Mr. Patch Learns the World of Wet Shaving

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

This is the Old Type I consider my best.

But I have others.

The silver Old Type (second from left) is the same as the grungy razor a few posts up (in a case). It cleaned up very easily.

Good teeth matter.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[mr.patch]

? for the Day:

- Are there creams or soaps that are known to be more "agreeable" with extremely hard water? It's what I have available to me and I'm sure it is effecting my lather.

Wanted to bump this question so it doesn't get lost in the razor madness.

 

[Esox]

Wanted to bump this question so it doesn't get lost in the razor madness.

See below.

Start a thread in the Shave Cream or Soaps forums and you'll get a lot of helpful advice concerning hard water issues. That will also help increase your post count. I believe post count is disabled in the Journals section, as well as other areas of the forum.

 

[MilkCrate]

Wanted to bump this question so it doesn't get lost in the razor madness.

I agree with Esox, that question is best posted in the correct forum.

I know our water isn’t soft, but I don’t know how hard it is either. I just stick to the standard soaps and don’t have any issues.

My soaps are listed at Milkcrate's Musings

 

[mr.patch]

Tried something new I really liked today. 20011 with an Astra SP. Used Proraso red cream for the first two passes. Then I hand lathered Cremo Sandalwood for a buffing pass. Loved the extra lubrication without the cushion for buffing. Also made it much easier to see what areas needed work.

As always finished with my alum block and some leftover post-shave lotion.

 

[Esox]

Tried something new I really liked today. 20011 with an Astra SP. Used Proraso red cream for the first two passes. Then I hand lathered Cremo Sandalwood for a buffing pass. Loved the extra lubrication without the cushion for buffing. Also made it much easier to see what areas needed work.

As always finished with my alum block and some leftover post-shave lotion.

Proraso, the soap anyway, is pretty slick. If you dont feel the residual slickness, wet your hand, shake off the excess water and wipe around your face to wake it up. I do that every time before I lather again. By the third later, my skin is as slick as oiled glass.

 

[mr.patch]

So Saturday my Tech arrived early and I gave it its first shot. Fresh Astra SP loaded up. For me, HARD NO. I did not enjoy this shave one bit. It seemed like I needed to pass the blade over and over and over to get all of the whiskers. Was left with some pretty mean razor burn. Based on the terminology I've picked up, it was an extremely inefficient shaver for me. I'll definitely be giving it another shot and trying other blades down the road but I'm locking into the 20011 for my learning razor. Switched back to it this morning and had another great shave. No blood and my face feels great!

Proraso, the soap anyway, is pretty slick. If you dont feel the residual slickness, wet your hand, shake off the excess water and wipe around your face to wake it up. I do that every time before I lather again. By the third later, my skin is as slick as oiled glass.

Maybe I'll give the soap a try. With the cream I get spots that are well cushioned but almost sticky. I'm sure it's a mistake I'm making somewhere but there are enough products out there to find one that works great in concert with my methodology.

 

[Esox]

So Saturday my Tech arrived early and I gave it its first shot. Fresh Astra SP loaded up. For me, HARD NO. I did not enjoy this shave one bit. It seemed like I needed to pass the blade over and over and over to get all of the whiskers. Was left with some pretty mean razor burn. Based on the terminology I've picked up, it was an extremely inefficient shaver for me. I'll definitely be giving it another shot and trying other blades down the road but I'm locking into the 20011 for my learning razor. Switched back to it this morning and had another great shave. No blood and my face feels great!



Maybe I'll give the soap a try. With the cream I get spots that are well cushioned but almost sticky. I'm sure it's a mistake I'm making somewhere but there are enough products out there to find one that works great in concert with my methodology.

Gillette Techs are very good teachers of proper technique. Do it right and its a very mild shave. I think you've mistaken the mild forgiving nature of it for a lack of effectiveness and overcompensated with pressure. Adding pressure isnt the solution, finding the right angle and learning to maintain it through a shave is.

When using my Tech its at least 3 full passes and 3 clean ups, no matter the blade. Post shave feel is usually a feeling of not having shaved but having a BBS finish.

Techs dont have a lot of blade exposure, therefore they have a very limited range of usable angles. Get the angle just right and it shaves fine. Miss the angle even a little and it will hardly cut at all. Its a natural tendency to overcompensate for that by increasing pressure, but thats a mistake and will lead to razor burn as you've found. Get it right and its a very good shave indeed.

Efficiency between my razors varies from the Tech at 3 passes+++ to my Fatip Grande and a single pass and a very small clean up. Post shave feel with all is a feeling of not being shaved. The BBS results are very much the same, but the better you get with a DE the better the final result can be with some razors. My Tech is typically a 6-8 hour BBS. My Fatip Grande 10-12 hours, the same as my NEW SC and Single Ring. The difference between them is the number of passes needed for the same BBS finish. One pass+ for my Grande and 2 1/2 passes for the others. My longest lasting BBS was 23 hours with my 1940 Gillette Regent, but that was still 2 1/2 passes.

Keep using the Tech, but focus on technique not results and shave for comfort while finding and keeping the correct angle. Once you can maintain that angle, try a heavier handle, but stick with the same technique.

See my first shave with a Gillette Tech below;

So today was Tech day...

Gillette Post War Tech - Fresh Polsiver SI to keep a level field, if even in my own mind.
Stirling Sunflower Fields
Omega Boar

Usual WTG, ATG passes and clean ups on my neck, the same as with the Rocket. Simple, effortless BBS and all I felt was the razor gliding over my skin. From there this razor is head and shoulders above the rest I own in regards to smoothness. This has been the smoothest most comfortable shave I've ever had, and thats saying something as my Rocket is smooooth. It may not be as effective as the NEW SC, but in my opinion, its a much nicer razor to use. The NEW SC will now be reserved for more than 48 hours growth.

This Post War Tech, in my mind, should be the starting razor for everyone entering into the DE world. It's virtually foolproof. Use to applying pressure? No problem, this razor will warn you well in advance of hurting you. Technique a bit off and getting the occasional nick from loosing concentration? No problem, it's got you covered and you'll correct yourself before blood appears.

For all you people just starting out in the DE world, and you, yes you, lurkers, I'm talking to you as I was one myself in search of a better shave, try one! For those of you who havent yet used one of these, I highly suggest you do. If you regularly have issues with tugging or irritation, no matter the direction of stroke, try one. Your shaving experience is incomplete without using and knowing this razor. It really is as good as they say it is. Try it and see.

As to your cream problems, it sounds like its not lathered enough. Lather it with your brush the same as you would a soap. Soaps and creams are the same for the most part, creams just have more water in them so you need to add less water to get a similar lather viscosity.

 

[mr.patch]

So work got busy and I haven't gotten a post up in a while. But since my last appearance, I've been following this advice:

I suggest finding ASAP a blade you like okay and a razor you like okay. Both only have to be good enough so you can use them to get good enough results (in comfort and quality of shaves). Combine that kit with a decent brush and a decent soap. Stick with it without changing anything for a month. Then change one variable at a time. Go slow with changes.

For me, that's been my Murker with Astra SPs and Proraso Green Soap. The last few weeks I've been been shaving every other day. My shaves are finally down to a reasonable time (about 20 minutes) for a DFS. Also, aside from the very occasional nick, no more blood loss!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

So work got busy and I haven't gotten a post up in a while. But since my last appearance, I've been following this advice:



For me, that's been my Murker with Astra SPs and Proraso Green Soap. The last few weeks I've been been shaving every other day. My shaves are finally down to a reasonable time (about 20 minutes) for a DFS. Also, aside from the very occasional nick, no more blood loss!

Sounds like significant progress. Congratulations.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[mr.patch]

So I learned a valuable lesson this weekend I thought I’d share.

I was in detroit for a wedding and had flown with my razor and of course no blades. I couldn’t find a good spot for blades and ended up a CVS where the only option was Van Der Hagen blades. I knew this was a crap shoot but it was a no option option. My mistake... not resetting to zero. With my astras I had grown to go straight against the grain on the first pass then clean up with a half-ish pass at 45 degrees. Started straight against the grain up my neck and immediately regretted it. Blood and discomfort that has lasted a full 24 hours (the discomfort that is) [emoji24][emoji24][emoji24] had I gone back to day 1 wet shaving and started on a less aggressive pass I think I could have been a MUCH happier wedding guest.