Razors, Blades, and a whole lot of blood.

[DrGwiz]

Well maybe not a whole lot of blood but as a new DE user I expected to have some nicks starting out...and I continue to get them. I did get a trial pack of blades from west coast shaving and I noticed that when using my Merkur 34C HD that different brands of blades will give me totally different shaves. Is this normal or is my technique changing from shave to shave? I didn't have any problems with Astra blades and now that I'm using feather blades I keep nicking and/or causing irritation.

Another question, what are the pro's and con's of a more aggressive razor? I feel like I'm not getting as close of a shave as I want and I'm not sure if it's because of my razor or more of my technique (thinking of technique). Right now I am having a hard time going against the grain because the razor seems to skip against my skin and I end up pulling the hair or cutting myself. Any way to help solve this? I'm not sure if the razors aggressiveness has anything to do with that or not. Thanks for all the help!

 

[JaxJim]

Assuming that you're relatively new to shaving with a DE, my guess is you need to give yourself more time to get your technique down before switching things up. There are plenty of things to concentrate on that will improve your shaves (pressure, blade angle, beard mapping, etc.). As for blades, Feathers tend to be less forgiving than Astras, so that might help explain the increase in nicks. Finally, my advice would be to give yourself more time with your current razor before moving on to one that's more aggressive. Mild razors are capable of producing terrific shaves.

Enjoy your shaves!

 

[micev88]

Assuming that you're relatively new to shaving with a DE, my guess is you need to give yourself more time to get your technique down before switching things up. There are plenty of things to concentrate on that will improve your shaves (pressure, blade angle, beard mapping, etc.). As for blades, Feathers tend to be less forgiving than Astras, so that might help explain the increase in nicks. Finally, my advice would be to give yourself more time with your current razor before moving on to one that's more aggressive. Mild razors are capable of producing terrific shaves.

Enjoy your shaves!

This is great advice. When I was learning, I found that the more I thought about rough shaves, and the harder I tried to avoid them, the worse they got. Astras are a good blade to start on, load them up and work on your blade angle and pressure. It only takes a light touch to remove hair. A good way to learn is to focus on beard reduction, keeping in mind that each pass is just a step to a close shave. There's no need to try and push down hard and remove all you hair in one pass.

 

[DrGwiz]

Thanks for the tips so far. What causes the razor to skip across the skin? Is it technique related? Anything I can do to fix it when going ATG?

 

[tyrionstark]

Hello. First thought I had when reading your posts was to go back to Astra's for now. I tried Feathers about two weeks into DE shaving and they skipped like crazy....and very uncomfortable to boot. Now...mainly that was technique but Feathers are very unforgiving to improper technique in my opinion. (Note I've tried Feathers since then and I still can't stand them. Except for shave two very uncomfortable blade for me. Ymmv of course.)

Second....are you doing any face stretching while shaving? On xtg and atg especially I find it paramount to have a relatively taut, flatter plane to work with.

 

[NingYupOwaDat]

Thanks for the tips so far. What causes the razor to skip across the skin? Is it technique related? Anything I can do to fix it when going ATG?

Your lather may need to be slicker so that the razor glides properly. Also pay close attention to the angle.

 

[olschoolsteel]

My advice would be not try ATG till you learn the perfect angle your blade and razor need to be at first. (technique) Then after about 2 wks or so, then go XTG, then ATG in the areas that NEED them. But first, force yourself to do WTG passes and settle for that untill you dial in your lather. I say lather because skipping doesnt usually occur unless you have subpar lather. Nothing worse than a blade chattering across your face when it is supposed to be a smooth glide. Changing too many things at once will not help you narrow down the deficient areas of your shave. Yes, one blade will be silky smooth, yet another could remove layers of glass as thin as paper, all in the same razor.

So, to conclude,
Use one set up for about 4 shaves working on technique, WTG. Concentrate on making the best lather.
With a new blade, add a XTG pass for about 4 shaves. See how your face reacts.
Also, looking at your post again, do not add any pressure as you shave. It wont give you a smooth shave in 1 pass. Expect to lather and shave at least twice. I have seen some here go to 4 lathers...and i do on occasion too. The reapplication of soap to your face is cheap compared to the skin you would remove otherwise.

Once you have mastered the lather and technique it becomes time to try blade brands to change the characteristics of your razor. Dont be concerned with the "aggresiveness" of a razor, as that can change with a different blade.

 

[RobW]

Great advice by olschoolsteel.

The "skipping" sounds more like a lather problem than a blade problem. Try hydrating (adding more water to) your lather a little more and make sure it's not too dry.

 

[Quintero]

This is probably obvious, but are you relathering between passes?

 

[DrGwiz]

Thanks for all the help. Yes I've been relathering between passes. Been working on the shaving for a couple of months now and some spots work out quite well, but underneath the chin and jawline is where I get the chattering. I'll try to work on my lather a little bit and see if that helps. Thanks for all the advice so far!

 

[Deltaboy]

Pick a blade and use it for a week.

 

[Chadao]

+1 And I would forego the ATG until your technique improves.

Assuming that you're relatively new to shaving with a DE, my guess is you need to give yourself more time to get your technique down before switching things up. There are plenty of things to concentrate on that will improve your shaves (pressure, blade angle, beard mapping, etc.). As for blades, Feathers tend to be less forgiving than Astras, so that might help explain the increase in nicks. Finally, my advice would be to give yourself more time with your current razor before moving on to one that's more aggressive. Mild razors are capable of producing terrific shaves.

Enjoy your shaves!

 

[JBLA]

It's totally normal to get totally different shaves from different blades. Feather blades will nick you pretty readily if you don't remind yourself to use ZERO pressure. (On the upside, it's easier to get a BBS shave with them, IMHO.)

The pros of a more aggressive razor is that it's easier to get a BBS, often with fewer passes. The cons are that it's easier to cut yourself. If you want to test this for yourself, it's easy enough to make a shim out of an old blade, by cutting the sharp edges off, and putting it between the blade and the top / safety bar plate to make the gap a little bigger. If the blade is skipping against the skin on your ATG passes, you may want to pull your skin tighter, or use a slicker soap / cream (or just make sure to relather before going ATG).

It's all a matter of trial and error. Good luck!