I have some advice ... go slow ... I have been wet shaving for a couple of years now and sometimes I will watch a YouTube video of someone reviewing something and the guy is going so fast that it scares me to death .... never make any large, sudden or sweeping moves or you will cut yourself real fast, with those Gillette Sensor Excels you can do practically anything and not get cut, but DE razors require slow and methodical movements ... that has been my experience
Newbie 2 weeks in - Struggling
- Thread starter hgraves
- Start date
Lots of great advice in here! I'm pretty new to this myself but I'll add my 2 cents for what its worth. I tried the Gillette 7 o'clock and Astra SP on three different razors and I could get an ok shave without too many nicks but I still had irritation (not visible but it hurt lol) I ended up ordering a new razor and a few more blades to try. To make a long story short.er.. the Rockwell 6s and Gillette Silver Blue combo was a life changer for me. I have the rockwell on 3 btw, 1 being the most mild and 6 being the most aggressive. The razor is super heavy, def no need for applying extra pressure. I would def try different blades! I tried to love the Gillette 7 o'clock because I bought 100 of them lol. Maybe one day I will give them another try but I'm sticking with this combo for now.
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Thanks for all the great advice. I can tell I am going to love this community!!
I decided to put down the straight razor for now and concentrate on the DE for a few weeks and really get the angles and technique down before add another variable.
I tried a Derby Extra blade today and I loved it. The closest, most comfortable DE shave I have had yet! I am encouraged.
I decided to put down the straight razor for now and concentrate on the DE for a few weeks and really get the angles and technique down before add another variable.
I tried a Derby Extra blade today and I loved it. The closest, most comfortable DE shave I have had yet! I am encouraged.
I am relatively new to it (less than two years), it is a great journey and it'll pay off for you.
Couple things that helped me out when I started. Map your beard. At the beginning I took about 30 seconds and said "hmmm so kinda like that, but let's just get into it". After a month or so or irrigation around my neck, I grew my beard out for a few days and really looked at the pattern. I even had my wife help map it on a sketch. It made a huge difference, and realized the crazy directions my neck hair grows.
Not trying for BBS everytime and 3 or 4 passes. I started asking myself "what do I want from this shave?" and "how much reduction can I get with 2 passes without irritation?". This started to help me slow down and pay attention. Also, just trying to "lift" the whiskers off my face helped me reduce pressure.
Two weeks in, you're just about to get some awesome breakthrough shaves.
Couple things that helped me out when I started. Map your beard. At the beginning I took about 30 seconds and said "hmmm so kinda like that, but let's just get into it". After a month or so or irrigation around my neck, I grew my beard out for a few days and really looked at the pattern. I even had my wife help map it on a sketch. It made a huge difference, and realized the crazy directions my neck hair grows.
Not trying for BBS everytime and 3 or 4 passes. I started asking myself "what do I want from this shave?" and "how much reduction can I get with 2 passes without irritation?". This started to help me slow down and pay attention. Also, just trying to "lift" the whiskers off my face helped me reduce pressure.
Two weeks in, you're just about to get some awesome breakthrough shaves.
Thanks for all the great advice. I can tell I am going to love this community!!
I tried a Derby Extra blade today and I loved it. The closest, most comfortable DE shave I have had yet! I am encouraged.
It's impossible to not love this community!
Excellent! Congrats!!
Welcome!
Welcome to B&B Howard! You've received some good advice so far, stick with it and the shaves will improve.
Practice, this isn't something you learn in just 5 shaves.
Well done on the wisdom to not just go straight in with the straight razor though, however bad your first DE shave was believe me it would have been 10x worse with the straight (I made this mistake about 15 years ago).
My advice, don't chase a BBS so soon, concentrate on a good lather and learning your face, gradually improve your technique. Then, maybe a month or two from now when you've got used to all the variables with the 34C maybe try a slant like the 37C. Its likely that part of the frustration you're having with the 34c is that its a mild razor, but its excellent training wheels for you to unlearn the cartridge bad habits and learn the new skills you need for DE shaving.
Welcome! An Edwin Jagger 89 razor for me was a very easy re-entry into DE shaving. Open combs, well that is still a work in progress!
WelcomeThanks for all the great advice. I can tell I am going to love this community!!
I decided to put down the straight razor for now and concentrate on the DE for a few weeks and really get the angles and technique down before add another variable.
I tried a Derby Extra blade today and I loved it. The closest, most comfortable DE shave I have had yet! I am encouraged.
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