- Thread starter
- #21
I recently started using Lucky Tiger AS & Face Tonic and Nivea Sensitive Skin post-shave balm after every shave. Love those products.
Timeless .95 tips?
- Thread starter theklaw
- Start date
I recently started using Lucky Tiger AS & Face Tonic and Nivea Sensitive Skin post-shave balm after every shave. Love those products.
Yes, but if hot towel is too much hassle, just plenty of warm water rinse and leaving the lather on your face for a couple of minutes will do.
I read through, but have we eliminated product skin sensitivity yet? Even the best products can have an ingredient that some people are sensitive to. Also, the process of finding the problem can take time. You might need to change something and wait a week for your skin to heal before changing something else.
The advise I got for sensitive skin, regardless whether it's temporary or not, is to switch to all Prorasso white and cold water shaving. The pre shave, soap and balm. It is cheap enough to have on standby. Also, normally the recommendation for blade would be try Astra SP because they are low irritation for most people. However, Astra is at the wider end of DE blades and with the 95, something like Treet or Lord Platinum might work better. Or maybe even Wizamet.
The advise I got for sensitive skin, regardless whether it's temporary or not, is to switch to all Prorasso white and cold water shaving. The pre shave, soap and balm. It is cheap enough to have on standby. Also, normally the recommendation for blade would be try Astra SP because they are low irritation for most people. However, Astra is at the wider end of DE blades and with the 95, something like Treet or Lord Platinum might work better. Or maybe even Wizamet.
clearly every face is different and I have been using my Timeless Ti .95 for about a year. I started with an open comb because i was only shaving twice a week. when i started shaving more regularly... 3-4 times a week i purchased the scalloped bar and it's a great performer. my blade of choice is a Nacet however I have gotten good shaves with GSBs, Feathers, 7 O'clock blacks and many others but clearly there are a lot of blades I don't care for... mostly due to irritation. That being said... try some different blades, make sure you are using a solid or scalloped bar for daily shaves, and use an aftershave balm to calm any irritation you might experience. In that category I use Trumpers Skin Food, Nivea, Zingariman, and L'Occitane and all do a great job. Finding the right combination of products and experience that will improve your technique are key... enjoy the journey.
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- #25
I mean, yeah, my skin is probably a bit more sensitive than most people's, but I'd like to believe that over time my skin will get tough and I'll be able to get irritation-free shaves (assuming the issue really is skin sensitivity, and not poor technique). After all, I have only recently started shaving daily, and from past experiences, I can recall having excellent shaves after a few days growth, both with DE's and with straight razors. The issue for me seems to be with daily shaving.
I have tried the Proraso products before... the soap is okay, but I much prefer tallow-based soaps like Tabac. The Proraso pre-shave didn't do anything for me, and I still have a bottle of their balm with Aloe and vitamin E. Good stuff.
I'll be trying a Voskhod blade in the Timeless tomorrow morning.
In your experience, has cold water definitely helped with irritation?
I don't use cold water to shave so I don't know. Also, I find that Proraso is a decent soap but there are better .... and yes.. as far as I am concerned all of the pre-shave products are worthless .. and I've tried a few over the years and no longer use them.
Oh yeah, in fact it turned me into a year round cold shaver. The theory is supposed to be that warmed skin is more sensitive, but it may allow a closer shave. I don't blame you on the Proraso products, but for many people they solve the problem and then they can go back to something else. The reason the product sensitivity came up is because you are mixing soaps.
I didn't catch that you hadn't tried the Vokshod, that is one of the smoothest blades that is still sharp. My recommendations were based on some people not getting along with any St Petersburg blades, but I accidentally threw that last one in and it is. I have several hundred Chinese made Gillette Wilkinson Swords that shave nearly identical to Voskhods. And surprisingly don't have the quality control problems.
- Thread starter
- #28
I'd like to think that we can eliminate product sensitivity because, as I say, I've had very comfortable shaves whenever I've had a few days worth of growth; the lanolin doesn't seem to bother me. Tabac is really good stuff, as well.
My problems start when shaving daily.
I have tried the Voskhods in my Rockwell 6S, but not in the Timeless. I found myself having to buff quite frequently with the Rockwell on plates 3 and 4, and so I often ended up with irritation because of it. Plates 5 and 6 were more efficient, but didn't feel as comfortable as plates 3 and 4. The timeless definitely seems to be much more efficient than the Rockwell; I'm just hoping the Voskhod blade works well with it tomorrow.
I was just throwing stuff at the wall, I don't want to second guess people's technique. I hope the Voskhod works for you, but I can only get 2 shaves out of each and it literally stops cutting. I still like them. Good luck 
- Thread starter
- #30
I was just throwing stuff at the wall, I don't want to second guess people's technique. I hope the Voskhod works for you, but I can only get 2 shaves out of each and it literally stops cutting. I still like them. Good luck
Appreciate your help, friend.
I need all the help I can get... I'm still new to DE's and I'm sure my technique needs improving.
Time will tell.
recently got the timeless Ti setup with all 3 plates in .68
I would say try the .68 plate ?
the scallop is going back
to me the comb and the straight are my favs the scallop is nice but is very middle ground as its position is
I want closer the comb if I want smoother the straight so I find when playing with the scallop it works but I might as well have went for the comb or the straight to get more or smoother
think of it like a car type SUV that are common today vs having a sports car and a full size SUV
the middle one does well all around but getting milk you might as well have fun with the sport car and taking kids to soccer might as well be in the full size SUV with all the gear kinda analogy
for sure the straight I can just rip around my face and not worry the comb can bite once in a while if you are going to fast the scallop kinda is closer to the comb in feel
I found the proraso pre shave does not seem to do anything but have sensitive skin the green burns me to irritation on its own have to try the white I also feel a good soap should work without preshave ?
I also am a minimalist type and hate to much prep stuff but am OK with doing some but the least I can have/do is best
also quit face lathering and really helped my face out a lot which again wanted to not have a bowl ? but works better for me with the bowl
to me shaving every day the comb is better at the tough spots it tends to shave it all the same height without having to come back and hit it again such as the neck adams apple area in the dips
the straight I just have to do a couple extra passes and since its so smooth in the end both feel about the same as far as whisker feel and how my face feels but the straight is more mindless to use and not as much feedback audible and through the handle so I prefer that but if I am lazy the straight is easier but takes a bit longer since I have to do a couple extra passes in areas ?
I can do a 2 pass with the comb and be happy where the straight takes a bit more strokes to be happy but the 3 pass WTG XTG one way then XTG the other with either is great
ATG only on lower neck
once I start pushing that ATG all over I feel it ? and really only improve the shave by %10-%15 when I do so for my normal shave I do not care about that last BBS feel
I really want just ONE bar and ONE razor but man its tough as both are so nice in their own way
bottom line I just find the less aggressive is nicer on my skin and reckon that is why companies like timeless offer both and some do prefer one over the other
I would say try the .68 plate ?
the scallop is going back
to me the comb and the straight are my favs the scallop is nice but is very middle ground as its position is
I want closer the comb if I want smoother the straight so I find when playing with the scallop it works but I might as well have went for the comb or the straight to get more or smoother
think of it like a car type SUV that are common today vs having a sports car and a full size SUV
the middle one does well all around but getting milk you might as well have fun with the sport car and taking kids to soccer might as well be in the full size SUV with all the gear kinda analogy
for sure the straight I can just rip around my face and not worry the comb can bite once in a while if you are going to fast the scallop kinda is closer to the comb in feel
I found the proraso pre shave does not seem to do anything but have sensitive skin the green burns me to irritation on its own
have to try the white I also feel a good soap should work without preshave ? I also am a minimalist type and hate to much prep stuff but am OK with doing some but the least I can have/do is best
also quit face lathering and really helped my face out a lot which again wanted to not have a bowl ? but works better for me with the bowl
to me shaving every day the comb is better at the tough spots it tends to shave it all the same height without having to come back and hit it again such as the neck adams apple area in the dips
the straight I just have to do a couple extra passes and since its so smooth in the end both feel about the same as far as whisker feel and how my face feels but the straight is more mindless to use and not as much feedback audible and through the handle so I prefer that but if I am lazy the straight is easier but takes a bit longer since I have to do a couple extra passes in areas ?
I can do a 2 pass with the comb and be happy where the straight takes a bit more strokes to be happy but the 3 pass WTG XTG one way then XTG the other with either is great
ATG only on lower neck
once I start pushing that ATG all over I feel it ? and really only improve the shave by %10-%15 when I do so for my normal shave I do not care about that last BBS feel
I really want just ONE bar and ONE razor but man its tough as both are so nice in their own way
bottom line I just find the less aggressive is nicer on my skin and reckon that is why companies like timeless offer both and some do prefer one over the other
@MHBru, I agree with you on all counts.
As someone said before, the hell will freeze before I shave with a cold water.
As for Proraso, my thoughts:
Pre-shave - useless, total waste, as it does nothing
Soaps in tub - leave much to be desired, wouldn't buy one again
Creams in tube - solid performers, but there are better ones
Splashes & balms - excellent products
This is to say, only products I find Proraso to excel at are their post-shave splashes and balms, the rest is sub-par, with the "white" (aka for sensitive skin) being the worst of the lot, both performance and scent wise. It is, as a matter of fact, horrendous.
Rhody
I'm a Lumberjack.
I was thinking that the 95 might be too much. Maybe you can return it for the 68. Or just get the 68 to prefect your technique. The ss 68 oc is my go to. I’ve found it’s great with any blade from Kai to whatever.
- Thread starter
- #34
I decided to continue with the Perma-sharps for today's shave. I used a brand new blade today and decided to make some adjustments to my prep.
I used my face scrub whilst I was in the shower and then cleaned my face with Mitchell's Wool Fat bath soap.
Once I was out of the shower, I decided to apply a hot facecloth to my face for about 30 seconds before face lathering with my soap. Once I had a dense layer of lather on my face, I added the hot facecloth for another minute or two before rinsing with hot water.
Next I applied some Palmer's Cocoa Butter moisturizing oil and re-lathered.
I did a diagonal first pass and managed to get a pretty close shave after just one pass... these blades are really sharp.
I then re-lathered and did a second diagonal pass in the opposite direction and at that point I seemed to be pretty close to BBS, if not BBS.
I did get a few weepers here and there, and when I rubbed the alum block I got a bit of sting; my neck was also quite irritated, as is the norm for me.
Maybe I should just stop after one pass next time. The neck always gets me!
I used my face scrub whilst I was in the shower and then cleaned my face with Mitchell's Wool Fat bath soap.
Once I was out of the shower, I decided to apply a hot facecloth to my face for about 30 seconds before face lathering with my soap. Once I had a dense layer of lather on my face, I added the hot facecloth for another minute or two before rinsing with hot water.
Next I applied some Palmer's Cocoa Butter moisturizing oil and re-lathered.
I did a diagonal first pass and managed to get a pretty close shave after just one pass... these blades are really sharp.
I then re-lathered and did a second diagonal pass in the opposite direction and at that point I seemed to be pretty close to BBS, if not BBS.
I did get a few weepers here and there, and when I rubbed the alum block I got a bit of sting; my neck was also quite irritated, as is the norm for me.
Maybe I should just stop after one pass next time. The neck always gets me!
For me, the larger the blade gap and potentially more aggressive the razor is, the more I try and back off a little on the blade sharpness. My go to for these razors is the German Wilkinson Sword. I find it sharp and smooth. I have also done well with the Vokshod in the .95 SB both Ti and SS. The Timeless razors are beautiful, but I have other razors that feel milder and shave closer that I use more often.
- Thread starter
- #36
Yeah, I definitely need to try a milder blade with this razor... especially when shaving daily.
Which razors do you use that are milder than the .95 SB and shave closer?
Some folks like to ride the cap (shallow angle), others try to ride the cap and bar equally (neutral angle).
Personally, I like to ride the bar (steep angle) with most of my razors - including Timeless.
The following link takes you to the Steep Angle Shavers Alliance (SASA) which may be of some assistance in your journey to irritation free shaves.
YMMV
In my opinion, you are trying to run a marathon before you've learned to walk. If you want to shave daily, pick up a Timeless .68SB plate (it will work in place of your Timeless .95 plate with your Timeless Cap and Handle) and use only With The Grain (WTG) passes until you get your face and skin used to shaving every day. Silver Star blades are middle of the road sharpness and should work fine.
Just my opinion and YMMV.
- Thread starter
- #39
In my opinion, you are trying to run a marathon before you've learned to walk. If you want to shave daily, pick up a Timeless .68SB plate (it will work in place of your Timeless .95 plate with your Timeless Cap and Handle) and use only With The Grain (WTG) passes until you get your face and skin used to shaving every day. Silver Star blades are middle of the road sharpness and should work fine.
Just my opinion and YMMV.
Thanks.
I might order the .68 plate at some point. I'll try a few shaves with the Voskhod and see if that improves things.
The .95 with Perma-sharp blades might be a bit too much for me at this point.
Since we have apparently reduced this to technique, as I type this, I agree with everything @never-stop-learning is saying above. I will add that you may need to test how much pressure you are applying on your least sensitive area and learn how to keep that while shaving your neck. I do that to my neck occasionally, but I know what caused it and can use a neutral razor for a few days. To test, I would apply lather as normal then lay the razor on your face, cap or safety bar, and tilt inward the tiniest amount and make a short stroke. If you are shaving off all the soap, then you haven't learned minimum pressure and angle. If you can get yourself to a point there is still a thin film of soap left behind, that might be the right angle for your neck. You won't feel the blade, but it will grab and cut hairs. If you are shaving by blade feel, that may be the whole problem. I can hold my razor light enough that it feels like I am going to drop it or it is going to skip, but it still shaves.
