OK so call me a n00b...

[1stGenRex]

OK so I had my 2nd DE shave yesterday, and the strange thing about it is that my first one went a little better, besides less weepers. The one thing I'm kind of weary about it simply the blade I'm using. I'm using a Derby on a red tip. Should I continue to try to perfect my technique, OR should I try another blade and see if I could do a little better?

My first shave was very nice, I'd say nicer than any cart shave I've had, but this second shave was pretty bad. I know, it could be me.

I have Crystals
Racers
Derbys
BIC Chrome Platinum
and a couple others.

Also, for the next shave, I picked up some CO Biggelow shave cream (re-packaged Prorasso ) to see if maybe the Col.Conk soap is lame in terms of lather, OR if, again, it's just me.

 

[Pumpkin]

OK so I had my 2nd DE shave yesterday, and the strange thing about it is that my first one went a little better, besides less weepers. The one thing I'm kind of weary about it simply the blade I'm using. I'm using a Derby on a red tip. Should I continue to try to perfect my technique, OR should I try another blade and see if I could do a little better?

My first shave was very nice, I'd say nicer than any cart shave I've had, but this second shave was pretty bad. I know, it could be me.

I have Crystals
Racers
Derbys
BIC Chrome Platinum
and a couple others.

Also, for the next shave, I picked up some CO Biggelow shave cream (re-packaged Prorasso ) to see if maybe the Col.Conk soap is lame in terms of lather, OR if, again, it's just me.

Apart from the results, were your two shaves identical? Prep, lather, number/type of passes, your mind-set*? Don't be tempted to rush into changing everything at once...it's much harder to identify and rectify what causes a "bad" shave.
You should be able to easily get several shaves out of a Derby, so it's unlikely that the blade has deteriorated significantly between your first and second shave.
Practice a few batches of lather...you'll be able to see if you're consistent. Then you can vary the waterroduct ratio.

* I've had a few really bad shaves that were a result of either rushing or being distracted.



BTW....you're a stupid noob (but we still like you)!

 

[Loric]

IMO Derbys are garbage, I'd try something else. They are unreasonably prone to giving random nicks while not being all that sharp. There have been multiple posts lately about Derbys dropping in quality or smoothness. Of what you have I would suggest the Crystals. I have not tried the others.

My personal favorites have been Astra Superior Platinum, SuperMax, and ASCO. All are very smooth, with the ASCO's being the most forgiving as they might be a tad less sharp than the other 2. YMMV though.

 

[Greglam]

IMO Derbys are garbage, I'd try something else. They are unreasonably prone to giving random nicks while not being all that sharp. There have been multiple posts lately about Derbys dropping in quality or smoothness. Of what you have I would suggest the Crystals. I have not tried the others.

My personal favorites have been Astra Superior Platinum, SuperMax, and ASCO. All are very smooth, with the ASCO's being the most forgiving as they might be a tad less sharp than the other 2. YMMV though.

And I LOVE Derby's, so there you go.

That's just the way it happens usually. First shave great, shaves for the next several weeks, not so great. And then it "clicks". Just keep at it. It is more about your technique at this point than it is about the blades.

Cheers!
-Greg

 

[Go West Young Man]

You don't have any basis for comparison of products after only 2 shaves - keep at it with your current setup for at least a couple weeks before you start experimenting with changes.

 

[talibeard]

I really don't like Derby blades at all but since your 1st shave with them was great I would not change anything and stick to your set-up till you can repeat that nice shave every time. You might want to take a fresh blade though, just to see if that makes the difference.

 

[DE Shaver]

You don't have any basis for comparison of products after only 2 shaves - keep at it with your current setup for at least a couple weeks before you start experimenting with changes.

Yes, don't judge your blades too soon unless they are tearing up your face. I cannot count the number of posts I've read of people ditching a blade they "hated" only to find out a few months later, these blades turn out to be quite good for them. Anyway, changing your variables too often makes it difficult to determine where your weaknesses are in your technique.

 

[1stGenRex]

Thanks. As far as my technique and lather, I think my lather was better this time than the first time, and my passes were actually better than last time, since I figured out my neck hair grows in a different way than I expected (and my neck shave yielded a lot less irritation this time around). Nothing to panic about, although I did throw the blade in the blade bank, I think I'll keep trying with the derby. It makes a lot of sense to NOT change things up too much at this point. I'll just keep at it, as I enjoy wet shaving and DE shaving much more than cart shaving.

The only real thing that was "worse" this time around was a little but of razor burn, and the shave wasn't as close, but not a terrible shave for the 2nd time around. It's not like my shave really matters TOO much at work, as I had a full beard for 6 months, so I went 3 days between shaves to kind of see which way my hair grows. So, no bid deal. Thanks for the advice Gents!

 

[Poodle Soup]

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=439 guide on glycrine soaps. Col Conks soaps are great, my first few shaves were horrible untill I read this article. Now Col Conk soaps give me ridiciously smooth shaves.

 

[1stGenRex]

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=439 guide on glycrine soaps. Col Conks soaps are great, my first few shaves were horrible untill I read this article. Now Col Conk soaps give me ridiciously smooth shaves.

mine isn't the glycerin soap though. It's the almond scented soap. Although what I did was very similar, other than I face lathered.

 

[mdevine]

I agree with those who say to avoid big changes in your set up this early in the process. I've tried both the "horizontal" and "vertical" Derby blades and see no difference. I find them to be one of my favorite blades. Be very careful with your prep and lather as mistakes here are what I've found lead to most cases of razor burn (I have also had bad experiences with the essential oils in some soaps- the first time it happened I was sure I had a bad blade). I also wouldn't write any blade or razor off until you've shaved with a DE for at least six months or so. There are razors and blades that I was sure were "garbage" that I later went back and had comfortable BBS shaves with. For example, I had bad shaves early on while using a Merkur blade. Since then, I have no trouble with them so I'm sure the problem was my technique and not the blade. However, it seems that with blades in particular, YMMV. Finally, I find that many blades are actually more comfortable on days two through four. I'm not sure if others have had this experience but for me, the blade seems to smooth out after that first use.

 

[Sami_Sdata]

I think all of Colonel Conks shaving soaps have glycerine. Check the ingredients on the package to be sure. I use the Bay Rum and love it.

 

[1stGenRex]

Yeah, what I meant is that mine isn't the see through kind, like the amber scented one for example.

 

[Phoenix_one]

Instead of a Red Tip would highly recommend a Tech, a lot more forgiving and the Derby will work better until you refine your technique.

Practice, Practice, Practice.

 

[Hex]

I really don't like Derby blades at all but since your 1st shave with them was great I would not change anything and stick to your set-up till you can repeat that nice shave every time. You might want to take a fresh blade though, just to see if that makes the difference.

That was my experience with Derbys, 1st shave was great, so I bought a ton of them.

Then they became hit and miss, so I PIFed them out. I needed something reliable, and settled on Iridium.

 

[Oldguy]

Instead of a Red Tip would highly recommend a Tech, a lot more forgiving and the Derby will work better until you refine your technique.

Practice, Practice, Practice.

+1 Good advice.

Len

 

[1stGenRex]

Instead of a Red Tip would highly recommend a Tech, a lot more forgiving and the Derby will work better until you refine your technique.

Practice, Practice, Practice.

I do have this razor

and a couple other superspeeds I got as a PIF. I just hadn't used them because I wasn't done cleaning them up, which I am now. I'll have to give that a whirl.

 

[talibeard]

The only real thing that was "worse" this time around was a little but of razor burn, and the shave wasn't as close...

Watch your cutting angle and try not to compensate with pressure when it is off. Taking short strokes make it easier to maintain the right angle. Good luck with your shaves!

 

[1stGenRex]

Watch your cutting angle and try not to compensate with pressure when it is off. Taking short strokes make it easier to maintain the right angle. Good luck with your shaves!

you know, I did catch myself taking longer strokes, as if it were a cart razor Shave number 3, I'm going to use the same stuff except I'm going to try shave cream instead of the soap. New derby blade too

 

[DunEdinRanger]

OK so I had my 2nd DE shave yesterday, and the strange thing about it is that my first one went a little better, besides less weepers. The one thing I'm kind of weary about it simply the blade I'm using. I'm using a Derby on a red tip. Should I continue to try to perfect my technique, OR should I try another blade and see if I could do a little better?

My first shave was very nice, I'd say nicer than any cart shave I've had, but this second shave was pretty bad. I know, it could be me.

I have Crystals
Racers
Derbys
BIC Chrome Platinum
and a couple others.

Also, for the next shave, I picked up some CO Biggelow shave cream (re-packaged Prorasso ) to see if maybe the Col.Conk soap is lame in terms of lather, OR if, again, it's just me.

Hello N00b! We were all N00bs once.

It could be both. Prorasso is very easy to lather, and is a great mentholated soap. I've had good luck with Derby blades, but they don't seem to last as long as other blades. The Bics, imho, are very sharp so I would wait until you have perfected your technique some more. How about trying the Crystal blades next?

By the way, what does the blade look like? I've had blades get gunked up and otherwise made unusable after only two shaves.