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I tried the smoothest blade on the market (Derby) and it was a bloodbath. Now what?

Yes, it's plural. I am not a great believer in monogamy and I expect my girlfriends to be similarly inclined.

When shaving with a straight razor (SR), either traditional or replaceable blade type, you really learn about shaving with light (no) pressure and the correct blade angle for the blade's edge is all about. With reasonable care, SR shaving is no where near as dangerous as many people believe. Me, I'm scared to shave with a "safety" razor as I cannot see the blade's edge on my skin. "Safety" razor shavers are the fearless ones.

With both correct and a good technique, there is no skin irritation or damage when SR shaving. You can then do multiple passes both WTG and ATG. Most find that it takes about 15 to 30 daily straight razor shaves to get everything sorted out and working properly.

If you ever took up leg shaving with a straight razor, you would certainly have bragging rights with your friends 😁.

Here are some instructions on SR shaving:


How safe is SR shaving? Just think of this. When most men only shaved with SRs, the average life expectancy was about 40yo. Since "safety" razor came in vogue, the average life expectancy has steadily increasing to 70yo or more.

Oh, cool! I live in Amsterdam, people here live their lives the way they want to, so we see all the possible human forms of being together (or not). Open relationships are much more popular these days. Still, couldn't resist asking, sorry. It's fascinating to me because I'm a terrible multi-tasker and very much in love with only one guy.

Wow, those straight razors look hardcore! You're not the only one who mentioned the merits though, but it still seems almost hard to believe I'd end up with less cuts. 😅 Mostly because I cut myself regularly in the kitchen. I'll keep it in mind though. When I was looking for more detailed safety razor instructions for women, I happened upon straight razor instructions for leg shaving, so this is probably much more common -and effective- than I knew.
 
Lots of great advice in this thread!
Bic DE blades, IMHO, are the answer to my nicked up shaves.
Well that and switching to Vintage Gillettes.
Well those and soap choice.
Well those and face prep.

Anyway, i find the Bic blades very sharp but kind to my face. (For me, Feathers are sharp but RUDE)
While using them i can really lighten up on the pressure and slow it down.
For me these things have done the trick.

Good luck out there and wishing many great shaves for you!
 
Welcome to B&B.

The shift from a pivoting cartridge to a DE razor does require a considerable change in technique. You don't have to consider the blade angle with a cartridge because the pivoting head does that for you but a DE has a fixed head and you have to constantly adjust the blade angle to the area being shaved.

Thank you! Yes, this was fun. In the beginning, I didn't move the handle enough and would accidentally place strokes with only the guard touching the skin (so, not shaving anything at all). I also had to think for the first time about making room for the handle, because I needed to adjust the angle manually as opposed to the cartridge following the contours of the skin automatically. After reading all the comments, I wonder if I'm still exerting too much pressure, which could account for some of the accidents. Your reply and also others give me the feeling it could be less, maybe. Going to keep practising!
I think an adjustable razor is ideal for shaving the different body parts. You can adjust the aggressiveness to suit different areas.
Do bear in mind that some areas may need more than one pass so don't expect to remove the stubble in one pass. Armpits in particilar need mutiple passes from different directions for a really close shave as the hair grows in different directions.
Ankles are mostly bone with changing contours and covered in a thin layer of skin so shave carefully around the ankles.
There is a lot of loose skin over the knees so bend the knee to stretch the skin when shaving that area. It is easy get a cut if the blade grabs the loose skin.

THIS! Yeah, this is why I now shave the knees bent, the razors really want to take a bite out of them when I keep my leg straight. And YES, a razor that is mild enough for the sensitive thin skin on the ankles really tugs on the denser, much thicker hair in the armpit. Ouch! I don't see how you would go from ankle to armpit with the exact same razor and blade. But then again, I'm inexperienced, what do I know?

Yeah, the armpits do get irritated after the strokes in several directions that you need for a decent result. I should just approach it like a beard with several passes WTG and AGT and use more foam.

If that is the best razor for you then stick with that razor. It is better to work with just one razor. I would have thought razor #3 would work just as well and probably has a good grip.

The Gillette Platinum would be the best blades but also Gillette Silver Blue or Nacet are worth a try. I cannot comment on the Wilkinsons as I rarely use them.
Gillette Platinum blades have a good blend of smoothness and sharpness. The Feather blades are sharp but not as smooth as Gillette Silver Blue blades.

I think you have that correct; neutral blade angle or design angle as it is sometimes referred is probably best and applies to any razor. The cap and safety bar should be in contact with the skin, this may help; Blade Angle | Badger & Blade

Razor number 3 (sometimes also called a Ming Shi 3000s) is indeed very mild. The grip is great, I like the look, the butterfly closure works like a dream and the ease with which you can adjust the 9 settings is perfect, but unfortunately, it doesn't have covered blade tabs. Which all but guarantees scratches in the armpits. So it's a leg-only razor and as such, got relegated to my drawer. However, if I can't make it work with the adjustable fake Futur and a single type of blade, I'm going to try using 2 different razors with 2 different blades (one for the legs, one for everything else) and number 3 would definitely be the best candidate for ankles in that case.

Many Platinum, Silver Blue and Nacet fans on this forum! Thanks for giving me a feel of the different ones out there. And thanks for the link, I actually read that in the beginning but understanding comes to a lot easier now that I've actually done it a bit. (The instructions are hilarious by the way.) I do think there's a point to be made when it comes to the adjustable razor that you need to continuously be aware of the changing neutral, every time you adjust the setting. Maybe that's a bit of an extra learning curve that could also account for my surplus of accidents. Anyway, no way around it though. :)
 
@OliviamaynardI'm confused. After 3 months of using several razors and double-edge blades, I really thought I was getting the hang of it. Then I tried the Derby Extra (which my local shaving expert considers a 1 on a sharpness scale of 1 to 10) and my 'shaving experience' turned into a horror movie. Now I have questions. Like 'what?!' and 'HOW' and 'why'? I don't even know where to begin. I thought beginners should only fear the Feather. Am I misinterpreting the qualifications 'smooth' and 'sharp'?

As to what I've been using so far: I took a picture of the stash that I didn't really plan on accumulating.🙃 This experiment started because of money and curiosity, but I'm staying for the fun and the challenge. I didn't think I'd enjoy it, but I do.

View attachment 1514705

Last year I got married and, as everyone will tell you, weddings are expensive. (Worth it, but still.) Our savings account had already taken a hit during the covid-crisis and after the invasion of Ukraine, inflation and sky-high gas prices, I started to be a bit frugal with the Gillette Venus Olay razorblades that I've been using for the last decade. A single packet of 3 cartridges was never budget-friendly to begin with, but the price has roughly doubled in a short amount of time and one package now costs € 19.- in local drug stores (1 Euro currently has the exact same value as 1 US dollar). Gillette claims that a cartridge should last you 2 weeks, but the blade gets pretty dull after 4-5 uses. As a skirt-wearing girl, one does shave pretty much of the body, pretty much daily. But if I really were to change those blades once a week, as I should, it would cost me 329.- euros a year. So I started to postpone changing the blade, to the point where my husband would get this concerned look on his face inspecting the bright red spots of irritation on my legs. Even though Gillette Venus was all I'd ever known shaving-wise, the idea of having to keep paying such a staggering amount of money plus 'Pink Tax' made me angry. Then I saw an ad on Instagram for razor blades I didn't know still existed outside of the set of Peaky Blinders. 'SMOOTHER AND CHEAPER', the ad promised. I had to know. For less than 10 bucks, I ordered a safety razor which came with 15 DE blades and I was so excited when the package arrived that I immediately hopped into the shower, placed the razor on my ankle and on auto-pilot drew it straight up whilst pressing down, just like in the commercials. HOOO BURN. That was pretty dumb, especially since I'd already seen some YouTube videos of a happy man who kept saying: 'remember gentleman, let the razor do all the work'. I just forgot. But I liked the first results enough to keep trying (despite losing a strip of tan).

So with this forum as a Wikipedia of sorts, I've been reading up on technique, razor aggressiveness, blade sharpness and combinations, but most of the information pertains to beards, which is a bit of a confusing point of reference if you don't have one. It seems as though different body parts have wildly different shaving needs anyway. I've found out that I have sensitive shins, tricky ankles, bumpy knees, an impractically deep left armpit and a bikini area that, counter-intuitively, seems to require a more aggressive approach than the rest of me. Now I read on this forum that an adjustable safety razor would 'ruin your technique', but is there any way around it when one is attempting to body shave with a single safety razor? (Surely there are men who shave more than their beards with a safety razor?) I started using razor #1 (the blue one, a standard model in online shops like Amazon) but the gap between the razor and the blade is quite big and it was a little too aggressive for my legs. Razor #2 (Gillette) is actually pretty good, but barely weighs anything because of the plastic handle and I didn't want to learn to press a DE blade into the skin, however slightly. Razor #3 is a really nice adjustable Gillette Fatboy clone, except it's very gentle even on the most aggressive setting and the blade sticks out on both sides of the cap which hurt my armpits. The sides of the blade left scratches much like an angry kitten would, which is all sorts of fun when applying deodorant. Razor #4 is a Merkur Futur clone with a cap that does cover the sides and it's so good. It doesn't provide the best grip in the shower when you need to turn the handle, but I love it anyway. Setting 0.5-1.0 is perfect for ankles and knees, I use 1.5 for shins, 2 for calves and 3-3.5 for armpits etc.

I've mostly been using Gillette Platinum and Wilkinson Sword DE blades. The results are quite similar. The blades are good and durable, but I kept thinking I'd like the shave to be just a little closer, especially the armpits (especially in direct sunlight on the beach, thank you very much). The Yintal blades and the Gillette Bleu ones that came with the razors weren't my favs either, but the Ming Shi blades were surprisingly good. My legs were so smooth, they seemed to reflect light. (Someone here on the forum compared the Ming Shi blades to Gillette 7'O Clock, but I wouldn't know about that). I was curious about other blades and ordered a sample pack of 15 different blades (2 each). I decided to work my way up the sharpness ladder because that's recommended everywhere, which meant starting with the green Derby Extra. I placed the blade in the Merkur Futur clone as per usual (upside-down assembly), applied a thick lather of shaving foam on my legs and... it was by far the worst bloodbath to date. Apparently, I had a couple of mosquito bites on my legs, and the bumps were chopped clean off. I cut both ankles badly, savaged a knee and somehow drew a massive cut across one calf. The blood spread over my wet skin so fast, I couldn't see where or how I'd cut myself and couldn't believe I kept on doing it even though I thought I was being careful. I tasted copper and the water turned pink around me. After a full 3 months of shaving with 4 different safety razors and 6 different DE blades, I didn't expect to make so many mistakes. But the armpits? Perfect. A truly smooth shave. Better than a Venus ever delivered. How is that possible for a blade that is supposedly not very sharp at all?

I dug up an old electrical epilator for temporary use while the assortment of cuts on my legs healed, afraid a DE razor would tear everything up again. (I don't mind a bit of pain, but I'm borderline anemic and I'd rather not have to explain this experiment to my doctor, like: "Have you seen Peaky Blinders?") A week later the skin looked fine and I switched back to a Wilkinson blade in the Futur clone, which gave me the results I'd come to expect: no real nicks, but also not that baby bottom smooth finish. It's not like there's still a 5 o'clock shadow, but it could definitely be considered a 1 o'clock shadow here and there. I thought that meant I needed a sharper blade. Am I wrong? I'm sort of hesitantly looking at the blades from the sampler pack thinking: now what? Do I skip the so-called smooth blades? I have no idea what I'm doing.

Does body shaving in general require different techniques or even different blades/razors for different areas? It shouldn't be that different for women, right? I read that there are some women on the forum and also many wives/girlfriends trying DE blades. Any wisdom is appreciated.

Thank you very much for reading this far. :)
Welcome to B&B MovingtoMars,

I've had great results from Derby blades for face shaving and suspect that part of the issue you are facing stems from the razors you are using. Your #3 razor is the Ming She 3000s adjustable. I own one of these and regardless of blade get too many nicks because of a design flaw that in an unevenly sloped blade at the higher settings. Unfortunately at milder settings it doesn't cut the hair. Your #2 razor, if it is the same as one i saw reviewed, may be overly aggressive with too much blade exposure. You noted this issue on razor #1. Look up reviews on the razors you own to reconfirm the above.

There are other low cost razors that you may find work better with less risk of nicks and cuts. My primary is a Weishi 9306 long handle that retails for $12-$15 U.S. It has moderate aggressiveness and works really well. When researching this I came across positive reviews from women who used it to shave their legs. The second razor in my rotation is a King C. Gillette that is milder yet still shaves well and almost never generates nicks of any kind. Cost is $30 though mine was purchased on sale for $12 during the last holiday season. Lots of reviews out there on both of these that can further confirm the above.

Will leave the specific advice on body shaving to those with experience such as @Oliviamaynard who have contributed lots of excellent information to B&B. Best of luck.

P.S. While Derby's work well for my face shaving I get a lot more life out of my Dorco blades (either the Primes or Stainless STP 300/301 or ST300/301 new Vietnam production). Low cost that may fit your budget and could be the better choice since you have more shaving real estate to cover on a daily basis. Derby delivers 3-5 good shaves typically versus 10-12 for the Dorco's.
 
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Skirt wearing, pink, bikini, beach, full sun, wet body...sorry where we we?

Oh no😂 Without context, you can make any horror movie sound like a questionable chick-flick 😂 (or worse). Honestly though, isn't every adult in modern society expected to show up clean-shaven in some way or form? It doesn't matter whether you're a man or a woman, whether it's a funeral or a wedding or a professional setting; it's usually frowned upon to arrive au natural. I know the beard has made a revival and is sometimes considered trendy or whatever, but hairy armpits definitely aren't in vogue yet. So yeah, I pair my sleeveless blouse and little black dress with hairless skin, just like a man would pair a suit with a matching tie, a great watch, a good haircut and -of course- a smooth jawline. (Because according to research, people still don't trust politicians with beards. Nor do they like actresses with hairy armpits, for that matter.)

Me sitting down in the shower with a DE blade to clumsily adhere to societal norms isn't nearly as interesting as you make it sound.🤣

right, razors. Get yourself a Baili BR171. Very cheap, but shaves just like your modern Tech with the tabs covered. Personally, I don't care much about blade rigidity, but no lacking here. Modern Wolfmen are descended from this haha.

Thanks for the suggestion! I'd come across the Baili's, but I hadn't looked at reviews till now. The praise for the BR171 is insane! Several people call it their 'holy grail', others mention it's 'great for beginners' or rejoice because 'finally, no weepers'. Generous blade gap, mild blade exposure, covered tabs and dirt cheap, yes please! Like, what? I'm so curious, I have to know.

There seems to be some confusion over the Baili names, because the BR171 was updated at one point and could also have been sold as the 176 or the 'Victory Shaves'. I ordered the right upper one below for 6,34 in euros:

BailiAssortment.jpeg


Crazy! 😃
 
Welcome! No matter what your shaving "context" you'll find a lot of information here. Derby blades...no. Just no. I tried them for another reason -- they are just a wee bit wider between edges than some other blades and I wanted to see if that would "up the shave" I was getting. Could have gotten a closer shave with an old credit card.

Thank you, I laughed out loud.😂

But using a wider blade may help. The most often-recommended one I see is the Kai DE blade, clocking in at a millimetre wider which can be pretty significant.

Another trick some use is to place a second DE blade between the cutting blade and the baseplate. This requires carefully using a pair of good scissors to trim the edges off the shim. (Wear gloves, eye protection and close-toed shoes) This will increase the effective blade gap which may also affect the blade exposure (not "reveal"). I have a couple of razors I shim, and get good shaves.

A non-adjustable razor can be "twist adjusted" by slacking off the handle 1/8 to 1/4 turn. Some care is needed, as some razors don't have a lot of blade tension to spare and it's easy to go too far. Loose blades don't shave worth a toot and may also cut you. I've had it happen.

That's definitely thinking out of the box, but great ideas. I was already considering just cutting the blade tabs off, because that would make it possible to shave scratch-free with a narrower razor, which could maybe fix the armpit problem, but eye protection (and toe protection) probably is a good idea when trying to trim a blade. Yikes.
 
I like aggressive razors and aggressive blades more then dull I mean smooth ones. Why? Because if you go with aggressive razor/ blade you go with you pass and boom, whiskers - gone. It is better for your skin - less passing over it.
if you go with dull blade guess what, you do your pass and whiskers still plenty there so what you’re gonna do? That’s right, put more pressure and/or passes to get rid of whiskers. And since dull blade is still plenty sharp to damage your skin you end up with irritation or cuts.
That is the same reason why I don’t go x zillion uses per blade. Once blade is getting dull I take a new one.
Thanks for clearing this up. This definitely seems to apply to my experience with armpits. The skin gets very red after a few passes, but if I wasn't successful enough in removing the hair, I'd still have to keep going to finish the job anyway. Lack of sharpness explains the irritation problem I've sometimes had.

The legs are a different story though, as they only ever needed one pass anyway. (The growth is rather pitiful compared to a beard.) I'm still not really sure how I was able to cut my legs that severely with a dull-ish blade on 1 pass. But I noticed today that a Derby Extra blade is much thinner, lighter, and more flexible than, for instance, a German Wilkinson blade. A Wilkinson blade seems to be made from thicker, harder steel. It's stiffer. Actually, going through a stash of almost 20 different blades, I couldn't find one as light, thin and flexible as the Derby Extra. So my working theory is that a stiffer blade might be more forgiving when your technique isn't stellar, or you press down a little too much. Pressing down on a thinner, more flexible blade might explain both the bloodbath on the legs and the closest shave of the armpits ever. I have no idea if this is correct, but it has to be significant that with the exact same razor and the exact same technique, 6 other blades did not cause such a problem on the legs, but the other blades also didn't give such a smooth armpit.

Could it be correct that a thinner blade produces a closer shave? Regardless of the sharpness of the blade?
 
As a guy that doesn’t like a lot of excess body hair, and also a cyclist (shaved legs in the summer, sometimes at least) what has worked best for me is a somewhat mild open comb razor - I prefer the Merkur 25c when not shaving my face - and a reasonably sharp blade. Usually Astra SS, Gillette 7 O’clock black, or Wizamet. Unlike my face, I do body shaving in the shower, and just hand lather Dr. Bronners liquid soap and apply lotion afterwards. I don’t try to lather a whole leg at a time, but more like this side of calf, then that side. Hope that’s a little helpful.

Thank you, this is interesting. So you'd also pick a different razor for your legs as opposed to the razor you'd use on your face? Is it also a completely different razor + blade combination, or do you use the same blades for your face as well?

I know! I think I would still shave a lot even if that wasn't the norm. Having perfectly smooth legs just feels nice, imo.
 
Lots of great advice in this thread!
Bic DE blades, IMHO, are the answer to my nicked up shaves.
Well that and switching to Vintage Gillettes.
Well those and soap choice.
Well those and face prep.

Anyway, i find the Bic blades very sharp but kind to my face. (For me, Feathers are sharp but RUDE)
While using them i can really lighten up on the pressure and slow it down.
For me these things have done the trick.

Good luck out there and wishing many great shaves for you!

Right? I feel very lucky. I was pretty shaken up after my adventure with the Derby Extra (which is literally sold in my country as 'the ideal blade for beginners'). I had no idea what I did wrong or how to prevent the same thing from happening again. I'm very grateful that so many strangers took the time to help me understand some key things about what to look for in a safety razor, what technique to use and which blades might work for me. I found myself procrastinating on choosing another DE blade, fearing I might mess up again. The replies like yours have given me a sense of how it works, how other people have figured out and fixed their problem with nicks/weepers, and that, you know, everyone's sort of been there? The assurance that you can get a grip on this and that you can improve your technique has given me a bit of confidence to try again. It's nice to have a clue on what to do.

I almost have to run a tally of how many times specific DE blades have been recommended so far.🤓 I suspect I'll end up trying them all, but will stick to the advised blades for now. Surprisingly, most seem like safer midrangers; not super sharp, but also not considered very mild. Bic has been suggested before also, so that one's going on the list as well.

Thanks so much and I wish you many great shaves as well :D
 
Welcome to B&B MovingtoMars,

I've had great results from Derby blades for face shaving and suspect that part of the issue you are facing stems from the razors you are using. Your #3 razor is the Ming She 3000s adjustable. I own one of these and regardless of blade get too many nicks because of a design flaw that in an unevenly sloped blade at the higher settings. Unfortunately at milder settings it doesn't cut the hair. Your #2 razor, if it is the same as one i saw reviewed, may be overly aggressive with too much blade exposure. You noted this issue on razor #1. Look up reviews on the razors you own to reconfirm the above.

There are other low cost razors that you may find work better with less risk of nicks and cuts. My primary is a Weishi 9306 long handle that retails for $12-$15 U.S. It has moderate aggressiveness and works really well. When researching this I came across positive reviews from women who used it to shave their legs. The second razor in my rotation is a King C. Gillette that is milder yet still shaves well and almost never generates nicks of any kind. Cost is $30 though mine was purchased on sale for $12 during the last holiday season. Lots of reviews out there on both of these that can further confirm the above.

Will leave the specific advice on body shaving to those with experience such as @Oliviamaynard who have contributed lots of excellent information to B&B. Best of luck.

P.S. While Derby's work well for my face shaving I get a lot more life out of my Dorco blades (either the Primes or Stainless STP 300/301 or ST300/301 new Vietnam production). Low cost that may fit your budget and could be the better choice since you have more shaving real estate to cover on a daily basis. Derby delivers 3-5 good shaves typically versus 10-12 for the Dorco's.
Thank you!

Well, I can imagine that, because, technically, I had great success with the Derby as well.😅 The armpits were incredibly smooth. But the legs were quite bloody, so both my best and the worst results with a safety razor were achieved at roughly the same time thanks to the Derby Extra blade.

Oh, yeah, the Ming Shi 3000s has a bit of a design quirk, but it should be possible to fix that problem by changing the setting at which you change the blade. It was for mine, at least. For the Ming Shi 2000s (Merkur Futur clone, also known as QSHAVE) it doesn't matter what setting is on the dial when you change the blade, settings 1 to 6 will be the same regardless. But settings 1-9 on the Ming Shi 3000s are all relative to the setting that was on the dial at the time the blade was installed. This can cause problems like screwing the blade too tight, no actual shaving on the highest settings (because a 9 has turned into a 12) and distorted/uneven tension on the blade. It's a little weird and might take some tinkering, but in my case this was fixable.

You could be right about my razor collection though. Even fixed, the Ming Shi 3000s is very mild, just like the original Gillette Fatboy it's supposedly based on. The Merkur Futur clone on the other hand is one of the more aggressive razors, even on milder settings. I found a handy chart here on B&B. You could say an adjustable in the middle of these two would have been preferable, but the milder settings on the fake Futur feel on my skin like they should be mild enough and I also like how it handles. Razors numbers 1&2, the non-adjustables, both have issues. Number 1, lavender blue and with 94 grams my heaviest razor, originally brought me to Badger&Blade to learn more about safety razors, because that one felt harsh. Based on the explanations here, I concluded that the razor was indeed quite aggressive, which was later confirmed by reviews in which experienced men commented on the skin-irritation they experienced. It has obvious positive blade exposure, generous blade reveal, and a pretty significant blade gap. It's a nice razor, but not for beginners. (Ironically, that exact razor is marketed towards total beginners / environmentally savvy women on webshops like Amazon. There's a picture of a wounded leg in the reviews, some woman really shaved a strip of flesh off with that razor.) So I switched to #2, the Gillette 7 O'Clock Sterling safety razor which has only a fraction of the blade reveal of #1 and also a smaller blade gap but still slightly positive blade exposure. I don't think #2 is very aggressive, or at least it feels a lot milder than #1, but the lack of weight means you teach yourself to press down. That's hard to do evenly, so the shaving results also felt uneven. And the uncovered blade tabs cause scratches in corners and hollows like the armpits.

I only saw a few weeks ago that a Gillette King C safety razor can be had at the local drugstore for only 15 bucks (11 on Amazon). If I'd known that, it would definitely have been my first choice. At the time I was starting out, I didn't think safety razors were available anywhere, except maybe in (online) barber shops. Actually, the King C is still not a huge investment, especially if that razor were to keep me from butchering my legs. I'm going to watch some reviews right now.

The Weishi seems similarly attractive. It's sold with those Dorco blades too. Wow, 10-12 shaves is impressive! It's nice to hear that good shaves don't have to break the bank. The cost of the blades isn't a primary concern, coming from cartridges that cost over $6.- a piece for maybe a little over a week (if that) I'm not exactly worried about whether I spend 10 or 45 cents on DE blades per week. I'm primarily looking for the blade that is The One, but the Dorco sure sounds like a must-try. Thanks Lane101!
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
Thanks, this really gives me an idea of how you achieve a weeper-free shave. And the DE89 is really affordable, great tip! What do you think of the grip of the handle though?

And I'll add those blades to my Excel sheet 😁
In my experience the grippiness of any handle if it is rinsed has no soap on it. I never had an issue with the DE89's smooth hexagonal or octagonal (it's been awhile) handle.
 
When I shave my arms I stack two blades one on top of another. I havent received a single cut yet in my time doing this with the two blades..I usually use a mild razor like a Razorock mamba or feather AS D2..i also stick to a milder blade like a voskod, or a personna lab blue. I used to cut myself a few times every time i shave my arms with a single blade..
 

lasta

Blade Biter
Oh no😂 Without context, you can make any horror movie sound like a questionable chick-flick 😂 (or worse). Honestly though, isn't every adult in modern society expected to show up clean-shaven in some way or form? It doesn't matter whether you're a man or a woman, whether it's a funeral or a wedding or a professional setting; it's usually frowned upon to arrive au natural. I know the beard has made a revival and is sometimes considered trendy or whatever, but hairy armpits definitely aren't in vogue yet. So yeah, I pair my sleeveless blouse and little black dress with hairless skin, just like a man would pair a suit with a matching tie, a great watch, a good haircut and -of course- a smooth jawline. (Because according to research, people still don't trust politicians with beards. Nor do they like actresses with hairy armpits, for that matter.)

Me sitting down in the shower with a DE blade to clumsily adhere to societal norms isn't nearly as interesting as you make it sound.🤣



Thanks for the suggestion! I'd come across the Baili's, but I hadn't looked at reviews till now. The praise for the BR171 is insane! Several people call it their 'holy grail', others mention it's 'great for beginners' or rejoice because 'finally, no weepers'. Generous blade gap, mild blade exposure, covered tabs and dirt cheap, yes please! Like, what? I'm so curious, I have to know.

There seems to be some confusion over the Baili names, because the BR171 was updated at one point and could also have been sold as the 176 or the 'Victory Shaves'. I ordered the right upper one below for 6,34 in euros:

View attachment 1516600

Crazy! 😃
The two on the right looks like the same head to me! And you now have plenty of handles to mix and match, happy shaving!

Now I have "sitting in the shower with DE blade" to add to my "Skirt wearing, pink, bikini, beach, full sun, wet body" hallucination haha.
 
In my experience the grippiness of any handle if it is rinsed has no soap on it. I never had an issue with the DE89's smooth hexagonal or octagonal (it's been awhile) handle.

Ah, I see now that there are several different handles available for the DE89, so you can simply pick a grippy one. When I Googled the razor earlier, I only noticed a super shiny round chrome handle, which looks like it would slip out of my hands in a hurry.😅

Soap on the handle is pretty much inevitable because my razor switches hands continuously in the process, like a basketball. For instance: I can't shave my right armpit with my right hand, and the left hand wouldn't have enough control for the correct angles on the outer part of the right ankle, knee, calf, etc (and vice versa) which I shave in different stages. Obviously, the non-razor hand helps to tighten skin, so foam gets on that hand and after transferring the razor back and forth a few times, the handle is pretty slick. By that time, my bowl of water is starting to get pretty soapy too. (I don't like to turn the water on mid-shave because it rinses part of the remaining foam off.) It's not a problem with a very structured handle like the one on the Gillette Fatboy clone, but the fake Futur has a smooth handle, so I lose my grip sometimes and the soap also makes it harder to turn the dial. I put a rubber band around it this morning. So ugly.:redface: Good control though. So a proper grippy handle is definitely an important feature for me when buying a new safety razor.
 
When I shave my arms I stack two blades one on top of another. I havent received a single cut yet in my time doing this with the two blades..I usually use a mild razor like a Razorock mamba or feather AS D2..i also stick to a milder blade like a voskod, or a personna lab blue. I used to cut myself a few times every time i shave my arms with a single blade..

This is interesting, good idea. I have a very rough theory that a thinner, more flexible blade (like a Derby Extra) increases the risk for weepers in some razors. Stiffer blades might be a bit safer and cause fewer accidents. Doubling up would probably mimic that effect or be even better. Thank you for the suggestion, I'll keep it in mind!
 
This is interesting, good idea. I have a very rough theory that a thinner, more flexible blade (like a Derby Extra) increases the risk for weepers in some razors. Stiffer blades might be a bit safer and cause fewer accidents. Doubling up would probably mimic that effect or be even better. Thank you for the suggestion, I'll keep it in mind!
When you Double up the blades, the shave feels more like an an artist club, injector or gem style blade. Derby are some of the thinnest double edge blades I have tried It's probally why they are so inexpensive. ..Kai appear to be the thickest. I usually double up the blades for body shaves, and it helps minimize cuts and weepers. I got this idea from subie shaves on YouTube and it works for me..However, i still use a single double edge blade on my beard..
 
I was already considering just cutting the blade tabs off, because that would make it possible to shave scratch-free with a narrower razor, which could maybe fix the armpit problem, but eye protection (and toe protection) probably is a good idea when trying to trim a blade. Yikes.
Cutting the tabs is what I do because I don't like the razor head being so much wider than the blade edge as they are when the tabs are covered. Then you have no limitations of what razors you can use. Regular scissors cut DE blades easily.
 
1. Soap

Try a proper shaving soap. A proper soap will improve cushion and have best ingredients, so your skin will feel better.

There are many cost effective choices for a beginner. Cella Extra Bio, Arko, Proraso, Pré de Provence.

Creams are great too, look for Palmolive, Pré de Provence and Proraso cream. Hard soaps last longer, but in the beginning cream are easy to lather. In Europe these creams are readily available. I suggest Pré de Provence Bergamot and Thyme cream.

2. Lather

Try to make a lather almost runny. Add water little by little until you get a very slick lather. Creams are easy to lather when you started wet shaving.

3. Brush

Try a synthetic. It’s cheaper and easy to use. Yaqi are very cost effective. Simpson’s Trafalgar is a good choice too.

4. Razor

Try a inexpensive one, but get one with a decent blade support. My first razor have so many blade chatter, I feel like shaving during a earthquake 😂. A King C. Gillette is a good option.

Wait before buy a expensive razor. Know your preferences before.

5. Handles

When you find a good razor head, find a good handle is easy. Handles are in general cheap. There are many lengths, types of knurling, etc.

6. Blades

Use a sharp and smooth blade. You have a lot of good choices already.

7. Technique

Remember, NO pressure. And find the razor angle. Some razors demand shallow angles, other neutral or steep angles.

When you hone your technique, you can play with pressure, stretching skin, use more aggressive razors, etc.

8. Skin

I think the skin takes some shaves to get used to wet shaving, but you shouldn’t get nicks. Maybe the skin get a little irritation in the first shaves, but no bloodbaths 😉

9. Aftershave balm

Buy some aftershave balm. I recommend Proraso balm.

Thayers Witch Hazel is nice too.


In conclusion, buy some soap or cream from a reputable brand. A good lather will step up your game. Bath soap and hair conditioner are terrible for shaving.
 
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Thank you for your detailed description of the process! (By the way, girlfriends, as in, plural? I feel like I should congratulate you.)
@rbscebu is a legend here 🙌

He is a big straight razor advocate. Besides using weapons as shaving equipment, he escapes lockdowns in Asian countries and have multiples girlfriends.

I have faith one day I will be able to at least starting SR. Unfortunately, have multiples girlfriends seems more difficult 😉
 
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