I just received my first blade sampler pack yesterday (along with some other goodies, which I'll get into later), and decided to try using an Astra. I've used Feathers in my Merkur 1904 for my first 6 DE shaves, and have been getting some razor burn that I don't like, so I thought I'd try an Astra, since I've seen them described as very smooth. Other blades in the pack are green Gillettes, Sharks, Blue Birds, Derbys, and black-label Feathers. The shave felt smoother, I guess, than the Feathers, but I've still got more burn than I want to deal with, and my face looks a little red and irritated where I've shaved. I did 2 very gentle passes WTG, and then some touch up on missed spots XTG, after dabbing the spots with my brush first, using a bowl-lathered TOBS cream. The thing is, when I opened the Astra blade, there were dots of what looked like wax across the blade, presumably to help keep the package sealed. I tried rubbing the wax off, which didn't work, and then ran it under hot water and tried using the paper blade packaging to gently wipe off the wax. This didn't really work either, so I settled on trying to get the cutting edges of the blade as free of wax as I could, and started shaving. What do other people do with wax spots on blades? Could the wax, and my attempts to clean it off, contribute to a poor shave?
The wax is, as you guessed, just there to keep the paper sealed, it will not hurt anything and does not impede the use of the blade in any way. Trying to clean it off, if not carefully done, could result in cuts or in a dulling of the blade, so most of us just leave it be. You can try using nail polish remover (or any acetate) to remove the wax, but do you really want to do that every time you change the blade out? Most DE blades will have wax spots on them. My favorite blades are SuperMax Titanium, for what it's worth. I have yet to find a blade that works better for my face, but the SuperMax Platinum are a close second. http://www.razorbladesandmore.com/catalog/double-edge-razor-blades/supermax
I've noticed in some of my razors that if I put the blade in with the wax spots facing up, the wax will make the blade bend down too far. I just put the blade in with the wax spots facing down and don't worry about them. I've noticed especially in Gillette TTO razors, the wax may make contact with the baseplate but that won't hurt anything. You may just have to clean the wax off the baseplate once in a while.
Just leave them! Attempting to clean them off is risky since you would be getting too close to the cutting edge of the blade to clean it off and that risk is not worth it for something that will get thrown out after a few shaves. Besides, blade manufacturers recommend NOT to wipe the cutting edge with clothes as it "may" diminish the performance of the blade. Russian blades are notorious for such large wax spots. I use Russian Gillette 7'0 clock blades and I just ignore the wax spots. However, I load the side of the blade with the wax spots facing down (towards the base plate) so that the blade does not get stuck in the TTO doors / razor head when removing.
Thanks for the responses! I think I put the blade in wax up in my Merkur, so it's something to look into. It was one of those things when I was trying to get the wax off, it kind of seemed like a bad idea but I found myself doing it before I thought it through. I'm going to try a new Astra, wax down in my new Black Beauty set on 1, and see how it goes.
The wax spots are totally NOT needed I.M.O. and a mystery to me as to why they are even used, but the Russians sure seem to like them.. Like most people I just leave them on with no problems. Well I do have a slight problem with the wax, as I use shims on my blade and if you don't load the blade wax side up(towards the cap) opposite of the shim, it's a b***h to separate the shim and blade when it comes time to change blades. I feel that rubbing the surface of the blade to get off the wax may contribute to a poorer quality shave. Of course I can't prove that and YMMV....
Wow, a 1 huh? That is saying a lot about how harsh you feel the blades are. Even Feathers would be pretty mild on 1. I agree that wax on the blades isn't really necessary, but it's the cheapest and most certain way to insure that blade wrappers stay put.
Well, I've never used the black beauty before (just got it yesterday), and since I'm new to double-edged razors, and have been having minor issues so far with razor burn, I thought I'd start out slow, on 1, and move it up gradually. I've been shaving with Sensors/MachXs/Fusion-type things for over 20 years, so I'm having to un-learn bad habits as I go.
Nothing wrong with that. Someone told me the way to find your sweet spot is to start low, shave, and then evaluate. That's what I've done and it worked for me. On my super adjustable, I found that on 5 with a Personna blade it was just a bit mild but on 6 it felt just right. It took off most of my beard on the WTG pass and was gentle enough going ATG. On 7, I got a little burn so 6 is my number with that blade.
Well, that really worked. I just finished a long hot shower and shave, using the 'Beauty on 1, and it was great. I'm far from baby-smooth, but that wasn't what I was shooting for: this time the goal was less burn and irritation. I used l'Occitane's Cade shaving soap, bowl-lathered with barely any water on the brush, and limited myself to two WTG passes. I also took my time (the wife and daughter are out doing girly things) and really concentrated on using no pressure. I found that I was able to kind of balance the butt end of the handle on my fingertips, and let the weight of the head pull the razor down. It worked, I could really feel the hairs popping as the blade (new Astra, wax-down) slowly slid down my face. As hard as it was to resist touching up a few spots, I didn't, and finished up with a sample of the Cade after-shave balm. I'm finding that I probably have sensitive skin, and so today, as part of my "keeping it simple" plan, I used the "cleanest" products I have at the moment, which is the l'Occitane stuff -- barely any scent or alcohol. The result is a bit stubbly, but comfortable, and my face feels great. I think I'll keep going in this direction, and I'm sure I'd fallen prey to the classic rookie mistake: trying too hard with too much. The Feathers and the Merkur will sit on the bench for the time being. *Incidentally, late yesterday I went on a sample-aquiring mission at the mall, and it's pretty impressive what you can get for nothing. AoS, l'Occitane, LUSH, Crabtree & E., and the Body Shop are all pretty free with their samples. I figured I'd try to find something that really works for me before I invest in another tub of something that I won't end up using.
Good work. It's important to start off as irritation free as possible and work on technique until you're good to go. The L'Occitane stuff is quickly becoming my favorite, I love their soaps and the after shave is nice too. You're off to a great start with some great gear.
I melt the wax spots with hot water. I don't know I just feel the need to get rid of them, I'm paranoid they might be on the edge.
Since they're not on the edge to start, I'd be more paranoid of getting wax on the edge if I tried to melt them off!
Good point, I worried about that too. I melt the wax off with boiling water then do second rinse to make sure the blade is pristine. I keep a small kettle in my bathroom for my scuttle so it isn't much extra work. Sometimes it looks like the wax is on the edge. I also worry that the wax will melt when rinsing the razor and get wax on the edge I know I sound crazy but given them time effort and expense that goes into a shave I don't want a little wax getting in the way physically or mentally.
Glad your shave went fine. There's nothing wrong with trying a low setting. My beard is tough as steel but my favorite combination these days is a Toggle loaded with a Feather and a WTG pass with the toggle at 3 & an ATG pass with the toggle set at 1. The result - a very good DFS with no irritation, burn or cuts / nicks. The adjustable razors are adjustable for a reason - to let users control the level of blade exposure that's suitable for their beard type. If a low setting works for you, go with it and enjoy your shaves!
If you get a much less irritating shave with the razor set to 1, it probably means that your main problem might be angle, rather than pressure. The real difference between a setting of 1 and a setting of, say, 7 is that the usable blade angle is much smaller when it is set to 1. This also means that the chance for irritation from "scraping" with the blade is minimal. If you use the correct angle and pressure, you should not get more irritation with a higher setting. Keep the handle of the razor higher up (more perpendicular to your face). Make it so there's a lot of cap on your face when you shave. This was reduce irritation right away. A lot of irritation is caused by holding the razor at an angle such that the blade is at too high an angle; used that way, the blade can't do anything but scrape. You should be trying to gently run the blade edge right along your skin at a shallow angle so it just slices off the hairs.
My recent shipment of Astra SP has much less glue spots than those in my sampler. It's more like a tiny dap in center of the blade - much better than the heavy glue amount before.
