Hi guys so I got myself the very basics...and Edwin Jagger 89 safety razor which came with 5 feather blades, a sample pack of blades from connaught, a WS brush, palmolive soap stick and a WS lather bowl. I have watched a few lather tutorials and can get that going well enough I think, but, because of my job I need a very close shave and on the first pass I just wasn't getting that close at all, so because I was in a bit of a rush I resorted back to my gillette sensor excell just to get it done quickly. The next night, and here's the dumb part, I tried to shave by removing the base part of the safety razor so that I was shaving with the full blade, but obviously because it was not designed for this it was quite unstable I couldn't get a good shave so again I resorted back to the sensor excell just for quickness. So, obviously I know I'm going wrong somewhere, but is it the fact that a safety razor is designed not to give such a close shave and I'll need one that exposes the face to all of the blade? Do I maybe need to do several more passes? Is it just my technique and angle I'm holding it at? Or something I've missed? Thanks in advance for replies.
First, hi! B, is the base plate installed correctly? Common newbie error discovered when the razor doesn't seem to be cutting.
Welcome to The Shave Den! A safety razor is a different beast than a cartridge razor. It helped me a lot to do beard reduction, rather than removal. That means I will do several passes to get a good shave. I always start with a pass from the top of my cheeks to the base of my neck. Then I re-lather, and do another pass from the base of my neck to the top of my cheeks. Some people do another pass in between those going from side to side. There are several things that helped me: Use very little pressure. The razor should be wiping away the lather, and the whiskers will come with it. The angle of the blade is important. Start with the handle at a 90 degree angle, and lower the handle as you go down your face until you feel it cutting. Try to maintain that angle on all parts of your face. Turn off the water and the fan, and listen to the razor cut. Try to keep this sound consistent. Keep your wrist locked. With carts, a lot of pressure and movement comes from your wrist. With DEs, move your entire arm. Come on over to the 30 day focus thread. There are a lot of people who will help you get that set up dialed in. Its a good one, and should give you a good shave once you master the techniques.
The few minutes difference between a down and dirty cartridge shave and a proper wet shave is worth the time and results. What @Drygulch said is excellent. Make sure your baseplate is on right.
Welcome @Marky ! Good of you to ask questions. Use that search box, but if you don't find answers starting a new thread is fine and proper. It will get you opinions, advice, and even actual information! Check out the 30 Day Rule/Focus thread. You can join or leave any time. There is a commitment; Trying to get the best shaves with the gear you own. Participants range from guys like you who are new to the whole wet shave world, to old shavers experimenting with everything from vintage razors to DE blades stapled to Popsicle sticks. Did I mention there may be Shenanigans?
Welcome to TSD! As @Drygulch states, DE razors area different beast than carts. Proper angle is critical when using a DE. Just as stated, working in a quiet environment where you can hear the razor cutting really helps. Keep the angle of the razor as shallow as possible but still where you can hear/feel it cut, and try to maintain this angle throughout your stroke. The 30 Day Rule/Focus Thread is a great place to get help on technique.
Welcome! You've got some great advice already.I do believe the problem you are having is with the angle, as others have mentioned. Also just to note many of us do multiple passes with a safety razor. I do three myself one with the grain(WTG), and two across the grain(XTG) in opposite directions. Sent from my Galaxy S6 using Tapatalk
Welcome to The Shave Den! You've already received some fantastic advice. Please check out the 30-day focus thread where we're all learning, helping each other, and having fun (shenanigans)!
Welcome and know that this is a great place to be and to learn. Good advice so far for sure. I might suggest checking out the Mantic59 tutorials on Youtube and the Sharpologist sight. Stick with it cuz it's worth it
As a newbie myself - learned quickly that you also need to make sure the blade is aligned correctly. I use a Merkur 34c which is a 2 part razor. The first time I put a blade in and tightened down the head I noticed the blade was at an angle as compared to the razor's bar. It takes a few tries, but I am getting great shaves now - far better than any cartridge ever performed. Also different blades will work for some and not for others. I'm going through a sample pack of different blades now. Don't give up.
Hello & welcome. I believe you have gotten good advice, but I will add one more thought. Using a DE razor may take a little more time than using what you had used before. You may need to budget a bit more shaving time, to get a good result.
Well, the OP uses a Sensor Excell razor now. I never tried it, but I heard repeatedly that this was a high in cartridge designs. Given that, the DE razor experience may have been a disappointment. The real question is: how long will the Sensor cartridges still be available, and at what cost. I think DE blades have a huge advantage there.
