Well I spent about 2 hours at work yesterday reading the entire Shave School Master Thread and watching most of the videos and WOW, I definitely feel ready to tackle my face when my new equipment arrives (hopefully Friday!). However, last night I had the best ATG shave of my life by simply using some new techniques picked up from the Den! Typically I used to shave in the morning (after showering if I showered that morning) and I would pretty much just wet my face, put on some Barbasol and do one WTG pass (no problem) and then one ATG pass (painful). Well last night I took a nice hot shower after going for a jog with TWGW and afterwards I didn't dry off my face (I used to dry it off). I then used very hot water to wash my face for about 30 seconds really rubbing the beard and trying to further soften the stubble. Instead of just putting on the Barbasol I actually tried to massage it into the hairs and I finished with an ATG stroke to smooth things out. I started with a WTG pass, then XTG pass (never done that before), and finally the (typically) dreaded ATG pass. I really took my time (usually I rush my shave) and tried to be extra careful in my typical problem areas, one of which is my overly-pronounced Adam's apple where I used the "hold the swallow" trick which is GENIUS. When I was all finished I rinsed really well for around 30 seconds with cold water and then just dabbed the water drops off my chin, letting the rest of my face air dry. A couple minutes later after my face had dried, the end result was zero irritation and one of the closest shaves I've had. I'm SO psyched that simply adjusting some technique yielded such stellar results and I REALLY can't wait to try out my new methods using my DE and a nice brush with nice soap and some aftershave. You guys rock, thank you so much for the warm welcome and words of advice.
Welcome to the Den! If ya want some more great tips in video form then check out Nickshaves and Mantic59 on YouTube. Nickshaves has excellent video reviews if ya wanna know about a product too. He's also got a series dedicated to new wet shavers, really good info.
Well after about a week and a half of DE shaving, I have mixed feelings. I'm very excited about a fantastic reduction in razor burn compared to cartridge shaving. In fact, unless I hit the same spot over and over and over, I have virtually no razor burn. However, I'm simply unable to get a very close shave. Even with a WTG, XTG, and ATG pass, I can only get it about as close as a WTG pass using a cartridge razor. I'm also getting razor bumps which I didn't use to get. I've experimented with different shave angles but it hasn't done much. So am I just judging too quickly? I know I probably need to give it 30 days before I make any judgements. I just don't understand how I can go over the same spot over and over in every possible direction and I can still SEE the hair easily, what gives?
Any time some one says this, I ask them to make sure that the base plate is not upside down. Many people (including myself) have accidentally done this. It ablates the blade gap and renders the razor ineffective. Worth a check. If that's not the case, it'll come down to technique. Let us know. If that's not the issue, repost and we can help trouble shoot. You definitely should be able to achieve an exceedingly smooth shave with DE razors. Don't give up!
It's definitely not the blade plate being upside down. I installed it was when I received it and just now double checked the razor and the internet to confirm proper installation.
Welcome, like anything new there is a learning curve. I am still experimenting and learn something and I made the switch about a year ago.
I'm not certain that my DE shaves will ever be "closer" than shaving with a cartridge, but my skin is much better. I have not had a single ingrown hair in nearly 9 months. I have only skipped 1 day of shaving after the first week of DE shaving. I am now at the point where I make 2 passes, both from top to bottom (mainly WTG) and the resulting smoothness lasts all day. I will have 5 o'clock shadow, but that is okay. I'd rather have the shadow than the irritated skin. Give it some time. 30 days, 60 days or more and then see how it works out.
Well it's been almost a month now I can certainly say that my shaves are 98% as close as with my old cartridge razor but WAY more comfortable and less irritating to my face. Plus I actually look forward to shaving which is nice. I really like the Wilkinson Sword blades I've been using but now that I'm comfortable with them I'm going to order a sample pack and try some others. I want to try the feathers as they seem to be the indisputable sharpest blades, see if I can cut out the XTG pass and just do WTG and ATG, try to save some time.
