I wonder which razor suits my situation?

[qwvb1111]

First of all, welcome to the B&B community.

@qwvb1111 , you might want to take a look at the PAA Filament.... They are in stock at the moment... It's a fun, little and light, double slant open comb razor. It's pretty efficient. It compares very well with the fairly expensive razors I have and it's right around $30 plus shipping... Just google "PAA Filament razor" and it comes right up.

Edit: You might also enjoy the Goodfellas Smile Bayonetta.... It's a brass razor so no worries about the metal deconstructing.... I did hand polish mine with Simichrome because I like razors a bit more shiny.. personal choice... but the Bayonetta is a very fine razor for around $60 on Amazon.... It made my top razor list.. quite a feat for a fairly inexpensive razor.

goodfellas smile seems to be a resonable price razor brand, I went to the only barber shop in my region and they have the one called Impero open comb for sale.

I then checked it on the

First of all, welcome to the B&B community.

@qwvb1111 , you might want to take a look at the PAA Filament.... They are in stock at the moment... It's a fun, little and light, double slant open comb razor. It's pretty efficient. It compares very well with the fairly expensive razors I have and it's right around $30 plus shipping... Just google "PAA Filament razor" and it comes right up.

Edit: You might also enjoy the Goodfellas Smile Bayonetta.... It's a brass razor so no worries about the metal deconstructing.... I did hand polish mine with Simichrome because I like razors a bit more shiny.. personal choice... but the Bayonetta is a very fine razor for around $60 on Amazon.... It made my top razor list.. quite a feat for a fairly inexpensive razor.

good fellas smile seems to be a reasonable price razor brand, I went to the only local barber shop in my region and they have the one called Impero open comb for sale for around $50 USD

I then googled it and found on rasoigoodfellas, it seems nice with a stainless steel handle and is inexpensive, but there are not very good comment on it.

So I wonder if I should try this. The Bayonetta seems good too with a brass handle, but I don't know if it is open comb or not, and it seems out of stock on rasoigoodfellas, and the price is higher on other place

 

[Wgg2017]

1. Definitely avoid the shavettes. They are much more difficult to use than a double edge razor. If you just want a good shave, a DE razor will be easier.

2. The Parker Variant OC is a great place to start. It’s adjustable and new and is well regarded here. The only drawback that I’m aware of is how the finish on the handle will hold up over time.

3. If you have really thick whiskers that lay flat against the skin you might need a razor that clamps down on the blade very well. The Fatip Piccolo does that and is inexpensive but may need some blade alignment on your part prior to shaving.

4. Vintage Gillette’s also work very well for me even with the thick whisker problem. You could try a slim, fatboy, or super adjustable and get a razor that can be adjusted and also works well with thick whiskers.

Good luck in your search!

 

[qwvb1111]

My suggestion is to go cheap until you master technique, and decide that single blade wet shaving is right for you.

My journey started like that with the inexpensive Viking Chieftan Razor. About $20, more or less on Amazon. It it a simple twist to open razor which I found to be rather aggressive, often accompanied with a bit of bloodshed now and again, as I learned to mastered technique. In the beginning one needs to relearn technique vs disposable cartridges since the head does no not flex to accommodate facial contours. The most important tip is to not use pressure and let the razor glide over a silky smooth lather. Playing with a under $25 razor is good way to see if this is for you.

Since the Viking Chieftain was a bit agressive I moved to the Muhle R89. Much smoother shave and aggressiveness can be managed by testing different blades from a sample pack, Feather and Kai blades tend to the most aggressive/efficient. Eventually, I complimented the Muhle R89 with a Merkur 37C slant for heavier beard days. Those two where all I needed but I had an itch to scratch so I moved on to a Rockwell 6, first the 6C then later the 6S, then sold everything else. I pick the plate I need for the growth I have.

Muhle 41 is NOT a beginner razor. Poor technique, leads to lots of bloodshed which can discourage one from pursuing this type shaving. A shavette requires much better technique and experience since there is no safety bar. The Parker shavette uses half DE blades so little benefit for result requiring better technique. A superior Shavette, like Kai or Feather uses Artist Club blades which are longer more closely approximate single edge razors. The Merkur 34 or Muhle 89 are a good place to start. Adjustable is also a safe bet but in the beginning one might keep fiddling with the settings to get a good shave instead of mastering technique and learning how the razor plays with different blades. So as I originally started, consider going cheap to learn technique, like a Vikings Chieftan, Gillette King C, while testing different blades from a sample pack as well as different shave soap, then move on if needed.

Edited to add: if you get a Muhle R89, you can later purchase just the R41 head for about and swap onto the same handle

speaking of vikings blade, initially I was thinking of buying the meiji one or the emperor one, they are adjustable, have a safety bar side and a open comb-wise side. But I saw a lot of reviews on Amazon stated that the qc is bad and broke after several weeks of usage reviews, so I gave up on that and tend to choose famous brands like muhle and merkur.

I am also thinking of Rockwell 6C as well, it is almost over budget but I would give it a go if it is suitable for me.

The question is, will a close comb razor like muhle R89 or rockwell 6c, with feather or kai blades, still be able to close shave my 1 week stubble? If it is possible then I think I will not try the open combs

 

[jaro 101969]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the leaf razors ie twig or thorn or the regular multiple blade one.. They all use standard half DE blades and have a pivot so they would be similar to your old cartridge razors.. also the final cut and the merkur progress are also an option as well as a Weck Sextoblade which uses the hair shaper blades , if you got one of those ,they come with a blade guard which I would use when first learning it.. Some people like to call the Weck a straight razor with training wheels !! Another good thing with some of these is that the prices are fairly low so you could in all honesty get a few different razors and as your techniques improve you would be able to have somewhat of a variety and be able to change up your razor for variety sake.... Good luck and welcome to the forum..

 

[Psychtec]

Welcome
Here are my two cents

You are receiving excellent recommendations. Sounds like you have done your research and are off to a good start.

One of the differences between using a cartridge and an actual razor blade is the amount of pressure used. You know this.

I would recommend purchasing an Alum Block. Sounds like money maybe tight. You can read YouTube videos or read threads from this forum to learn more about it. Many use it daily. Many do not. Very easy to use. Lasts a long time. A really long time. I would buy one with a case.

I shave daily and use one daily. The one I use is Artian’s Republic. It was about $10 on EBay. Well worth the money. IMHO. It soothes yours skin after your shave. It helps reduce pimples and acne. Many use it to help gauge proper technique progression.

When learning to use a safety razor you are going to nick yourself and possibly get some razor burn. An Alum Block will help quickly reduce how often and how irritating.

If certain areas of your face stings some, you are using too much pressure. Ease up. If you get razor burn, it means you are going over the same area too much. Don’t. You will notice over time certain areas will sting more and certain areas will sting less. Those are the areas focus on to help reduce issues.

Enjoy your new journey. Keep shaving enjoyable with whatever software and hardware you decide to use.

 

[Psychtec]

speaking of vikings blade, initially I was thinking of buying the meiji one or the emperor one, they are adjustable, have a safety bar side and a open comb-wise side. But I saw a lot of reviews on Amazon stated that the qc is bad and broke after several weeks of usage reviews, so I gave up on that and tend to choose famous brands like muhle and merkur.

I am also thinking of Rockwell 6C as well, it is almost over budget but I would give it a go if it is suitable for me.

The question is, will a close comb razor like muhle R89 or rockwell 6c, with feather or kai blades, still be able to close shave my 1 week stubble? If it is possible then I think I will not try the open combs

I was justing thinking after reading your thread. Don’t most razor companies like Muhle and Merkur have generous returns policies? Knowing this can save you time and money. I understand these two companies and others have very good customer service. Tell them what you are looking for. Make the purchase. Return and purchase something else more to your liking. Repeat as necessary until you find what works best for you. With razor blades buy a sample pack and use a similar concept.

I understand most prefer variety and many choices when it some to choosing the right razor and blade combo for themselves. I understand most are content with owning many many razors and many blades. Not me.

Here is another way of thinking to get what you want. Do what is right for you.

I only shave with SE vintage razors GEM/Ever Ready. Easy to use. The choices are minimal. The aggressiveness, smoothness and closeness each provide is clear and obvious with good advice you can get here and on YouTube. The choice of which GEM blade to use is two, carbon steel and stainless steel. To me this was the ideal scenario.

I prefer less variety and fewer choices. It is working for me. After a trial and error period which was about a year, I chose the razor and blade combination I liked. I am content with owning only two razors I rotate between. I am content with using one blade between the two razors exclusively. I got rid of the razors and blades I never used. I focus all of my attention on improving technique and getting good shaves.

Difference ways of thinking results in the same conclusion. Enjoyable shaves.

 

[qwvb1111]

Welcome
Here are my two cents

You are receiving excellent recommendations. Sounds like you have done your research and are off to a good start.

One of the differences between using a cartridge and an actual razor blade is the amount of pressure used. You know this.

I would recommend purchasing an Alum Block. Sounds like money maybe tight. You can read YouTube videos or read threads from this forum to learn more about it. Many use it daily. Many do not. Very easy to use. Lasts a long time. A really long time. I would buy one with a case.

I shave daily and use one daily. The one I use is Artian’s Republic. It was about $10 on EBay. Well worth the money. IMHO. It soothes yours skin after your shave. It helps reduce pimples and acne. Many use it to help gauge proper technique progression.

When learning to use a safety razor you are going to nick yourself and possibly get some razor burn. An Alum Block will help quickly reduce how often and how irritating.

If certain areas of your face stings some, you are using too much pressure. Ease up. If you get razor burn, it means you are going over the same area too much. Don’t. You will notice over time certain areas will sting more and certain areas will sting less. Those are the areas focus on to help reduce issues.

Enjoy your new journey. Keep shaving enjoyable with whatever software and hardware you decide to use.

I use Nivea replenishing post shave balm before and I found that it is quite greasy, I don't like that so I bought the Proraso after shave lotion green 2 days ago. I know it contains alcohol and I want that too because it can sanitize and maybe reduce chance of ingrown hair + acne.

But sadly, when I apply that to face after shaving, it hurts quite a lot, even though winith the area with fewer strokes.

There are 2 questions now.

1. Should I use an alum block first, then apply Proraso lotion after 5 minutes? My idea is that alum block helps soothe the wounds, then lotion prevent ingrown hair and cool feeling.

2. If alum block can also do what lotion does, i.e. sooth wounds, tighten skin, cool feeling etc, then do I still need the lotion and balm? I don't want too many unnecessary products in my drawer.

 

[Cannon Cocker]

I was justing thinking after reading your thread. Don’t most razor companies like Muhle and Merkur have generous returns policies? Knowing this can save you time and money. I understand these two companies and others have very good customer service. Tell them what you are looking for. Make the purchase. Return and purchase something else more to your liking. Repeat as necessary until you find what works best for you. With razor blades buy a sample pack and use a similar concept.

I understand most prefer variety and many choices when it some to choosing the right razor and blade combo for themselves. I understand most are content with owning many many razors and many blades. Not me.

Here is another way of thinking to get what you want. Do what is right for you.

I only shave with SE vintage razors GEM/Ever Ready. Easy to use. The choices are minimal. The aggressiveness, smoothness and closeness each provide is clear and obvious with good advice you can get here and on YouTube. The choice of which GEM blade to use is two, carbon steel and stainless steel. To me this was the ideal scenario.

I prefer less variety and fewer choices. It is working for me. After a trial and error period which was about a year, I chose the razor and blade combination I liked. I am content with owning only two razors I rotate between. I am content with using one blade between the two razors exclusively. I got rid of the razors and blades I never used. I focus all of my attention on improving technique and getting good shaves.

Difference ways of thinking results in the same conclusion. Enjoyable shaves.

I was justing thinking after reading your thread. Don’t most razor companies like Muhle and Merkur have generous returns policies? Knowing this can save you time and money. I understand these two companies and others have very good customer service. Tell them what you are looking for. Make the purchase. Return and purchase something else more to your liking. Repeat as necessary until you find what works best for you. With razor blades buy a sample pack and use a similar concept.

I understand most prefer variety and many choices when it some to choosing the right razor and blade combo for themselves. I understand most are content with owning many many razors and many blades. Not me.

Here is another way of thinking to get what you want. Do what is right for you.

I only shave with SE vintage razors GEM/Ever Ready. Easy to use. The choices are minimal. The aggressiveness, smoothness and closeness each provide is clear and obvious with good advice you can get here and on YouTube. The choice of which GEM blade to use is two, carbon steel and stainless steel. To me this was the ideal scenario.

I prefer less variety and fewer choices. It is working for me. After a trial and error period which was about a year, I chose the razor and blade combination I liked. I am content with owning only two razors I rotate between. I am content with using one blade between the two razors exclusively. I got rid of the razors and blades I never used. I focus all of my attention on improving technique and getting good shaves.

Difference ways of thinking results in the same conclusion. Enjoyable shaves.

I have never heard of either Muhle or Merkur excepting a return from someone because they weren’t happy with the shave. Some companies like Timeless and Blackland (there may be others) do except returns, but they are priced out of the OP’s budget.

 

[Lord Fatboy]

r41

 

[Psychtec]

I use Nivea replenishing post shave balm before and I found that it is quite greasy, I don't like that so I bought the Proraso after shave lotion green 2 days ago. I know it contains alcohol and I want that too because it can sanitize and maybe reduce chance of ingrown hair + acne.

But sadly, when I apply that to face after shaving, it hurts quite a lot, even though winith the area with fewer strokes.

There are 2 questions now.

1. Should I use an alum block first, then apply Proraso lotion after 5 minutes? My idea is that alum block helps soothe the wounds, then lotion prevent ingrown hair and cool feeling.

2. If alum block can also do what lotion does, i.e. sooth wounds, tighten skin, cool feeling etc, then do I still need the lotion and balm? I don't want too many unnecessary products in my drawer.

I found Nivea too greasy also.

Alum Block

Whether to use one or both will be up to you. Use just Alum for a few days. Then use with lotion for a few days.
Make a decision afterwards.

BUT in the meantime, maybe for now, hold off on buying anything else or changing anything for now.

Recommendations

1. It is going to take a minimum of six months to a year to get where you want to be in your new shaving journey.
2. Enjoy the ride. Do not make it a chore. Make shaving with a DE enjoyable.

What you are using now, razor, blade, lotion, etc will most likely be different in six months to a year.

Ask yourself.
1. Are you doing too much, too fast?
2. Are you making too many changes in too short a period of time?

It is going to take time for your skin to know what it likes.
1. Your skin has to toughen up and get used to the DE blades.
2. Maybe then your skin will be able to handle shaving more than once weekly?

My experience tells me most DE user shave more than once a week once they have their razor/blade combo and routine down.

Making too many changes in a short period of time.
1. You will not know what is or isn’t working for you.
2. What your skin likes now is most likely going to be different three months from now.
3. Slow down. Enjoy your journey.
4. Continue learning, from the knowledge you gain here and elsewhere.

Maybe for now:
1. just focus on choosing one razor and maybe a few blades.
2. Make no razor or blade changes for maybe a month or so. See what happens.
3. Note your likes and dislikes.
4. Keep everything else the same for now.

Continue with your questions. Enjoy this forum. Do what is right for you. Enjoy your next shave.

 

[Psychtec]

I have never heard of either Muhle or Merkur excepting a return from someone because they weren’t happy with the shave. Some companies like Timeless and Blackland (there may be others) do except returns, but they are priced out of the OP’s budget.

Cannon Cocker

You would know more than myself. Just a thought. Thank you for the more concise and accurate information. This new member seems to be receiving excellent recommendations from you and others more knowledgeable than myself. Appreciated.

 

[DeBladeRunner]

Rockwell 6C sounds like a great choice...

 

[Salty_Shaver]

Going to give you the best advice I can think of. The question you asked is very subjective. It’s like asking what running shoes should you buy. It’s subjective what works for me might not work for you. In shaving it comes down to one common denominator. Technique and mastering that do that it doesn’t matter what razor you use. Blades on the other hand are the independent variable and can have different effects from different manufacturers. So find a razor that works for you master your technique basically muscle memory. Then find the blade that works best for you and you are done.

 

[Phoenixkh]

speaking of vikings blade, initially I was thinking of buying the meiji one or the emperor one, they are adjustable, have a safety bar side and a open comb-wise side. But I saw a lot of reviews on Amazon stated that the qc is bad and broke after several weeks of usage reviews, so I gave up on that and tend to choose famous brands like muhle and merkur.

I am also thinking of Rockwell 6C as well, it is almost over budget but I would give it a go if it is suitable for me.

The question is, will a close comb razor like muhle R89 or rockwell 6c, with feather or kai blades, still be able to close shave my 1 week stubble? If it is possible then I think I will not try the open combs

Most of my razors are solid bar. Some of them have small lines or scallops in them, some don't. The Bayonetta has a smooth safety bar, but it's still efficient with several days whisker growth for me. They all do fine with 6 or 7 days growth, though I try to get 3 shaves in a week. Sometimes I miss the mark and only shave once a week. The first pass is more of an adventure when I let my whiskers go that long in between shaves but it isn't that big of a deal. I do have a few open comb razors, but I don't notice a significant difference, truth be told. I know others do, so as they say: YMMV.

 

[Albert V]

I am also thinking of Rockwell 6C as well, it is almost over budget but I would give it a go if it is suitable for me.

The question is, will a close comb razor like muhle R89 or rockwell 6c, with feather or kai blades, still be able to close shave my 1 week stubble? If it is possible then I think I will not try the open combs

Since it is now on your short list, I strongly suggest going for the Rockwell 6C for a few reasons. 1), it is in your budget, or under if you find a discount code on their website 2) if you buy from their website you get a 60 day return period where they will provide free return shipping label, 3) if you buy from their website you get a lifetime warranty, even if you drop and break it - you just pay a few dollars to ship the replacement part. 4) you got nothing to lose. Putting it another way, all the above are the reasons I tried one last summer and got hooked. The R3 plate is roughly equivalent to the Muhle R89. R4 plate is a tad more efficient. I would start at plate 3 or 4 and learn to drive first before going to the most aggressive plates. The reason is you need to learn new technique, no pressing, just gliding, on a slick soap. Heavier razors help let the weight do the work, Consider heavier razors are around 100 grams or more, and the Rockwell 6c is 100, the 6S, is 120 grams. muhle R89 is a liht razor, and lighter weight tends to make the shaver press a bit more.

https://support.rockwellrazors.com/portal/en/kb/articles/what-is-your-return-policy

https://support.rockwellrazors.com/portal/en/kb/articles/what-is-the-warranty

 

[qwvb1111]

I found Nivea too greasy also.

Alum Block

Whether to use one or both will be up to you. Use just Alum for a few days. Then use with lotion for a few days.
Make a decision afterwards.

BUT in the meantime, maybe for now, hold off on buying anything else or changing anything for now.

Recommendations

1. It is going to take a minimum of six months to a year to get where you want to be in your new shaving journey.
2. Enjoy the ride. Do not make it a chore. Make shaving with a DE enjoyable.

What you are using now, razor, blade, lotion, etc will most likely be different in six months to a year.

Ask yourself.
1. Are you doing too much, too fast?
2. Are you making too many changes in too short a period of time?

It is going to take time for your skin to know what it likes.
1. Your skin has to toughen up and get used to the DE blades.
2. Maybe then your skin will be able to handle shaving more than once weekly?

My experience tells me most DE user shave more than once a week once they have their razor/blade combo and routine down.

Making too many changes in a short period of time.
1. You will not know what is or isn’t working for you.
2. What your skin likes now is most likely going to be different three months from now.
3. Slow down. Enjoy your journey.
4. Continue learning, from the knowledge you gain here and elsewhere.

Maybe for now:
1. just focus on choosing one razor and maybe a few blades.
2. Make no razor or blade changes for maybe a month or so. See what happens.
3. Note your likes and dislikes.
4. Keep everything else the same for now.

Continue with your questions. Enjoy this forum. Do what is right for you. Enjoy your next shave.

I appreciate your suggestions sir, but sadly, shaving my beard is a chore to me, and I hardly find it an enjoyment and that is one of the reason I do it just once per week.

￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣
The whole process if I am not wrong, is:

1) Hot shower / hot towel covering beard for 5 minutes

2) Smear pre-shave oil on beard and wait for 5 minutes, then wash away

3) Lathering for 5 minutes, then smear the lather on beard and keep sweeping the lather over the beard for 3 minutes (since I am not going to buy a bowl, I stir the brush over the Proraso norishing soap for 5 minutes for it to build up, and then to the beard for 3 minutes)

4) (for now still the catridge) shave with short strokes and wash away the shaved stubble frequently. after the 1st pass, wash face and touch coarse stubble area to see where there are still stubble left　　　(10 minutes)

5) re-lather and shave those area mentioned above　　　(7 - 10 minutes)

6) wash face again and touch coarse stubble area again to see if there are still stubborn whiskers left, sometimes I will just wet the catridge and shave those reamining whiskers since it is too bothersome to lather up the 3rd time　　　(4 - 5 minutes)

7) wash face the 3rd time and apply after shave lotion / balm

￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣
If the above mentioned steps are correct, then that is quite a big hassle and it is impossible for me to do it 3 - 4 times a week, not to mention everyday. I just don't have that leisurely and carefree mood to do that chore...

And the above steps are what I discovered 1 month before since I bought synthetic brush and Proraso soap. Before that, I just smear some random shaving gel, wait for 5 mintues, splash some water on face to keep it wet and then shave with catridge, then after 2 passes, smear some random moistursing cream bought from drug store on shaved area, done.

I have tried step 1 + 3-7 (pre-shave oil is yet to be bought), or the shaving gel method mentioned above, the shaving quality are similarly bad, the symptoms are on the 1st post.

That's why I want to change the equipment and see which part is the mistake. And then I came here.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I appreciate your suggestions sir, but sadly, shaving my beard is a chore to me, and I hardly find it an enjoyment and that is one of the reason I do it just once per week.

￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣
The whole process if I am not wrong, is:

1) Hot shower / hot towel covering beard for 5 minutes

2) Smear pre-shave oil on beard and wait for 5 minutes, then wash away

3) Lathering for 5 minutes, then smear the lather on beard and keep sweeping the lather over the beard for 3 minutes (since I am not going to buy a bowl, I stir the brush over the Proraso norishing soap for 5 minutes for it to build up, and then to the beard for 3 minutes)

4) (for now still the catridge) shave with short strokes and wash away the shaved stubble frequently. after the 1st pass, wash face and touch coarse stubble area to see where there are still stubble left　　　(10 minutes)

5) re-lather and shave those area mentioned above　　　(7 - 10 minutes)

6) wash face again and touch coarse stubble area again to see if there are still stubborn whiskers left, sometimes I will just wet the catridge and shave those reamining whiskers since it is too bothersome to lather up the 3rd time　　　(4 - 5 minutes)

7) wash face the 3rd time and apply after shave lotion / balm

￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣
If the above mentioned steps are correct, then that is quite a big hassle and it is impossible for me to do it 3 - 4 times a week, not to mention everyday. I just don't have that leisurely and carefree mood to do that chore...

And the above steps are what I discovered 1 month before since I bought synthetic brush and Proraso soap. Before that, I just smear some random shaving gel, wait for 5 mintues, splash some water on face to keep it wet and then shave with catridge, then after 2 passes, smear some random moistursing cream bought from drug store on shaved area, done.

I have tried step 1 + 3-7 (pre-shave oil is yet to be bought), or the shaving gel method mentioned above, the shaving quality are similarly bad, the symptoms are on the 1st post.

That's why I want to change the equipment and see which part is the mistake. And then I came here.

Shaving 7 days growth with a cartridge was next to impossible for me. I had to use a hair clippers first or I could never get the clogged whiskers out of the cartridge. I hated it.

You'll find a DE razor will be much easier, you really will. You will have to adjust your pressure as you are most likely pushing down a LOT to get the cartridge to cut your 7 days of growth. So many people here put it this way to us newbies: back off on the pressure until you know you are using no pressure.. then back off some more, until the blade is barely touching your face.

It will take a while for a couple things. The shave you get will be close so your skin will have to toughen up some. You'll have to learn to let the razor guide you to the perfect angle of attack. Each razor is just a bit different. You'll find the sweet spot, but it might take a shave or two.... Some razors are more intuitive than others, but you'll get there. The terminology is: handle parallel with your face would be considered the "steep angle"... with the handle more perpendicular, that is the "shallow angle"... Lots of people start with the razor cap against their face and move the handle down until they feel the blade engage. I start with the razor safety bar against my face.... handle parallel.. then lift the handle until I feel the blade engage. There is no right or wrong way to approach this. Then as you shave, you make adjustments in that angle until you can feel and often hear the razor cutting at its best.

I've never used the Rockwell, but with 6 base plates (3 actual plates, but two different blade gaps per plate), you'll be able to find one that suits you, I'm sure.

Edit: It's also more than likely you'll get a few nicks and what we call weepers... small dots of blood. Until your skin toughens up, you'll get those weepers... and until you develop some technique, you'll probably nick yourself a few times. Maybe not... but I sure did.

 

[Filudo]

I'm going to say something different:
Shave 2 passes (max) ; twice a week
Use any inexpensive razor (there are so many cheap copies of EJ 89) and buy some good sharp blades.
If you have acne or are acne prone:
Use one of those acne pads some 5" before shaving....(cleans and softens hair).
Alum block +-..... try it...BUT rinse
Use any mix of hamamelis + alcohol aftershave.

 

[Psychtec]

I appreciate your suggestions sir, but sadly, shaving my beard is a chore to me, and I hardly find it an enjoyment and that is one of the reason I do it just once per week.

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The whole process if I am not wrong, is:

1) Hot shower / hot towel covering beard for 5 minutes

2) Smear pre-shave oil on beard and wait for 5 minutes, then wash away

3) Lathering for 5 minutes, then smear the lather on beard and keep sweeping the lather over the beard for 3 minutes (since I am not going to buy a bowl, I stir the brush over the Proraso norishing soap for 5 minutes for it to build up, and then to the beard for 3 minutes)

4) (for now still the catridge) shave with short strokes and wash away the shaved stubble frequently. after the 1st pass, wash face and touch coarse stubble area to see where there are still stubble left　　　(10 minutes)

5) re-lather and shave those area mentioned above　　　(7 - 10 minutes)

6) wash face again and touch coarse stubble area again to see if there are still stubborn whiskers left, sometimes I will just wet the catridge and shave those reamining whiskers since it is too bothersome to lather up the 3rd time　　　(4 - 5 minutes)

7) wash face the 3rd time and apply after shave lotion / balm

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If the above mentioned steps are correct, then that is quite a big hassle and it is impossible for me to do it 3 - 4 times a week, not to mention everyday. I just don't have that leisurely and carefree mood to do that chore...

And the above steps are what I discovered 1 month before since I bought synthetic brush and Proraso soap. Before that, I just smear some random shaving gel, wait for 5 mintues, splash some water on face to keep it wet and then shave with catridge, then after 2 passes, smear some random moistursing cream bought from drug store on shaved area, done.

I have tried step 1 + 3-7 (pre-shave oil is yet to be bought), or the shaving gel method mentioned above, the shaving quality are similarly bad, the symptoms are on the 1st post.

That's why I want to change the equipment and see which part is the mistake. And then I came here.

You do what you believe is best for you. It sounds as if you are wanting to transition from cartridges to double edged blades. If shaving is a chore for you and will remain a chore my intention is to provide you with recommendations that will hopefully make that one time a week easy, smooth, comfortable and as comfortable as possible. Change can be very challenging. Have a good day.

 

[DesertIguana]

I will not be illusive but trying to answer what is best for unknown person is tough.

I have no idea about your skin, or beard. They are unique to you.


Sort of like guessing shoe size, and most comfortable shoe for your feet. Can’t do with accuracy.

First Razor could be Vintage Tech, or Tech Clone. Or Vintage Slim adjustable.

Blade is the part that does work, what blade? Again not guessing.

Maybe Sampler pack of Mild blades to start.