3pc DE Aggressive Razor Fundamentals - "Riding the cap"

You are most welcome. Glad it's worked out. Life is too short for rough shaves on premium equipment!

 

Good advice in this thread!

 

I started doing Straight razor shaving about a year and a half ago, and the angle was one of the first things I had to figure out for straight razor shaving. Since going to the dark side, DEs have been much better shavers for me. Finding the angle is almost automatic. The sound of the whiskers cutting is the most important part for me to find the angle on different parts of my face. I have been telling people to shut off the water and fan for over a year on the 30 day threads. The feel while shaving is the second important part. It should feel like you are wiping off the lather. Not scraping it off. If you feel scraping, dial the angle back some. My sweet spot for blade angle on a DE is 20-30 degrees. Remember, this is the angle of the blade, not the handle. That changes based on head geometry, so it changes from razor to razor, and from setting to setting on adjustables. Sound and feel are how I find it. Using the Alum after your shave will tell you if you are close, but not quite there.

This morning I used an Injector for the second time. BBS in two and a half passes, no cuts, no irritation. I dialed in the angle, which is what we mean by riding the cap. Great shave.

 

Excellent advice

 

Injectors are fantastic Adam, amazing how such a simple design can provide such excellent results!

 

This is quite helpful. I've always thought about angle of the handle when computing the elusive 30-degree angle that everyone mentions. However, it's about the BLADE. That is really helpful to think about.

I have been using a G1 injector a lot this month. Fantastic razor! Finding the angle there is quite easy.

 

If you ride the cap and don't use pressure, you don't even need a safety bar or comb.

 

Closest thing to a straight in terms of skinfeel. Great tools.

 

Ride the cap y'all.

Verified. Safety bars do nothing. Ride the cap! Nice work, Adam!

 

Thread slogan: "Ride the cap, not the gap! "

 

Good thread. Riding the cap helped tame my 20s Old Type.

 

Ok so I just did my first de shave with a slim dialed into 2 with a voskhod blade. Everything went well until I got to the neck. My right side got bad razor burn with a little blood. I am trying to understand what you mean by riding the cap. I did the standard 30 degree angle. With this method, do you angle it even further?

 

My understanding of what it means to "ride the cap" is this:

The cap of the razor needs to be in constant contact with your skin.

The angle varies greatly from razor to razor and in your case, setting to setting. The angle you need to pay attention to is the blade angle, not the razor angle. I have not shaved with my Slim since acquiring my R41 however I will say that my angle of the blade was reduced in the R41 after I started riding the cap. I imagine the same will be true with your Slim.

 

Riding the cap is about going by feel, so it doesn't matter if the angle is 25 or 35 degrees, or anything in between. It's about the best angle for your razor geometry and for your face.

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I don't know if this helps or not. Riding the cap is going to achieve the lowest possible shaving angle your razor can use. Imagine doing knife work. Try shaving a little hair from your arm. Have you ever skinned a deer? Think about your blade angle, then apply that to your razor. Your cap will set the angle, you keep the pressure off, and you will get as mild a shave as the design of the razor allows.


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One thing; go slow, to ingrain the sensation in your automatic brain, and to build the muscle memory.

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Sounds good. I am going to let the neck heal a little bit and try again tomorrow. Would preshave oil help?

 

Yes! Pre shave oil does create a protective barrier. YMMV but in this case I believe it would be beneficial.

 

And don't just use it for the first pass, use it for all three.

 

I like this.