New from NC

[descott4]

So I took the plunge and made my first DE shave today. I was a Mach3 wet shaver for close to 20 years. Mainly TOBS handles, brushes and soap with the occasional DR Harris and Penhaligons cream thrown in. My mother lived in London so I had a pretty good distributor!
SOTD was a Van Der Hagen razor, Derby Orange Extra blade, TOBS brush, Trumper Limes Skin Food, Proraso Red soap, DR Harris Windsor balm and Fine L'Orange Noir aftershave.

I do have a couple of questions.

1) I don't think I have ever had razor burn or ingrown hairs in my life. But how would I know? I am asking because I want to see the difference with the DE.
2) I always got a DFS with my Mach3 but had to go against the grain to do so. This morning I was starting my 3rd pass after a WTG and XTG. Face, skin and whiskers wanted nothing to do with it. Is this common for newbies? Is my technique bad? Or does DE shaving not require an ATG pass?

Thanks for the responses and looking forward to being a member of the community.

 

[GlazedBoker]

Welcome aboard amigo...... The journey is just beginning. Don't use any pressure. That's the first thing I will tell you. Just let the weight of the razor slice through the whiskers. A WTG, XTG pass will be fine to start with. An ATG pass may cause some irritation, especially if your adding pressure to the razor. Just leave it out for now and work on your technique. It will take a little time, but it will pay off big time down the road. Then you can incorporate the ATG pass in your shave. Patience and practice amigo, everything else will come....

 

[ackvil]

Welcome to B&B.

As said above, watch the pressure on the razor. Usually, it is a technique issue that gives rise to problems a new shaver is having. Putting too much pressure on your razor will result in cuts, nicks, and irritation. Let the weight of the razor do the work for you. I find that using the correct grip can make a big difference. I use two fingers and my thumb to hold the razor with another finger resting on the tip of the handle. This results in holding the razor very lightly with no pressure on the razor. You want to hold the razor as lightly as you can so that it stays on your face and without it falling from your hand.

 

[Prof. Moriarty]

Welcome to B&B, as others have said get your technique down and you should be fine. Also I'd pick up a blade sampler pack sometime in the future.

 

[NickCutlip]

Welcome to the forum !!

 

[BSAGuy]

Hello and welcome. Great to have you here on B&B. Wander on over to the Hall of Fame and introduce yourself.

 

[sandstone]

Welcome to the forum! Your experience is fairly common amongs beginner DE shavers, myself included. It's just a matter of practice. Be patient and go slowly at first. You will get the knack before you know it!

 

[matwho]

Welcome to B&B. If you are getting a lot of tugging it might be the angle of your razor.

 

[xxvaleria]

Welcome to the club. Glad to have you aboard.

 

[adamchur]

Hi, welcome to B&B

 

[Graybeard57]

Welcome to B&B. If you never got razor burn or ingrown hairs with a cartridge, consider yourself lucky. For me, I didn't get razor burn either, but did have ingrown hairs, though I didn't know it at the time. I thought I had "sensitive" skin, hence the razor bumps on my neck. After two weeks of DE shaving, they were gone, never to return.

Many of us found that in the beginning with a DE, WTG and XTG were good enough for awhile. It takes practice to get the best angle, so take your time, and be patient. Perhaps not trying ATG for a couple of weeks would be helpful, then slowly working ATG into your routine, starting with the easiest areas of lightest growth, gradually moving into the areas with the coarsest growth.

Enjoy your shaves, and the process.

 

[abhi]

Welcome

 

[BigJ]

Welcome! My best answers:
1. You are lucky!
2. My guess is that this is technique. I suggest you start with the first two passes until you are solid, then go ATG.

 

[Okranger86]

Welcome, Personally I couldn't do the Derby blades at all. Lots of pulling! i really like Feather, with Astra super platinum being my second choice.

 

[alex2363]

Welcome to B&B.

As said above, watch the pressure on the razor. Usually, it is a technique issue that gives rise to problems a new shaver is having. Putting too much pressure on your razor will result in cuts, nicks, and irritation. Let the weight of the razor do the work for you. I find that using the correct grip can make a big difference. I use two fingers and my thumb to hold the razor with another finger resting on the tip of the handle. This results in holding the razor very lightly with no pressure on the razor. You want to hold the razor as lightly as you can so that it stays on your face and without it falling from your hand.

+2