Disclaimer: Sorry for the wall of text, feel free to skip, i just try to concentrate things in 1 post.
1) I agree.
2) I agree.
3) I agree. I did mention the razor twice in my post, but didn't expand. I certainly saw better cutting with Derby in the DE89 than in the Weishi for example. I also noticed that they seem to bend the blade differently.
4) I agree. I look at the angle in reference to the skin too. But to be honest, i didn't have much trouble to find shaving angle and i always find it by instinct. Even in my 1st shave, by the end of the 2ns pass, the blade would always cut. But, there is an optimal angle within the "cutting angle". That's the harder part to maintain.
5) That's the problem with the technique. I 've tried to google every advice i could about "shaving technique". And it's all over the place. They don't even agree on how to hold the razor. So my conclusion is that there isn't a "certain" technique, but it's more or less "everyone has his own, it may work universally well or may work well in more restrained spectrum". For example, i read people saying "don't press, ever". I read others saying "i had to press to compensate dullness". I mean, strictly speaking, a technique is a form. It's well defined. It's possible to write it down and teach it. Martial arts have technique. They have strict form. Or it has "schools of thought" with different, but still well defined technique. Shaving, the more i read about it, is more of "matter of good instinct and if you happen to have a technique that fits all, you 're lucky. If not...".
Speaking of which, there we are. I don't have a particular problem with the Weishi finding cutting angle, other than, because of the very small blade exposure, it cuts, but it doesn't cut deeply. So i repass. But the angle, i always find it without thinking. Probably because it's my 1st razor, so i am accustomed to it. To me, looks like that the cutting angle is less than 30 degrees in the Weishi. It's more like between 20 and 30 and certainly not at 45, that the Weishi leaflet says. At 45 degrees, i don't think the Weishi will be cutting anything, unless you start pressing it on your face, like you do with cartridge razors. Anyway, i don't mind doing multiple repasses, as long as i don't get irritation or cuts. And so far this is the case, with anything aside the Derby. But i will come to that later.
Ah, Americans! "Go out and get one!".
Here in Italy, it's not that simple. First, you can't just buy assault rifles. There are specific long rifles that are allowed and you need a permit from the police. There is permit also for some handguns. If you intend to bring them OUTSIDE your house's boundaries, you need ANOTHER permit, which must have "valid giustification explaining reasons that justify a concern to defend yourself". And this permit has yearly expiration, so after a year you must again apply for permit and explain again why you would need to carry a gun outside your house. "I like to go shooting" isn't one of them.
They want something like "i have threats against my life, they 're trying to kill me". Thanks for the invitation though.
Nice brush and photo. Although
@clint64 brush still wins.
It's so funny. You have faster strokes with shavette than i have with Weishi.
Blade Ninja much?
I like that summary. I also found a sort of "guide" from the "
Art of Shaving" :
1) The razor doesn't seem to cut and multiple passes are needed? --> The problem is the razor being very little aggressive. Some would suggest a sharper blade and this is true to some extent, but the main problem is the razor, act on the razor.
2) The blade scratches the skin while passes and removes the hair in one pass --> This is the opposite problem. The razor is overly aggressive and tends to amplify the blade's defects. Blades that by nature are not docile can prove "lethal" in this case.
3) The razor doesn't glide well, it gets stuck, jumps and you need to "push" it in certain areas: This is the typical trait of a blade that is too dull for your beard, that doesn't manage to cut and might even cut the skin instead of the hair.
4) In the 1st pass the razor doesn't give any problem, but irritation appears at the 2nd or 3rd pass: This is typical effect of a blade too dull for your skin. All you need to do to verify, it to use an alcohol based aftershave: If at the end of the 1st pass, it doesn't burn or burns a little, but you howl like a wolf after the 2nd or 3rd pass, this is your problem. The explanation is: In the 1st pass, your hair keeps the blade at a distance from your skin, but once cut, the blade starts to dig deeper in the skin, because it's dull for your skin, with conseguence irritation.
^ That's
the best newbie guide i 've seen so far, because i can see #1 in the Weishi and #3 and #4 with Derby. I STILL have the razor burn from Derby. That's 8 days later.
It gives answers to so many different experiences. Key words being "for your beard", "for your skin". Also explains why some people find a blade "scratchy". To that, if i may add, i bet you that "scratchy blade", is easier to appear to dry skin users.Much harder to oily skin users.
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Pseudofocus report:
Weishi FL + Proraso Blu + Omega 48 + Dorco ST-301
1) Nailed the lather. That's the 2nd time. Couldn't discern my skin. The only conclusion i have is that the Omega 48 + Proraso blu, wants a LOT of water. Today i took the Omega out of soaking and gave it one good shake to remove water. Turns out the remaining water wasn't remotely enough. I had to add more. Which agrees with my previous report when i took the Omega right out of soaking without shaking or wiping it and made good lather.
2) Dorco ST-301. I bought this blade, because i read some people saying that it was middle of the road sharpness, remining Derby and at the time i thought this was a good thing. Anyway, it just shows how a preconception can at least initially affect you. My impression:
"Dorco, The Great Deception". I start shaving and...it gliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiides! Veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery smooooooth! So i think "great, another Derby, but on steroids!". But, as soon as i finish 1st pass WTG, i notice that "this cuts MUCH MORE than Derby". And i go 2nd pass ATG. And it gliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiides! And it cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuts! And i finish with WTG and i touch my skin and for the 2nd time after the Astra SP, i said "WOW!". I can't remember how smooth the Astra was, because at the time, i was too amazed by Astra's cutting power to pay attention to smoothness level. But this Dorco was a VERY effortless shave. Sharper than Shark SS, smoother than Shark SS. It was also very quiet WTG. And i reach for the aftershave balsam, put some on my face and look back at the mirror and then i notice on the throat a small red dot. And i think "what is that!" And it's blood! It was a tiny nick that healed on its own after a while, that i didn't even realize it happened. This blade, was DECEIPTFULLY sharp and it was so smooth, that it was feeling so light on the skin that i didn't even realize that i cut myself. I got BBS above the jawline, BBS below the chin, DFS in the rest below jawline. The nick was in the BBS area below the chin. And then i also notice an area of 1cm x 1cm at the jawline of right cheek with slight redness. This disappeared within 1 hour (contrary to Derby's that i still carry 8 days later). And again, i don't know when or how it happened. Contrary to the Derby, where i could explain every single irritation spot (and the nick).
I don't blame the blade at all. I think this is VERY good blade for ME. It's maybe not as sharp as Astra, but it was so effortless the shave and the result was near perfect. The nick, i think is conseguence of the fact that i "treated it like a Derby". So i underestimated its sharpness. And at this point:
- Sharpness: Astra SP > Dorco ST301 > Shark SS >> Derby.
I can also explain why i get DFS and not BBS below jawline. Because the Weishi, has such a restrained optimal cutting angle, that it becomes difficult for a dull blade to keep optimal angle at the areas where there is a curve where i can't eyeball the razor well. On the cheek, i can see the angle and surface is flat. So BBS was easy even with Shark. On the contrary, i got BBS below jawline only with Astra SP, because it's sharper and it cuts easier deeper, compensating my inability to guide the razor perfectly in the curves.
I also googled and found the most diverse opinions on Dorco afterwards. I also found an opinion saying "it's the cheapest blade in USA, so i use it once for what it is and then toss it". For me, such a price-based approach is very shallow and in my case it's a keeper. For instance, here, at my favourite Barber Union shop, Astras SP are at 7.60 EUR (for 100) and Dorcos are at 8.90. So with a "price-based" approach, the Astras should be junk. Even "Treet" and "Shark" cost more than Astras. That's purely a thing with commerce and how close you are in production centers and import taxes and stuff.
At this point, i still have to try the Personna Red. But, Dorco is APPROVED for further purchase. Like, VERY approved. I might even try the Dorco Prime Platimum, which is just 10 cents higher than Dorco ST-301. I just don't know if i want something as sharp as Astra again, cause i read it's sharp as Astra. I may go with a mix of like 200 Astras, 200 Dorco ST301, 100 Shark SS more. Or maybe throw in 300 Astras and 300 Dorco and 100 Sharks more. Frankly, they cover my good shave needs, they 're cheap and they cover my rotation of blade-need for variety and fun in the future. I may as well hoard some, before the factory changes manufacturing process or something. I see no reason for anything sharper. Feathers are something like 35 EUR for 100. That's the equivalent of 460 Astras. Frankly, i don't need them.
Next shave: Back to Derby, so that i can give it another try while i have vivid memory of the competition. I will continue trying to make Derby shaves better. Who knows! Maybe between the 3rd Derby shave and the 1st Astra shave, i had made a sudden leap in technique, which Derby didn't have the time to take advantage of. It's possible. We 'll see.
P.S: "NickShaves" in youtube, in his Dorco ST301 review, had the same nick happening to him. He also got it in the neck and just like me, he didn't realize it happened, until he noticed it later on the mirror.
Click to expand...
