Why can I not get a smooth shave?

[mwhals]

I use a Merkur silver tip badger brush and a Merkur 38C razor. I have only tried Merkur and Feather blades to date. I don't use pressure as I just glide the razor. I think it is how I prep my neck since I seem to leave too many whiskers after one or two passes.

1. I take a hot shower
2. While getting dressed, my brush and razor are in the a sinkful of hot water with the razor resting on its side, not on the blade.
3. I drain the brush and then build a lather on my face with Proraso or Taylor of Bond Street Avacado.
4. I shave with the grain in short movements rinsing the razor often.
5. I reapply shaving cream with the brush.
6. I shave against the grain.
7. I rinse my face with cold.
8. I pat dry my face (no wipe).
9. I put on Proraso liquid aftershave balm.
10. I clean up.

I still find I never get my neck BBS, but my face gets BBS.

If I shave every day, I sometimes get some irritation on my neck. I do not get ingrown whiskers anymore since I started using wet shaving with a DE instead of the old Mach 3 I was using before (with canned cream ).

I would like to be able to shave everyday and get a BBS neck.

I don't think I get the cream thick enough and think I need to try more blades (will order variety sample pack from Amazon).

Thanks in advance for helping me get to my goal of a BBS face.

Mark

 

[Dave Tomlinson]

Getting a BBS with only two passes can be difficult,especially on the neck as the hairs can grow in all directions,have you looked at Mantics video about face mapping?.
If shaving against the grain is not a problem for you maybe you should try with the grain first,across the grain second and against the grain as a touch up.

Dave.

 

[mwhals]

Getting a BBS with only two passes can be difficult,especially on the neck as the hairs can grow in all directions,have you looked at Mantics video about face mapping?.
If shaving against the grain is not a problem for you maybe you should try with the grain first,across the grain second and against the grain as a touch up.

Dave.

Thanks for the quick response. I have seen Mantics video and know how my grain runs (neck grain runs toward the back and face grain runs down). I have shaved with, across and then against the grain before. I haven't tried three passes lately as I am trying to get to where I can shave everyday first. I think my biggest problem is how I make my lather along with the selection of blades I have used to date. I develop the lather on my face, because I don't like to use my metal handled brush with the glass bowl that was part of the set. I need to find a metal bowl.

Mark

 

[njpaddy]

It took a few weeks to get a decent shave on my neck. Not sure if it was lather or blade angle as it just suddenly improved on its own. Give the neck some fresh lather if it's drying out while you shave your face. I shave my neck in the same directions I did with a cartridge, except shorter strokes.

 

[Go West Young Man]

OK, let's go to the video room and watch the game tape in slowmotion, maybe we'll pick up a few things you can work on.


I have only tried Merkur and Feather blades to date.
Bingo. Merkur blades give 95% of us horrible shaves. Feathers are too sharp for a new shaver and will cause nicks and irritation.
Solution: get a sample pack of blades. There's a blade out there that will give you great shaves, you just have to find it.

While getting dressed
BAM. You just let your face dry out and lost the whole benefit of having taken the shower. You might as well have just walked up to the sink and started shaving.
Solution: start your shave IMMEDIATELY upon exiting the shower. It might make sense to lather up and then do something else for 2-3 minutes, allowing the lather to soak into your beard.

my brush and razor are in the a sinkful of hot water with the razor resting on its side, not on the blade.
Soaking the razor is pointless, and you're going to cut a finger sooner or later.

I shave against the grain.
Ooooooohhhhhhhhh mama! At this stage of your shaving career, ATG should be at least the 3rd if not 4th pass. You need at least one XTG pass in there before considering ATG, or you're guaranteeing yourself irritation and spots. This goes double on your neck, which is the most sensitive skin you'll be shaving.

I would like to be able to shave everyday and get a BBS neck.
And I'd like Angelina Jolie to leave Brad and come live with me. But let's set realistic goals for now. You want to aim for smooth, consistent, irritation free shaves. If BBS happens, it'll happen. If you try for it, you're going to hurt yourself.

Be content with getting good shaves, and try to make each one slightly better than the day before. When you push for BBS you put bear down with the pressure, you go back over the same area too much, you ignore the warning signs of irritation and make things much worse than they would otherwise be.

 

[mwhals]

While getting dressed
BAM. You just let your face dry out and lost the whole benefit of having taken the shower. You might as well have just walked up to the sink and started shaving.
Solution: start your shave IMMEDIATELY upon exiting the shower. It might make sense to lather up and then do something else for 2-3 minutes, allowing the lather to soak into your beard.

I forgot to mention that I do wet my face again prior to putting on the shaving cream. Maybe I need to let the cream set on my face longer.

my brush and razor are in the a sinkful of hot water with the razor resting on its side, not on the blade.
Soaking the razor is pointless, and you're going to cut a finger sooner or later.

I just do it to get it warm. I hate shaving with a cold razor, but I will try it without warming the razor

I shave against the grain.
Ooooooohhhhhhhhh mama! At this stage of your shaving career, ATG should be at least the 3rd if not 4th pass. You need at least one XTG pass in there before considering ATG, or you're guaranteeing yourself irritation and spots. This goes double on your neck, which is the most sensitive skin you'll be shaving.

I will try that

Thanks,

Mark

 

[DougK]

OK, let's go to the video room and watch the game tape in slowmotion, maybe we'll pick up a few things you can work on.


I have only tried Merkur and Feather blades to date.
Bingo. Merkur blades give 95% of us horrible shaves. Feathers are too sharp for a new shaver and will cause nicks and irritation.
Solution: get a sample pack of blades. There's a blade out there that will give you great shaves, you just have to find it.

While getting dressed
BAM. You just let your face dry out and lost the whole benefit of having taken the shower. You might as well have just walked up to the sink and started shaving.
Solution: start your shave IMMEDIATELY upon exiting the shower. It might make sense to lather up and then do something else for 2-3 minutes, allowing the lather to soak into your beard.

my brush and razor are in the a sinkful of hot water with the razor resting on its side, not on the blade.
Soaking the razor is pointless, and you're going to cut a finger sooner or later.

I shave against the grain.
Ooooooohhhhhhhhh mama! At this stage of your shaving career, ATG should be at least the 3rd if not 4th pass. You need at least one XTG pass in there before considering ATG, or you're guaranteeing yourself irritation and spots. This goes double on your neck, which is the most sensitive skin you'll be shaving.

I would like to be able to shave everyday and get a BBS neck.
And I'd like Angelina Jolie to leave Brad and come live with me. But let's set realistic goals for now. You want to aim for smooth, consistent, irritation free shaves. If BBS happens, it'll happen. If you try for it, you're going to hurt yourself.

Be content with getting good shaves, and try to make each one slightly better than the day before. When you push for BBS you put bear down with the pressure, you go back over the same area too much, you ignore the warning signs of irritation and make things much worse than they would otherwise be.

I can't really add anything to this except +1, good advice.

 

[ALL HANDS WORKING]

And I'd like Angelina Jolie to leave Brad and come live with me.

Too late, she moved in with me last week.

 

[SmoovD]

Too late, she moved in with me last week.

Say hello to Angie for me.

As for the OP, give it some time and work on your technique. As mentioned above, 2 passes probably isn't going to cut it. Nor is going ATG without first making WTG and XTG passes. I would recommend working on the initial passes before hitting ATG. If your beard hasn't been sufficiently decreased by the WTG and XTG passes the ATG will not be all that pleasant.

Good luck.

 

[infotech]

While getting dressed
BAM. You just let your face dry out and lost the whole benefit of having taken the shower. You might as well have just walked up to the sink and started shaving.
Solution: start your shave IMMEDIATELY upon exiting the shower. It might make sense to lather up and then do something else for 2-3 minutes, allowing the lather to soak into your beard.

I forgot to mention that I do wet my face again prior to putting on the shaving cream. Maybe I need to let the cream set on my face longer.

It never hurts to let the lather soak in longer. How long are you taking before you get out of the shower and start shaving? If it's more than 5 minutes you should use a warm towel to soften the whisker back up before shaving. That little bit of time is enough for your face to dry out.

Other than that it just takes time to get the skills down.

 

[mwhals]

I only put on bare essentials and then start to make the lather, so it is less than 2 minutes before I start making the lather. By the 5 minute mark my face it completely lathered.

Mark

 

[troy1979]

+1 for dave, neck hair go all directions.