What am I doing wrong? Cont'd

[vk60546]

Hi all, today was my 3rd attempt to shave with a Merkur safety razor and Merkur blade.

Today, I shaved without paying attention to the angle and the shave came out much better on the cheeks/side, but neck area was a war zone. I re-leatherd (with shaving soap) about 3-4 times and the neck still feels funny after 7+hours.

Another thing, the shave took me 20 mins. Perhaps I should learn the technique to keep the fusion/mach3 blades dry and lasting longer than 3-4 shaves.

 

[VolpeVerde]

I sometimes have problems in that area. I used to start at the jaw and go down toward the base of the neck. I would end up with irritation and weepers. So I changed and for the first passes I started at the base of the neck and go up toward the jawbone, using short gentle strokes. Almost like blade buffing. This would usually get most if not all whiskers. Then if it felt pretty clean, I'd leave it. But if I had lots of stubble or needed to get BBS, I will relather and then start in an area below the ear and using short gentle strokes and some blade buffing, move foward toward the Adam's apple. I do this on both sides. Then I would feel for stubble again and go in for any touch up. This works for me. But it also depends on the blade I'm using. Crystals work very well for me, Feathers gives me weepers. Merkur blades do o.k. Hope something here helps, and please don't go back to the Fusion/Mach3 yet. Keep using the Merkur, as you improve D/E tecnique, it will reward you.

 

[AsylumGuido]

You may also want to try a different brand blade. Many people have commented on the lack of success with Merkur blades. You may want to check out a site like www.westcoastshaving.com and pick up a blade sample pack to figure out which is best for you.

 

[strat1117]

You may also want to try a different brand blade. Many people have commented on the lack of success with Merkur blades. You may want to check out a site like www.westcoastshaving.com and pick up a blade sample pack to figure out which is best for you.

+1. You also need to be patient and give yourself time to be comfortable with DE shaving before you give up on it; if it is something you think you would like to do.

 

[Cutter]

This is probably a stupid question, but are you paying attention to the grain pattern on your neck?

 

[Batman]

Merkur blades blow - great razors, though...IP Red's are my recommendation.

 

[Luc]

+1 to the above.

Also, do not worry about a 20 minutes shave, it's all right. You might get quicker with experience but this is not a race. I think 20 minutes is reasonable.

 

[bonusmarple]

Try the blades in the sampler pack, the Red Pack Personnas are probably your best bet to start with. Also, take a look at the pattern of hair on your neck. Most likely you are going against the grain when you think you are going WTG.

Most men have a line on their neck that runs parallel with your jaw line starting at the adams apple and extends all the way to below the sideburn. The hair grows one way above the line, and usually 90 to 180 degrees different on the other side.

For me, WTG is straight down above that line, and straight up below the line. ATG is the reverse (up above the line, down below the line).

Also, give yourself a few days for the irritation to clear up. I noticed when I made the switch, it took me about two weeks for all the cartridge irritation to go away.

 

[klstclair]

I found out that the shave creme I used also made a difference. I now use Castle Forbes Lime creme for my daily shaving with a Merkur Vision and Merkur blades. Even without changing the blade type, I get a different shave when I switch out to a different creme. I found that the CF Lime requires less water to get a good dense foam than some of my others like Trumper's Lavender or Salter Mint... I do love the smell of all of them but change up depending on mood.

I started out slowly and found the morning ritual really relaxing. Something about that warm towel that eases you into the day

One of the best things about re-learning to shave is all of the different combinations you get to try!

Kevin

 

[raven1]

The neck region is really hard. I've had trouble with it too.
You might try holding the handle razor by the very end - that helped me allot to master the pressure (not bearing down too much).
You could also study the grain pattern.
I did study mine but i'm still having issues, although I think i'm a little better.
Lastly I resisted the prep step that everyone talks about - but it does help (for example taking a shower first, putting conditioner on your facial hair while in the shower, holding a towel on your face etc).

Lastly you might consider a schick injector razor. You can get one for pretty cheap on the buy/sell forum. It still requires more skill than cartridge razors since it just has a single blade, but you don't have to worry about the angle since it has the "right angle" without you needing to think about it.
If you do decide to use an injector, you still need to be careful not to push down pressure wise (since it's shaped like a cartridge razor and doesn't have much weight it's easy to shave the same way, which will cause irritation).

 

[Tucker]

My first advise is don't give up. I too started out with a Merkur (23C LHC) and a pack of Merkur blades. It was not the best combination on my neck, and I almost abandoned DE shaving. I wonder how many guys have a bad Merkur/ Merkur experience and abandon the concept? This isn't an indictment of their razors. It's just that the combination of the two products can be too harsh for some folks. Take Guido's advise and get a blade sampler pack from West Coast Shaving. The most basic sampler can be had for well under $10, and has some of the most touted blades on this forum. Another blade worth trying would be the American Personnas which are sold in Wal-Marts, grocery stores, and dollar stores. Also, check out Mantic's videos on YouTube. Watching these was a breakthrough for me. Early on, I was not doing enough "barbershop prep" which I think is essential for the neck area. I think his "Abbey Road" video is the one about shaving in ten minutes. I learned a lot from that one!