I’m very excited to be transitioning to ‘traditional’ shaving, after using cartridges and Gillette Foamy for as long as I can remember. Not that I needed a better shave... I’ve had no problems with ingrown hairs or irritation with the Mach 3. It’s the tradition and experience that’s attracted me, the creams and soaps, the fragrances, and whipping up of a nice lather... and of course the camaraderie of forums such as this. I purchased a beautiful Mühle synthetic brush and learned how to lather with the AOS Sandlewood cream. Others are on order, including some I won on a PIF. Thank you!
My first non-cart razor was the Supply V2 injector razor. Great shave, not without some irritation but still great! That SE blade would mow my thick whiskers like they never existed. A few nicks early on, but I think I got the hang of the technique. The razor itself though was uncomfortable to hold. It’s very top heavy and slippery, and after spending time on this forum, and the fear of missing out on experimenting with various other blades, I elected to give DE shaving a try. After some research, I bought both the Alpha Outlaw (mild), the iKon V3 slant, and a few test blades.
The Outlaw with the Bravo handle is just a gorgeous piece of hardware. I was a little surprised by the amount of blade exposure, but was eager to give it a try. With the Astra blade and 3 passes, I did achieve a DFS, but with a lot more irritation in the neck area than I’m used to. An aftershave containing witch hazel and aloe that I had ordered from Supply really helped, and I used Nivea balm for good measure. The second day using the same Astra blade was even worse, with stinging even on my cheeks, which never happened with a Mach 3. Disappointing, to say the least. I’ve put this razor away for now, not quite sure what to do with it? Try again with a different blade? For now, I’ve moved on to the iKon slant.
I first used the slant with two days worth of growth. The shave was smooth with a new Astra blade and I was content. They next day, however, I experienced the same irritation as with the Outlaw. Suffice it to say I am no fan of the Astra blade. So today, I swapped the blade for a Rapira Swedish Supersteel. I don’t know if I had the angle figured out but there was a lot of tugging, more so than the Astra. I tried different techniques including a very light touch and ‘riding the cap’. After a WTG and XTG pass, there was a ton of residual stubble! It is said that the iKon is a mild razor, and I believe it! After the irritation of the last few days, I didn’t want to risk it and I took out my Mach 3 for a comfortable ATG BBS finish.
My journey so far with daily shaving using DE razors hasn’t been fun. I’m embarrassed to say the Mach 3 works better for me. YMMV. My preshave routine has remained the same, morning hot shower, lather with the AOS cream, various aftershaves and balms. I can’t blame the preshave, but perhaps preshave creams or soaps (the PAA cube comes to mind) might help. I also can’t wait to try other shave creams and soaps. I have a Tabac stick in transit.
Tomorrow, I will use the iKon with a Feather blade and will report back. If that doesn’t go well, I may look again into SE razors, with perhaps the Vector or OneBlade.
Thanks for reading.
My first non-cart razor was the Supply V2 injector razor. Great shave, not without some irritation but still great! That SE blade would mow my thick whiskers like they never existed. A few nicks early on, but I think I got the hang of the technique. The razor itself though was uncomfortable to hold. It’s very top heavy and slippery, and after spending time on this forum, and the fear of missing out on experimenting with various other blades, I elected to give DE shaving a try. After some research, I bought both the Alpha Outlaw (mild), the iKon V3 slant, and a few test blades.
The Outlaw with the Bravo handle is just a gorgeous piece of hardware. I was a little surprised by the amount of blade exposure, but was eager to give it a try. With the Astra blade and 3 passes, I did achieve a DFS, but with a lot more irritation in the neck area than I’m used to. An aftershave containing witch hazel and aloe that I had ordered from Supply really helped, and I used Nivea balm for good measure. The second day using the same Astra blade was even worse, with stinging even on my cheeks, which never happened with a Mach 3. Disappointing, to say the least. I’ve put this razor away for now, not quite sure what to do with it? Try again with a different blade? For now, I’ve moved on to the iKon slant.
I first used the slant with two days worth of growth. The shave was smooth with a new Astra blade and I was content. They next day, however, I experienced the same irritation as with the Outlaw. Suffice it to say I am no fan of the Astra blade. So today, I swapped the blade for a Rapira Swedish Supersteel. I don’t know if I had the angle figured out but there was a lot of tugging, more so than the Astra. I tried different techniques including a very light touch and ‘riding the cap’. After a WTG and XTG pass, there was a ton of residual stubble! It is said that the iKon is a mild razor, and I believe it! After the irritation of the last few days, I didn’t want to risk it and I took out my Mach 3 for a comfortable ATG BBS finish.
My journey so far with daily shaving using DE razors hasn’t been fun. I’m embarrassed to say the Mach 3 works better for me. YMMV. My preshave routine has remained the same, morning hot shower, lather with the AOS cream, various aftershaves and balms. I can’t blame the preshave, but perhaps preshave creams or soaps (the PAA cube comes to mind) might help. I also can’t wait to try other shave creams and soaps. I have a Tabac stick in transit.
Tomorrow, I will use the iKon with a Feather blade and will report back. If that doesn’t go well, I may look again into SE razors, with perhaps the Vector or OneBlade.
Thanks for reading.
