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Rockwell 6S - How much pressure to use on the lower plates?

I've had my 6S for a little over a year now, but I feel like I still haven't built a lot of trust with R2 and R3. I enjoy using R4-R6 when my stubble is 4+ days long because my face is capable of taking the beating of feeling the whole blade on my face since it had time to heal. With the R2 and R3 plates however, I can't feel the blade on my skin so I have no idea if it will actually cut anything. I tried some low pressure strokes in the past and I could still feel some stubble on my face over the shaved area. I also tried using more pressure but that nicks my face more than I'd like and leaves it a little stingy for the next few days even though I finish off with witch hazel and a balm after every shave. R4 is too aggressive for me to use daily or every other day which is why I'm asking for tips on using R2 and R3.

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As usual YMMV. I apply very slight pressure for plate 3. Its a heavy razor so its weight alone usually does the trick. I tend to do 2 pass shaves - WTG and ATG
 
I use plate 4 for pass 1 XTG and pass 2 ATG. if a second pass ATG is required, then I flip the plate to plate 2 and then go at it with a very shallow angle. I press the cap into my skin so that the blade engages the stubble.
 
as most will say you shouldnt be using preasure as this can cause cuts and nicks let the razor do the work .if you are struggling its more than likely your technic , its about gradual reduction of stubble yes you get some that are one and done but thats not for me .
 
Without knowing several other parts of your shave process it is hard to answer your question.
That said a few genral comments may be helpful.
Pressure generally does not go with an irritation free, blood free shave.
Many Rockwell 6S users on this forum have commented the 1 and 2 plates are uselessly mild and too inefficient to provide a decent shave. That is my experience as well. Indeed the 3 plate barely reduces whiskers for me.
The most efficient cutting angle for most razors is the neutral angle, both top cap and safety bar equally against the skin.
The blade and lather you use will affect the efficiency of your shave, sharper blade and thinner lather provide a closer shave.
Proper beard prep, hydrating the whiskers with a hot towel or shaving after a shower works for many.
Most shavers find a 3 pass, WTG, XTG, ATG shave provides the closest irritation free shave.
There are threads on this forum and YouTube videos which address all these issue, they might provide additional information on all these areas and be helpful to you.
Good luck
 
All I can add is that it took me a while to find the right combination of elements with my 6S. I actually logged every shave and all the relevant "data points" (sounds silly when I type that out) but it was the only way I could think of to find the right combination. It didn't take long before definite patterns became apparent. If it matters, I shave every couple days and finally settled on using the R4 for the first pass, and then drop down to the R3 for the second and, if needed, third pass. I agree plates 1 & 2 are just "too mild", at least for me. I'm not one to chase BBS so two passes is frequently all I need. Blade choice makes a big difference of course so maybe you need a milder, or sharper, blade? I found happiness with Personna Crystals and Lab Blues as well as Gillette Nacets. The Nacets, with plate 4, are almost "too much" while it seems to be the sweet-spot for the Personna blades. I do not vary the pressure between blades, or plates.
 
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One thing you can try if you want to shave on a daily basis is to use the Rockwell with # 2 or # 3 plate and a very sharp Feather style blade. Every day a shave in 2 passes WTG and XTG without touching up or very little. At first the shave will not necessarily be good but over time you will learn to have the ideal angle for the more difficult corners. If your skin is too sensitive one day then you only shave, always in 2 passes, but WTG and XTG. Over time your shave will improve and still be BBS.
 
I personally think basics 1-3 are unnecessary ....
For me, shaving starts at 4-6 ...
Maybe use different blades for daily shaving, on higher plate settings.
 
One thing you can try if you want to shave on a daily basis is to use the Rockwell with # 2 or # 3 plate and a very sharp Feather style blade. Every day a shave in 2 passes WTG and XTG without touching up or very little. At first the shave will not necessarily be good but over time you will learn to have the ideal angle for the more difficult corners. If your skin is too sensitive one day then you only shave, always in 2 passes, but WTG and XTG. Over time your shave will improve and still be BBS.

I'm burning through a 100 count of Feathers I bought a year and a half ago right now. You hit the nail on the head about skin sensitivity too. I only do a WTG pass and XTG pass because I get too many ingrown hairs from an ATG pass and even doing a second XTG pass irritating to do once every few days.

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I believe the Feather blades are too sharp for you. You should purchase a sample of blades from your supplier, so you can align yourself with the right products for your skin type. In my opinion, the important thing to solve your problem is not to change the razor for the moment but rather blades or possibly soap. As for the pressure, only you can know if you weigh too much or not.
 
A Fatboy is all you will ever need.!!

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For me and my face ——-
my Rockwell 6C, plate 4, with a Gillette Nacet, and basically
no pressure other than the weight of the razor itself. Sublime !
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
I am not a Rockwell user but have a Feather AS-D2. I am guessing it is as mild as the mildest plate out there. It requires no pressure, only patience. I get better results with Crystal blades than with Feathers. They are reputedly as sharp as or sharper than Feathers on shaves #2 et sequitur, feel smoother, and get extraordinary mileage, although yours may vary. For me a month is not unusual. Not a bad investment of $.12! Oh, and I expect an irritation free BBS every time.
 
IMHO shouldn't need any more than the higher plates... But a little more care with angles and listening carefully for feedback.

Agreed. IMO, the plates below 4 are really mild. With that said, I occasionally use plate 2 for my ATG pass if my face is irritated, particularly on my neck. I still use pretty light pressure though, as the 6C and especially 6S has a good heft to it.
 
In common with many of the posts above the R1 and R2 options are just too mild for my tastes and leads to buffing and/or added pressure which is rarely a good thing for my skin.

The R3 is better but the R4 is perfect - efficient and SUPER smooth requiring nothing special in terms of technique.

The R5 and R6 bump up the efficiency but lose a bit of that famous 6S smoothness which to me is not worth it. When I want out and out efficiency I just break out an R41 :)
 
R3 and and R2 have so small gap you nend to find PERFECT angle to cut. So not a pressure but tehnique issue. Keep searching for that angle. I relly heavily on sound urin R2. You can hear it scraping the whiskers but you can't really feel much

I shave every 2 days, R6, then R4 and if I'm in the mood R2 for some buffing on my chin
 
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