Razor Burn Question (newbie)

[BlindFarmer]

Ok, explain something to me. According to a chart on this forum, the Razorock Tech 2 is a mild shave. Yet, the Edwin Jagger DE89 is mild/medium. Ok, is the DE89 is more aggressive, why am I getting razor burn from the Tech 2, yet a getter shave with no razor burn from the more aggressive razor? Same soap, same blades. What is going on here?

 

[Jay21]

Ok, explain something to me. According to a chart on this forum, the Razorock Tech 2 is a mild shave. Yet, the Edwin Jagger DE89 is mild/medium. Ok, is the DE89 is more aggressive, why am I getting razor burn from the Tech 2, yet a getter shave with no razor burn from the more aggressive razor? Same soap, same blades. What is going on here?

I find the Tech II (made by Baili) quite aggressive, too, which produces more aftershave sting than many of my other razors. It doesn’t have much blade exposure, but it has a huge gap. It’s not just you.

 

[abies]

Which chart?

 

[BlindFarmer]

I find the Tech II (made by Baili) quite aggressive, too, which produces more aftershave sting than many of my other razors. It doesn’t have much blade exposure, but it has a huge gap. It’s not just you.

Right, first time I used it, then applied aftershave....I made the Home Alone face. What this is teaching me incorrect or not....is to stick to the well known brands and models....Merkur 34c or the DE89 or my dad's old Gillette Tech. This makes me question budget gear.

 

[BlindFarmer]

Which chart?

Adding Common Razors To Razorock Chart

I know there are guys out there with a healthy collection of Razorock razors. I thought it would be interesting if you gentlemen could situate common razors in the Razorback chart below. Personally I would be interested to see where you would place the KCG (DE 89 clone), FOCS, Feather Popular...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[Jay21]

Right, first time I used it, then applied aftershave....I made the Home Alone face. What this is teaching me incorrect or not....is to stick to the well known brands and models....Merkur 34c or the DE89 or my dad's old Gillette Tech. This makes me question budget gear.

Can’t go wrong with any of those razors. Tried and true for decades.

 

[DesertIguana]

One of the reason people get RAZOR BURN is too much pressure on Razor, if your use to use light weight disposable that might weigh noting, and you use HEAVY RAZOR with same pressure, well you face will suffer. Try letting weight of Razor do work.

 

[BlindFarmer]

Can’t go wrong with any of those razors. Tried and true for decades.

That is what I am interested in. Time tested, decades of quality, ole' reliable. That is what I want from shaving gear. I do not know what those items are yet.

 

[Jay21]

That is what I am interested in. Time tested, decades of quality, ole' reliable. That is what I want from shaving gear. I do not know what those items are yet.

34C, DE89, and Gillette Tech is all many people will ever need. If you want to go exploring more modern razors, the RazoRock Game Changer has some Tech DNA in it. I’ve settled on the RazoRock Lupo line as my favorite. If you like the DE89 but want more aggression, the RazoRock MJ-90A is quite nice. I don’t particularly like aluminum razors, but I like the MJ-90A, so that tells you something. It’s basically a DE89 with a larger gap.

 

[BlindFarmer]

34C, DE89, and Gillette Tech is all many people will ever need. If you want to go exploring more modern razors, the RazoRock Game Changer has some Tech DNA in it. I’ve settled on the RazoRock Lupo line as my favorite. If you like the DE89 but want more aggression, the RazoRock MJ-90A is quite nice. I don’t particularly like aluminum razors, but I like the MJ-90A, so that tells you something. It’s basically a DE89 with a larger gap.

Ok, this tells me that I am on the right track. I have my dad's 1974 Tech, the DE89, and if I got a 34c....then I will have all I ever need. All quality items. I would rather have a few quality items rather than test and explore....hoping I like it. Keep it minimalistic and simple.

 

[Phoenixkh]

The 34C head also comes with a heavier, slightly longer handle: the 38C... Since you don't own one yet, you might consider that... or for fun, the 37C is a Merkur slant that is quite nice.. I love mine. It's a very easy razor to use and is only just a tad more efficient than the 34C, though I'm going by what others have said. I haven't used a 34C. Our youngest son, the one who got me into wet shaving loves his 38C barber pole.

As has been mentioned, you are probably using a bit too much pressure... You'll be surprised when you lighten up on the razor pressure... The blade actually cuts better with that lighter pressure.... You'd think it was the opposite. It just cuts the whiskers and doesn't take off a layer of skin... That missing layer of skin is why you are getting the razor burn.

 

[BlindFarmer]

The 34C head also comes with a heavier, slightly longer handle: the 38C... Since you don't own one yet, you might consider that... or for fun, the 37C is a Merkur slant that is quite nice.. I love mine. It's a very easy razor to use and is only just a tad more efficient than the 34C, though I'm going by what others have said. I haven't used a 34C. Our youngest son, the one who got me into wet shaving loves his 38C barber pole.

As has been mentioned, you are probably using a bit too much pressure... You'll be surprised when you lighten up on the razor pressure... The blade actually cuts better with that lighter pressure.... You'd think it was the opposite. It just cuts the whiskers and doesn't take off a layer of skin... That missing layer of skin is why you are getting the razor burn.

I thought I was light on the pressure, maybe not. The razor would skid or hop every now and then.

 

[Frito Ray]

Here is an excellent response from another thread that could be beneficial here…hope Blackland doesn’t mind:

There's a bit to unpack here. The first thing is the language. "Aggressive" is a broad term that confusingly describes two things that aren't necessarily coupled- efficiency and harshness. This leads to some obvious questions: Is an efficient and smooth/safe razor aggressive or mild? What about a harsh razor that is also inefficient? For this conversation I'll assume we're talking about a blade-forward efficient design of average safety/harshness.

The common belief is that mild razors help avoid irritation and should be used by beginners or those with sensitive skin. I would argue that a more efficient razor is actually better for most users who are willing to learn it. The reason is what I call "blade time". That is, the amount of time the blade is spent on your skin. A mild, inefficient razor can lead to increasing pressure, additional passes, more touch-ups, and loads of blade buffing to get a close shave. That extra blade time can lead to irritation and discomfort as the skin is constantly under assault. A blade-forward and efficient razor requires far less blade time to achieve the same close shave so you can get away with fewer passes, fewer touch-ups, and less buffing to avoid irritation. Of course, this won't be true of every user and some will get perfectly close shaves with a mild razor in two passes. But I've experienced it with countless customers who thought they preferred a mild razor so it's something to consider.

Edit: One extra thing I forgot is that more efficient razors typically provide more information because you actually feel the blade. This allows you to know exactly what the blade is doing at any given time and you instantly feel how much pressure is being applied.

 

[brucered]

It's one vendors interpretation of razor aggression. It's not based on a shaving government or national ruling.

Take the chart as a "guideline" not a final, be all, end all, chart for everyone.

 

[BlindFarmer]

It's one vendors interpretation of razor aggression. It's not based on a shaving government it national ruling.

Take the chart as a "guideline" not a final, be all, end all, chart for everyone.

Gotcha, thanks for that.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I thought I was light on the pressure, maybe not. The razor would skid or hop every now and then.

Hmmmmm. Sounds like you are on the right track.... It does take a while... developing your technique. You'll get there quickly, I'm sure.

 

[luvmysuper]

The most common cause of razor burn, which is irritated skin, is incorrect blade angle.
Razors are not the same. What angle works with one razor may not be correct at all with another.
You want the blade as parallel to the skin as possible, while maximizing the cutting of the hair.
If your angle is off, you are rubbing the edge of the blade against your face like a paint scraper. Yes, it will remove hair, but it will also remove some skin, causing irritation.
Pay close attention to the blade angle as you move from one razor to another and make sure you have determined the correct angle FOR THAT razor.

 

[Umma2gumma]

People often tend to use more pressure with milder razors.

 

[BlindFarmer]

Here is an excellent response from another thread that could be beneficial here…hope Blackland doesn’t mind:

That makes a lot of sense. I did not feel the blade with the Tech 2. I felt and heard the DE89. The DE89 gave feedback. I like feedback.

 

[Jay21]

The Tech II made by Baili isn’t a very goood razor. There is very little blade bend and the effective cutting angle where the blade actually cuts is very small. When it does cut, the blade is very steep, which will cause irritation for some, including myself and likely the OP as well.