Well, after purchasing some Feather blades and using them for two days I appear to have done a real number on my face. There is no pain or discomfort, no blood etc, but there are red rashes on both cheeks (I am guessing this is what is referred to as razor burn). I thought I was being gentle and as careful as I could be (onlly WTG with 2 passes), but guess it wasn't careful enough - switched back to electric. After 5 days, the red splotches are still quite evident. Thanks MikeND
:signs046 Mike, and don't give up. There is definitely a learning curve but it really is worth it to give wet shaving another go. Feather blades are loved by many for their close shaves but they are also considered the sharpest DE blades and can be the most unforgiving. If you can, try something tamer like a Derby or IP Red Pack. Also, are you using any pressure on the razor when you shave. Try not to; just let the weight of the razor do the work. Look around TSD for a lot of helpful advice and good luck on those shaves.
Mike, glad you're here. Kick back, read some older posts and wait for the answers to come in. Do you use an aftershave?
That was a brilliant answer from Freddy.It takes a while to get fully adjust it to the new DE routine/technique.Once is mater it you dont want to go back to cartridge or electric.Hope you can make it and dont give up,its worthy!
I did a bit of reading on this site and B&B and learned not to apply pressure (just use the weight of the razor). I have been using the following procedure: Hot Shower Pre-Shave Oil Shaving Cream Nivea After Shave Balm The one factor I am not confident about is shave angle - I may have been to aggressive there, but as I said no blood flowed. I won't give up though - I am just going back to electric until these rashes disappear - have to admit they are a bit embarrassing. Thanks for replies MikeND
It is very hard to get used to but you need a gentle DE razor (Tech) and literally use no pressure. As I am sure you have heard before, it is not about closeness in the beginning, but more about comfort. Learn to get comfortable shaves and the close shaves will follow. best, M
Umm- after googling Tech safety razor all I come up with is Gillette Tech which doesn't show up as something I can purchase - i see references to vintage razors - is this the razor you are referring too? And thanks to everyone for the quick advice!
My apologies, I should have been more specific. Yes, a Gillette Tech is what I was referring too. It is the most forgiving DE razor that I have tried. I got mine from an antique shop but they are sold here all the time for a very reasonable price. I would wait for a couple of other more experienced people to chime in. Maybe they have tried something that is even more forgiving for a beginner.
Welcome to the Den! You've come to the right place for tons of advice, friend! Here's my 2p: It sounds like you've got the prep down well and are using the right steps. Make sure your beard is very well hydrated before you start. Leaving the lather on your face for a minute or two before starting the shave makes a big difference. Making a really good lather is important too. Not too wet, not too dry. Others will chime in on this, but one thing that helped me was to stir up a lather all the way from way too dry to far too wet. It helped me to find the point where the lather is slick and moist and just right. You mentioned angle. Angle is important too. This is probably the thing that I have the most problems with, even after many months of DE shaving. Keep the angle as low as possible while still cutting whiskers. Shave with your arm and not with your wrist. Oh, and no pressure... One last opinion: Witch Hazel is the best post shave treatment available. It has made razor burn a thing of the past for me. Red skin is a light bacterial infection and can take a while to heal. Witch Hazel will stop it before it begins. Just insert a splash between the cold water rinse and the after shave balm (and let it dry on your skin before applying the ASB). Hope this helps. Have fun! Cheers, Tom
Glad to have you here Mike. If you hop over to the newbies section and introduce yourself, you will get a warm welcome from a lot of the great users on this site. Then be sure to sign up for the July Newbie Give-Away for a chance to win some great shave gear! What razor and soap or cream you using now if I might ask?
How is a gillette super speed 47 with feather blades? I had to order a pack of them just to see what they are all about although I havent shaved with a DE yet If anyone has a Gillette Tech they are willing to sale I am willing to buy!!!!!!!!
What did you use as an aftershave when you used to use the electric? Personally, I never used anything back then. It could simply be your ASB. I have had no problems with some Nivea products and other products left my face blotchy with red marks. I get the same thing with some soaps. Also, a balm could possibly too moisturizing for your skin. Have you tried a regular after shave splash?
Jimmy, you are going to have to tell us how that SS works. I'm sure lots of guys have used that combo and love it! OTOH, I'm sure lots of guys have used that combo and hate it also. To understand what I'm talking about, see my post here. Give that SS a drive for a week or two before you decide you need a Tech. Being strapped for money like you say you are, you may already own the perfect combo.
I have been using a DE for about a week now. I have had some redness on some days, but not so red most people would notice or that I would even call razor burn. More likely it is all the new creams, soaps, and AS I have been trying every day, and the fact that I have shaved twice a couple of days in a row just to try out all of my new stuff. :whacky011 The alcohol in Pinaud is something new to my skin, and .. OUCH. :shocked003 But there is definitely a learning curve and some skill involved that isn't as critical for other razors and electric shavers. But DE and brush is more fun. I would say definitely take a break for few days to get some healing done, then go back slowly, applying nearly zero pressure with the DE razor.
Very sound advice Tom. Mike, another option for your post shave is a block of alum. However i do feel that your lather & angle could be slightly out of kilter. Hang in there!
Hi there, I looked at two of your posts, and maybe I'm missing something. I don't know what razor and shaving cream you're using, and if you have a brush or not. Those can be important clues to help solve the shaving puzzle. It looks like you switched to a DE from an electric. That means you wouldn't have normally used canned or gel shaving cream in the past. You also wouldn't have had experience using something with a handle/blade cartridge combo. Those lack of reference points will make DE shaving a bit longer to learn, and with a steeper curve to the journey. In your first post you mentioned trying your DE twice, with not so hot results. Yeah, it sounded like either razor burn, or some nasty hives......heh. Actually, it coulda been worse........no sutures! Having done some reading in various forums, you still decided on trying a Feather first. If it's because they're the sharpest, you're right about that. However, these may not be right for you even if you have excellent technique. They may not suit your face....simple as that. Many other blades are extremely capable of providing a great shave, and lots of members here don't even like Feathers. What kind of razor did you buy? If you want a very close shaving one to go with those blades, I'd guess a slant or something open comb. Something more difficult to learn with than needed, with lots of ways to bite. The shave WILL be very close though. Heh, I'm almost afraid to ask.......do you happen to own a shaving brush? Nah........it's no big deal if you don't. Most of us use the canned stuff anyway (I love the Gillette 'Lime' Foamy). I believe they use pure lime essential oil in the fine product. Ok........that was maybe a little sarcastic. Just teasing you a little....no offense meant. Anyway Mike, you need a brush and some type of shaving cream or soap. I can't think of any members who don't use one..........it's that important. You might make things easy on yourself and use a milder blade, coupled with a mild razor. Your call on how much abuse you wanna go through. Oh, did I mention it's gonna take you a good 15-20 shaves before you start to figure things out? This 'hobby' takes some motivation.......a new DE shaver has to put in some time to gain experience. There's lots of things to perfect, and it's trial and error in the beginning.......especially since you jumped from an electric. I'm glad to hear you're just taking a break, rather than blowing this whole thing off. As you've read in the forums, this shaving thing really can be pretty darn enjoyable. Gotta do it anyway so why not make the best of a bad situation.......heh. Good luck with whatever you end up doing. Martin Oh...you might look at a cartridge razor like a Gilette Sensor or Atra(2 blade systems). They're effective, and much easier to start wetshaving with. Lots of members will use those types regularly.
Lots of good info in this thread I've only been DE shaving for about a month now, but after some, uh...mishaps, I feel pretty confident in my routine. Every aspect takes some learning; from how thick to make the lather, blade angle and working w/ the grain of your beard. I am just now able to shave the one side of my neck (grows sideways) w/o any razor burn. Like I said, it took me a month to get to that point, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't fun figuring it out As others have mentioned, a mild razor is helpful. Ebay is full of vintage Gillette techs and superspeeds for around $10. If you are having trouble finding one, pm me as I keep stopping in my local junk store and picking them up just for the hell of it. Also, as much as I enjoyed shaving w/ a feather, I felt that a milder blade that afforded me more movement on my face was the way to go during my learning curve (still learning) and a member here was gracious enough to send me some blades to try Everyone is different so I'll leave any specific blade recommendations out of this post, but a simple search will reveal LOADS of info on that subject. Good luck! Speed
I have never used an after shave. I would often use a pre-shave alcohol solution (lectric shave) before using the electric razor. Today was my first wet-shave since my previous experience of the red spots and I stopped wet shaving for awhile to clear things up a bit. Well tonight I am noticing, albeit smaller, red spots again. Interesting....I added witch hazel to the process this morning too. Also, I was as gentle and slow doing what turned into a 4 pass WTG. I was extremely careful about blade angle. So while my face has less noticeable red spots, I still seem to be creating them while wet-shaving. Also, I had purchased some Derby blades and used on of them. What other products caused your "blotchy red marks"? Maybe my skin is sensitive to the creams and soaps I have been using - I have some mama bear soaps, a prosora shave cream in a tube as well as a taylor of bond lavender shave cream - all of them providing delightful olfactory experiences
I forgot to mention I have the Merkur classic razor and I splurged on one silver tip badger brush (Dovo I believe) and a Vulfix badger brush. After shelling out the bucks for badger I believe I might have to learn to trap the critters. Also, I just noticed I have a tag under my id that says "Vice President of the Lather Club' - not sure how it got there. Also, how do you guys get an image along with your ID? As I am editing one day after the previous post - I want to say that today's shave went well! Thanks for all the great advice...I believe the no shortcut to prep, a light touch/focused shallow blade angle, and Witch Hazel are making a difference. No additional red marks today!!
