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New to DE and... scared!

Hi,

I'm new to DE shaving and am... scared... for lack of a better description.

I have a Muhle DE, I believe it is an R89 or possibly an R41. I have 5 different brands of blades. Previously I used the Muhle blades, however after researching online, I'll be trying the Derby blades.

Basically my story is this... I've struggled with in-growns on the neck and jawline for ages. It got to the point where last year I had laser hair removal in an attempt to fix the issue. It has helped somewhat, however every time I shave, it is pretty painful and unsightly. I have 3-4 more laser sessions to go.

Previously I have used cartridge and electric; electric was less messy, however the shave was never close and it would itch and grow after a day. I had a permanent 5 o'clock shadow and my boss would comment on it all the time!

I did use the Muhle with some Taylor of Old Bond St shaving cream, and the feeling on my cheeks was absolutely amazing. The closeness was second to none too. On my neck and moustache area though, it was an absolute bloodbath, literally.

I can see the benefit of DE shaving if I can get the technique down pat. I'm really nervous to give it another go though, can anyone please give me any tips? I've read the Shave Wiki and watched a few videos here and there. Some are good, some are unhelpful.

Can anyone assist with recommending a mild razor? I'm located in Australia. I've attached a photo below of the Muhle razor I have.

Any tips on shaving - particularly the neck area - would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks
MM

DE.jpg
 

ajkel64

Check Out Chick
Staff member
Welcome to the forum Mark. It will get better with practice. That is what it will take, practice. For razors I like as milder razors a Gillette Tech or a Merkur 34C/G. These are milder razors but for me paired with a sharp Blade such as a Feather give me great shaves BUT I have to pay attention as Feathers have a reputation. I still get great shaves with these razors with other blades. With shaving as well the less pressure you have on the razor the better. Just let the weight of the razor do the work. It takes me 3 passes to get a good shave with a DE. With a cartridge razor it takes me 2 passes. The more that you shave the better it will be.
 
Welcome to the club Mark! That looks to be a safety bar, so it should be an R89 (R41 is an open comb). Already known to be pretty mild among DEs. For razors, I might recommend a Rockwell 6C/6S; they seem well-received among shavers, including myself. They provide adjustability and seem to agree with many blade choices while maintaining a smooth shave. For blades, the mildest I ever used so far are Voskhods. Finally, for technique, I would recommend less pressure and/or passes to avoid a blood bath. I personally find a mild razor paired with a very sharp blade to work well with this technique. Mild razor avoids nicks, sharp blade will require fewer passes. You would want to make the areas you're shaving as flat as possible by skin stretching or contorting your face.

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Pulling your skin to the said to shave your neck is a common method. I've heard a suggestion about rubbing your fingers against an alum block first if you need friction to pull on slick skin, never tried it though. You can also hold your swallow to flatten your adam's apple area.

Hope this would be helpful to you. :)
 
Welcome to the forum!

Your razor looks like the R89, which is a pretty mild razor. I'd suggest you don't try fixing your 5 o'clock shadow all in one go until you've dialed in your technique, meaning don't go Against the Grain when you're still new to DE shaving, especially around the mustache area.

At the beginning, shaving just WTG, XTG passes is time well spent. Dont try to eliminate every strand of hair, you have a fairly mild razor and you might lose accuracy when you try multiple passes and end up drawing blood.

When you're fairly confident you can shave WTG easily, then go on to shaving against the grain. You might want a sharp blade to pair with an R89, though not too sharp, so I'd recommend an Astra SP or a GSB.
 
Welcome to B&B.
I have a Muhle DE, I believe it is an R89 or possibly an R41. I have 5 different brands of blades. Previously I used the Muhle blades, however after researching online, I'll be trying the Derby blades.
The razor you have is an R89 and known to be a mild razor but also effective so you don't need another razor. I would try a blade sampler but not Derby Extra blades. The Derby Premium are okay though. Any of the St Petersburg blades are worth a try.
I did use the Muhle with some Taylor of Old Bond St shaving cream, and the feeling on my cheeks was absolutely amazing. The closeness was second to none too. On my neck and moustache area though, it was an absolute bloodbath, literally.
You have a technique issue which is causing you a problem. Too much pressure and wrong blade angle are the likely causes of your problems. Look here for correct blade angle; Blade Angle | Badger & Blade
Shaving with the DE razor is about gradual stubble reduction so start with two passes, with the grain (WTG) and Across the grain (XTG), till you you get irritation free shaves. You can work up to a third pass against the grain (ATG) if you have established good technique and want that very close shave. However bear in mind that a very close shave may exacerbate your ingrowing problem.
It is a learning curve to achieve good technique but stick with one setup for a few weeks to establish consistency.
Any tips on shaving - particularly the neck area - would be greatly appreciated.
Map your beard to establish stubble direction. Good preparation and lather will be very helpful.
 
Welcome to the club
Best is to learn to shave properly with a de. That will take Time, skip atg!

Alternative get a gillette skin guard for the problem areas. the blades are only two and with space to prevent the issue but it is still a pivot so easy.

There are skin products for ingrown hairs!
 
Welcome to the club Mark! That looks to be a safety bar, so it should be an R89 (R41 is an open comb). Already known to be pretty mild among DEs. For razors, I might recommend a Rockwell 6C/6S; they seem well-received among shavers, including myself. They provide adjustability and seem to agree with many blade choices while maintaining a smooth shave. For blades, the mildest I ever used so far are Voskhods. Finally, for technique, I would recommend less pressure and/or passes to avoid a blood bath. I personally find a mild razor paired with a very sharp blade to work well with this technique. Mild razor avoids nicks, sharp blade will require fewer passes. You would want to make the areas you're shaving as flat as possible by skin stretching or contorting your face.

proxy.php

Pulling your skin to the said to shave your neck is a common method. I've heard a suggestion about rubbing your fingers against an alum block first if you need friction to pull on slick skin, never tried it though. You can also hold your swallow to flatten your adam's apple area.

Hope this would be helpful to you. :)
Thank you :)
 
Welcome to B&B.

The razor you have is an R89 and known to be a mild razor but also effective so you don't need another razor. I would try a blade sampler but not Derby Extra blades. The Derby Premium are okay though. Any of the St Petersburg blades are worth a try.

You have a technique issue which is causing you a problem. Too much pressure and wrong blade angle are the likely causes of your problems. Look here for correct blade angle; Blade Angle | Badger & Blade
Shaving with the DE razor is about gradual stubble reduction so start with two passes, with the grain (WTG) and Across the grain (XTG), till you you get irritation free shaves. You can work up to a third pass against the grain (ATG) if you have established good technique and want that very close shave. However bear in mind that a very close shave may exacerbate your ingrowing problem.
It is a learning curve to achieve good technique but stick with one setup for a few weeks to establish consistency.

Map your beard to establish stubble direction. Good preparation and lather will be very helpful.
Thank you!
 
Your problem is definitely pressure as far as the bloodbath is concerned, but it's a difficult problem for some people to overcome. I can easily overcome it, but I keep having to tell myself to lighten up. My natural instinct is to use pressure.....so....here's a suggestion. Read the posts on the Parker Injector adjustable razor. It's become my goto razor. The angle of the shave is predetermined by the head design. It's mild and quite often, you won't realize that you have a blade in the razor. I shave at the maximum setting and use pressure. Still the most comfortable shave I've ever gotten.....and it's reasonably priced. Give it a try.
 
Good advice so far. I have this razor it's a muhle R89 closed comb and am very very familar with it. It's a mild razor about 4/10 but needs to be respected like any DE.

Here's one of my shaves...

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I've taught a few people how to shave.

FIRSTLY, GO EVER SO LIGHT and with the grain... The lighter you go the better... I mean like barely touching you, just pass the razor over your face as lightly as you can. This should be your first lesson... you are going for hair reduction over a few passes, not hair elimination in one pass.

Secondly do not be tempted at this point to do multiple strokes over the same area. Only do the stroke once, especially in the beginning, once the cream has been removed by 1 stroke... that's it.

Now you are well on your way to learning how to use a D.E.

After you have mastered this, you can perform a light with the grain shave for 2 or even 3 passes. Always apply lather for each pass remembering to use light effortless passes. This will teach you how to respect and manoveur the razor.

Next, you want to try to use the razor to follow the contours of your face. If you use only the middle of the razor to go across your jaw or chin as a beginner then you are asking for trouble if you get the angle wrong with pressure. Instead follow the contours with the grain gently, do more passes if you need to.

Open your mouth, stretch your skin to help make it as flat and smooth as possible and using the correct angle of the razor, let it do the work for you.

After you've have a few shaves like this under your belt, you will intuitively begin to understand "pressure" and that important light touch, the concept of hair reduction over a few passes rather than elimination over 1 pass.

The classic shave is a "3 pass shave"... this is the pretty much the standard... it's not a law that's written in stone, more like a golden standard. There's a lot to the 3 pass shave because it has to do with growth patterns and gradually getting a closer shave for a flawless finish.

I personally like Astra blades in the Muhle R89, they perform really well and are a bit forgiving.

After you are familar doing with the grain shave, do one with the grain pass WTG and one across the grain pass ATG... taking care to not dig the razor into your skin... light passes at the right angle... trying to make your skin tight and flat skin especially around the mouth, chin and jaw.

Most people need more work around the chin area and under the nose, take it easy... remember "light passes"

You will become a natural soon enough, stick with it. Congratulations and welcome!
 
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Like others said, you don't need a milder DE: the one you have is already perfectly good.

There was good advice concerning technique, however I would recommend checking out mantic59's channel, too:


The older tutoring videos look dated now, however the information is still good and presented concisely, which is a huge boon, as you'll want to watch some videos a few times.

As for blades, these days the Astra SP is one of the most popular middle-of-the-road blades, one that cuts well enough but is also smooth; some things are popular because they work well for a lot of people, as is the case for the R89 you have.

Derbies are a bit of a marmite blade, some people love them and others think they're garbage. They used to be very popular, but their star seems to have been waning.

There are other mild blades that are worth trying, however, unless a blade is an absolute disaster, try to stick with one set up for a while, as this will facilitate learning.

Blade and razor hopping at an early stage is a common but avoidable mistake. Some experienced shavers might encourage this because they like stuff and underestimate the importance of consistency when developing a new skill.

Alternative get a gillette skin guard for the problem areas

This is worth trying until you can get a decent shave out of a DE.

The catch with the Skin Guard is that it's expensive for what it is, but beggars can't be choosers.
 
Theres a lot of great Advice for you Mark, all the very best. Stick with it.

My son who is 16 started shaving recently and switched recently to wet shaving. He found the Edwin jagger de89 the best razor...paired with the personna lab blues blade. Your razor has pretty much the same head. I recently introduced him to the rockwell 6S on plate 3 and he loved it.

I think the Rockwell 6C or 6S will be a very good choice...since it is very forgiving. The handle on the Muhle you have is hollow and very light. This causes you to apply more pressure than you should resulting in razor burn on the neck and nicks. The angle of shave is important...yet a razor that forgives you as you develop your technique is the best to start with.

The rockwell 6C or 6S could possibly be the only razor you need even after you master the art as it has multiple plates to suit the level of aggression and blade feel you will finally settle on.

The heavier handle will help you control your pressure and let the razor do the work.

As for blades, i would not attempt super sharp feather blades just yet...focus on technique with popular blades like Voshkod, Treet Platinum and Personna Lab blues and I think you will be good... Don't change too many variables in every shave. Stick to one razor with one kind of blade until you fix all your technique issues.

Good luck..you have made the right choice to start wet shaving. It takes time to develop technique.....i finally discovered the right way to shave after a year and a half.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Lots of good advice, a person should map his beard grain direction so the shave is more comfortable for the person with the razor.
The first few shaves are the hard ones to get on with until technique is dialed in.

Easy way to figure angle with a light touch, should hear whisker being chopped...........Print one off if it helps.
blade-angle (2) (2).jpg
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Have some great shaves! Stay & think safe in these times!
 
Recommendations all good. I don't mean to be contrary but I'm not really down with 'No Pressure'. Although you hear that all the time. There's no such thing as no pressure far as I'm concerned. Trying to achieve that could result is not really controlling the razor and having it micro-bouncing on your skin. My disclaimer: I confess, I'm a Supply 2.0 user. The reason it works best for me is two fold: 1. The correct angle is almost built in to the design. 2. It's a heavy razor. I use the weight of the razor the establish the proper pressure. On occasion I'll hold the cap with my index finger. For me I like the consistency of it over the variety. I don't think it would get along in a harem of other razors. I know that I love it with the Schick blades and if those ever went out of production, I'd have to get into DE shaving.
 
I don't mean to be contrary but I'm not really down with 'No Pressure'. Although you hear that all the time. There's no such thing as no pressure far as I'm concerned.

It's just a cue for the most part, an instruction given with the intent of inducing a certain behavior, that doesn't necessarily reflect the literal meaning of the cue itself.

The effectiveness of a cue is assessed on the reliability with which it produces the intended behavior, rather than its being factually correct.
 
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