My First week as a DE shaver

[mksmith3]

To recap, I have been shaving with the same cheap Burma shave brush, Williams mug soap, and Gillette Sensor razor for 15 years. When my local drug store stopped carrying Williams, I found this site and decided to try shaving as a hobby. I ordered 6 cakes of Honey Bee Shave Soap, a Merkur HD, 10 Merkur blades and 10 Feather blades. I'm also planning to order the B&B brush for Christmas. For now I still use my Burma shave brush.

The HB soap is obviously much better than the Williams so I'm totally sold on better soap, and I am looking forward to trying others. However, I am not yet sold on the DE shaving. The Merkur blades tugged on my beard so after two shaves I switched to the Feathers which produced better results during the shave. I am going to give it another several weeks to work on technique, but here's how I break it down after a week



Gillette Sensor vs. Merkur HD/Feather comparo

Closeness of Shave: Draw - I seem to be able to get just as close a shave with the sensor. In fact, I think I am more prone to missing spots with the DE because it takes me so many passes to get down to the skin.

Skin Irritation: Advantage Sensor - My face burns like it's on fire all day every day with the Merkur HD and Feathers, and I never had that problem with my previous setup. I don't get any bumps or cuts, it just feels like my face has been sand-blasted. I will try some sort of after shave lotion or something that I have never used before to see if that helps.

Time Required to Shave: Advantage Sensor - It takes me 10 minutes tops to shave with the Sensor and at least 30 minutes to shave with the DE. Based on what I have read on this board, I can expect that it will always take at least 20 minutes with the DE.

Ease in Shaving the Whiskers Directly Under My Nose: Advantage Sensor - I cannot figure out how to get at the whiskers directly under my nose with the Merkur HD. The only angle that even kind-of works is South to North, and that is very unpleasant for a first pass. Interestingly, this is the main reason I still use a sensor instead of one of the newer razors. I think my moustache grows very close to my nose, and it takes a small razor to get in there. The 3-plus blade razors are all too big; so is the Merkur HD apparently.

Cost: Advantage Sensor - I have read on this board that one of the advantages of DE shaving is cost, and based on my experience that is absolutely not true. I can get sensor cartridges for about a buck apiece and they last at least a month. DE blades cost 50 cents, and people on this board say they last about a week; not to mention the 30 bucks I spent on the DE razor vs. the sensor handle I got free with a five pack of blades 15 years ago. I estimate the 15 year total cost of shaving with a sensor is about $180 vs. about $420 with a Merkur HD. This does not even include all the extra money I plan to spend on fancy soap, lotion, after shave, new razors, brushes, etc. I think my old setup is about as cheap as it gets.

Coolness factor: Advantage DE - It makes a really cool sound, and it seems cool to be skilled at shaving if I can ever get there.

Summary: I will need to improve my DE performance on Closeness of Shave, Skin Irritation and Time Required to Shave or the only advantage I can give to the DE is Coolness Factor. Even if I can improve on the other three factors, Ease in Shaving the Whiskers Directly Under My Nose may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle for the Merkur HD.

Any feedback would be appreciated. I don't want to give up on this hobby, but I'm off to a rough start.

-Kingston

 

[vespergo]

i was off to a rough start when i started. you have a merkur HD so that's a perfect handle to use. you won't have to buy a handle again. if you wanted to make it cheaper you sure could. i'd suggest trying out different blades, they can make a whole world of difference on the way the shave feels. if the feathers are chewing you up then i'd suggest starting there and seeing what the others do.

it does take a few weeks to get the hang of it. don't use pressure like i'm sure you're used to with the sensor. rather than using pressure, attack the hair at multiple angles until it gets all the way mowed down. eventually shaving will be like a hobby for you and you'll enjoy spending money on it. and BTW, you can spend much less with DE shaving if you want to.

 

[mksmith3]

Thanks, vespergo. Cost is not really a factor. I don't mind spending money on shaving, but I read a review of the fusion power over the weekend and the only real knock on the razor was the cost. I think that I have already found the cheapest shaving kit so any cost argument is totally lost on me.

I plan on working to improve my technique and experimenting with other blades. The light touch is definitely key to minimizing irritation, but it takes so long to remove the whiskers that way.

Any advice on Shaving the Whiskers Directly Under My Nose?

 

[Tanizaki]

Closeness of Shave: Draw - I seem to be able to get just as close a shave with the sensor. In fact, I think I am more prone to missing spots with the DE because it takes me so many passes to get down to the skin.

Skin Irritation: Advantage Sensor - My face burns like it's on fire all day every day with the Merkur HD and Feathers, and I never had that problem with my previous setup. I don't get any bumps or cuts, it just feels like my face has been sand-blasted. I will try some sort of after shave lotion or something that I have never used before to see if that helps.

Time Required to Shave: Advantage Sensor - It takes me 10 minutes tops to shave with the Sensor and at least 30 minutes to shave with the DE. Based on what I have read on this board, I can expect that it will always take at least 20 minutes with the DE.

Ease in Shaving the Whiskers Directly Under My Nose: Advantage Sensor - I cannot figure out how to get at the whiskers directly under my nose with the Merkur HD. The only angle that even kind-of works is South to North, and that is very unpleasant for a first pass. Interestingly, this is the main reason I still use a sensor instead of one of the newer razors. I think my moustache grows very close to my nose, and it takes a small razor to get in there. The 3-plus blade razors are all too big; so is the Merkur HD apparently.

Cost: Advantage Sensor - I have read on this board that one of the advantages of DE shaving is cost, and based on my experience that is absolutely not true. I can get sensor cartridges for about a buck apiece and they last at least a month. DE blades cost 50 cents, and people on this board say they last about a week; not to mention the 30 bucks I spent on the DE razor vs. the sensor handle I got free with a five pack of blades 15 years ago. I estimate the 15 year total cost of shaving with a sensor is about $180 vs. about $420 with a Merkur HD. This does not even include all the extra money I plan to spend on fancy soap, lotion, after shave, new razors, brushes, etc. I think my old setup is about as cheap as it gets.

Your post surprises me. I am also in my first week of DE shaving. My setup:

1951 Gillette Super Speed
CVS blades (which I assume are American Personna)
C&E Best Badger
Proraso Green Tube or C&E Nomad Cream

Closeness: After three passes, equal to whatever cartridge or disposable I was using in the past.

Skin Irritation: Same. I never had much of a skin irritation problem before, although sometimes if I got overly aggressive on my neck with the disposables, I'd get pimples.

Time required: I actually timed myself this morning. 13 minutes, and I was interrupted by a phone call for a few minutes. I go from pre-shave to post-shave in 10 minutes, it seems. Hard to compare with a cartridge since I used to shave in the shower, but I probably took less than 10 minutes in the shower. Not a big difference IMO.

Under the Nose: Just as close for me after doing the N-S pass and then the side-side pass.

Cost: I am amazed to learn that you were using a cartridge for a month before replacing. I certainly never used cartridges for anywhere near that long. At 40 cents per CVS blade, and assuming they each last a week, that's a little over $20 per year. I bought the razor on ebay for $23, shipping included. For me, the DE is cheaper, but I didn't decide to start using a DE to save money. It's a minor bonus, though.

Different strokes. It is striking how we've had such disparate experiences.

 

[TimmyBoston]

Blade Choice -- IMO Merkurs are the worst blades, of course YMMV. Feathers are universally viewed as the sharpest DE blades. I personally don't recommend them to any new shaver. I feel that while you are still learning there will be far too much irritation. IMO IP's are the blades you'll want to start with. They are much more forgiving than either a Feather or a Merkur. Contact LetterK, here he sells blade samplers 5 or 10 blades from each of the 5 major sellers. This will give you IPs to hone your technique and eliminate a lot of that razor burn. Also
Cost -- Feathers and Merkurs are the most expensive of blades, the cheapest I've seen Merkurs are around 50 cents, but again, I don't like this blade anyway. Feathers are also pricey bought in blocks of 100, the price drops down to 25 cents a blade so that would be equal with your Sensor cartridges. IP's run around 16 cents a blade and Derby can be under 10 cents. So either of those choices are going to be less than your cartridges. Also the startup cost of DE shaving is more expensive, but many of us make up for it with blade cost over time. But I will admit, with all the gear I've bought, I could have keep shaving with a Mach 3 for less money, but my additional brushes and creams make my shaving much more enjoyable and for me, shaving really is a hobby and something that gives me happiness every day. But I haven't made my extravagant purchases, I would have already saved enough money to cover all my basic costs.
The Nose -- Getting close to the nose is much easier with a cartridge razor, I have no argument here. But you can learn. I actually pull up my nose with other hand. Now that I have my technique down I no longer need to do this, but while learning it's a huge help. Mantic (a member here) make some shaving instructional videos and they are posted on Youtube. Here's the Link, I highly recommend watching every one, they are absolutely fantastic, packing with loads of great information and they have a few laughs thrown in as well. Please watch these!
Time - For me a shave takes at least 20 minutes including all my prep and 3 passes and post shave regiment. Now sometimes I stretch this out, using a huge brush or something else that makes the shave more enjoyable, but takes more time. If time is a serious concern, you can always do a single pass in the morning, which shouldn't take any longer than shaving with your sensor and if you wish to a luxurious shave where you want to take you time you can shave at night as well. I often do this because I don't really focus on my morning shave, I just want to look presentable; I can do this shave in about 5 minutes (the same as my Mach 3 shave). My evening shave is where it's a hobby.

I hope you stick with using a fancier brush, the B&B Brush really is going to be amazing and a terrific value. Also good soaps are a huge improvement over Williams.

If you have any questions always feel free to post them. Or if you have a specific one feel free to send me a PM and I'll answer it directily.

Good luck. Go with God.

 

[Lynchmeister]

Cost: This does not even include all the extra money I plan to spend on fancy soap, lotion, after shave, new razors, brushes, etc. I think my old setup is about as cheap as it gets.

Any feedback would be appreciated. I don't want to give up on this hobby, but I'm off to a rough start.

-Kingston

I feel your pain. I knew it would be more fun, but I also thought it would be cheaper. Now I know to just throw that line of thinking out the window. It's just like you said, though, it's a hobby and hobbies come with a pricetag of time, money, and patience. All in all, a small price to pay, IMO. I never had any complaints about my old way of doing things and as a result, I didn't think twice about it. Now, I spend a fair amount of time at home (and even more at work ) on this site reading and posting.

Enjoy!

 

[mpisarcik]

i as well used to shave with a Sensor. They are convenient, not as expensive, and give better shaves than Mach3 if you are prone to ingrown/pimples. However, after switching to a DE, I was exactly where you are right now- the first few blades I tried did not work for me. I was ready to throw the towel in. But then I found Feather blades! They work for me, and I am having the best shaving experience of my life.

I would say that before you give up, get the sampler pack (small) from letterK and try a few shaves with each blade. If all of the blades don't work for you, then I would agree that its time to give up.

 

[Mike S.]

I'm having pretty good luck with my DE shaving experience so far. I am a recovering M3 user and don't have much knowledge of the Sensor.

As far as cost goes, I bought a Omega boar brush and Proraso cream at Target for less than $20, found an old '58 Fatboy in my wife's grandfather's things, and bought letterk's sample pack of blades for $15. I'm not into the hobby for too much yet, and don't think I will any time soon. My next big purchase will probably be the C&E Best Badger Brush.

Speed-wise the DE is slower, sure. But I enjoy the experience more now than before. That relates to the coolness factor, too.

Don't give up just yet. Give it a while, try some different blades and see where you are.

 

[mksmith3]

Thanks for the great advice. I watched all the videos and ordered the letterk sampler pack today so I can try some different blades. I also picked up some Nevia after-shave balm to help me through the transition.

I think I have been trying to do too much too fast. I’m going to slow down and let it happen.

 

[juise]

Mantic (a member here) make some shaving instructional videos and they are posted on Youtube. Here's the Link, I highly recommend watching every one, they are absolutely fantastic, packing with loads of great information and they have a few laughs thrown in as well. Please watch these!

I visited this site for the first time today as quintessential noob and was so incredibly lost until I watched those videos. Then the pieces started coming together very quickly. Thanks for making that reference. Shaving has been a pretty dreadful experience for me over the last two years (ingrown hairs and resultant cuts). I'm really hoping for some improvement after reading everyone's advice. Thanks for dispensing it so generously.

 

[TimmyBoston]

I think I have been trying to do too much too fast. I’m going to slow down and let it happen.

I did the same thing. Rushing it really don't help. You've learned that a lot quicker than I did though. You've made excellent choices, the blade sampler will be a big help.

 

[TimmyBoston]

I visited this site for the first time today as quintessential noob and was so incredibly lost until I watched those videos. Then the pieces started coming together very quickly. Thanks for making that reference. Shaving has been a pretty dreadful experience for me over the last two years (ingrown hairs and resultant cuts). I'm really hoping for some improvement after reading everyone's advice. Thanks for dispensing it so generously.

My pleasure. Many, many here did the same thing for me when I started. I honestly DESPISED shaving, until I switched over to a DE and a brush and really took the time to learn. Now it's something I look forward to every single day and there are countless people here with the exact same story.

But don't try to rush things. When Mark says begin with two downward passes only at the beginning, he's right. I actually have one of my best friends coming into town tomorrow and I've got a kit prepared for him and I know he's going to fight me on the pace, but it really is the only way to go. Things will improve. At the beginning be prepared for some nicks early on. There is a learning curve as with anything and DE shaving is the same thing. Take it slow, don't overshave (take too many passes, go over the same spot too many times), you can't force that BBS shave, you have to let it come and in a few days and possibly even a couple weeks, you'll feel your face and there it will be and you'll feel great. And after that first one, they'll more and more frequent and not too long after that it will be every single day.