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Three weeks in and rough going thus far

Welcome to the forum.

Stick with it, you'll get it, and the rewards are worth it.

You are doing to the right thing asking for help, and there is some great advice above.

As said above, map the direction of your hair growth. I know it sounds simple, but often on the neck the hair growth can reverse direction 180 degrees multiple times, which is a pain, but once you notice and change stroke direction to keep shaving with the grain it can really help.

Don't underestimate the advice to use short strokes, especially on sensitive areas. I have a few trouble areas on my neck, and there my stroke is less than 1 cm at a time.

Also, really think about the shaving angle when around the neck. I know it sounds silly, but when you concentrate on it you'll realize if the angle is changing as your skin curves. After a while it becomes 2nd nature.

The last advice I would give is to consider your pre-shave procedure. What are you doing now before you apply lather to your face?
 
Welcome! Be patient, do less passes on your neck and use lighter pressure even though you may think you are using little as it is. It really is just all about practice and technique.
 
Welcome to B&B.

First, limit the number of passes you do on your neck. The more you go over the same spot the more you increase your irritation.

Hydration is important to get a lubricating lather. So be sure to have sufficient water in your lather. Also, don't cheat on the product.

I have found it helpful to wet my face before each pass. The extra water on my face seems to make my shave smoother.

Irritation usually is caused by poor blade angle and too much pressure on the razor. The neck is a tricky area to shave because keeping the right blade angle and little pressure is a challenge. The usual advice is to let the weight of the razor do the job - not put pressure on the blade. To put that in action I have found that using the two fingers and my thumb to hold the razor with another finger resting on the tip of the handle. This results in holding the razor very lightly with no pressure on the razor. You want to hold the razor as lightly as you can without it falling from your hand. I have found that using the right grip on your razor goes a long way in keeping pressure off of the blade. This post may help you. Also, take a look at this wiki.
Superb advise as always.
 
Thanks to everyone for the replies. I appreciate all of the feedback. Yeah, the beard growth on my neck is mainly side to side which makes it difficult to keep the blade flush against my skin due too the curvature of my neck. Keeping my skin taut has also been a challenge. Just can't seem to get a good purchase on my skin due to the lather, which I suppose is actually a good thing. It's obviously doing it's job. I'm just going to keep plugging away at it.
How is your progress?
 
Well, I got my first decent shave in almost two months today. Unfortunately, I had to switch back to my Sensor Excel to get it. It looks like DE shaving is just not going to be for me. Regardless of how careful I was to use the proper technique, I was just not able to get a comfortable shave. The shaves were very close, but the irritation I experienced was much greater than with any cartridge razor I've ever used, particularly on my neck. I tried several different blades, and while some did prove to be worse for my skin (Feather), none of them were anywhere close to comfortable for me to use. I'm going to continue to use my soaps and brush because I do really like those, but for now I'm going to be writing the safety razor off as a failed experiment. Anyway, thanks to all of you for your great advice.
 
Well, I got my first decent shave in almost two months today. Unfortunately, I had to switch back to my Sensor Excel to get it. It looks like DE shaving is just not going to be for me. Regardless of how careful I was to use the proper technique, I was just not able to get a comfortable shave. The shaves were very close, but the irritation I experienced was much greater than with any cartridge razor I've ever used, particularly on my neck. I tried several different blades, and while some did prove to be worse for my skin (Feather), none of them were anywhere close to comfortable for me to use. I'm going to continue to use my soaps and brush because I do really like those, but for now I'm going to be writing the safety razor off as a failed experiment. Anyway, thanks to all of you for your great advice.
Wait, don't quit so fast. This takes time. I didn't get a comfortable shave at first. It took some practice. What's your process?
 
Wait, don't quit so fast. This takes time. I didn't get a comfortable shave at first. It took some practice. What's your process?

I was just a bit aggravated with the results I was getting. I had been using the same process as most everyone on this site, but I was getting an extreme amount of razor burn on my neck, both front and back as I also shave my head. I purchased a Merkur 39C, and I'm getting much better results. I have a very thick beard, so the more aggressive slant razor seems to be helping.
 
I'm right there with you bud. Safty razor and straight razor work great on my face, but my neck breaks out a bit with ingrown hairs, and I get a little irritation. Still trying to get my groove right. My neck hair grows in one hundred different directions, so it's tough. Only been at it for a few weeks, so hopefully it works for me. Love wet shaving so I'll make it work somehow!
 
Well, I got my first decent shave in almost two months today. Unfortunately, I had to switch back to my Sensor Excel to get it. It looks like DE shaving is just not going to be for me. Regardless of how careful I was to use the proper technique, I was just not able to get a comfortable shave. The shaves were very close, but the irritation I experienced was much greater than with any cartridge razor I've ever used, particularly on my neck. I tried several different blades, and while some did prove to be worse for my skin (Feather), none of them were anywhere close to comfortable for me to use. I'm going to continue to use my soaps and brush because I do really like those, but for now I'm going to be writing the safety razor off as a failed experiment. Anyway, thanks to all of you for your great advice.

OK, the thing that did it for me on the neck is completely counterintuitive. That is, don't make the skin taut, make it totally relaxed! I mean, lean your chin down and really get some flaccid skin there. The exact opposite of taut. Shave away. Almost doesn't matter how much pressure amazingly enough, but still use light pressure and go with or across the grain. Once I started shaving the neck that way, what an amazing difference. No burn at all. While you are doing it you wonder if you are cutting hair. Believe me, you are. Same technique works for me under the nose. I go against the grain right up to the nares with a totally relaxed upper lip. BBS up there every time. I can't recall who recommended this, but there is a thread about an Italian barber who does this for their clients with a straight. Like I said, counterintuitive. Try it!
 
I was just a bit aggravated with the results I was getting. I had been using the same process as most everyone on this site, but I was getting an extreme amount of razor burn on my neck, both front and back as I also shave my head. I purchased a Merkur 39C, and I'm getting much better results. I have a very thick beard, so the more aggressive slant razor seems to be helping.

Nice to hear that things are getting better. As you mentioned, shaving less regularly you will take longer to develop the necessary technique needed for a DE razor. When I first started back, I simply concentrated on getting a comfortable shave and didn't worry too much about how the results looked... I'm sure that it was still good enough to put me in the leading group for shave quality. Being able to reduce irritation was my main goal and saving the cash spent on cartridges was secondary.

Keep up the good work!
 

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
I have a very sensitive spot at my lower neck line. I've found that upping my pre shave game has helped out a lot there. Heavy water dousing in the shower. I've been using some regular hair conditioner on that spot in the shower too. Some pre shave creme or oil, letting it soak in for a few minutes. And hitting that spot with some alum and a quality after shave following the shave. All of that has helped my skin feel great and minimize my irritation.
 
I was just a bit aggravated with the results I was getting. I had been using the same process as most everyone on this site, but I was getting an extreme amount of razor burn on my neck, both front and back as I also shave my head. I purchased a Merkur 39C, and I'm getting much better results. I have a very thick beard, so the more aggressive slant razor seems to be helping.
You're on the proper path. Trying out different razors and blades is key to achieving proper shaves. I would recommend a adjustable razor. The varying shave level options would be ideal for your shave issues. 9 levels of experimenting.
 
Prep, prep, prep.

I certainly won't say it's all in the prep. Techniques play a big role.

But just like painting a car, poor prep gives poor results regardless how good your technique. Prep is 50% of a good shave in my mind.
 
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