Very difficult to shave with my DE razor

[nick1990]

I have a vintage Gillette Fat boy adjustable
I have had it for a few weeks now and have had multiple shaves, but still cut myself
Im not sure if it is the level i have it on or the blade, but it is getting annoying

I have tried 10, 1, 5, etc, but to no avail
It seems like the blade is tugging, but the blades are new

Also, my neck is VERY difficult to shave

I cannot get the hair there and i always cut myself

any advice guys?

 

[Mr. Imperial]

I have a vintage Gillette Fat boy adjustable
I have had it for a few weeks now and have had multiple shaves, but still cut myself
Im not sure if it is the level i have it on or the blade, but it is getting annoying

I have tried 10, 1, 5, etc, but to no avail
It seems like the blade is tugging, but the blades are new

Also, my neck is VERY difficult to shave

I cannot get the hair there and i always cut myself

any advice guys?

I'm guessing that it's a combo of technique and blade. What blades are you using?

I probably don't have to tell you about how to work on your technique, but try sticking with one setting and working on angle. Maybe 4? Of course, it'll completely depend on the blade you're using.

 

[BBrad]

Make sure that the blade is firmly clamped down. Some adjustables need an extra 1/4 turn of the TTO knob to properly clamp the blade.

Also, make sure that you don't have a bent safety bar or out-of-square head. (That will turn the razor into a blood-thirsty beast!)

If all the above is fine, try setting the razor on "3" and work with the basics: Good Lather, No Pressure, Go Slow . . . and of course, No Pressure!)

 

[nick1990]

I'm guessing that it's a combo of technique and blade. What blades are you using?

I probably don't have to tell you about how to work on your technique, but try sticking with one setting and working on angle. Maybe 4? Of course, it'll completely depend on the blade you're using.

damn, i have a sample blade pack from westcoastshavers
i think it was the second pack
I just dont understand how my neck hairs will not cut

Make sure that the blade is firmly clamped down. Some adjustables need an extra 1/4 turn of the TTO knob to properly clamp the blade.

Also, make sure that you don't have a bent safety bar or out-of-square head. (That will turn the razor into a blood-thirsty beast!)

If all the above is fine, try setting the razor on "3" and work with the basics: Good Lather, No Pressure, Go Slow . . . and of course, No Pressure!)

hmmmm, gotta check those
but literally, when i do upward strokes on my neck, my hair just barely cuts
i see in shaving videos how the neck is perfectly clean, but when i shave, you can still see the hair all on my neck
need some help on that mainly

thanks for the replys guys

 

[dpm802]

Make sure that the blade is firmly clamped down. Some adjustables need an extra 1/4 turn of the TTO knob to properly clamp the blade.

+1 on the clamp down. I made that mistake, and I got so many cuts, I couldn't shave again for a week.

Regarding the settings, I recommend starting on 1, since it is the gentlest. The next day, go up to 2. The 3rd day, go up to 3, and so forth. Keep incrementing up each day, until you start cutting yourself, then back it down a notch.

To jump-start your technique, take a look at The BALANCE POINT Method in the ShaveWiki.

As for the problems with shaving your neck. Don't worry about it for now. Everyone has trouble in that area. Don't try anything fancy, just stick with shaving WTG, up/down for now. When your technique gets better, then you can move on to the more advanced stuff.

 

[kprincehouse]

What's your prep routine? Try putting a bit of lather on your face and then letting a hot, wet towel sit on top for a minute before your shave. Softening the hairs like that may be the missing step.

The advice from others above is good, too. An uneven blade gap or loose blade could definitely cause this.

Keep at it, pay attention to the details, and if you continue to have problems describe your shave routine to us here and we may be able to offer more suggestions.

 

[nick1990]

+1 on the clamp down. I made that mistake, and I got so many cuts, I couldn't shave again for a week.

Regarding the settings, I recommend starting on 1, since it is the gentlest. The next day, go up to 2. The 3rd day, go up to 3, and so forth. Keep incrementing up each day, until you start cutting yourself, then back it down a notch.

To jump-start your technique, take a look at The BALANCE POINT Method in the ShaveWiki.

As for the problems with shaving your neck. Don't worry about it for now. Everyone has trouble in that area. Don't try anything fancy, just stick with shaving WTG, up/down for now. When your technique gets better, then you can move on to the more advanced stuff.

feel like a goober though when i dont shave myself correctly lol
also get a little razor burn on my jawline
i kinda go from my side burns laterally across my face
is that correct?

What's your prep routine? Try putting a bit of lather on your face and then letting a hot, wet towel sit on top for a minute before your shave. Softening the hairs like that may be the missing step.

The advice from others above is good, too. An uneven blade gap or loose blade could definitely cause this.

Keep at it, pay attention to the details, and if you continue to have problems describe your shave routine to us here and we may be able to offer more suggestions.

pre shave is hot shower, then get out, wet face again, lather up with badger brush, then begin to shave
after, i wet face with cold water and use witch hazel as my only after shave (any recommendations?)

 

[billc508]

I used to shave quite a bit with the fatboy. No. 6 is the setting that most closely resembles your average super speed and the like. Don't keep changing around, set it up on 6 and leave it there for awhile. Work on technique instead, make sure the angle is right, not too many passes, good lather, keep the face wet, all that stuff. When you can shave okay with the 6 then you can try adjusting up or down a bit. bc

 

[Pavespawn]

I think the biggest thing is probably going to be your blade angle and pressure. Whatever setting you choose, just leave it there (at least until you figure it all out). Also, when it comes to strokes, you need to map the grain of your hair on your face and neck. Go with the grain (WTG) on your first pass at least. Don't expect all the hair to come off the first pass. Check the lather on your razor after a stroke and see if there is stubble in there. If so you are cutting hair. Just reduce one pass at a time relathering between passes.
I will have individual hairs left on my neck even after an against the grain (ATG) pass. Your hairs may do like mine and grow very close to the skin. Stretching actually doesn't help, I have to put my chin down a bit so the skin on my neck relaxes then ATG for the individual hairs. Don't expect to get it right away though. You have to experiment and find out what works for you!

 

[fidjit]

but literally, when i do upward strokes on my neck, my hair just barely cuts
i see in shaving videos how the neck is perfectly clean, but when i shave, you can still see the hair all on my neck
need some help on that mainly

Set the razor to say 3/4 and just leave it there.

Is the blade locked in with the final 1/4 twist ?

Are the safety bars straight (seems to be a common problem with adjustables ) ?

Don't forget that if you're coming from cartridges then you are not working on a single pass now.

You are working on a reduction method, so a number of passes.

I think that a lot of people coming from cartridges do a single pass and notice that they're not clean like with a cart. As such they then bear down more in an attempt to cut those pesky whiskers ( ala cartridge ), hence ending up with razor burn and nicks.

No pressure , and multiple passes while being very aware of angle.

Stretch your neck, look up at an angle to smooth out your neck.

Try a straight down and then a straight up ( with no pressure ) and see how that goes.

Just my quick thoughts

 

[xivex]

Gonna repeat what all the veterans here keep telling me regarding shaving: Technique: Blade Angle and NO PRESSURE!

Keep practicing, albeit gently!

 

[njpaddy]

any advice guys?

Another razor? I tried both a Slim & FB, but in the end decided I just didn't care for adjustables. With adjustables I never could find one setting for the whole face I was really happy with and I didn't want to be bothered adjusting for different areas.

 

[sodajerk]

Don't be discouraged - it's mostly learning problems that should go away soon! )

Listen to what's been written already, and, make sure you have a really good moist to wet lather that is slick. Really slick.

 

[xgunterx]

Don't chase a perfect shave yet.
It will come as your techniques improves.

For the flat whiskers in your neck see the video of Mantic where he shows the advanced techniques as blade buffing and j-hooking.
For me it's j-hooking that gives the best result without the need to go again and again over the same spot with irritation as a result.

 

[kprincehouse]

feel like a goober though when i dont shave pre shave is hot shower, then get out, wet face again, lather up with badger brush, then begin to shave
after, i wet face with cold water and use witch hazel as my only after shave (any recommendations?)

Any improvement lately?

I just checked back on this post and saw your prep routine. It sounds good; actually, it's about identical to what I did for the first six months or so, except that I often shaved in the shower because that reduced the tugging I would too often get. I added a step and it fixed the problem. I alluded to this before, but I'll spell it out in detail here.

What worked for me is to incorporate some soap / cream / lather earlier in the process. So now, if I'm planning to shave after a shower, I'll bring a bit shaving cream into the shower with me and wash my face with it, leaving it on as long as I can. So to be specific: I wash my hair, rinse my face, put a small amount of shaving cream on my face and rub it around with my hands for a few seconds, leave it on while I wash the rest of me, then rinse it off. Maybe this is weird, but it works for me. My beard is significantly easier to cut when I include this step.

The same principle is in a lot of other prep routines: Lather interacts with your hair in a way that makes it easier for water to get in and soften it. If the soap goes on your face before or during the "hydrating" step, it'll be more effective than if you just apply lather at the very end.

You'll notice that in "Kyle's Prep", it's recommended to apply a layer of lather under a hot towel and let that sit, then rinse it all off, re-lather, and shave. The hot towel + lather is much more effective in my experience than just a hot towel.

 

[rickboone1]

I think the biggest thing is probably going to be your blade angle and pressure. Whatever setting you choose, just leave it there (at least until you figure it all out). Also, when it comes to strokes, you need to map the grain of your hair on your face and neck. Go with the grain (WTG) on your first pass at least. Don't expect all the hair to come off the first pass. Check the lather on your razor after a stroke and see if there is stubble in there. If so you are cutting hair. Just reduce one pass at a time relathering between passes.
I will have individual hairs left on my neck even after an against the grain (ATG) pass. Your hairs may do like mine and grow very close to the skin. Stretching actually doesn't help, I have to put my chin down a bit so the skin on my neck relaxes then ATG for the individual hairs. Don't expect to get it right away though. You have to experiment and find out what works for you!

If you're getting a crap shave, I would check the prep first. Look into the Kyle's Prep method.

Now, if it just your neck that's not getting cut it sounds like you don't have the angle right. Maybe you are doing way too light of pressure. Yes, everyone says no pressure, no pressure, no pressure. But, in reality, you need something there to cut stubborn hairs. There's a balance, however, as too much pressure will result in nasty razor burn.

Don't try any ATG passes on your neck area.

If you're only doing one pass, do two. The second pass being much lighter than the first. If that doesn't work get a PSO and although it won't be "pre" shave, use it as a blade buffering agent and do a clean up pass on those stubborn areas.

Until you get real proficent with the blade and until your skin really gets used to being shaved properly and with a DE, I would say do not go for a really smooth or "BBS" shave. Go for, "it looks good enough". The other will come. For now, train your skin. Train your hand. This works unless you have a job which inspects your shaves.

Keep us posted. Honestly, no need to change a lot of products like soaps, blades, etc. Learn with what you have first.

 

[SRock]

Looks like the gents have you covered. I'll just reiterate:

Pick a low setting say 4 and stick with it.

Use one blade at a time for a lengthy period of time.

Focus on blade angle and remember very little pressure will be needed once you find the proper angle.