Noobie having issues getting a close shave with a DE safety razor

[KingTiger101]

Even after like 3 passes, I have to do a 4th pass against the grain to remove any stubble and get smooth skin, particularly below my sideburns and neck. This causes me to get nicks and shave bumps, as well as make my face burn for the rest of the day. I shave after showering and try to soften the hairs, but to be honest I don't think I even have coarse facial hair. I am using Williams Mug, a VB: Chieftain, and Derby Blades. I have heard that Derby blades aren't that sharp, but are at least supposed to be smooth. I can feel the blade scraping against my face as I try to angle the razor in order to get a close shave as well. Any ideas?

EDIT: I have also been considering switching to Personna blades, as I have heard they are in the middle of the Smooth - Sharp spectrum. Rookie mistake, but I already have a 100 pack of Derby blades, so I'm going to try and use them up before switching, if I do.

 

[BigJ]

So many variables here!! DE is a skill set that takes awhile to master.

I suggest you read through the Wiki which has a ton of useful suggestions. I would stress focusing on a few things:
#1. Good prep to hydrate your beard.
#2. Building a rich, slick lather.
#3. ‘Beard reduction’ with each pass.

I also suggest you purchase a blade sampler or two rather than buying 100 blades at a time until you find what works best for you.

Stick with this and you will get the results you want!

 

[Rotiv]

Even after like 3 passes, I have to do a 4th pass against the grain to remove any stubble and get smooth skin, particularly below my sideburns and neck. This causes me to get nicks and shave bumps, as well as make my face burn for the rest of the day. I shave after showering and try to soften the hairs, but to be honest I don't think I even have coarse facial hair. I am using Williams Mug, a VB: Chieftain, and Derby Blades. I have heard that Derby blades aren't that sharp, but are at least supposed to be smooth. I can feel the blade scraping against my face as I try to angle the razor in order to get a close shave as well. Any ideas?

EDIT: I have also been considering switching to Personna blades, as I have heard they are in the middle of the Smooth - Sharp spectrum. Rookie mistake, but I already have a 100 pack of Derby blades, so I'm going to try and use them up before switching, if I do.

Well, first of al YMAO its very importante if you stay with your definition of close shave meaning when you find it close it’s close otherwise no. (There can be many degrees of close shave). Second if you are shaving less than 2 weeks just keeping shaving wtg without thinking in close shaves so you can allow your skin tu adjust to the natural blade skin damage inflammatory process. After that in the second pass you can go atg always. Meaning just fell the growth stable direction and cut accordingly. Stable grows in any 4 directions so in the same spot you may need to cut in the four directions, buff. Many ppl like and use Derby extra. For me Derby extra are unstable. They are smooth now to be cutting me the next microsecond. If you like Derby you can try the Derby premium, much better. But if you want a really good blade you can go for the perssonna or better yet the Gillette Nacet. Keep in mind not to make pressure in the razor. Better to take more passes, no pressure is a rule.
Hope it will get better. Also wait 1 hour after shaving and test the closeness then, yuo will find more close.
if your closeness improve,
And it will, but your not yet satisfied, and closeness it’s your aim then go for a hawk2 razor. No DE can take on a hawk2.
Kind regards



Enviado do meu iPhone usando o Tapatalk

 

[NickCutlip]

Welcome to the forum !!

 

[CJB3]

Astra is a good blade to try. It seems to work for most of us.

 

[ackvil]

First, welcome to B&B.

I see that you are a younger shaver. Usually, it is a technique issue that gives rise to problems a new shaver is having. Putting too much pressure on your razor will result in cuts, nicks, and irritation. Let the weight of the razor do the work for you. I find that using the correct grip can make a big difference. I use two fingers and my thumb to hold the razor with another finger resting on the tip of the handle. This results in holding the razor very lightly with no pressure on the razor. You want to hold the razor as lightly as you can so that it stays on your face and without it falling from your hand. The wiki deals with holding a razor and may help you.

Finally, look here for blade angle.

 

[KingTiger101]

Thanks you all for your advice. In your opinion which Personna blade is best, the lab blues or reds?

 

[RumpleBearskin]

Thanks you all for your advice. In your opinion which Personna blade is best, the lab blues or reds?

Dude! Did you just blow past all the advice in order to follow your original thought about changing blades? Why bother asking then?

Whatever path you take, I wish you the best of luck.

 

[KingTiger101]

Dude! Did you just blow past all the advice in order to follow your original thought about changing blades? Why bother asking then?

Whatever path you take, I wish you the best of luck.

I am trying to listen to their advice, either way I have heard that Derby blades aren't the sharpest. Just because I am considering other blades doesn't mean I ignored all of their advice. While my technique definitely is an issue, there is no reason why my blades are contributing to my inability to get a close shave.

 

[niels]

Hi @KingTiger101. I've been in exactly the same position as you. I got a partial BBS here and there, but with irritation as I overshaved a lot in those attempts with other parts still having rough stubble. Nicks and cuts made me skip days or I'd reopen them on the next shave. So all I can say is be patient! It will come!

Go for comfort and consistent remaining stubble would be my advice. You will notice that a comfortable shave with a consistent stubble remaining feels more like a good shave than an irregular stubble length. And what good is a BBS if you can't rub your hand over it without feeling a burn?
It all starts with comfort: Comfort gives confidence: Confidence gives room for more passes, sharper and more aggressive blades and allows more consecutive days of such shaving, allowing your skin to get used to it. Irritation and frustration do the exact opposite.

Then the BBS myth, at least how I thought about it. I thought it meant your entire face and neck felt completely free from stubble. There may be shaving-gods here at the forum with skin-types that can do that and technique I can only dream of, but from most of us mortals this is unobtainable. Even many YouTube shavers can't get to that stage. I can get my cheeks there. My chin almost (goatee area has much higher hair-density and can be sensitive). My upper lip only if I rub with and perhaps cross-grain on very good days. And for my neck I can forget it: The hair-growth direction just doesn't allow me to properly stretch the skin and shave against the grain with full blade contact. Without stretching, I can only get so far.
Does that mean I can't have amazing shaves? Hell no. I currently have amazing 4-pass shaves + cleanup round nearly every day and still learn from watching YouTube shavers and reading this forum getting closer by the week.

The advice given above is really good. And as a "beginner", get some nice, cheap but great performing blades like Astra or the Derby premium. I personally love Astras even though I also shave with Feathers... just so comfortable yet sharp and, with good technique, very effective. Also, I found that the better my technique, the milder the razor I could use with the same result but less irritation, especially against the grain. A mild razor at the perfect angle and good skin-stretching will make perfect contact with your skin and get you very close.

Some points that really improved my technique, enjoyment and closeness:

• Stretch your skin: Pull it with your other hand (use Alum to get better grid), blow up your cheek, stretch your neck, etc. Stretched skin raises the hair follicles and smooths out irregularities so less burn and cuts and a much closer shave!
• Get a well-performing soap. Doesn't need to be expensive (I've had some terrible performing expensive soaps actually). NickShaves on YouTube has great soap reviews and good lathering steps. Slickness becomes more and more important with subsequent passes, trading cushioning for slickness. So if you shave 3 or 4 passes, make sure the soap and your lathering-technique allows you to.
• Pressure should be the weight of the razor against your cheek. Angle, path and stretching should ensure full blade-contact at the best cutting angle. Get that right and the blade does all the work for you.
• The more aggressive the pass (with-the-grain -> cross-grain -> against-the-grain), the less pressure. Use the same pressure you use with-the-grain when going against and you'll pay for it.
• When confident enough, try to keep the speed up in your strokes. Don't make it race as you can get very nasty cuts that way, but too slow makes cutting hairs more difficult. I tend to increase speed whilst reducing pressure: The faster I move, the less pressure.
• Burn or hot feeling means the shave is over, at least for that part of your face. You'll win nothing more in that area except for discomfort and, if you continue, that you cannot shave it fully the next day. Think what you did wrong there and learn from it for the next day.
• Get Alum or a alcohol based after-shave(balm) for after the shave. Stinging means you over-shaved. After-shaves may always sting a little, but try to improve each shave to get as little sting as possible, none being ideal!
• Enjoy it! It's not a race, there is no jury except for you and how great you feel after the shave.

 

[MrBeez]

@KingTiger101 Have patience as your technique improves over time. It's a process for sure. One thing that I found extremely helpful was the concept of applying very little pressure. Even when I thought I wasn't applying too much, when I really focused, I found that I was still baring down too hard. And that would kill my lower neck when I shaved ATG. To be honest, I still haven't mastered the true irritation-free ATG shave on my lower neck, but I found it was a huge jump in quality of shave once I really became aware of the pressure factor. So my suggestion is to go lightly, take your time, and have patience and you'll see an improvement.

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

So many variables here!! DE is a skill set that takes awhile to master.

I suggest you read through the Wiki which has a ton of useful suggestions. I would stress focusing on a few things:
#1. Good prep to hydrate your beard.
#2. Building a rich, slick lather.
#3. ‘Beard reduction’ with each pass.

I also suggest you purchase a blade sampler or two rather than buying 100 blades at a time until you find what works best for you.

Stick with this and you will get the results you want!

BigJ:

...on all your points, especially the number 'method' above and the advantage of purchasing a razor blade sampler!

"[For] many people, [shaving] is not [simply a] voyage of discovery, but a ritual of reassurance". Philip Andrew Adams

 

[niels]

@The Count of Merkur Cristo Awesome quote!

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

@The Count of Merkur Cristo Awesome quote!

niels:
Thank you kind sir.

"I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts...beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized [as] wiser than oneself". Marlene Dietrich

 

[John Rose]

Even after like 3 passes, I have to do a 4th pass against the grain to remove any stubble and get smooth skin, particularly below my sideburns and neck.

Try going against the grain on the 2nd pass, and only doing a few touch-up strokes for a 3rd or half-pass.

It may also be a case of "ghost stubble". That's what I call it when you keep checking the results mid-save by rubbing with your fingertips. No matter how many passes you make, it still feels like there's stubble.
BUT ... when you give up and proceed with the post shave routine, a half hour later when it's dry, that ghost stubble has completely disappeared and it feels baby-butt smooth.
I get that on either side of my Adam's apple and have to force myself to ignore it.

I can feel the blade scraping against my face as I try to angle the razor in order to get a close shave as well. Any ideas?

If you can feel (and/or hear) the blade a lot, it may be at too high an angle.

Too high (blade to skin angle), possibly resulting in more irritation than usual:

"riding the guard". This may be a bad habit from learning with disposables or cartridge razors.

Too low:

"riding the cap"

Cinderella's "just right" angle:

Well, actually, a little bit towards "riding the cap" may be the best choice.

 

[niels]

Great explanation @John Rose ! I also try to be closer to "riding the cap" especially against-the-grain... it just "digs" too much into the skin if I don't. I recently sped up my movement as well in that case, which also helps to prevent this.

 

[John Rose]

Great explanation @John Rose

Merely a condensed version of "Blade Angle" in the Shave Wiki .

 

[RumpleBearskin]

Just because I am considering other blades doesn't mean I ignored all of their advice.

I'm glad to hear that, and my apologies to you if I jumped to conclusions.

I think that most of the experienced traditional shavers on this forum would agree that there is no magic piece of gear. Obviously blades and razors and soaps all have different properties and those properties all affect your shave. So yes, changing a piece of gear will change your shave to some extent.

But improvements in your technique will change it much more. Most of the experts here can get a great (or at least very good) shave with almost any piece of gear you hand them. That's because they have developed great technique and really learned their face and beard pattern. But it takes time. It's a matter of practice.

So, if you want to change your blades, feel free. Or your soap. Or the water temperature. Or your pre-shave routine. Go ahead. But the improvements you are most likely looking for are only gained through practice and time.

And to be honest, that's part of what makes this so satisfying and enjoyable.

All the best...

 

[KingTiger101]

I'm glad to hear that, and my apologies to you if I jumped to conclusions.

I think that most of the experienced traditional shavers on this forum would agree that there is no magic piece of gear. Obviously blades and razors and soaps all have different properties and those properties all affect your shave. So yes, changing a piece of gear will change your shave to some extent.

But improvements in your technique will change it much more. Most of the experts here can get a great (or at least very good) shave with almost any piece of gear you hand them. That's because they have developed great technique and really learned their face and beard pattern. But it takes time. It's a matter of practice.

So, if you want to change your blades, feel free. Or your soap. Or the water temperature. Or your pre-shave routine. Go ahead. But the improvements you are most likely looking for are only gained through practice and time.

And to be honest, that's part of what makes this so satisfying and enjoyable.

All the best...

Thanks

 

[ShaverAZ]

The Chieftan is a TTO razor. Consider getting a 3 piece razor for use with your Derby blades, and try either Astras or Voskhods with your TTO.

Look on E-Bay for the cheapest 3 piece razor - it'll be from China, and won't get you any points with the snooty-tooty, big dollar, name brand devotees, but parts are interchangeable with the Baili and others & it even has a stainless steel bottom plate - pretty good for a $2 razor. It will give you the same excellent shaves with the same range of blade brands as a Gillette Tech. It's not difficult to swallow your pride and shave with a plastic handle when you get such a great shave.