I have been shaving with a double edge razor for 4 months . I am using a 34c razor and tried many different blades. But cant seem to get under my jaw line or neck smooth with out blood or razor burn . I bought a phenoix open comb razor last week . It feels i bit more aggressive than the merkur 34c . Deffently smooth on the cheeks with 2 passes but under the jaw and neck alot of irritation . The alum block let me know for sure. I have tried many creams and soaps . Right now using castle forbes lavender. but all i have tried have not helped with tender neck . Pretty sure i am doing something worng .
If you're trying for BBS on the jaw line and neck, you just may be one of the many that must settle for close enough. Some folks just can't push it or it tears their neck up. Try the first pass WTG, then two passes in the shape of an X.
I don't go ATG on my face very often. Maybe 4 or 5 times a year. Most of the time I do a single WTG pass with an aggressive razor and get DFS. You might try shimming the 34c. Maybe a little extra blade exposure will allow you to lighten up on the pressure. Helped my head shaves quite a bit with most of my razors.
that is s problem spot for many. is your prep good? are you maintaining the proper angle as you maneuver over this area? have you tried advanced techniques, ie buffing,j j hooking, or the slide? experiment with some of these things, I'm sure you'll figure it out.
You could try a CWS - Cold Water Shave. The theory is the cold water makes the skin taut and stiffens the whiskers for a closer cut.
I saw a Youtube video where he talked about doing a J stroke. I tried it last night and so far I've got the best shave on my neck area, might want to give it a shot.
I have and love the 34c also. My goto for a smooth shave. One thing to make sure of is plenty of lather. When I skimp or run low on lather, that's when I start to scrape and my neck/jaw is what suffers most.
I am in a similar situation to you, although I have been DE shaving less than 6 weeks.. I can make 4 or 5 passes plus touch ups, and still be left with rough spots just under my jaw...Buffing definitely helped in a couple of stubborn areas on the chin but not so much in the areas under the jaw... However, having said that, have you felt the rough spots about 30 minute after the shave? I find once I've applied shave balm and let my skin settle down, the rough spots seem a lot less pronounced than when doing spot checks with my fingers during the shave itself... I am starting to think trying to eliminate them entirely is just not worth the hassle in terms of tenderness/razor burn...
I have accepted that I can just do a WTG and semi XTG =P if I try to hard I get irritation. My hairs grow in strange directions. J-hooking has actually helped me a lot
Another variable is the razor itself. The 34C works well for me, and pretty well for you, but maybe it's not the best for you. What about trying an adjustable and seeing if you can find a setting that works better than your HD? If you like the head architecture on your Merkur, stay with that brand and try the Progress. The Progress at setting 3 (of 5+) is equivalent to the HD so you'd have room to play with blade exposure.
I know for me, that jawline and neck area is the hardest because that's where my whiskers are thickest. You might try working on the prep a little longer to make those whiskers softer. A simple way to try this is to rub some shaving cream into your beard with your hands. Make sure it stays good and wet and leave it there for about 3 minutes. After that, add some more cream and lather up as usual. Hopefully you'll notice those whiskers cutting a little easier and it'll be much easier to get a close, irritation free shave.
The neck is a tough area for many of us to get clean. In particular, the area under my ears is a real pain for me. My growth in those areas is somewhat circular, so there is really no such thing as WTG, XTG, or ATG for me there. I've found through trial and error (mostly error) that it's best for me to do a pass straight down, then a combination pass which looks something like a chevron pattern starting under the right ear and moving across to finish under the left ear. I rarely go straight up (S-N) on my neck. I can do it occasionally, but most times it's just asking for trouble. Another thing that helped is how I stretch the skin when shaving the neck area. I've found over time that placing my free hand flat on my chest at the base of the throat and pulling down gently whilst tipping my head back slightly seems to makes a big difference. The skin is stretched more evenly using this method, and the razor moves smoothly. Be careful when stretching the skin. A mild to moderate amount of stretch is sufficient. Pulling the skin fiddle string tight is usually not good. You've got a good razor, and if you've got a really good performing blade that you consistently get great shaves from in most other areas, I'd say it's just a matter of finding a pattern that will work. One really important thing to keep in mind is that any time you hold the razor with a sort of underhand grip, which most of us do when we're shaving the neck, is that you have to press up to hold it against your neck. It's easy to press excessively, especially when you know the neck is a problem area that doesn't get clean. You need to maintain some real concentration during this part of your shave, and make sure that you only press on the razor enough to hold it flat on the skin. Important also is the speed at which you move the razor across your neck. We all tend to speed up as we become familiar with the tools, but this may not be helpful when we're in a problem area. Hang in there wingnut! You will get this figured out. Best wishes to you and, Happy Shaving!!
For over 50 years I've always had a problem with chin and jaw line too. So after shower, I still face soak then apply my lather, then brush teeth and comb hair, then using my Gillette Fat boy or Slim @6 or Weber PH with Wilkinson Sword or Astra SP, I've always shaved AG slowly with short stokes and proper angle, mild pressure using weight of the razor, after first pass, rinse face and reapply lather shave and stretch shin in the troubled areas, a light touch up using wet fingers and leftover soaps for trouble spots. Finding the right razor and blade combination for you is a mater of trial and error, If you use an open comb with a dull rated Derby blade you may not get a good shave, but maybe a Merkur 34c with a Feather may work for you, for me it's an old school razor with an old school blade, for you it may be entirely different. For a soap I started with Williams or VDH now I use a kilo of Cella with a boar brush. It takes a bit of time to learn to get that BBS but once you learn you will look forward to your next morning shave, Happy shaving
Thanks for asking this. I have been wetshaving for a few years and thought I was the only person with this issue. I use several different razors and have this issue with all of them.
Yep. That's it. The Hook, or the Slide will work if done properly. Just take your time, and go against the grain, and don't put much pressure on it.
Sorry for the late replies . but my prep is , always shave after shower , use pre shave oil. Lather up and start WTG. more oil , lather again the XTG. My wiskers under my chin grow down and back . hard the WTG . I tried a red personna blade yesterday . seemed a little better. I am not looking for BBS ,just looking for now blood or pain thanks for all your help
I typically find I need to stop after XTG on my neck. This is a balance of close enough for me, and it sometimes starts to irritate my skin.
out of curiosity please try shaving before your shower. it's an easy experiment. I shower at. night, shave in the morning(normally). when I shave after shower, I find it more difficult to get smooth.
Have you tried to map out the direction of hair growth on your neck? Mine is crazy, and in about 14 differnt directions. For me, at about 8 to 10 hours after a shave, if I rub my hand on my neck, most ways feel reatively smooth, but it's easy to pick the one that is ATG. I don't actually shave ATG on my neck, because razors aren't that flexable. I do a N/S pass and a S/N pass. Then I do my touch ups, with a full coat of lather on the face and neck. This is where knowing the grain direction can help. I have one strip of hair that runs from each ear to just under my Adam's Apple. I have yet to find a way to follow this grain, so it is hit and miss if I get it when I shave. Today was a miss...
