Just can't seem to get there

[TinyT]

I want to find the holy grail of efficient and smooth...is that too much to ask!!?

That's precisely the question to ask!

Is blade chatter what edge clamping is trying to resolve?

Yes. But light razors can be noisy and rigid. My RR Lupo is aluminium, light and very audible. I initially decided it was chatter and didn't get on with it. Coming back to it a few months later I discovered everything that's good about it - blade feel, efficiency and smoothness. The light weight is something that can be adapted to. The Henson looks like it should hold the blade well enough but I haven't used one. The proof is in the pudding.

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

You might just have very coarse facial hair and sensitive skin, which requires a slightly different approach. I have the above, and so far the best combo has been a vintage Gillette open comb and a very sharp blade, a Gillette Silver Blue. You using TOBS cream or hard soap? I find them both subpar compared to Tabac, Speick, and Palmolive, which all contain tallow and are far more comfortable for me to get nice and close. The TOBS soap was tricky to lather properly and required a nice dense badger to get the lather right, as I have found with many British hard soaps.

The 34c is a pretty mild razor, and unusable for me. I liked Voskhods until I ran into several dreaded bad ones, and never looked back.

This is just gonna take some time and trial and error. I’d start changing only one thing at a time, try a Gillette Silver Blue and leave everything else the same and see how it goes. Good luck!

 

[Bundy71]

That's precisely the question to ask!



Yes. But light razors can be noisy and rigid. My RR Lupo is aluminium, light and very audible. I initially decided it was chatter and didn't get on with it. Coming back to it a few months later I discovered everything that's good about it - blade feel, efficiency and smoothness. The light weight is something that can be adapted to. The Henson looks like it should hold the blade well enough but I haven't used one. The proof is in the pudding.

The Henson gave me a pretty good shave the one time I used it, with only light irritation. My biggest problem with it was how inefficient it was (i.e. too many passes). Probably just have to find the right amount of pressure since there's no weight to it.

 

[smudge]

If you're feeling tugging with a relatively new blade your angle might be too steep. Try "riding the cap" a bit more and you'll be shaving rather than chopping your whiskers. That is with the handle a bit further away from your face giving a shallower blade angle.

 

[Bundy71]

If you're feeling tugging with a relatively new blade your angle might be too steep. Try "riding the cap" a bit more and you'll be shaving rather than chopping your whiskers. That is with the handle a bit further away from your face giving a shallower blade angle.

I've tried that, but after already feeling some irritation. In other words, after the damage was done. I'll try that from the start with my next shave.

 

[Invicta]

I just can't seem to get this right after about 8, 3 pass shaves, with only one that was completely successful (DFS, bordering on BBS without irritation). I thought I had the technique down with regard to angle/pressure, but I keep ending up red and irritated. I still think it's technique issues as the irritation varies shave to shave (neck one shave, cheeks another, jawline another, etc.).

That is not many shaves to settle on good technique so keep working at it;mirritation is generally caused by poor technique. Don't shave over unlathered areas and don't chase BBS; settle for CCS with no irritation and then work up to closer shaves. Good lather is very important too so perhaps that may be a problem. I found the Merkur 34C a great razor which easily delivers a close shave. The Voskhod blades did not seem to perform as well as Astra SP, GSB or Nacet though so may be try different blades.

 

[Bundy71]

That is not many shaves to settle on good technique so keep working at it;mirritation is generally caused by poor technique. Don't shave over unlathered areas and don't chase BBS; settle for CCS with no irritation and then work up to closer shaves. Good lather is very important too so perhaps that may be a problem. I found the Merkur 34C a great razor which easily delivers a close shave. The Voskhod blades did not seem to perform as well as Astra SP, GSB or Nacet though so may be try different blades.

So lather...I use TOBS Sandalwood with a base of pre-shave (Proraso or Cube 2.0). I get a nice lather in the bowl with nice peaks and all that, apply it with my badger brush and think it's wet enough, but it sometimes seems "sticky." Not enough water? Mix it up more in the bowl? Could that be part of the problem?

 

[MrSpeedy]

How often are you shaving? I can't shave every day or I get irritation. If you can get away with it, try shaving every other day.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

You’ve gotten a lot of good advice above, and I’m going to throw my 2 cents in.

• Eight shaves is not long enough to master technique. It took me eight months before I had that aha moment. Even now after being back to wet shaving for a year, I still have aha moments. When you think you have it mastered and nothing more to learn, the razor will bite you to remind you that there’s always more to learn. Be patient and it will come. Sounds like a line from a move.
• You don’t mention if you face lather. If you do switch to bowl lathering and get yourself a brush with a nice soft Plissoft knot. That will eliminate brush irritation. I irritated my skin with a cheapo synthetic knot by face lathering.
• As mentioned above, switch to cold water. Hot water opens the pores and makes it easier for the blade to irritate them.
• Find a blade you are comfortable with and stick with it. Changing shave gear once you’ve found a comfortable setup only confuses the issue. I don’t know the Voshkod blade, but I know that the Astra green pack is a milder blade. It is worth a shot if the GSB doesn’t work out. When you do change your setup, change one thing at a time so that you know what made the difference. The 34 is a good razor. There is no need to go razor hunting at this point.
• Stop worrying about how close the shave is. Chasing BBS shaves often does lead to irritation. You may also want to try just two passes to see if that helps. The shave might not be as close as you would like, but the irritation will be less, if any at all. Avoid ATG passes until you have this figured out.
• As mentioned above, try lowering the angle between blade & skin. This means raising the angle of the handle. A shallower save scrapes the skin less.
• If you are using aftershave, try a balm like Nivea for Sensitive Skin. You can pick up a bottle at Walgreens. There isn’t any alcohol in it, so there won’t be any irritation from your aftershave.
• Make certain that you aren’t helping the razor by pressing. You only need to put the razor to your face and keep it in contact with your face. DE blades are way sharper than cartridge blades. They will cut the whiskers just fine without pressing. If you press, you are increasing the friction between the blade and your face. A light touch is all that is required.
• Increase the interval in between shaves. If you daily shave try every other day. That is of course if you job allows it.

So that’s my 2 cents worth. It may not be worth a whit, but hopefully something in there helps.

Did I mention, NO PRESSURE? It is that important.

 

[Bundy71]

How often are you shaving? I can't shave every day or I get irritation. If you can get away with it, try shaving every other day.

Every other day at most. Usually every third, and never when I have existing irritation (usually never lasts more than 24hrs). I have a relatively coarse but not dense beard that grows slowly.

 

[abershaver]

Just my thoughts: it may be a bad or allergic reaction. Firstly, in any case, you need many more shaves before you will ‘get it’. Do not chase BBS too early if at all. That was my issue.

Try a Nacet blade in your Merkur. I would also suggest a Yaqi synthetic brush (for years I didn’t know I was allergic to natural hair brushes) and a cream with no/very little scent (many people have reactions to certain scents). Proraso Blue and Erasmic work well and are inexpensive depending on where you are.

 

[Invicta]

...but it sometimes seems "sticky." Not enough water?

Very likely, especially on the last pass. Better to have a little too much lather for the pass rather than stretch out what is left.

 

[Bundy71]

You’ve gotten a lot of good advice above, and I’m going to throw my 2 cents in.

• Eight weeks is not long enough to master technique. It took me eight months before I had that aha moment. Even now after being back to wet shaving for a year, I still have aha moments. When you think you have it mastered and nothing more to learn, the razor will bite you to remind you that there’s always more to learn. Be patient and it will come. Sounds like a line from a move.
• You don’t mention if you face lather. If you do switch to bowl lathering and get yourself a brush with a nice soft Plissoft knot. That will eliminate brush irritation. I irritated my skin with a cheapo synthetic knot by face lathering.
• As mentioned above, switch to cold water. Hot water opens the pores and makes it easier for the blade to irritate them.
• Find a blade you are comfortable with and stick with it. Changing shave gear once you’ve found a comfortable setup only confuses the issue. I don’t know the Voshkod blade, but I know that the Astra green pack is a milder blade. It is worth a shot if the GSB doesn’t work out. When you do change your setup, change one thing at a time so that you know what made the difference. The 34 is a good razor. There is no need to go razor hunting at this point.
• Stop worrying about how close the shave is. Chasing BBS shaves often does lead to irritation. You may also want to try just two passes to see if that helps. The shave might not be as close as you would like, but the irritation will be less, if any at all. Avoid ATG passes until you have this figured out.
• As mentioned above, try lowering the angle between blade & skin. This means raising the angle of the handle. A shallower save scrapes the skin less.
• If you are using aftershave, try a balm like Nivea for Sensitive Skin. You can pick up a bottle at Walgreens. There isn’t any alcohol in it, so there won’t be any irritation from your aftershave.
• Make certain that you aren’t helping the razor by pressing. You only need to put the razor to your face and keep it in contact with your face. DE blades are way sharper than cartridge blades. They will cut the whiskers just fine without pressing. If you press, you are increasing the friction between the blade and your face. A light touch is all that is required.
• Increase the interval in between shaves. If you daily shave try every other day. That is of course if you job allows it.

So that’s my 2 cents worth. It may not be worth a whit, but hopefully something in there helps.

Did I mention, NO PRESSURE? It is that important.

Plenty of great advice in there! Thanks for taking the time!

 

[dfoulk]

Ok, so from what you've stated above you're about eight three pass shaves in, you're getting some irritation, and you want to know if a sharper blade might help you out.

A question like this will get all kinds of responses with people sharing their favorite blades, maybe even recommending a new razor or a new soap. The problem is that it's not your equipment that is causing the problem. It's your technique. It's like a poor mechanic blaming his tools. The tools aren't the problem. Your skin is not any more sensitive than anyone else's (unless a doctor has told you this) and your stubble likely isn't any more course. It comes down to technique as it always comes down to technique.

It's going to take you about thirty shaves to get decent at this and by decent I mean just that. To get exceptional it will take you longer. Good news is that you have plenty of time to learn. You've likely been conditioned to smash the razor into your face and drag it like you're using a cart. The blade angle with a cart is much more forgiving as well as they'll pivot. With a DE razor you have to pay attention to the angle and the pressure and it's going to take time to get this down. You're going to suck at this at first, so that should be expected.

My advice to you would be to pay particular attention to pressure and angle during your shaves. Very light pressure, enough to keep the razor on your face but not much more than that. In terms of angle, put the razor cap on your face and lower the handle angle during the first swipe until you just start to hear it cut. Too shallow of an angle and you're not cutting anything. Too steep and you're just dragging a very sharp blade across your face like you're scraping paint off a house.

I'd recommend that you do your three passes and stop after that. Don't worry about the shave quality as nobody will notice that you have a less than perfect shave other than you. Just take whatever shave you end up with and be happy with it, without doing any touch up. The goal should not be a perfect shave yet, that will definitely come with time and additional practice. As the month goes on you'll discover your shaves are getting better and better. After the month of shaves is through then maybe add some additional touch up or experiment with a sharper blade. Chase perfection then if that's what you want from your shaves. Perfection is certainly doable with some practice once you've gotten past the muscle memory that the carts have engrained in your brain. You don't even realize you are doing it.

To answer your question as you asked it. A sharper blade will be less forgiving and you will definitely get more irritation if your technique is lacking (which it is). So if you do what you've been doing and incorporate a sharper blade you will get more irritation. You will still not get a perfect shave unless you do quite a bit of touch up even with the sharper blade but you will be punished a bit more for trying. Once your technique is solid then a sharper blade (I like Feather blades) will mean a bit less touch up to get a perfect shave.

If you feel the need to buy something then purchase an alum block (about six bucks) and maybe a small bottle of The Cool Fix by Shave Works (about ten bucks). The Alum is to rub onto your face with some cool water after your shave. Where if feels good you did well with your pressure and angle, where it stings a little you did poorly and need to focus on those areas going forward.
The Cool Fix is like magic as it stings a little when you apply it but then it's like the razor burn was never there. We're talking shaving again the very next day. The stuff is worth it's weight in gold when you're hurting.

In terms of the other equipment that you're using, sure there is better stuff out there, but what you have should certainly get the job done. You can explore some upgrades once your technique is better until then I'd recommend not changing anything as every time you change something it slows your progress in improving your technique.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

I actually tried some exfoliating soap before one shave (Dove for men). It actually may have been my one good shave. I'll try that again. Thanks!

I’m not sure about Dove for men. Ask your wife/girlfriend/significant other what they use for exfoliating. If that doesn’t help, make a trip to Ulta and ask them. There are a lot of good exfoliant products out there and there are some great ones. But be careful with the exfoliant. Don’t overdo it. Once a week is probably enough. Ask the Ulta people about the frequency.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

Ok, so from what you've stated above you're about eight three pass shaves in, you're getting some irritation, and you want to know if a sharper blade might help you out.

A question like this will get all kinds of responses with people sharing their favorite blades, maybe even recommending a new razor or a new soap. The problem is that it's not your equipment that is causing the problem. It's your technique. It's like a poor mechanic blaming his tools. The tools aren't the problem. Your skin is not any more sensitive than anyone else's (unless a doctor has told you this) and your stubble likely isn't any more course. It comes down to technique as it always comes down to technique.

It's going to take you about thirty shaves to get decent at this and by decent I mean just that. To get exceptional it will take you longer. Good news is that you have plenty of time to learn. You've likely been conditioned to smash the razor into your face and drag it like you're using a cart. The blade angle with a cart is much more forgiving as well as they'll pivot. With a DE razor you have to pay attention to the angle and the pressure and it's going to take time to get this down. You're going to suck at this at first, so that should be expected.

My advice to you would be to pay particular attention to pressure and angle during your shaves. Very light pressure, enough to keep the razor on your face but not much more than that. In terms of angle, put the razor cap on your face and lower the handle angle during the first swipe until you just start to hear it cut. Too shallow of an angle and you're not cutting anything. Too steep and you're just dragging a very sharp blade across your face like you're scraping paint off a house.

I'd recommend that you do your three passes and stop after that. Don't worry about the shave quality as nobody will notice that you have a less than perfect shave other than you. Just take whatever shave you end up with and be happy with it, without doing any touch up. The goal should not be a perfect shave yet, that will definitely come with time and additional practice. As the month goes on you'll discover your shaves are getting better and better. After the month of shaves is through then maybe add some additional touch up or experiment with a sharper blade. Chase perfection then if that's what you want from your shaves. Perfection is certainly doable with some practice once you've gotten past the muscle memory that the carts have engrained in your brain. You don't even realize you are doing it.

To answer your question as you asked it. A sharper blade will be less forgiving and you will definitely get more irritation if your technique is lacking (which it is). So if you do what you've been doing and incorporate a sharper blade you will get more irritation. You will still not get a perfect shave unless you do quite a bit of touch up even with the sharper blade but you will be punished a bit more for trying. Once your technique is solid then a sharper blade (I like Feather blades) will mean a bit less touch up to get a perfect shave.

If you feel the need to buy something then purchase an alum block (about six bucks) and maybe a small bottle of The Cool Fix by Shave Works (about ten bucks). The Alum is to rub onto your face with some cool water after your shave. Where if feels good you did well with your pressure and angle, where it stings a little you did poorly and need to focus on those areas going forward.
The Cool Fix is like magic as it stings a little when you apply it but then it's like the razor burn was never there. We're talking shaving again the very next day. The stuff is worth it's weight in gold when you're hurting.

In terms of the other equipment that you're using, sure there is better stuff out there, but what you have should certainly get the job done. You can explore some upgrades once your technique is better until then I'd recommend not changing anything as every time you change something it slows your progress in improving your technique.

Solid advice. Remember NO PRESSURE!

 

[Rosseforp]

If not a Fatip Lo Storto Open Comb Slant(FOCS), a Fatip Grande or Piccolo is hard to beat. Blade selection can have more of an effect than changing razors. I found Voskhod blades very harsh, love Gillette Platinum blades. And just because one blade is the bees knees in one razor, doesn't insure it will be the same in another razor.

 

[Bundy71]

Ok, so from what you've stated above you're about eight three pass shaves in, you're getting some irritation, and you want to know if a sharper blade might help you out.

A question like this will get all kinds of responses with people sharing their favorite blades, maybe even recommending a new razor or a new soap. The problem is that it's not your equipment that is causing the problem. It's your technique. It's like a poor mechanic blaming his tools. The tools aren't the problem. Your skin is not any more sensitive than anyone else's (unless a doctor has told you this) and your stubble likely isn't any more course. It comes down to technique as it always comes down to technique.

It's going to take you about thirty shaves to get decent at this and by decent I mean just that. To get exceptional it will take you longer. Good news is that you have plenty of time to learn. You've likely been conditioned to smash the razor into your face and drag it like you're using a cart. The blade angle with a cart is much more forgiving as well as they'll pivot. With a DE razor you have to pay attention to the angle and the pressure and it's going to take time to get this down. You're going to suck at this at first, so that should be expected.

My advice to you would be to pay particular attention to pressure and angle during your shaves. Very light pressure, enough to keep the razor on your face but not much more than that. In terms of angle, put the razor cap on your face and lower the handle angle during the first swipe until you just start to hear it cut. Too shallow of an angle and you're not cutting anything. Too steep and you're just dragging a very sharp blade across your face like you're scraping paint off a house.

I'd recommend that you do your three passes and stop after that. Don't worry about the shave quality as nobody will notice that you have a less than perfect shave other than you. Just take whatever shave you end up with and be happy with it, without doing any touch up. The goal should not be a perfect shave yet, that will definitely come with time and additional practice. As the month goes on you'll discover your shaves are getting better and better. After the month of shaves is through then maybe add some additional touch up or experiment with a sharper blade. Chase perfection then if that's what you want from your shaves. Perfection is certainly doable with some practice once you've gotten past the muscle memory that the carts have engrained in your brain. You don't even realize you are doing it.

To answer your question as you asked it. A sharper blade will be less forgiving and you will definitely get more irritation if your technique is lacking (which it is). So if you do what you've been doing and incorporate a sharper blade you will get more irritation. You will still not get a perfect shave unless you do quite a bit of touch up even with the sharper blade but you will be punished a bit more for trying. Once your technique is solid then a sharper blade (I like Feather blades) will mean a bit less touch up to get a perfect shave.

If you feel the need to buy something then purchase an alum block (about six bucks) and maybe a small bottle of The Cool Fix by Shave Works (about ten bucks). The Alum is to rub onto your face with some cool water after your shave. Where if feels good you did well with your pressure and angle, where it stings a little you did poorly and need to focus on those areas going forward.
The Cool Fix is like magic as it stings a little when you apply it but then it's like the razor burn was never there. We're talking shaving again the very next day. The stuff is worth it's weight in gold when you're hurting.

In terms of the other equipment that you're using, sure there is better stuff out there, but what you have should certainly get the job done. You can explore some upgrades once your technique is better until then I'd recommend not changing anything as every time you change something it slows your progress in improving your technique.

Awesome advice and appreciate you taking the time! Thanks!

 

[TinyT]

The Henson gave me a pretty good shave the one time I used it, with only light irritation. My biggest problem with it was how inefficient it was (i.e. too many passes). Probably just have to find the right amount of pressure since there's no weight to it.

As I understand it the Henson has a reputation for being a mild razor. Since it has not much blade gap that means it probably has minimal or maybe even negative blade exposure. Mild razors are supposed to be good to start with because less gap or blade exposure means less risk but the lack of efficiency can make them frustrating to use. The best advice is to use no pressure. I use some pressure, more with the aluminium Lupo than heavier razor but not a whole lot. With the right angle, any razor will shave you with minimal pressure. Finding that angle and maintaining it throughout the shave, covering all the contours and angles on the face is a challenge, even for very experienced shavers. That's what keeps it interesting. The technique will develop with muscle memory and time. Experiment with different angles, shallow (handle raised) and steep (handle lowered) and neutral (the hardest to find and maintain) to find what works for you. The shallower or steeper you go the more pressure you can (and have to) comfortably use.

If I was starting out again I'd begin with a Gillette Tech. More efficient than a Merkur 34C and twice as smooth for me. It's the razor I'd recommend to every new shaver. Cheap and easy to get hold of on the bay or Razorock make a new clone for very little money (the DE1). A new razor isn't the answer to every problem but it can and does make a difference. It's just that with so many on the market at such a range of prices it's hard to know what to go with. In general I've observed the following. Most people that don't get on with a Merkur 34C/DE89 have a better time with a Gillette Tech/Fatip. And people that are not so keen on the Tech/Fatip like the 34C/DE89 style of razor. A few lucky ones enjoy both. Most learn to in time.

 

[Bundy71]

I’m not sure about Dove for men. Ask your wife/girlfriend/significant other what they use for exfoliating. If that doesn’t help, make a trip to Ulta and ask them. There are a lot of good exfoliant products out there and there are some great ones. But be careful with the exfoliant. Don’t overdo it. Once a week is probably enough. Ask the Ulta people about the frequency.

The Dove for men is just something I had laying around. The bar has pumice in it for exfoliating, though I'm not sure how effective it is. I think I have some 120 grit sandpaper I can try.