Hi there, I'm Piet and new to this forum and wet shaving in general. After a long time of Braun and Philips irritation and hair pulling, I decided to give wet shaving a try. I bought a Mühle brush, proraso preshave cream and proraso shaving soap. Because I'm new to this, I bought a Mach3 (sorry guys but I thought it was safer for a beginner). Looking really forward to this I gave it a try with a 1.5day stubble. After a hot shower, a soaking brush and preshave cream on my face I made the lather and started shaving wtg. Trouble started, either no hairs got cut off or the stubble got stuck inbetween the blades, giving this pulling sensation (also after rinsing). When I was done not much of a difference was visible. Also, when I used my philips shaver it really caused irritation under my nose, causing flakes and 'loose hairs'. 3 months after throwing this torture machine out, it's still there. Any advise on this? Thanks in advance and hopefully you can help me out with the obstacles mentioned above. I'm sure I'll have a good and experiece generating time here! Hopefully in a few years I'll be able to help the new newbies here myself. Kind regards, Piet
Hi! DE razors are just as safe as carts, so put your fears to rest. All blades will cut if you slide the razor parallel to the edge of the blade, doesn't matter if you have three blades or one blade. The learning curve with the DE is that it is a fixed head, no pivot, so you have to learn the correct angle for your face. That and learning not to use as much pressure as you do with a cart. And that really isn't too difficult.
Hi nice to meet you. I had lots of problem with pulling and not cutting hair too. If you don't want to try a DE find a cart or disposable with just one blade. Injectors are a good option too.
Welcome to The Shave Den, Piet! Check out the SOTD thread (SOTD = shave of the day) and the 30 day focus thread. In particular, the 30-day focus thread is a great place to develop and refine your technique. Ask plenty of questions, as everyone here is willing to help. Have fun.
Piet, Welcome to TSD. It looks like you have some good gear, the only item I'd personally take exception to being the Mach3. The way multiblade razors work is far from ideal and bears testament to the power of razor manufacturers' advertising. Vastly overcomplicated and expensive, you honestly don't need more than one blade for a satisfying shave. I advise looking up Mantic59's tutorial videos on YouTube, among others, and his "The Sharpologist" web site for shaving advice and reviews. All good informative, practical fun. After decades of "chore" shaving with cartridge razors and less than satisfactory results with electric shavers I returned to DE shaving about 6 months ago and haven't looked back since. It's become a pleasure. Treat yourself to one of the new breed of DE razors or invest in a reasonably priced vintage one (or injector) available either in this forum, online auction sites, antique shops, etc. With the advice and support available from members here you won't regret it. You'll soon be nursing a full blown addiction with the rest of us. Regards, Chris
to TSD "mrpiet" I hope you enjoy it here. Don't apologize to us for using a "Mach3" apologize to your face. While there maybe an itty bitty learning curve between a single blade DE/SE and a multi bladed cart, it's slight, and it's well worth learning to shave "traditionally". In fact an Injector razor IMO is basically a single bladed cart at least in shape. Probably why they dislike my face. You can find affordable, mild, modern and vintage DE's at places like Maggards , ebay and right here at TSD(just do your research). Edwin Jagger, Muhle, Merkur, Parker, etc. all make affordable, well made, mild razors, but be warned they make some pretty aggressive ones also! . Make sure you also get a blade sample pack "try a blade" is a good place to look. The more different blades you can try the better in your quest for the perfect blade/blades. Time, technique, practice and patience are all you need to succeed shaving "traditionally". You will undoubtedly be getting stellar irritation free shaves, giving out advice to newbies and feeling like an old shaving pro not in years but in months.
Piet, I am going to +1 what chrisbd said, dump that mach3, it is your problem. there are a gazillion choices for you to make about a razor and i will just give you my two cents. everyone who has or started with a edwin jagger loves them. Most of us move on to other razors but it is a fantastic way to start, they are well made and are forgiving when your learning and cost around $40-$45. If you rather get a very good razor to start for around $20 look at Maggards MR razors. Part of the fun of wet shaving is trying different blades and seeing what works best for you. Maggards, Italian barber, smallflower, bull goose, stirling, the list goes on and on and the more you explore the more you learn. we also talk a lot about skin care here and it sounds like you need to check out some products like witch hazels and balms. there are a lot of products that will help your irritation issues. also this will not take you a few years to catch on, only a few months..... that is if you ditch that mach3 idea.
