6 Month Learning Curve

Back in the beginning of this year, when I first switched to a DE and wet shaving, I remember reading somewhere that it would take about 6 months to learn. I thought that was a little ridiculous, but, lo and behold, the point at which I began to consistently achieve smooth and comfortable shaves was indeed approximately 6 months after I began. After a bit of pondering on the subject, the 6 month time frame actually makes sense, when one considers all the different aspects of wet shaving they are trying to master all at once. For starters, there is the search for the right razor/blade combo, which can take some time. Add to that, trying to learn how to make good lather, and in retrospect, it all looks more daunting to me now than when I started. Then there is technique -- learning (unlearning is more like it) to not put pressure on the razor. I think this alone contributes to the majority of any new shaver's problems. But what I really think takes the most time to learn, is all the subtle nuances of one's beard growth. For me, the right side of my face is pretty straight forward with the growth pattern, but the left side is a swirling nightmare, and it's no surprise that this is the side that suffered the most irritation during my learning curve.

They say we learn from our mistakes, and that held true for me. I was tearing the left side of my face up so much, that I just couldn't shave for several days at a time. But the extra long whiskers enabled me to see the direction of my beard growth more clearly, which, in turn, helped me to learn how to shave it down smoothly without the irritation.

So, reflecting back on evrything, 6 months does not seem like a very long time at all, considering what I had to learn, as well as unlearn. But of all the things I did have to learn, nothing was more important than learning about the most critical element in wet shaving: my face. I have learned far more about my mug in the last 7-8 months than in the previous 43 years combined. Wet shaving truly is a lost art in our modern rush, rush throw-away world, but it is an art that is definitely worth the time and effort to learn. I'm just glad I stumbled onto it.

 

Congrats, Rick. It took me longer than that!! In fact, I had given up on the DE and had gone back o the M3. Then I decided to try a straight. Not much luck there either, but the lessons learned were most valuable in my second try at DE shaving. Now, DE every day and with excellent results! Ok, so I'm a slow learner. The brush is my favorite part anyway, regardless of the blade.

 

Congats back at you for not giving up, Michael. Sometimes the best thing to do is walk away from a situation for a while, and when you go back to it, it just seems as if some of the problems have ironed themselves out. Life is strange that way.

 

Nah, I think I was just so afraid of slitting my throat with the straight, I finally learned the no pressure rule!

 

Something clicked for me at about 15 months. I'm not kidding. Up until that time I was fairly well resigned to always living with a little razor burn on my neck. I don't know what happened, but somehow I fixed it...after more than a year.

 

That reminds me of the time I tried a Hess Ezy Shave. This is one of those disposable blade "straight razors", which use injector blades. Anyway, I opened up a nice gash on my cheek bone before I could even make the first WTG stroke. Needless to say, my adventures with anything straight related came to a very abrupt end.

 

Yeah, it was the same for me. It was like a switch was thrown, and I was in the groove. Now I honestly can't remember how I was shredding my neck up so badly. As I said, life is strange.

 

I think what effects the learning curve mostly, at least in my experience, was that I would wind up with some nasty weepers during each shave and could shave at best, every other day. Usually it was once ever 2-3 days. That deffinetly slowed it all down. It did take about 6 months to really get it down though.

 

+2 I had ***exactly*** this experience with razor burn on the neck, and I just this week think I've cracked the code. It's been about 15 months...

As a bonus, though, for perservering, I've reduced the number of passes I make by 1 and my blades appear to be lasting longer. So, it's worth the effort to perservere. Go back to the basics and really nail them.

 

It is so odd how it was so natural for granddad, but it takes such a learning curve for those of us who were weened on the triple blades or more.

 

if I could figure out how to go against the grain on my neck without cutting it to pieces, I'll be in the clear

I've only been able to do it once, so I know its possible, and never again even with the same combination of prep and shaving tools.

 

Its being weened on the tripple blades that killed us! I would imagine a father would teach his son to shave with a DE razor to save him from cutting him self to shreds his first time out. With the tripple blades, my father just handed me an M3 that was given to him in some free gift basket promo at the gym and said go shave. That was it. You just put it on your face and go.

I do feel much better about my self and it makes it all worth while when I see some guy with horrible razor burn all around his neck that resembles over scratched sunburnt acne.

 

How do you get razor burn with an M3?! Or cut yourself for that matter? It's...

 

Haha. I used to have irritation on my neck when I used an M3 (2 blades too many on my neck). Walk around a college campus, you bet they're all users of 3 blades or greater razors, and you'll see some of the worst razor burn there is to find.

 

It's not the razor, it's the operator.

 

It isn't always user error..

 

I forgot, sometimes Michael uses an M3 :happy102

 

Thanks, bud.

We're talking M3's here. HAS to be user error! Now, if these guys are using disposables or brand x cartridges, all bets are off. And that is quite possibly the case on a college campus. But you really have to go some to get a bad shave with an official Gillette M3 cart. Shaving isn't at all enjoyable with one, but I didn't know what razor burn WAS til I stopped using mine!

 

Haha. I used to have lots of redness around the neck and ingrown hairs here and there when I was using the official uber-expensive M3 carts. My favorite was how I used to shave in the shower with a tiny mirror and a gel while paying no attention. Once in a while I'd end up with 3 cuts on my chin. They may be user friendly, but its still like taking 10 passes on your face with a DE.