Greetings! So, today was my 3rd shave with the same Derby Extra blade. I did 2 WTG passes and, as recommended, also an XTG pass. After that some touch up, and I got a BBS! But, already during the first pass I experienced pulling and tugging. Only one weeper. I blamed it on my technique and angle and determined to end the shave with the same blade. Woe! I have suffered the probably worse case of razor burn on my neck EVER I obviously chucked the perpetrating blade. So... do I continue with the Derbys and change after the second shave or do I change to a sharper blade, let's say an Astra? Thanks in advance for your help!
I would stick with Derby, as its very easy to blame the blade while your technique is improving. Olny then you will know if derby are good for you or not.
Solarcaine Gel (made for sunburn) is very nice if you have a really bad burn. It soothe, heals, and has lidocaine that numbs a bit.
I would ditch the blade. But that's me. I can usually tell after three shaves if a blade is going to work or not. Try another blade, but keep the Derby and come back to 'em later and see if they still burn ya.
The blade is the one thing I would change as required when learning wet shaving, keeping the one-week rule for razor, creams, post shaves, etc. For me the Derby isn't working at all and that was a simple fix. You should be able to find a blade that feels smooth, no pulling or tugging.
Try out the Astras. And don't forget that some people just cannot use a blade for 3+ shaves either. Keep the Derby's on hand and see how other blades do as well. Even only using a blade 2 times and chucking it, you're still saving money vs many other methods of shaving. Also could be a bad batch, I've had those from even Feathers and the occasional Voskhod blade, they're made by machines that aren't always flawless.
Are you doing proper prep work(soaking and softening the beard) before starting the shave? For me if I try to do a shave without any prep work it pulls/tugs but a simple prep like hot towel over the beard for few mins gives really nice shave, I don't like shaving after the shower. I would try to get a blade which is known for its smoothness than sharpness ( Something like Astra SP) but again its my thinking. Haven't tried Derby so cannot comment on that or maybe that blade was a lemon.
Ditch the Derby and move to something at least a little sharper. Derbys IMO are comparable to shaving with a butter knife, maybe even worse
I'm with everyone else that says to trash the Derby. Personna's are known to be reliable, but there's always that chance that you could get a bum blade or bum pack. Just try different blades, you'll find one that works best for your face.
How were the first two shaves with the Derby? No tugging? Comfortable? Or was it three shaves of the same tugging and discomfort? The reason I ask is that if the first two shaves were fine then maybe Derby's are just fine, but only for a couple of shaves. If all three shaves were bad (tugging, uncomfortable) , then I'd retire from Derby's for now and try a relatively "sharper" blade ... Astra. Personna, etc as has already been recommended. I say this due to the tugging. In the future you could always try the Derby again say ... with a new razor purchase or something. Some razors and blades sometimes seem made for one another.
Just like that... have you tryed shaving with a different soap? I know some soaps irritate me more than others!
Take this advice no point continuing to get burned when there is a blade that will be less harsh on your face and you can enjoy your shaves more. Try Astra SP or SS they are smooth blades and inexpensive to boot.
Thanks so much for all the replies! Suisse, I enjoy the prep a lot, so first I shower, then hot towel for about 1 minute and then lathering. Gnomechompski, I use the Speick cream and it has been nice to me until now. burpsan, the first shaves were fine, but only WTG, not XTG. So I suspect you are right in that the Derbys probably dull very fast on my beard and I either need something sharper or just use the Derbys once or twice tops and then ditch them. So, I used an Astra SP yesterday. Those glue drops are sure annoying. I did only two WTG passes, as my skin was irritated still. It was an ok shave, but I didn't experience the blade so much sharper or smoother. However, that also might be due to the lather. Somehow, I didn't add enough water and it started getting flaky mid-pass. Gonna try the Astra again today. Thanks again for so much great advice!
Well if your face was already very irritated then I would give it a few days to heal. Then a different blade will shine better for you. Hard to get a good feel for a different blade when your face is tender.
Yup, just found that out. WTG with the Astra SP went great, but XTG started becoming uncomfortable, so I switched it to WTG... I have some irritation now, but not that bad. Won't shave until Sunday and see how it goes... Thanks again!
Stick with the WTG pattern only for a few more shaves until you develop a little more reliable technique. Remember what you really want to do is to find a blade that works with the one razor you are using and then lock in to learn technique. I condensed a process for many new users that worked for me when I started and has worked for others too. It is called the 30 day rule. THE 30 DAY RULE. Find a razor, then a blade that will not cause issues with your face (that may take a few different blades in a sampler pack to find a suitable choice or it maybe the first out of the gate) and select a soap or cream that is easy to generate good lather. Once you find those, and it may take a couple of weeks to find this combination, order a quantity of that blade enough for 30 days, and then spend 30 days using nothing else until you build up your technique. (Note that only one brand blade is used for 30 days after each blade in the sampler pack is tested to make the decision on the blade brand to use for 30 days.) The 30 day clock starts when you have the right blade for you. After 30 days, change one and only one variable and work for another week then change another after another week. At that point you should be able to make better decisions because your technique is now in place. This will help you to avoid buying too much gear and stuff too soon without having the technique down to enjoy it all. Good fortune in your quest for a better shave.
