade seems to be no match for it...

I've tried to do more than one pass but it doesn't seem to get any closer than the first.. I don't use any pressure and I've read about how to get the right angle...

Perhaps when I get letterk's sampler pack of blades, I'll find something that works.. I have a feeling it's the blade that is causing my frustrations..
 
Dax:

I use the HD every single day! I think the razor is great. There is a learning curve for sure.

You need to discard the blade that came with it and get a fresh pack. I like Merkur Blades and Feather (super sharp and a little less forgiving).

Dont give up. You will see after some time that your shaves will improve.

Also, slow down. When I am getting a poor shave, I slow things down....andit seems to help.
 
Here's my 2 cents worth. I switched to a DE because I suffered greatly from ingrown hairs. This is probably due to my sensitive skin, curly beard hair, and using a multiblade razor that uses the "lift & cut" system. These factors resulted in a very painful shaving experience. I shaved only when necessary and never more often than every other day. If it were not for these circumstances, I'm sure I would still be using a Mach III.

When I first switched to a DE (I now use a Merkur Vision) I too felt the shave was not very close. What I didn't realize was that since I was using a single blade, I could do more than 1 pass without irritating my skin and ingrown hair problem. Once I figured this out (thanks to the guys here at B&B) I have experienced extremely close shaves. My wife now comments on how smooth my face is, she never made such comments when I was using my Mach III. I did use the Mach III with high end creams, pre-shave oil, and good AS balms, but the results did not compare.

For those lucky individuals who don't suffer from sensitive skin and ingrown hairs, the Mach III is a fine razor. My father has shaved with crappy disposables and Barbasol shaving foam for years and never had any irritation and wouldn't know and ingrown hair if it bit him in the nose. In fact, I use one for shaving my head and feel like it does the best job, better than a DE. This is because I shave in the shower without a mirror and I like the fact that it's virtually impossible to cut myself and it's much faster. And, since I don't seem to suffer from ingrown hairs on my head, the Mach III with some Headblade Headslick shaving cream does a fantastic job quickly and with minimal effort.

As someone who uses both a DE and a Mach III, each for different purposes, I can say with some authority that every shaving situation is unique. What works for one person may not work for another, in fact what works for one part of one person's body may not work for another part. Lots of factors most be considered and trial and error is a must. If you are happy with the shave you get from a Mach III then continue to use it. And by being open minded and trying other options, you will sleep well knowing that you are getting the best shave possible for your face.

For me, the best part of this whole experience was developing this zen-like ritual that is relaxing, invigorating, and pampering. I now look forward to shaving when I once avoided it like the plague.
 
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