Shaving with an adjustable DE

[nycalling]

Hi, just had my first shave with my adjustable DE (a 1968 Gillette Slim) and I tried to mix up the settings: I figured that I'd adjust it for more blade on the 1st pass (WTG) and the third pass (XTG, especially along/underneath the jaw) with less blade for the ATG, especially as that's where I start shaving by my Adam's apple, which is the most sensitive.

Basically, it went :
WTG - 7
ATG - 2
XTG - 8 (it's hardest for me to get a good shave on the plane under the chin)

I was curious what other users who use adjustable razors do. My buddy told me he just sets it to 6 and never adjusts it, which seems to be kind of missing the point.

 

[freeze205]

I normally do 3 passes, WTG-XTG -ATG, and dial down my adjustable of choice between passes. Last night however, I went the other way. I turned the setting up between passes, my ATG was with the most aggressive setting.
To my surprise the result was as close as normal but it seemed I had less irritation and razor burn. That's what my alum block rinse told me anyway.
I'm gonna try this way a few more times and see what the results are.

Anybody else who dials his adjustable up instead of down between passes?

 

[Jeff_H]

I've shaved with my Slim exactly once. I started on 4 and felt like I couldn't really feel the blade, so I moved up to a 5. It was a bloody mess, literally.

It was fine on my cheeks and on my upper lip, but down on my neck I got sliced to pieces. Nicks and weepers, irritation, red bumps when I was done...the triad of a bad shave. I shaved the same pattern on my neck that I always shave, but that's obviously not going to work with this adjustable.

I'm going to have to try to mix up the settings like you guys have done, until I figure out how to shave with this vintage adjustable. I'm going to dial back to at least 3 for my neck, and maybe 2 and see how that goes. I don't think of my skin or neck as especially sensitive. I shaved for my first 2 years of DE shaving with a Merkur open comb razor. Not the mildest razor out there, but not the most aggressive either. But, it should be more aggressive than most vintage razors, including the Slim on 3.

 

[nycalling]

I normally do 3 passes, WTG-XTG -ATG, and dial down my adjustable of choice between passes. Last night however, I went the other way. I turned the setting up between passes, my ATG was with the most aggressive setting.
To my surprise the result was as close as normal but it seemed I had less irritation and razor burn. That's what my alum block rinse told me anyway.
I'm gonna try this way a few more times and see what the results are.

Anybody else who dials his adjustable up instead of down between passes?

That actually sounds like a pretty good idea. I'm going to try that out tomorrow, before work. I still might dial it back for that little band around the Adam's Apple, which is my my most sensitive spot. But still, start at 5, go to 6, and try 7 or even 8 for the last.

 

[brucered]

I've been doing the "dial it up" for a while now with my adjustables. I do 3-4-5 and get great shaves.

i was turned on to this method by fellow B&Ber Edgerunner and haven't looked back.

its based on beard reduction, so why try to take the most off on pass 1. Start mild and then crank it up for each additional pass. it will be cutting less hair, but cutting closer. No need to take off 70% of the whiskers on pass one if you are doing 2 or 3 passes.

works every time for me.

 

[nycalling]

I've shaved with my Slim exactly once. I started on 4 and felt like I couldn't really feel the blade, so I moved up to a 5. It was a bloody mess, literally.

It was fine on my cheeks and on my upper lip, but down on my neck I got sliced to pieces. Nicks and weepers, irritation, red bumps when I was done...the triad of a bad shave. I shaved the same pattern on my neck that I always shave, but that's obviously not going to work with this adjustable.

I'm going to have to try to mix up the settings like you guys have done, until I figure out how to shave with this vintage adjustable. I'm going to dial back to at least 3 for my neck, and maybe 2 and see how that goes. I don't think of my skin or neck as especially sensitive. I shaved for my first 2 years of DE shaving with a Merkur open comb razor. Not the mildest razor out there, but not the most aggressive either. But, it should be more aggressive than most vintage razors, including the Slim on 3.

I don't have a Merkur at all, but my first year and a half I shaved with a Edwin Jagger DE89 with Feather blades, but I had no issue with the Slim on 5 and above. I don't know enough about razors to distinguish the major differences, however. I also shaved the same pattern I shave with the EJ, with a new feather blade. You should try again, or maybe put it on 6 first. Maybe there's just something weird with the 5 setting?

 

[Wetshavingswede]

I do wtg @9 and then dial down to 5 for xtg and finnish of @1 for atg.