Another noob seeking advice

Discussion in 'Shave School' started by otacon, Aug 2, 2012.

  1. otacon

    otacon New Member

    Hey fellas! I'm in my first week of DE shaving coming from a cartridge "Wilkinson Sword 4 Titanum" and I must say, it has been quite fun so far. Still, some questions popped up and I hope you can help me:

    1. How long does it take you to shave? Starting the timer when I come out of the shower, I need about 40-45 minutes for a 3-pass ceremony (1-2min hot towel treatment, 1-2min lather prep and a post-shave balm).

    2. When I reach the third pass and start to lather up, my skin begins to burn? I'm using a "Proraso Sandalwood with Shea Butter" cream.

    3. I don't seem to be able to get a totally clean shave. I mean, my skin is totally smooth after the shave, I can feel no stubbles, but in the mirror I look like I haven't shaved for a day. Had this issue with my cartridge too and hoped this could be solved with a DE razor, but I guess it's just my beard type? With my cartridge I used pressure to "dig" out as much as possible and it turned out a bit cleaner than with my DE, but I still weren't satisfied and also, my skin became quite red.

    4. I've got 70% cleaning alcohol, which I rinse my razor with every other day post-shave. Is that enought for proper hygiene, or should I get a 90% solution?

    On a another note: for my last shave, I've tried a feather and it was great. I did get 3 small cuts, easily sealed, but it gave me my cleanest shave so far. I've tried (best to worst): Astra (ok, but a little itchy), Timor Solingen (ok, but not as thorough), Yellow 7 o'clock SharpEdge (weak) and Merkur Platinum (weak and painful), but I think I will stick with the feathers for now. Still got Peronna, Green 7 o'clock SuperStainless, Purple 7 o'clock SuperPlatinum, Derby Extra and Bic left to try.

    Cheers
     
    fishcrow likes this.
  2. swarden43

    swarden43 "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way."©

    First, welcome to the Den. Glad you're here!

    1 - I take about an hour to shower and shave, 3 passes and a touch up. Take as long as you need. My shave is MY TIME. I relax and enjoy it. I REFUSE to rush it.
    2 - I get a little burn from sandalwood (any sandalwood), as well, starting right around the third pass. Not enough to keep me from using it, though.
    3 - Sounds like you just have a dark beard. AVOID ANY AND ALL PRESSURE! As you've already seen, it makes your skin red; that's razor burn. Do it too often and you won't want to shave again for a week!
    4 - I just rinse my razor in hot water, take the blade out, dry the razor, and put the blade into a different razor. No alcohol or any other cleaning solution. I will clean them with Scrubbing Bubbles if they start to look too dingy. Scrubbing Bubbles not only eats the soap scum off, make the razor nice and shiny, but it's also anti-bacterial.
     
    JRod22, fishcrow and PLANofMAN like this.
  3. Neolithium

    Neolithium I am Canadian, eh

    1. Well at home it takes me about 45min to an hour depending on straight razor or DE. If I'm deployed or on exercise I tend to shave within 15 minutes and depending on the situation it can be 1, 2 or 3 pass.
    2. Check your pressure and make sure you're using none. Also try out a few different creams and soaps, and once your technique is better - a few other blades, this may help with the burn on the 3rd pass, but it's hard to guess what exactly it would be.
    3. Beard type. As long as you're happy with how it feels then don't change it, but if it feels smooth and you can still see it, don't keep going to try to get rid of the look it will end up painful for you.
    4. More than enough, heck I just hot water rinse, wipe down and leave it (Except for my straights which are lightly oiled), once a month they get cleaned with scrubbing bubbles and a soft toothbrush.

    Edit: ARGH Hit post too soon. Welcome to the Shave Den!
     
    fishcrow and PLANofMAN like this.
  4. otacon

    otacon New Member

    Wow, you gents are fast.

    1. Interesting, I expected you all to be much faster, but I guess you just enjoy it too much :) Still, after seeing some vids from geofatboy and mantic59 on youtube (man these guys are fast), I hope to cut it down to 20 minutes on work days soon. As enjoyable as it is, life is short :)

    2. Ok, I guess I need to try different soaps. Looking forward to the arrival of a "mitchell's wool fat soap" anytime now. I also got some Proraso pre/post shaving cream that I'm gonna try tomorrow.

    Awesome, thanks for the advice!
     
    fishcrow likes this.
  5. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    1. I can do a two pass shave in four or five minutes. I prefer to stretch it out for about 30 though.

    2. Burning skin could be caused by any number of things. Your skin might not be able to handle three passes, your brush might be to prickly, you might be allergic to your shaving cream, you could be using too much pressure when you shave.

    3. If your skin is smooth after the shave, you got a clean shave. I'm guessing you have dark facial hair and light skin. You are used to the cartridge razor shave, which pulls the hair up and then cuts it off. This does two things, it makes your 5 o'clock shadow disappear (because it's below the skin) and leads to irritation and ingrown hairs.

    4. Razors are like toothbrushes. If you aren't sharing blades, then the only germs on it will be the ones that came from you. See comments above for other options.

    See the link in my signature for more advice, but it looks like you've got it pretty well worked out.
     
  6. otacon

    otacon New Member

    Thank you PLANofMAN.

    2. Regarding the brush, here is another, probably stupid, question: Since I've got a synthetic one from Muehle, do these have a break-in time, which might also attribute to burning?

    3. True about the irritation from cartriges. I noticed that, although my hair may be not as short cut as it was with my Wilkinson, my skin is not as red and so it generaly looks better.
     
    fishcrow likes this.
  7. Slipperyjoe

    Slipperyjoe Rusty Metal Tetanus

    It'll get faster as you get more practice, though you still might want to take your time. With a DE I can actually shave as quick as with a cartridge and get a great shave..though sometimes, still like to take it easy...
     
  8. otacon

    otacon New Member

    3. Hmm, looking into the future here, how about straight razors? From geofatboys videos I picked up, that you can get an even closer shave than with a DE razor, is that true? Would that help with my situation or is it problematic regarding sensitive skin?
     
    fishcrow likes this.
  9. swarden43

    swarden43 "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way."©

    Not necessarily. Depends on how sharp your str8 is, how good you are at using it, what your DE/blade combo is, how good your technique is with that.
    I originally said, "NO", but as you see above, there are variables.
     
    fishcrow likes this.
  10. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    1. Synthetic brushes do not have a break-in time. They get softer with use, but are considered broken in from the first time you use one.

    2. Shaving in the direction of hair growth also helps to keep irritation to a minimum. rub your hand on your face. The direction your hand is moving when you feel the most resistance is ATG (Against the Grain) do not shave in that direction. limit yourself to two passes with the grain (WTG) for a week or two, let your face get used to this new way of shaving.

    3. The closest shave a person can get is with a straight razor. The shave is just as quick as with a DE razor, but the prep and maintenance of the blade, strop and hone deter many people. As does the ease with which a person can cut oneself. I don't have time to mess with all of that stuff during the week, so I get to shave with my straight razors on the weekend only. There is just something really manly about using a razor sharp piece of metal to shave your face, knowing that there are no safeguards and only your skill keeps you from cutting yourself.:D
     
    J.S. Desmarais and fishcrow like this.
  11. Neolithium

    Neolithium I am Canadian, eh

    That's the only reason I seem to keep DE razors around - I had an unannounced sneeze ONCE with a straight razor. Still have the scar, and now when I have a cold I use my DE's LOL.
     
  12. fishcrow

    fishcrow Birdman of TSD

    A big welcome to the TSD family and hello.

    I never set a time limit on my shower and shave, I just enjoy my morning time. I guess it is around 45 minutes, for shower and three pass shave.

    You are off to a great start sampling blades. Might I suggest some of the great soap offerings JoAnna in the TSD store, great soap and value.

    Yes brushes have a break-in period. I'm not familiar with Muhle brushes, my boars did have a break-in period. Each use though is just improves the softness.

    It is your shave enjoy it your way. Patience will be rewarded with great shaves.

    Wishing you the best.
     
  13. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    You did notice he is using a Muhle Synthetic brush? I agree that natural hair and bristle brushes require a break-in time.
     
  14. raag

    raag Member

    Everything else has been answered adequately but just chiming in here - but for me, between ten minutes (rushing) and thirty minutes (shaving for pleasure) for my shave. I keep the hair on my cheeks and just shave my neck, though. It takes me another five to ten minutes to go over my head with clippers.
     
  15. Rafen

    Rafen Member

    1. I have been shaving for about a week and it takes me about the same about of time. I go slow to make sure I don't cut myself and I am really enjoying it so I want to spend as much time as I can.
    2. I was having the same problem with the burning skin and this was due to me using too much pressure and a horrible blade. I can say after shaving 4 times I now get a close shave without the irritation.
    3. Sounds like your beard type.
    4. I just rinse mine off with hot water then dry it using a towel.

    Hope this helped you a little bit.
     
  16. otacon

    otacon New Member

    I would, but I don't seem to be getting anything out of a second WTG pass, not without pressure that is. So I'm trying WTG/XTG/ATG at the moment, though it's tempting too give WTG/2xATG a shot.
    Holy, thanks for the warning.
    You lucky one, you. I'm also trying to use no pressure at all. Basically, I let the razor just hover as close as possible over my skin, so that it just barely touches it, kinda stressful. Still got a lot of red skin for about an hour after the shave, but then it fades away. That wasn't so with my cartridge. I'll try to take some pictures tomorrow, maybe I'm doing something completely wrong.

    Thank you all!
     
  17. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    [​IMG]
    All humor aside, you are doing something completely wrong. hovering with the blade barely touching the skin, yada, yada, yada- you are using the wrong angle, big time. Please post pictures so we can get you straightened out.

    To me it sounds like you have some cartridge habit issues that are transferring to the DE shave. Without knowing exactly what is going on, the only advice I can give you at this point is to rest your razor's head flat on your face, so the handle sticks out at a 90 degree angle. hold the razor at the very tip of the handle. Bring your hand down slowly until the razor handle is resting at anywhere from 18-30 degrees from your face. You want the razor resting on your face, but you don't want the blade to be scraping on the skin. You need to find this narrow "sweet spot" (about a 3 degree arc) on your razor. Until you do this, you will not enjoy your shave.
     
  18. otacon

    otacon New Member

    :) Ok I'll try. But I guess my description was pretty bad. I'm not hovering like you would with a hoverboard, just trying to use the least amount of preassure I can.

    Btw, I think that proraso pre-shave cream did nothing for me other than feeling and smelling quite good. Kinda like tiger balm.
     
  19. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Please refer to the edits I made to my post above.
     
  20. macaronus

    macaronus Sir Nice-a-Lot

    First & foremost: welcome to The Den! Enjoy!

    1. A 3-pass shave takes me about 20 minutes, depending on razor and soap (Rolls Razor takes a bit longer; shave stick takes a bit less time)
    2. I've got the same thing with some soaps. But not enough to make me stop using them :)
    3. Guess it's your beard type.
    4. I rinse the razor, take out the blade, dry razor and blade (so it doesn't rust) and pop the blade in the next razor in line.
     

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