Head Shaving with a DE Razor

[dmshaver]

I've heard that. I seem to gravitate toward mid-sharp blades in mid-aggressive razors. My all time favourite is the Astra SP, which I've heard is pretty much the same in the new production from India. Hitting up @dmshaver for some blades to try is a great idea.

O.H.

@Ice09, shoot me a PM & we'll talk. I will send you some blades based on our conversation that might work well for you.

 

[Ice09]

I've detailed my routine in other threads so you can definitely search for it. It hasn't changed.

OK, I will have a look at other posts/threads, thanks. It sounded different & unique and maybe it could work for me, so that is why I was curious. I did want to go away from cartridges completely, but I've never really tried many on my head apart from the Gillette Fusion for maybe 2-3 weeks (I don't think this is even considered a good one as far as irritation goes) when I shaved my head for the first time close to two years ago, but then I switched to a DE and have been using DE, SE, AC razors since to initial few weeks with a cartridge (I'd used cartridge razors on my face for years, though). I had to learn to use all these for the first time on my head as I have a shortish length beard that I also grew just before shaving my head, so I wasn't able to use any on my face to practice with.

To answer your questions: I use a Gillette sensor xl but I started with a Mach 3 and I much prefer it. I just ran out and have a stash of sensor xl blades left that are depleting at an alarmingly slow rate. Oh well. I can't wait to get back to Mach 3 though.

I have heard the Mach 3 is really good as far as cartridge razors go as the blades are spaced further apart than the newer ones, so I assume less tugging/pulling? I guess when I was face shaving and using cartridges, I fell for the more blades is better thing. I might try a Mach 3 out if I see any stores selling them.

Yes, a single cartridge gets me 4 to 6 weeks. I only use it on the second pass which is barely anything but it makes this process faster.

I would say my average head shave is 3 per week. I used to do 4 or 5 but I'm getting more OK with a little stubble.

Yeah, that's reasonable if you use it for a single pass and only 3 or so times a week.

Honestly, the only reason I started head shaving was how fast and convenient it was. I started with clippers then finally took the plunge. I shave in the shower which makes the process fast and clean up fast. I recently did a head shave over the sink and it was awful. My current system is the fastest I've found.

I actually wanted to try the look years ago (like 7 or 8 years ago), but wasn't sure how my head/head shape would look, so I was a bit apprehensive to do it at first. My hair started receding a bit at the front, so that pushed me to finally try it, and I quite like the look now that I've been doing it for a couple of years.

Everything is geared towards speed. Shower for fast cleanup and not caring about water everywhere. I also think it speeds up process. Super easy soap to lather. Mild razor so I can shave with reckless abandonment. 5 min - bam - done. If I want to leisure my way through it. Max 10 min. However I'm usually looking forward to my face shave so I want it done.

Very cool/interesting technique/method you have (maybe other people do something similar, but it's the first I've heard of such a combination). Do you just use regular body soap/shampoo when shaving in the shower for the lather?

While I don't consider myself truly ambidextrous, I can use either hand. I can write legibly with my "off" hand, and when I'm doing fine work on something I use whichever hand seems easiest at the moment. I'm right-dominant, though. When shaving I can get equally good results using right hand on the right side and left hand on the left side.

If you're not, sounds like you're pretty close. Does it make a big difference to you. How do you go using right hand on the left side, or do you not ever do that due to not needing to use the right? I might try finding a handle that I can use on my DE razors that might make it more comfortable for me to try doing the left side with my left hand. I feel it would make a difference for me. Every time I try, I don't have the control or dexterity to do it with the left. A different handle probably won't help in that case.

Depends on the razor. With the Konsul I do two ATG passes, one at "2" and one at "5." I don't try to get too deep with the first one, because I'm going to open up the gap and do it again. After I "take off the tops" the second pass gets the "stumps." There's less to clean up after that, which makes sense. When I use a non-adjustable razor I generally do only one ATG pass in back, and then as you note there's a few things to clean up. I find it's not much, and taking off the last of it with another pass is generally sufficient. I guess the difference is the timing of the pass depending on which razor I'm using.

Good technique you have there. Definitely what I'm striving for results wise. I wonder why I'm having to do 2-3 ATG passes just to get to that cleanup stage.

I've heard that. I seem to gravitate toward mid-sharp blades in mid-aggressive razors. My all time favourite is the Astra SP, which I've heard is pretty much the same in the new production from India. Hitting up @dmshaver for some blades to try is a great idea.

Thanks. Just sent him a PM to ask for some advice/suggestions.

Bolzano, feather, 7 o clock blacks

Thanks. I haven't heard of Bolzano. Which ones are the 7 O'clock blacks? The ones that are called Super Platinum?

 

[Old Hippie]

How do you go using right hand on the left side, or do you not ever do that due to not needing to use the right?

Spot on. I occasionally will reach across with one hand or the other just because I found a little spot and was holding the razor in that hand. Mostly I do the left with the left hand and the right with the right hand.

Every time I try, I don't have the control or dexterity to do it with the left. A different handle probably won't help in that case.

Might; might not. Although it seems a bit off the wall to suggest calisthenics to develop your manual dexterity before shaving, I'll go there. Putting on my coach hat for a moment: first thing is don't push it too hard. Maybe try gently using your off hand for the WTG pass, then change to what's already working for you. I find that if I spend some time on hand exercises, by which I mean fooling with begleri or a "knucklebone" helps develop hand strength and flexibility; plus it's fun. At the very least I'd suggest just trying to use your left hand for a little while, then go back to what's already working. If it's not working you won't be even the ten-thousandth person who uses just one hand to shave. I'm just lucky.

West Coast Shaving makes a handle with an extremely good form factor for people with hand issues. Their 84S handle is very good. This one is stainless but I believe they also make one in brass. I have, I think, three of the stainless ones all told. One of my favourite handles! Makes any razor look like it's owned by George Jetson.

O.H.

 

[Ice09]

Spot on. I occasionally will reach across with one hand or the other just because I found a little spot and was holding the razor in that hand. Mostly I do the left with the left hand and the right with the right hand.

Yeah, I didn't think you'd need to use the off hand.

Might; might not. Although it seems a bit off the wall to suggest calisthenics to develop your manual dexterity before shaving, I'll go there.

Darn, I wasn't expecting this, but maybe something like that is one way to get the dexterity up.

Putting on my coach hat for a moment: first thing is don't push it too hard. Maybe try gently using your off hand for the WTG pass, then change to what's already working for you. I find that if I spend some time on hand exercises, by which I mean fooling with begleri or a "knucklebone" helps develop hand strength and flexibility; plus it's fun. At the very least I'd suggest just trying to use your left hand for a little while, then go back to what's already working. If it's not working you won't be even the ten-thousandth person who uses just one hand to shave. I'm just lucky.

The knucklebone looks kind of fun. Not sure if I have the coordination for it, but will look into buying one. I usually only use the left when doing a WTG pass on the left hand side of the front and front side. I'll try using it for the whole WTG passe on the left side at the start of the shave. Probably trying to use the left for the ATG passes at the end of the shave isn't the best way to go about learning to use the left like I was doing.

West Coast Shaving makes a handle with an extremely good form factor for people with hand issues. Their 84S handle is very good. This one is stainless but I believe they also make one in brass. I have, I think, three of the stainless ones all told. One of my favourite handles! Makes any razor look like it's owned by George Jetson.

The handle looks pretty good. Is the link you gave me for the heads only? Are the heads of the 84S also made of stainless steel? If so, great price. Have you used the heads at all, or just the WCS 84S handle?

The WCS page is a bit confusing. Which head is which. When you click on one, it doesn't show what OC head it is.

 

[catchacoolbreeze]

OK, I will have a look at other posts/threads, thanks. It sounded different & unique and maybe it could work for me, so that is why I was curious. I did want to go away from cartridges completely, but I've never really tried many on my head apart from the Gillette Fusion for maybe 2-3 weeks (I don't think this is even considered a good one as far as irritation goes) when I shaved my head for the first time close to two years ago, but then I switched to a DE and have been using DE, SE, AC razors since to initial few weeks with a cartridge (I'd used cartridge razors on my face for years, though). I had to learn to use all these for the first time on my head as I have a shortish length beard that I also grew just before shaving my head, so I wasn't able to use any on my face to practice with.



I have heard the Mach 3 is really good as far as cartridge razors go as the blades are spaced further apart than the newer ones, so I assume less tugging/pulling? I guess when I was face shaving and using cartridges, I fell for the more blades is better thing. I might try a Mach 3 out if I see any stores selling them.



Yeah, that's reasonable if you use it for a single pass and only 3 or so times a week.



I actually wanted to try the look years ago (like 7 or 8 years ago), but wasn't sure how my head/head shape would look, so I was a bit apprehensive to do it at first. My hair started receding a bit at the front, so that pushed me to finally try it, and I quite like the look now that I've been doing it for a couple of years.



Very cool/interesting technique/method you have (maybe other people do something similar, but it's the first I've heard of such a combination). Do you just use regular body soap/shampoo when shaving in the shower for the lather?

Why Gillette Razors Have So Many Blades | Gillette

Learn why multi-blade razors have so many blades. Find out how to get a clean shave with a Gillette 5-blade razor to take your grooming to the next level!

gillette.com

This is what Gillette claims is the their science to why multiple blades work. I think there is something to it. The problem is that blades that thin (cartridge, DE, straight razor) chip and get dull after a few shaves. They are combating that by multiple blades so that when that happens, you can use PRESSURE to cut your hair. You can use pressure because the multiple blades only allow so much skin to get in between them. This works for a lot of people - it does not work for me (except in the head shave method I use).

Personally - I would rather just have a fresh sharp blade but that is not as cost effective in the world of cartridges. My method gets best of both worlds - at least for me and my head and my time.

RE: Soap - body soap, bath soap, shampoo, and shaving creams do not work for me - they don't provide enough protection/cushion on my very hard scalp. I can feel the blade and I don't like it. I always use an easy to lather shave soap. For me Cella Crema Sapone Extra Extra Purissima is what I use. It lathers super quick, I like the smell, has protection, and doesn't leave my head greasy. I bought the brick over a decade ago and its still going strong - how is that for value?!?!

 

[Ice09]

Personally - I would rather just have a fresh sharp blade but that is not as cost effective in the world of cartridges. My method gets best of both worlds - at least for me and my head and my time.

Yeah, would get very expensive in the cartridge world (I assume the cheap ones for sale on places like eBay are knockoffs?)

I might actually have to try some cartridge razors as I've never really tried any for head shaving apart from the Gillette Fusion for a few weeks before trying a DE and then going with either a DE, SE (half DE), or AC razor since then.

If trying cartridges, what else apart from the Mach 3 are worth trying? I think I recall the Fusion Pro Glide being much better than the regular Fusion.

RE: Soap - body soap, bath soap, shampoo, and shaving creams do not work for me - they don't provide enough protection/cushion on my very hard scalp. I can feel the blade and I don't like it. I always use an easy to lather shave soap. For me Cella Crema Sapone Extra Extra Purissima is what I use. It lathers super quick, I like the smell, has protection, and doesn't leave my head greasy. I bought the brick over a decade ago and its still going strong - how is that for value?!?!

I tried looking up that block of soap, can't find it for sale in Australia, can only find smaller tubs of cream from the Cella brand.

The big block you have, that is 1000g, right? Do you lather that straight off that whole block, or do you break/cut a piece off and use that. I really want to try this soap. Sounds like a good one, and also great value for money.

Also, now that you mention it, the shaving soaps I've used (I've mostly used croaps, and one hard soap so far), don't really do much for me. I don't get much cushion or protection like you mentioned. I wonder if it's because I have hard water where I live.

 

[catchacoolbreeze]

Yeah, would get very expensive in the cartridge world (I assume the cheap ones for sale on places like eBay are knockoffs?)

I might actually have to try some cartridge razors as I've never really tried any for head shaving apart from the Gillette Fusion for a few weeks before trying a DE and then going with either a DE, SE (half DE), or AC razor since then.

If trying cartridges, what else apart from the Mach 3 are worth trying? I think I recall the Fusion Pro Glide being much better than the regular Fusion.



I tried looking up that block of soap, can't find it for sale in Australia, can only find smaller tubs of cream from the Cella brand.

The big block you have, that is 1000g, right? Do you lather that straight off that whole block, or do you break/cut a piece off and use that. I really want to try this soap. Sounds like a good one, and also great value for money.

Also, now that you mention it, the shaving soaps I've used (I've mostly used croaps, and one hard soap so far), don't really do much for me. I don't get much cushion or protection like you mentioned. I wonder if it's because I have hard water where I live.

I've only used the sensor xl and the mach 3 from gillette - of them I prefer the mach 3. I am not sure it matters much because for me, most of the hair is gone by that stage.

Re:Cella - 1000g block is the one I have and I got it from italianbarber.com. There are many threads dedicated to how people store their Cella that you should check out.

It is a softer croap so I just take a chunk of it and spread it in a wide mouth parkway plastics soap dish. These are the ones that most artisan suppliers are using for their soaps. Wide mouth is easier to lather and faster. For approximately the first half of its life (5 or 6 years) I just put the rest back in the box. Then I saw a thread about it going bad for some people so I took chunks and spread it in 1 cup pyrex containers and put in in the back of the fridge. 6+ years later its still good.

There was debate many years back whether the red tub Cella was the same as the brick. I am not sure the answer to that question, but I have found them to be essentially the same - the red tub has a stronger (and very delicious) smell while the brick is the same scent but ever so slightly tuned down. At least mine were.

Cella is a very basic formula soap. The formula has been the same for over a century. Its incredibly easy to lather but you can also search threads of other easy to lather soaps. I prefer non-artisan soaps for my head shaves for two reasons 1) more economical and 2) I don't need moisturizers for my head and I don't want it to have a greasy shine. I want it matte dry. Cella is drying for me so it works in this application. I don't use it for my face.

If you aren't getting a good lather with your soap - try distilled water. Its a pain to use for every shave but you can use it as a test to diagnose hard water issues. That will give you the max potential of what your soap can give you. If you can't get a good lather with them still - its either your technique or the soap is just too fussy. Mitchell's Wool Fat was way to fussy for me no matter what I did so I got rid of it. I would search the forums for soaps that work with hard water. Cella has worked for me in every situation so I **think** its good to go but I could be wrong. I will also note - some soaps are formulated for being "soupier" or thinner to aid in slickness and they will just never get that way no matter what you do. Personally I like a combo of slick and cushion.