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My Valentine's gift - a Merkur HD - first shave with a DE

For Valentine's Day my wife got me a new Merkur HD which came with a Merkur blade. I knew it was coming as my new obsession with DE shavers and discovery of this site began just a couple of weeks ago, and I was not so subtle with gift suggestions. The family is about sick of hearing of new shaving soaps, creams, aftershaves, balms, colognes...:lol:

Anyway, I didn't shave yesterday, and I imagine the extra growth contributed to this morning's experience. I took a hot shower and washed my face with a new cube of Marseilles soap. I went immediately to the sink and got a good lather of Trumper's Coconut shaving soap. I began shaving very cautiously, being very timid with the angle of the razor. My first concern was that the razor wasn't getting through the stubble very easily and I thought for sure I would end up with a gash if the blade skipped. Thankfully, this never happened. I didn't bleed or weep a bit. It took a bit longer to shave with the HD. I wished I had lathered one side of my face, shaved it, then lathered the other side. It seemed the lather dried out too quickly and I wasn't getting good glide on the second half of the shave. I did relather under my nose to finish my first DE shave.

My face definitely felt different than when I used the Atra Plus 2 blade cartridge. Almost numb. I got a closer shave, despite my caution, than I ever got with the Atra cartridges. As I type tonight, I realize I have less stubble than before this late in the day. I don't think I'd need a second shave to go out at night.

My main question is which blade to I try next? One of the reasons (rationalizations?) for going DE is the cost of the blades. I was using a new Atra Plus cartridge every week. Will I be changing the DE blades as frequently? Any tips appreciated!! I expect not to return to the cartidges unless I travel. Very happy with this morning's shave!!
 
Check out the blade sampler packs at westcoastshaving.com. It seems that everyone has a different idea of what the best blade is, although a few brands seem to stand out. Once you find what works best forya, you can start buying in bulk!

-J
 
Check out the blade sampler packs at westcoastshaving.com. It seems that everyone has a different idea of what the best blade is, although a few brands seem to stand out. Once you find what works best forya, you can start buying in bulk!

-J

+1 blade sampler at westcoastshaving is the best idea; check the FAQ on the website and John informs you what order is most advised to try the different blades.....good luck and have fun experimenting!
 
Thanks, fellas. Heading there now... Really looking forward to trying some new stuff and working toward the optimal setup!
 
Oh, I forgot....

As I was looking for a little gift for my daughters at Bath and Body Works, I stumbled on the C.O. Bigelow stuff in the green tube. I gave it to my son with a VDH boar brush. Not going to let him go astray at the start. I don't know if I'll start him with a DE razor, though...
 
Congrats on the great first DE shave. You should definitely start him out with a DE. He shouldn't have to go through what most of us did and unlearn all of our bad cartridge habits to get a fantastic shave. Besides, how cool is cartridge shaving for teens?
 
Second shave with the HD today. I changed the preshave prep, though, by applying some Trumper's Lime Skin Food before lathering with Bigelow cream from the green tube. I don't know if it was the skin food or the cream or just one day of growth (the shortest morning growth I have ever woken with!), but there was a lot less tugging on the whiskers today. The razor glided much better. I got through the shave a bit quicker as I gained some trust in the razor. Some improvement to be made under the jawline, but loving the DE!!! I also finished with the skin food. I feel like I am rubbing the filling of a key lime pie into my skin!
 
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Welcome! Nice present. :thumbup:

The Red Pack Personnas and Astra Superiors are among my favorite blades. They provide very close, smooth shaves and are consistent in quality.

The Red Packs run about 11 cents a blade when bought in bulk, and you should be able to easily get 4-5 shaves from them, at least. I normally get six.
 
I gave it to my son with a VDH boar brush. Not going to let him go astray at the start. I don't know if I'll start him with a DE razor, though...

Coming from a fellow teenager, I'd also suggest that you start him with a DE as he won't have to unlearn bad habits later. Also if he has any problems with acne as I have then it will help to clear his skin up, I have only been shaving with a DE for a couple weeks and have noticed my skin is significantly less red and much more smooth and clean.
 
Coming from a fellow teenager, I'd also suggest that you start him with a DE as he won't have to unlearn bad habits later. Also if he has any problems with acne as I have then it will help to clear his skin up, I have only been shaving with a DE for a couple weeks and have noticed my skin is significantly less red and much more smooth and clean.

I agree with Westin. Start him with a DE, maybe a nice mild Tech or something similar.
 
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