Hey all. New to the site and safety razor shaving. I am having issues with my shaving technique, the end result feels like a matchstick box and not very smooth. I have watched lots of tutorials and read lots of blogs and it seems I am following the technique and I shave after a shower and lather very well with proraso and brush. I think the problem is the Derby razors, a colleague bought me them with a present from Turkey and my concern is that they could be counterfeit or just not the right type for my face. I was thinking of getting some new razors today, what do you all think? Stelios
Welcome to The Shave Den ! A great community of guys and gals that enjoy wet shaving , I hope you enjoy your stay ! While its not required, how about you hop over to the Newbies Section and give yourself a proper introduction thread , I 'm sure you' ll receive many warm welcomes from the friendly folks of this community . I would definitely recommend you try other blades, and order a sample pack if you can, that will help you find the blade that works best for your skin/whisker type.
Welcome to the Den. Yup. Try a blade sampler pack. There's some good blade info here, as well, for which blade to buy .
Welcome to TSD! This is the best wet shave board on the planet! Blade samplers are the way to go for sure.
Personally I find the genuine Derbys to be not very good. Its worth trying other makes. Other tips are to use an abundance of hot water held to your face with a flannel (at least 1 minute). Are you trying too hard to achieve BBS? Having learn't how to get a BBS shave I now no longer bother and just go for the one pass approach. I don't mind 5 o clock shadow (at 5 o clock).
I'm relatively new and the couple of things I learned in the past two weeks is take slow, short strokes and reduce the pressure. I really want to press down to get close but it doesn't help at all. That leads to one other lesson I learned. I can't shave in one pass. I get an acceptable result with two passes and I'm afraid three will cause more irritation. Good luck!
Oh, I forgot to mention my experience with blades. I ordered a sampler pack and there really is a big difference between brands. I found a number of people like Derby's but they just don't work for me. I've been really happy with Astra and 7AM blades and have about six more brands to try. I'm saving the Feathers for last as a few posts indicate that you really need to have correct technique to minimize the nicks with these blades. Other than the Derby's, I have not cut myself with any other brand.
Thanks for all the great replies, I will look at the sample packs. I do love the fact im shaving like this, but I need to be patient to get it right. Will have a look at newbie section too... Thanks S
Welcome to TSD! I bought a whole sleeve of Derby's when i started DE shaving. Big mistake. The quality is highly suspect and can vary. I prefer Personna Red for a gentle shave, but the Sharks when I want a really great close shave. There are other great varieties, but as has been said - buy small first till you find what works and then stock what you like.
welcome. if you mean that your face is burning and red after shaving, it probably means too much pressure. burning and redness usually means that you removed a layer of skin- equivalent to a first degree burn; usually that comes about from too much pressure. go slow, take short, light strokes, try to reduce the beard on each pass, not completely eliminate it all at once; it should feel like the blade is gliding over your skin.
I remember my first week of DE shaving yielded me the worst razor burn ever! Your technique will get better very quickly, so keep at it! I for one, dislike Derby blades. I've always found the various blades of the Gillette 7 o'Clock line to be the mildest on my own face. Also, I would stay away from AGT passes for now until you refine your technique.
If someone handed you a trombone you would not expect to master it in a week. Same thing with wet shaving, be patient and perfect your technique.
