Congrats, I also started with a weishi (VDH). you should be able to shave nicely with it. Enjoy the ride.
I just tried it with Dorco blades that came with the package. It was a horrible experience. LOL. I didn't know how to use a DE. I drew blood. The shave was not clean. I got razor burn. I think Dorco blade was to blame. I didn't have a gliding pass. (I used Body Shop shaving cream) I have to tug and drag a bit. Hence the razor burn. Or I made a mistake by trying to get a long pass with a single swipe. Masters, please help me how to use DE for the first time!
I'm not a master, only started about a month ago. But in addition to the blade, it could be that you were shaving with too great of an angle. Try to keep the head of the razor as close to your face as possible while still keeping the blade on your skin.
Well, at least you tried! And you're willing to go at it again! In all seriousness, there can be multiple reasons why the shave didn't go too well: what is your preparation? That is important as well. Take a hot shower first, for instance, to soften the hairs. You can use pre shave balm or oil if you like Whip up the soap to a thick, slick, creamy lather. No large bubbles (then it is too water-y) Razor angle is important, as @whiteboy_cannon pointed out. Don't try to mow the whiskers off in one pass. Wet shaving is about reduction. Each pass reduces the whiskers. Use as little pressure as possible. Imagine to just try and scrape off the lather in stead of cutting the whiskers. Make a map / drawing of your face and draw the direction of your hair growth. It grows in different directions at different places of your face and it is different for each individual... To feel the direction: slide with your hand over your face. First your cheeks. Feel upwards, downwards, left to right, right to left etcetera. When you feel less resistance and hear less noise: that is the direction in which your hair grows. We call it 'with the grain' or WTG. The other direction is 'against the grain' (ATG) and perpendicular to these directions is 'accross the grain' (XTG). Shave in multiple passes. First pass: with the grain (WTG). Second pass: accross the grain XTG. If it feels right, do a third pass XTG. When you are more comfortable with DE shaving, you can try to do the third pass ATG in stead of XTG. Not everyone can shave ATG, so don't be upset if that doesn't work for you. Go slowly. No rushing. Quick strokes may lead to more burn. If the lather dries out, just relather. Remember: slick lather is important! Use after shave balm, alum or witch hazel after the shave, to soothe the skin. You can find excellent witch hazel in the Shave Den Shop (amongst other great products!). The revenues all go to the maintenance of the TSD website, so you'll be supporting the forum as well! Check out mantic59's unsurpassed YouTube channel. Apart from instructive, they are fun to watch! Keep at it and don't give up! You'll get there! Any more questions: just ask! We're glad to help!
Reading the list, I saw some mistakes that I did. I have to print this and pin it beside my bathroom mirror.
There are many many things that can be done, to achieve a perfect shave, but it can make a newcomers mind spin. Forgo blades are fine, just not the best. They are good starter blades. So I'm going to break it down to a few simple things, for newcomers to achieve a pain free shave. 1. Hydrate the beard. Best to shave directly out of a shower. Hot and wet towels work too. 2. A good slick lather. Don't fall into the fluffy is better myth(lather porn). A good test to see if your lather is slick is to apply it to your face, then rub one finger on your cheek, with pressure. If it's slick feeling, then shave. If it's not, then add more soap to the brush and RE lather your face. 3. When shaving use a very "shallow" blade angle, and very very light pressure. Also, use short strokes, not long ones. 4. Use an aftershave with moisturizers. Aqua Velva is a good starter. You can research others on your own.
I've said before, the blades that come with the razor are crap. A fellow gave me his razor and blades. He threw in the towel after one shave. I gave it a shot with the supplied blades; absolutely terrible. That same razor with Astra or Feathers produces a very good shave. Disclaimer: this is my opinion YMMV
It is exactly because YMMV, I was willing to give it a try. Thanks for the warning though. I am still undecided why I had the bloody experience. Could be the blade, the pre shave preparation, or my technique. I will explore more today. Wish me luck.
I have tried Dorco blades a couple of times. Each time, the shave was so terrible that I decided to interrupt and swap to a better blade. At this very moment, KAI blades are my favorite blades. They are a lot more expensive than other DE blades, but also lasting much longer, so in the end, they cost me about the same as other blades.
Could be all of the above. Dorcos aren't necessarily bad blades. Some people make them work. But they are usually quite experienced shavers. They also are not very sharp, so they require a razor that is bit more aggressive, the weishi you have is very mild
FWIW my first few DE shaves were with Shark blades, a blade I couldn't have a lower opinion of now (YMMV etc.), but it got me going. Try again after reading everything here and hit up You Tube. I'm sure everything will get easier in no time.
I still have my MTO and use it occasionally. However, I still have a tuck of Dorco 300 blades that I doubt I'll ever use because Feather blades work so much better. The MTO/VDH/Weishi razor is extremely mild so you'll need a blade that's sharper than a Dorco for a good shave, even with good prep and technique.
A progress there was. I prepared a lot better now. I used a hot towel to cover my shaving area. Soaked my brush in hot water and used it to build a really warm lather. (First time I did it. It was really nice). This time, I felt my lather on my face and I felt it wasn't slick enough. (like Daltongang adviced) Maybe I will try adding PSV oil later. Will search for an easy recipe. The tension was build up for me while I was lathering. Will I cut myself again? I tried shorter passes. WTG first. I still felt the Dorco blade kinda tugging a lot. I don't know if it is the blade or my thick hair. My mistake was not changing the blade. This is the blade that I used from the first time trying. I still tend to do a longer pass. Especially around the chin area. The first pass stopped there and gave me a razor burn. (still felt it this morning). I couldn't do a single pass there. Overall, I did a better job. No nicks or cuts. But I missed several small area that still have hair. Didn't clean them up because I was already too tired and off to bed. I should make a video on how I shave and ask inputs.
