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bearbeard
09-14-2006, 08:42 PM
Just wanted to introduce myself. Let me start off by saying that this site by far is the best site for wet-shaving I have seen...the reviews section I found particularly helpful.
I have been wet shaving now for about 4yrs. however I put down the DE for awhile and have just picked it up again recently.(within the last month) I was using a weighted mach 3 razor and getting good shaves, but know I can do better. My biggest frustration with the DE is that if my shave is less than Par, I have to wait until the next day to try again. ARGH!!!
Needless to say this achieving the perfect shave is quiet the obsession now.

For me it started in a Barber Shop outside the gates of the Marine Corps Air Station...Cherry Point, NC. When I would get a high and tight from them they used a straight razor on the sides of my head, after using a machine that sounded like a capaccino (sp) machine to get the warmest shaving cream, and it was nice.......Then they followed it up with some kinda Korean after shave in a big blue bottle, that made sure you were not going to go to sleep anytime soon for the next couple of days. But oh Man!!! what a close shave....I normally would have to get my hair cut every week, but with the straight razor High and Tight I could go at least 2 1/2 weeks.
I've been searching for a better way to shave my face ever since then. I wish I would have known about a site like this back then.

I have extremely dry skin, with a steel wool beard. not joking, went to scratch my chin when I had a gotee, and ended up with a whisker splinter that felt like a fish hook in one of my fingers. (This has happened more than once..you think I would learn... NOPE)

I do need some help with the proper blade angle when shaving with a DE, really detailed instructions are what I need. Simple though....keep it Simple... I still get Ingrown hairs on my lower neck area. And it seems like I have to make way too many passes to get that bbs shave I am after.
Any suggestions would be most helpful, Its good to be on board with Badger & Blade.

Mama Bear
09-14-2006, 08:43 PM
Welcome honey!! LOVE that Avatar!!!

Sue (Mama Bear)

Jim
09-14-2006, 08:45 PM
Hi Bob Welcome!:biggrin:

Queen of Blades
09-14-2006, 08:46 PM
Welcome to B&B!

Don't worry. You will get lots of help here.

Austin
09-14-2006, 08:47 PM
Welcome fellow Texan!

Queen of Blades
09-14-2006, 08:57 PM
Here is some info to look at. Just follow the link in the first post, and you will find visual assistance to your quest.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5714

bearbeard
09-14-2006, 09:02 PM
thanks, watched the video...It looks like he is holding the handle very close to parallel with his face, I was under the impression it needed to be more of an angle....that could be my problem.

Jim
09-14-2006, 09:10 PM
Mark addressed that in this post!
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showpost.php?p=65006&postcount=26

I think he has 4 videos now try them all. http://people.tamu.edu/~mherro/

Dinder1
09-14-2006, 09:10 PM
Welcome.:smile:
Cheers, DJ.

bearbeard
09-14-2006, 09:14 PM
I'm using a Merkur long handle which appears to bend the blade down somewhat...makes sense....thank you.

rtaylor61
09-14-2006, 11:56 PM
Bob,

Getting the angle right is the difference between shaving and scraping. It will take a bit of time, but hang in...you'll dial it in!

Randy

gc_30286
09-15-2006, 05:47 AM
you may already know this but are you making sure you are shaving your neck with the grain? most mens beard growth changes direction in several different places on their neck for example mine. under my chin its n-s, along my wind pipe its nw-se on the left side of my neck its w-e and on the right its e-w with a small spot next to my adams apple on the right thats sw-ne. let the hair on your neck grow out a bit and check it. the ingrowns are probably because you are accidentally shaving against the grain.

anyway welcome to B&B

matthew

ada8356
09-15-2006, 05:53 AM
Welcome!:smile:

I certainly know what you are talking about with getting 'whisker splinters' in your finger!

Look around... there is a load of good advice on here from technique to products.

fatt_tony
09-15-2006, 06:25 AM
Cool, another Texas guy! North Texas in tha house.

boboakalfb
09-15-2006, 09:42 AM
Welcome Bob!

From another Bob...

BTW..nice avatar. Ever read Bear attacks of the Century by Larry Mueller? Pretty fascinating...

htownmmm
09-15-2006, 11:18 AM
Welcome to B&B Bob!

Resistance is futile- you will be assimilated!

Marty

PalmettoB
09-15-2006, 01:14 PM
Welcome aboard, Bob.

jduffy
09-15-2006, 01:50 PM
If you're as hairy as that bear in your picture you must have a lot of shaving to do. I'd suggest changing your blade a litte more frequently then! :cool:

Oh, and welcome to the neighborhood.

bearbeard
09-15-2006, 11:09 PM
If you're as hairy as that bear in your picture you must have a lot of shaving to do. I'd suggest changing your blade a litte more frequently then! :cool:

Oh, and welcome to the neighborhood.

Thanks for the welcome, that goes to everybody as well, pretty close to how my beard is. (animalistic) I can only get 2 good shaves out of a U.S. personna blade, the merkur so far about 4. If I could cut down the number of passes I have to make, I might could do a bit better on blade life. I have ordered some feathers to try. I'll have a hard time not chanting "stiff as a board, light as a feather" while I'm shaving with 'em.
like I said though I just wish I could sit in front of that mirror and practice over and over again until I get it right. waiting till the next day kills me.

bearbeard
09-15-2006, 11:12 PM
you may already know this but are you making sure you are shaving your neck with the grain? most mens beard growth changes direction in several different places on their neck for example mine. under my chin its n-s, along my wind pipe its nw-se on the left side of my neck its w-e and on the right its e-w with a small spot next to my adams apple on the right thats sw-ne. let the hair on your neck grow out a bit and check it. the ingrowns are probably because you are accidentally shaving against the grain.

anyway welcome to B&B

matthew

I am, (sometimes) I still tend to try different things. the beard on my neck grows like King Trident's.....trident with the outer portions bending outward as they go up.
"Allow myself to introduce............myself" Austin P.

MasonM
09-17-2006, 06:35 PM
Welcome!

I'm also cursed with a very stiff, heavy beard. A DE is the only thing I've found that does a good job on it. Those multiple blade things just clog up and are useless.

I'm still learning myself, but you'll get the hang of it soon enough. There is a great group of gentlemen here who are worlds of help.

TimmyBoston
09-18-2006, 01:17 AM
Welcome Bob! I'm new around these parts, too, but all the people of communicated with are great; I think you'll really like it here.

One thing about Mark's (Mantic) Instructional Videos. I think they are great they got me here. But in the Intro to the DE video, Mark is using an adjustable DE razor so his blade angle is varied from a fixed head, ie the Merkur HD or the Gillette Super Speed. So keep that in mind.
Also if you want to practice blade angle, this may sound a little silly but you can practice on your arm or upper leg, where you can easily see the angle.

Tinzien
09-18-2006, 04:49 AM
Welcome to B&B!

In the absence of being able to shave yet wanting to practice you shave angles, have you considered using your arm to see where the blade makes the best contact for you? I don't mean shave the hair, but get your eyes used to seeing the angle so you can duplicate such on your face? It worked for me but your milage may vary. :)