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I am pretty impressed now!

Good evening all.

Had another stab at using my DE razor this evening after taking a nice shower after a hot day at work and I must say it has been my best DE shave ever. I had only a couple of minor nicks and the shave quality was really impressive. Even my wife said the shave is better than what I get with my Mach3. I just like feeling more of a man using my DE as opposed to my Mach3

My face does indeed feel smooth but a little bit dry in comparison to the Mach3. I am not sure if this is because there are no lubricating strips on a DE razor (obviously) but applying some men's moisturiser afterwards helped a lot.

Don't laugh when I post this, but at the moment my 'shaving medium' is the King Of Shaves shaving gel. I want to finish using that before I upgrade to something more luxurious.

I even tried the 'Gillette Slide' that was mentioned in another thread and that did make a big difference!

I think I should try a different brand of blade though. At the moment I am using the free Treet blades that came with the razor. My beard is tough as hell so I was thinking of giving the feathers a go.

Can anyone else recommend a brand of blade that is really good on tough straight hair yet also causes minimum irritation to the skin? Or should I upgrade my razor to an open comb/slant?

Thanks in advance as always for your helpful replies.

Jason.
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Good evening all.

Had another stab at using my DE razor this evening after taking a nice shower after a hot day at work and I must say it has been my best DE shave ever. I had only a couple of minor nicks and the shave quality was really impressive. Even my wife said the shave is better than what I get with my Mach3. I just like feeling more of a man using my DE as opposed to my Mach3

My face does indeed feel smooth but a little bit dry in comparison to the Mach3. I am not sure if this is because there are no lubricating strips on a DE razor (obviously) but applying some men's moisturiser afterwards helped a lot.

Don't laugh when I post this, but at the moment my 'shaving medium' is the King Of Shaves shaving gel. I want to finish using that before I upgrade to something more luxurious.

I even tried the 'Gillette Slide' that was mentioned in another thread and that did make a big difference!

I think I should try a different brand of blade though. At the moment I am using the free Treet blades that came with the razor. My beard is tough as hell so I was thinking of giving the feathers a go.

Can anyone else recommend a brand of blade that is really good on tough straight hair yet also causes minimum irritation to the skin? Or should I upgrade my razor to an open comb/slant?

Thanks in advance as always for your helpful replies.

Jason.
Sounds like you are enjoying yourself and that is all that matters IMO. As your technique matures and confidence is up you will try other shaving items out there no doubt.
One thing I might suggest is map your beard to find what direction your grain structure is and that will make your shaves that much better IMO. Some folks who have sensitive skin can not go against the grain. Shaving is just beard reduction and knowing what you want can be tailored to your best shave feel by knowing the basics. Don't chase the BBS it will come after some maturing of your technique and most of your shaves will become DFS++ or better.
I remember cartridge shaving with Gillette gel and not knowing what I was doing when shaving, never was taught better practices and even folks who want a better cartridge shave should know their beard direction for a quality shave IMO.

(Print one off, I will leave this weird picture for anyone who wants to map your beard. 2-3 days growth will give you a great visual of grain direction.)
FullSizeRender (1).jpg

Have some great shaves!
 
I’m new as well and have made the mistake of trying too many things too fast. The idea of practicing shaving seems a little silly but it really does take repetition and consistency. I’m spending this entire month using the same razor, blade, shaving soap and brush to see if I can perfect using it, or at least come close.

That said, I think getting an inexpensive synthetic brush and a real shaving cream or soap will help. Razorock sells a nice brush from what I’ve been told. An inexpensive, proven soap like Proraso is also a solid choice.

It sounds like you’re really enjoying getting started and that’s great! No matter what, enjoy yourself. I’m having a blast doing something I used to dread. I wouldn’t have believed that just a short time ago.
 
Sounds like you are enjoying yourself and that is all that matters IMO. As your technique matures and confidence is up you will try other shaving items out there no doubt.
One thing I might suggest is map your beard to find what direction your grain structure is and that will make your shaves that much better IMO. Some folks who have sensitive skin can not go against the grain. Shaving is just beard reduction and knowing what you want can be tailored to your best shave feel by knowing the basics. Don't chase the BBS it will come after some maturing of your technique and most of your shaves will become DFS++ or better.
I remember cartridge shaving with Gillette gel and not knowing what I was doing when shaving, never was taught better practices and even folks who want a better cartridge shave should know their beard direction for a quality shave IMO.

(Print one off, I will leave this weird picture for anyone who wants to map your beard. 2-3 days growth will give you a great visual of grain direction.)
View attachment 1324507
Have some great shaves!
I always laugh at this pic its like "oh f*** what kind of rabbit hole did I just get myself into"
 
try some Stirling soap its in my opinion one the best introduction steps into high quality and quantity (13 Usd for 5.8oz of soap is a steal) and their aftershaves are great also they have the biggest selection of scents ive seen from a soap company
 
Can anyone else recommend a brand of blade that is really good on tough straight hair yet also causes minimum irritation to the skin? Or should I upgrade my razor to an open comb/slant?

I’m not familiar with Treet blades. Feathers and Gillette Silver Blues are my favorite blades hands down. However, I much prefer Astra SP blades in certain razors: the Mühle R41 Open Comb and the Merkur Futur. The Astra SPs just seem to be just perfect for those two razors in my experience. I use Gillette Silver Blues (more forgiving than Feathers, but just as sharp for me) most of the time. Occasionally, I use Feathers, mostly in my Edwin Jagger Chatsworth and my Above the Tie M2.

If I were you, I wouldn’t get another razor just yet. Best to get your technique down first and only then decide what other razors you might want to try based on your own experience coupled with the advice of people here.

Out of curiosity, which DE razor are you using now?

If you message me your mailing address, I’ll send you an assortment of DE blades including the ones I mentioned.
 
Enjoy your shaving adventure! Fwiw, I do think that canned shaving cream can add to dryness. Everyone's skin can be different though. I stayed with Sensor Excels while exploring shaving creams and then soaps. That added to my own shave story. Keep sharing yours!
 
Firstly, congrats on the successful shave. I remember the first few 'a-ha' shaves I had and then wanting to recreate and refine those wonderful initial shaves. Most products are pretty cheap, so try a few different products (but don't change variables too often, i.e. use the same cream/gel for a week to see how it works).

For blades, I recommend a sampler pack from a vendor. You can get a good variety of blades. I think blades are probably the most personal item in DE shaving - what one works for someone doesn't for another.
 
Blades are very much a YMMV thing, as are razors* (not to mention certain blades in certain razors). If you get a sample pack of blades that can help you narrow down what you like in your current razor. Keep in mind, though, that the same blade may not work as well in a different razor.

*For instance, I started with a MicroTouch One DE razor. That was too mild a razor for me. Every shave resulted in irritation just because I had to do more passes to get a closer shave. After I developed better technique with other razors, I went back to the MTO and used a Lord Platinum (one of the blades that work well for me in my 3 piece razors) only to find that the MTO was still too mild and I still had to do too many passes, which resulted in irritation, again.
 
Good evening all.

Had another stab at using my DE razor this evening after taking a nice shower after a hot day at work and I must say it has been my best DE shave ever. I had only a couple of minor nicks and the shave quality was really impressive. Even my wife said the shave is better than what I get with my Mach3. I just like feeling more of a man using my DE as opposed to my Mach3

My face does indeed feel smooth but a little bit dry in comparison to the Mach3. I am not sure if this is because there are no lubricating strips on a DE razor (obviously) but applying some men's moisturiser afterwards helped a lot.

Don't laugh when I post this, but at the moment my 'shaving medium' is the King Of Shaves shaving gel. I want to finish using that before I upgrade to something more luxurious.

I even tried the 'Gillette Slide' that was mentioned in another thread and that did make a big difference!

I think I should try a different brand of blade though. At the moment I am using the free Treet blades that came with the razor. My beard is tough as hell so I was thinking of giving the feathers a go.

Can anyone else recommend a brand of blade that is really good on tough straight hair yet also causes minimum irritation to the skin? Or should I upgrade my razor to an open comb/slant?

Thanks in advance as always for your helpful replies.

Jason.
Jason, as others have said, the Personna Lab Blue is an excellent blade. So is Personna's Red or Israeli blade, Personna Platinum now I think, which is (I believe) made in Germany now.

You should probably get some time in and work on your technique with the razor you have. But if you do purchase an open comb or a slant, you will probably find them excellent. My 2 slants, a vintage Hoffritz and the modern Fatip Open Comb Slant (FOCS), plane me off better than my other razors -- and those do a fantastic job. The FOCS would combine both elements in one razor and is not expensive.
 
I’m not familiar with Treet blades. Feathers and Gillette Silver Blues are my favorite blades hands down. However, I much prefer Astra SP blades in certain razors: the Mühle R41 Open Comb and the Merkur Futur. The Astra SPs just seem to be just perfect for those two razors in my experience. I use Gillette Silver Blues (more forgiving than Feathers, but just as sharp for me) most of the time. Occasionally, I use Feathers, mostly in my Edwin Jagger Chatsworth and my Above the Tie M2.

If I were you, I wouldn’t get another razor just yet. Best to get your technique down first and only then decide what other razors you might want to try based on your own experience coupled with the advice of people here.

Out of curiosity, which DE razor are you using now?

If you message me your mailing address, I’ll send you an assortment of DE blades including the ones I mentioned.

Thanks for your reply.

Here is my razor:


Thanks for your offer of sending me some blades. However I'll persevere with the ones that I have as I have some left and when they are used up I'll try some alternative brands.

Jason.
 
Welcome, you're off to a very good start. Continue working on developing proper technique. Apply no pressure & enjoy the process of learning how to shave properly. The only way to get better is to practice!!! Enjoy your journey, & ask as many questions along the way as you need to.
 

JCinPA

The Lather Maestro
Such a breath of fresh air! A new shaver doing it right! Sticking with one set of gear for a while. This will soooo improve your learning curve over having 3 razors, 6 lather products, and a blade sampler. Within a month you’ll be amazed at your progress, and then is the time to branch out. Wonderful! Keep it up!
 
First, CONGRATULATIONS on your progress!

Blades are very individual (or ‘YMMV’ as we say here). Best bet is to work your way through a sampler pack or two to see what suits you best.

For what is worth, my top tier in no particular order:
Personna lab
Personna red
GSB
Nacet
Astra SP
 
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