DE shaving advice

mustang66 · Post by **mustang66** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 4:49 pm

Hi All,

I am new to this forum and the whole DE shaving thing. Have found some good information and advice here.

I would like some help advice with my current shaving regime. Here is my current regime and products and situation.

Prior to DE shaving I have always used a Mach 3 with Gillette cream. About a month ago I stumbled onto DE shaving. I have always suffered razor burn, slight cuts and nicks, and a really stingy burning face.

I now use a Merkur Futur DE razor. Merkur Super Platinum DE blades. A pure trumper badger brush.Trumpers Rose shaving cream. I also use Trumpers skin food as pre and post shave balm. Also use an alum block after my shave to soothe. I always shave after my shower

I have the Merkur Futur set to 1 normally, and have found I dont get a really close shave even after multiple passes, my neck gets too red, sore irritated and starts to sting too much, I am just unable to shave against the grain at all.

I dialled up the setting to 1.5 on the Merkur to try and get a closer shave it was a recipe for blood.

I am still working on my technique, but I suffer razor burn, cuts most days, and my face always looks red, dry and very irritated.

Any advice on what I can do to reduce this, I think my technique is improving, and my shaves and face are better with the DE than the Mach 3.

Should I try another blade, is there something that may be a little gentler, it maybe just me, but the Merkur blades seem to pull and to me seem too blunt and irritating. I have not tried any other blades as yet.

Would there be a particular blade i should try? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

jslfl · Post by **jslfl** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 5:19 pm

Welcome Mustang66!
I think the obivious choice would be to experiment with some different blades. You'll find connections to several blade samplers in posts that will follow, I'm sure. Don't overlook some of the blades that you might find locally, ya never know.

Regards,

prism · Post by **prism** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 5:26 pm

Welcome to SMF Mustang66! Without a doubt, get a blade sampler pack! We all react differently to different blades, there really are no absolutes, i.e. YMMV! For sampler packs, go to http://www.razorandbrush.com/Sampler.html or http://www.westcoastshaving.com/

jrgroucho · Post by **jrgroucho** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 5:30 pm

Welcome aboard! I'll second the trying of blade sampler packs. West Coast Shaving or Razor and Brush are good places to start. There I just fulfilled Steve's prophecy

.

I would also make absolutely sure you are spending time on good prep.

--
Jeremy

Edit: hmm too slow typing.

mustang66 · Post by **mustang66** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 6:26 pm

Hi All,

Thanks for the response. I am in Australia, so about the only blades you can buy locally are the Merkur. I have just placed an order for the large sampler pack from west coast shaving, will try the new blades and see how I go. I noticed you can buy the derby, israelis and feathers on EBAY, so that will work out well.

I currently have the Merkur Futur set to 1. Is it worthwhile me buying the Merkur HD as I hear they are not as aggressive as the Futur. Or am I better off staying with the Futur having it set to 1 and just finding the right blade

I really do find the Merkur blades harsh on my skin.

Leisureguy · Post by **Leisureguy** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 7:45 pm

I also found the Merkur blades harsh. I would stick with the Futur for now. When you get the new blades, you may well find a blade that makes the Futur work well for you. I started with 1.0 and stayed there for a while before moving to 1.5 where I stayed for a long time.

The main things to keep in mind:

Good prep: wash your beard, and then lather well and let the lather sit a while to soften the beard.

Light pressure: the Futur is fairly heavy, and it will provide all the pressure you need.

Correct blade angle: top of razor against your cheek, high up; bring the end of the handle down slowly as you pull the razor along. You'll hear when it just starts to cut. That's the right angle, more or less. The Futur has a good sound when cutting.

I think with a better blade you can get a close shave at 1.0. If not, try 1.5 and carefully watch pressure and angle. Short strokes make it easier to concentrate on those.

Hope this helps.

notthesharpest · Post by **notthesharpest** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 8:13 pm

Keep the razor and change the blades, for now. If you find blades that work well for you, you're set. If you try a few other blades and still no luck, then the Futur will be easy to sell and you can buy whatever else.

But remember: the way you shave, the lather you make, and all those things, also make a huge difference in the quality of your shave. Even a different cream or soap might improve things a lot.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 8:54 pm

Yeah....it think it's important to take in the last part of NTS's post. While the Merkurs are not my favourite blade, there's nothing radically 'wrong' with them. and I'm not a personal fan of the Futur either, but set down low like that, it should be relatively alright. You've got a good brush, and while Trumpers cream may not be what it was in the near past, it's still good. Sooo.....it's your technique that is probably contributing the most to your woes. All this stuff about nicks and cuts; that's definately a technique issue, and the razor burn as well, most likely. By all means, try a different blade, and it may provide some improvement, but what you're experiancing is not, I'm pretty sure, 'equipment failure'. Rather, look to exactly how you're using the stuff you've got.
Regards,
Gordon

With The Grain · Post by **With The Grain** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 9:02 pm

i agree with gordon:

"but I suffer razor burn, cuts most days, and my face always looks red, dry and very irritated. "

this isnt the result of just using a blade that doesnt suit your skin the best. take a good look at the angle and pressure you're using and i think you'll go a lot further than a blade change will take you, best of luck, the end result will be worth it.

mustang66 · Post by **mustang66** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:35 pm

Thanks for the advice. I agree, I think my technique needs improving.

I will dial the futur back down to 1 in the morning and see how I go.

Do you guys think the skin food as a pre shave will help?

As for shaving cream, I have read that the trumpers is not as good as it once was, any other recommendations on creams that would be suited to sensitive skin.

The main problems are on my lower neck, very dry red and irritated, especially around the adams apple, I cant get a close shave their without blood.

If I dont shave for a few days, I get a pretty close shave, when I shave daily which I do, it seems to re-irritate the area.

The DE has given me a better shave than the old Mach 3 I was using.

Thats why maybe I was looking at changing to the Merkur HD classic instead of the futur as its supposed to not be as harsh.

Bond · Post by **Bond** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:32 am

Light pressure: the Futur is fairly heavy, and it will provide all the pressure you need.

definitely good advice if your using a futur,
but also i wouldnt concentrate too much on shaving against the grain a lot of people hold it as their goal but the truth is some people simply will never be able to shave against the grain without causing ingrown hairs and rashes

as for the coral skin food there was a post where a few people were questioning its worth, i personally feel it makes a nice after shave balm but not a lot of difference as a pre shave

lordjohn · Post by **lordjohn** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:53 am

Mustang, did you use a brush and lather technique with the Mach3?

I reckon it is always important to change one factor at a time so that problems can be identified more easily. It puzzles me that so many people are reporting quite severe problems with their DE shaving results and I wonder what conditions are causing these difficulties. Is it the lathering technique with the brush if the change is from gels and cans of foam etc? Is there a period of slow adjustment needed from multiblade cartridge to DE blade? Skin condition and smoothness is obviously a factor and the age of the shaver at the change.

I paid particular notice to my Merkur technique this morning and I was virtually dropping the blade down my face under the weight of the razor with no pressure at all other than keeping the razor against my skin. Admittedly the razor has to be held against the face when gravity would dictate that the razor would fall away but the pressure is minimal. I blade buff on chin stubble and used some light pressure but I have 60yr old skin as against a 20yr old chap with presumably different skin properties.

Could some of the more, ahem, mature members comment if they recall problems when they started DE shaving from scratch years ago, either themselves or their friends? I just do not recall shaving being the big problem it seems to be for a significant group as at present.

John

alabamalawyer · Post by **alabamalawyer** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:33 am

When I started my venture into wet-shaving about 9 months ago I also started with the Futur razor. I experienced many of the same things that you did and some of the frustration that goes along with it.

I re-echo what the previous posts have mentioned regarding technique. There is definitely a learning curve to good DE shaving and I just now feel that my shaves are getting to where they should be (close shave without irritation).

FWIW, I bought a HD and had a better time learning and improving my technique with it. After getting a better handle on my technique, I then retried the Futur and got a much better shave without the previous irritation that I had been getting.

The blade sampler pack is a good thing and each person will have his own preference in that. I prefer the Derby blades in my Futur and the Gillette blades in my HD. However, it will all come back to technique and that takes time, patience and the caveat -- NO PRESSURE (the more you shave with a DE the more you realize, don't press down).

Good luck with your shave
Chris

jrgroucho · Post by **jrgroucho** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 1:01 pm

John (and Mustang), I'm thirty and have been DE shaving for 11 months. I have been wet shaving for nearly 15 years (minus the times my electric worked, which wasn't often). I needed to change my M3 and sensor blades after two shaves or massive irritation ensued. My biggest problem switching over to DE was the "negative" pressure bit. Having to literally press the cartridges into my mug to get any sort of whisker removal. I suspect that this is the underlying problem for most recent converts. I really thought I was using no pressure for a long time...turns out I was wrong. The other problems I suspect are that most new shavers are not certain of their beard growth and they really aren't doing beard reduction. I imagine many are trying to scythe all the hairs in one felled swoop. Well, that's enough for now.

--
Jeremy

lordjohn · Post by **lordjohn** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 2:02 pm

Jeremy

This difference in skin/beard characteristics between individuals is fascinating. I can shave with a Mach3 or Sensor razor without any problems and get good results. Likewise with Merkur HD (heavy razor) or Gillette Tech (relatively light). So I am very fortunate.

The explanations of why some guys experience irritation must be various. Clearly if you have wiry tough hair in your beard you are going to be at a disadvantage and need to apply more force/pressure in the act of using the razor. Preparation then becomes a significant feature. It has an insignificant effect in my case. I've started using hair conditioner as a trial but I do not really see a difference during the shaving process. Any excessive pressure to the skin will cause damage which will be exacerbated by the presence of chemicals in the form of soap and post shave treatments. But some with light beards appear to suffer problems but in such cases pressure is less likely to be a problem in cutting the hair.
Another aspect is overdoing the shaving in order to obtain "perfect" results.

All rather puzzling.

John

mustang66 · Post by **mustang66** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:14 pm

Hi All,

Thanks for the great advice you have all given me. Just an update, I shaved this morning and had a much better shave than yesterday. I dialled the Futur right down to 1. I usually use Trumpers skin food as a pre shave, this morning I did not use it, and I must say I had a significantly better shave. I also ditched the trumpers rose cream I use and tried my dads proraso soap and also his proraso after shave balm. In short I have no razor burn, no redness or dryness. No stinging or burning.

So I am a pretty happy man right now. Maybe something in the Trumpers that does not agree with my skin. Will try the Proraso over the next few days too see what results it gives.

jrgroucho · Post by **jrgroucho** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:18 pm

John,

I think your spot on when you mention overdoing it to get "perfect" results. All the talk about BBS shaves tends to lead to a bit of overzealousness. It's funny you mention prep. I have messed around with conditioner, skin food and ever Proraso pre/post and have not yielded and significant advantages. However, a thorough lather and a well hydrated beard are nicely shaved. If I skimp on prep, my face suffers.

Mustang, thanks for the update. It seems that perhaps the Rose cream did not agree with you. Good luck and keep us posted.

--
Jeremy

mustang66 · Post by **mustang66** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 8:27 pm

Yes the proraso seemed to be a lot better, plus was very cooling on my face, not sure why I am not getting the results from the Trumpers Rose, the proraso seemed more gentle and cooling on my skin.

Strange, but as long as it does the job, and with the proraso being so cheap im not complaining

mustang66 · Post by **mustang66** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 4:27 am

Hi All,

Just an update, after DE shaving for the past 3 months or so using Trumpers Rose and Trumpers skin food pre and post shave and having constant cuts nicks, extreme razor burn, redness, dryness, and general irritation, I decided for the past 3 days to do the following

Same raazor Merkur Futur
Same blade Merkur
Same badger brush

Change to Proraso pre shave, proraso shave cream in tube and proraro balm as my after shave balm. My redness, burn, irritation, razor bumps have gone, and I have had the 3 closest most refreshing shaves of my life.
My skin has cleared up almost completely, no redness, dryness, burn nothing, just a real close smooth shave.

I had read so much about Proraso being so good, I am astounded at how good this stuff is for the price, I paid $10 for the tube here in Australia, compared to the $45 I paid for Trumpers Rose, the proraso wins hands down in my book, in fact the difference is astounding. If you are like me and hesitant to try Proraso, I suggest you go out and buy a tube right now, the results are amazing. I was almost ready to give up on DE shaving, but how that $10 tube has changed things. Unbelievable results. Cant wait to shave again in the morning, and the cooling affect is excellent. Overall I am a huge fan of Proraso, Trumpers will never touch my face again, so long as the green Proraso is around.

Leisureguy · Post by **Leisureguy** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 10:04 am

Excellent news. I wonder if you had some sort of skin allergy to stuff in the Trumper's rose. At any rate, you're on the right path now.