I can't get a close shave...please help.

You only have to make lather once - 15-30 seconds on the soap then build the lather in a mug or on your face. You will have plenty of lather in your brush for 2 or 3 passes or maybe even more.

 

I don't know how big your soap is but 2-3 months seems short. My soaps are around 4oz and I think if I used one exclusively it would last 4-6 months doing four passes per shave.

I would also say changing a blade every couple of months is not wise. Maybe you can do it but I find 4 shaves per blade as much as I can do and keep a close, comfortable shave with no cuts

 

He isn't currently using soap - he has a tub of TOBS cream. He has been applying it straight, with his fingers.

 

Oh yeah. Oops.

 

You use an almond size dab of cream. A tub of TOBS goes a long way.

 

Firstly venom, welcome to The Shave Den!

- jeraldgordon



Here's a good link to get you started. PaulH will show you about multiple passes.



(Just remember to rinse between passes, Paul forgets sometimes...)

Hang in there Venom. You ARE headed in the right direction!

 

Preparation is important. Using a brush to exfoliate and lift the whiskers is as important as the 'hardware' aspects of facial hair removal.

 

DE shaving takes patience. Learning the finer points of DE shaving takes an investment of your time.
Grabbing a modern cart razor and using a hand-applied coating of cream from a pressurized can is faster, simpler, and for some, a completely adequate means of getting a decent shave. That was me for years. I am never going back to that morning routine. My shaves with DEs or straight razors look better, feel better, are longer lasting, and I thoroughly enjoy the process. It does take more time—but in my book ,it is time well spent!

My three sons (ages 21 to 26) have had little or no interest in DE shaving—too complicated, too much stuff, takes too long— now in reality, they all wear full beards, so this fact alone discounts the value of their commentary.

 

I must agree if your goal is a fast, OK shave, go back to cartridges. After changing to DE shaving, I get BETTER and LESS IRRITATING shaves. Cheaper? In the long run, but I've laid in a really nice supply of products.

As you're in England, you should be able to get Palmolive Shave sticks for something like 50 pence at most Chemists. Here in the States I pay about $3.50 a stick if I order in bulk and consider it a great value. Learn about prep. At the minimum take a shower first or use a hot towel for 3 minutes to soften your beard hair. Dry stubble is as hard as copper wire. Just wet the end of the shave stick, rub it on your wet face like a crayon and then use your fingers and brush to massage the soap into a nice lather. Keep the extra lather in the brush. Takes very little soap to do the trick. Touch up with a bit of water and brush between passes and add a rub of shave stick as needed. This is a truly low cost replacement for canned shaving cream and should leave your skin feeling moister and softer after your shave.

Learn about multiple pass shaving, don't try to take all at once, that path leads to irritation. You use multiple passes to cut down the length of the hair, just a cart does in a single stroke. The difference you can control how much pressure and what angle is used on each pass.

The TOBS creams are really nice, works best bowl lathered for me, just rubbing it on your face is just not going to get all of the lather efficiency and use much more than necessary. An almond size dab with will make enough lather for 3 passes and touch ups for me. If I'm in a hurry, I can do a 2 pass shave that's is about the same quality as a cartridge in about 15 mins (and without the shave bumps and ingrown hairs)

 

Razors before cartridges were designed with multiple passes in mind. Hair reduction, even with the special DE razor I am currently testing, is still the name of the game to get a great shave. In addition, when people started to use canned foam the propellants in the cans tend to dry the skin. Traditional shaving with soap/cream and a brush allows the lather to get all around the hairs and allows the lather to soften the hairs and moisturize the skin. The real issue is do you want a better shave, go back to the way it was. Traditional shaving can be far more economical as well, but that is if you don't make it a hobby as some of us have.

Now you have received some great advice, the real question is do you want to take it. Good fortune to you which ever decision you make.

 

Thank you for all the suggestions. Today I bought a shaving bowl (a cheap Boots plastic bowl) and made a lather. I didn't get that much lather (probably because I do it for the first time and lack a technique), however, I got a really close 2-pass shave. Any recommendations on the lathering?

 

Please, take a minute to go grab a favorite beverage and something to munch on, then come back here and click ---> *this*

 

Hi are you sure you have assembled the razor correctly? I don't know the technical terms, but the piece of metal with the ridges has to be put on the razor so the ridges face upwards. If you put that on the wrong way around then you will get a terrible shave. I hope that helps.

 

I am pretty sure I am assembling it correctly. I first remove the handle, than put the blade between the head and the "toothed" part (which I believe is for safety). After that, I screw back the handle hard enough, but not too hard in order not to overscrew it. Anyway, I got a much better shave when I made up the lathering and I really think the Astra blades are miles better than the Derby ones. One more question. Can I get a good and rich lathering by using a really small amount of the TOOBS cream? Also, how many drops of water should there be in the bowl, before I put the brush with the cream on it inside and start circling? Also, should be the brush really wet when I start to make the lathering? Thank you very much.

 

If it a badger brush, you should soak it about half way up the knot for 3 to 5 minutes. That will allow the hairs to "absorb" water without soaking the handle. If it is a boar, you will need to let it soak slightly longer. Synthetics need no soaking because they do not absorb water.

A teaspoon of water in the bowl is good for a start.

 

Click on the link below, then follow the link for lathering.

 

Glad the lathering helps, just make sure the toothed part is facing up. I once shaved with it facing down and couldn't understand why it wasn't cutting any hair, it makes a huge difference.

 

I had the same problem. My lather was terrible, until I slowly dialed In the amount of water it needed. Now it's rich and creamy, and all I have to do now is develop proper technique. Take what these fine folks here are saying to heart, because I destroyed my face before asking their advice. That was yesterday. Today, even with a cut up face, I followed their advice and it worked miracles. Just be patient, and being new also I know how hard it can be because it's all rush rush with cartridge razors. Being In the military, I know a thing or two about speed shaving. One thing that was drilled into us, that I still use today is this. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. And if there's not time to do it right the first time, there's always time to do right the second.