Thread: DE razor newbie not getting good shave

"How long does a blade last before I should put a new one on?"

The real test is when the blade pulls or tugs at the beard. Some make a game of how long they can use a blade. I never got into that. Another rule of thumb is change the blade after 3 shaves no matter what. Again, your personal experience with a particular blade is what matters.

If you meet resistance from a blade on the first pass, I would stop and get a different blade. Especially when you are learning, don't push it. Never use pressure on a DE. If it's not cutting, stop and figure out why.

Originally Posted by Dempsey

Hi all, I'm new to DE razors and am not having much luck. I have watched a good video done by some guy called manic but I am not getting a good shave.
I spent 150$ on a Merkur razor and razors, pure badger brush and some good cream. yikes
I am getting a good lather from what I can tell and a good razor angle I think but its not a smooth shave at all.
Feels like I am not even using shaving cream and scrapes along my face, I have burning face all day.
I dont get a clean shave either, but I have never had a good clean shave with any razor so this is nothing new.
I do three passes and there is still stubble and I do one WTG and two XTG, I havent dared to go ATG yet because of the burning and lack of experience with this type of razor. There hasto be something Im doing wrong or does my skin just hafto get used to this?? Any special technique I'm missing here, lol. excuse me while I go put ice on my face.

Thanks

* Where are you located in BC? It sounds like you are using too much pressure and i would try other blades as the Merkurs are not very good, in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Dempsey

. . . Will see what happens with tomorrows shave. How long does a blade last before I should put a new one on?

The answer varies by person, and by blade.

I get about 3 shaves from an Astra, and 5 from a Feather. The degradation is very gradual, but eventually I say:

. . . "Hey -- If I don't apply pressure, the razor doesn't cut hair!"

and it's time to change blades. Some people say:

. . . "If the razor drags, it's time to change blades!"

and that also works, _if_ you know what "drag" feels like.

. charles

Also try to remember that it is gradual beard reduction...not just let's get it all in one pass..
Getting a sample pack of blades will help.variety it's the spice of life..

Lastly and it had been said before...I know it is really hard but no pressure..it really is something that had to be learned.

Keep up with it. It gets better

Anthony

Well I paid close attention to the angle just so it starts to cut and it still sounds and feels like Im pulling velcro off my face, its horrible! And does the brush need to break in or does it always feel like a bunch of little needles poking into my face when Im lathering? Its pure badger and but it doesnt help the razor burn feeling at all.

Check in the mirror-are you bigfoot? If so maybe a professional shave would do the trick! But seriously, shaving with a blade that requires you to do the work, not the expensive cartridge, really takes time to get the knack, but then you will be rewarded with the nicest, closest shave ever-and strangers are going to be surprised by your offers for them to 'have a feel.'
If you have a very thick beard, change blades more often and get to a good dept/shaving store and get a bunch of pre-shave treatment samples. Samples are the newbs best friend! We have all had/are having a different journey to the exposed blade shave, but it is worth it in the end for discovering about yourself, life and the universe...

What razor and soap are you using and what is your pre-shave prep? Are you shaving with a very aggressive razor?

The rasping sound is normal until the hair is all cut from your face with the blade running over bare skin, but not the pulling sensation. Tugging is often caused by either a dull blade or inadequate beard preparation. I shower/shampoo/condition my beard immediately before shaving. This removes dirt and oils allowing the shaving soap to more effectively soften my beard. Do not let the lather get too dry, tugging can also happen if lather becomes too thick, or if ones face gets dry and the hairs begin to get harder to cut. MWF, Cella, Proraso, Tabac, and Bigelow cream all work well for me.

I keep my lather similar in consistency to whipped cream. Greek yogurt consistency is starting to get thick, especially if drying. I dip my brush tip in water and remix my lather in the mug or on my face to keep it wet enough and relather sections of my face when necessary. Lather and the hairs should come off your face with virtually no resistence, if your blade is sharp and your beard remains softened.

Rubbing a shaving brush over skin burn can be a bad experience, you may have to give your face some healing time. Face lathering using the tips of the brush can be scratchy with some brushes, especially so with skin burn.

It is important to avoid pressing the razor onto your skin, pressure from the weight of the razor alone, or even less, should work well. Pressing the razor causes nicks and razor burn. Razor burn can also be caused by too many passes over the same patch of skin. I reduce my beard >= 80 percent using WTG passes. I then use XTG passes to achieve >= 90 percent reduction at which point I have a socially acceptable shave to DFS. I use ATG with skin streching for final cleanup to give me BBS or close to BBS. I would not irritate my face to try and force a BBS shave.

I find that the first sign that my DE blade is getting dull is that it gets harder to get a close shave. This can encourage more pressure and or more passes which leads to skin irritation. My blade needs to be very dull before I feel pulling, but inadequate beard prep will result in a tugging feeling, even when using a sharp blade.

Shaving on the road in a fast food restaurant public restroom using its hand soap to make lather resulted in tugging, skin irritation, possible weepers, and less than stellar closeness, even when using a new disposable razor. The experience you describe sounds like my experience when trying to shave dry with a disposable razor behind the visor mirror of my car, tugging, loud rasping, bad razor burn and a very bad quality shave with no closeness. I very strongly advise against dry shaving.

I shaved for a number of years using disposable razors and no lather. This was only possible because I shaved very quickly immediately after leaving the shower. My beard was very wet, still soft, and did not dry because of quick shaving. Although I am not avocating shaving without lather, my latherless shave, while not great, was certainly acceptable. The point being made is that pre-shave prep is very important to shave quality.

HTH

Originally Posted by celestino

* Where are you located in BC? It sounds like you are using too much pressure and i would try other blades as the Merkurs are not very good, in my opinion.

I'm actually just east of you in Abbotsford.

I have ordered a sample pack of 7 oclock, feather, and derby for 15$, cant go wrong there hey. I am wondering if I am having a reaction to the badger hair, because it feels like I have razor burn while lathering, lol and havent shaved yet. I am going to see the guy I bought this stuff off of and see what Im doing wrong and also see if I should switch brushes. I will be lathering and then using a disposable next time to see if it goes away. There no way I will get burn from a disposable, process of elimination. That and I need way more experience.

Thanks guys

If you are having a reaction to the badger, there are an array of new synthetic brushes that are soft, hold water and create a great lather. The Muhle black and silvertip fiber are excellent brushes. The black is very soft and still has lots of backbone. My personal favorite.

You say your razor is a Merkur non-adjustable. That covers a lot of ground. Any chance you have a model number? If not, look at the vendor sites and identify it that way. Again, some razors are not appropriate for beginners. Knowing specifically what you're using could be very helpful.