newbie having problems

thebeardofdisquiet · 01-18-2011, 05:32 AM

I recently uncovered a selection of old gillette DE razors and since i had heard of the benefits of using a DE razor i decided to give it a go. I bought a brush and some Erasmic soap and went for a shave when i got home. I covered my beard in a towel soaked in hot water and left it there for a few minutes then applied the soap and started to shave. after a while i started to cut my neck to shreds and this has happened every time. Can anyone offer any solutions to this please?

**fluffman86** · 01-18-2011, 06:04 AM

Any number of things can be causing that.

1. Blade angle. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=130110 Chances are you're scraping the blade at an aggressive angle instead of letting it slice. The neck is especially difficult to get the right angle. Under my chin and jaw I almost have to have the head of the razor on my jaw to cut what's under it.

2. Lather. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=21136 Make sure your lather is neither too dry nor too wet/thin. Drier/foamier lather provides more cushion, but isn't slick enough to let the blade glide across your skin. Wet/slick lather does the opposite.

3. What blades are you using? I recommend starting with Derby blades. They aren't too sharp and are pretty forgiving for newbies. Save the Feathers and Gillette Yellows and such for when you're a bit more experienced. I highly recommend getting a sampler pack from http://westcoastshaving.com

4. That gillette doesn't happen to have a red tip on it does it? Or are you using an open combe razor? Red tips and open combs are known for being super aggressive. Sometimes you want that if you need to whack off a lot of hair, but I almost never use one for a full shave. You might also want to avoid the blue tips, as they are very light and make you want to apply extra pressure when you shave.

5. That brings up another point. When using carts, you think you have to apply a lot of pressure to get all of the hair. That usually translates into using a DE, but DON'T DO IT. Try to let the weight of the razor do all the cutting. If it doesn't take off enough hair, then rinse, lather, and repeat.

6. Make sure that whether you are using a superspeed (with the doors that open) or a 3-piece tech that you have the blade seated properly and the head tightened all the way.

Take some pics to show us if you're having trouble with anything...or just take pics and show us anyway! We love seeing great pictures of lather and brushes and razors! :)

Welcome to B&B!

**Eyespeck** · 01-18-2011, 09:11 AM

How hot is that hot towel?
I'm starting to believe in cold shaving and or perhaps my prior techniques used too much heat.

**akira7799** · 01-18-2011, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by fluffman86

5. That brings up another point. When using carts, you think you have to apply a lot of pressure to get all of the hair. That usually translates into using a DE, but DON'T DO IT. Try to let the weight of the razor do all the cutting. If it doesn't take off enough hair, then rinse, lather, and repeat.

mui importante! Make sure you're not pressing down at all, or your skin will get caught in the gap between the razor and safety bar! YOU WILL SHRED YOUR SKIN IF YOU PRESS DOWN WITH TOO MUCH PRESSURE!

Best of luck,
Dave

**Codfish** · 01-18-2011, 11:35 AM

It's not clear from your post how much DE-related information you've seen. Manfic59's videos on YouTube, and B&B's own introductory Wiki are places to explore if you haven't already.

Codfish

**Luc** · 01-18-2011, 12:16 PM

Welcome to B&B!

Sounds like too much pressure, it should be none.

**Optometrist** · 01-18-2011, 12:21 PM

welcome to B&B!

Yep. It sounds like that too much pressure thing again!

David

**porkpie** · 01-18-2011, 02:50 PM

+3 on the "zero pressure" suggestions. This is easier than you think, at least I think it is. I used to get hella frustrated at how much effort went into cartridge shaving sessions - I'm surprised Gillette hasn't released a new Mach 3 Machete yet.

As counter-intuitive as it may seem to just let the blade do the force, you'll get it in no time. Trust the sharpness of the blade you're using and watch how it takes care of business on your face. You can always switch out for another razor blade brand down the road after you get your rhythm done and what-all.

Just be sure you have a good grip on the razor handle (i.e. your hands are reasonably dry to hold it and it's dry enough to not slide around in your grip), and listen for the muy bueno "scritch-scritch" tell-tale sound of a blade doing it's work with no extra help from you.

I find DE shaving to be incredibly relaxing because of this "no pressure" approach, enough so that I can actually concentrate on the details instead of hacking my way out of the woods like I used to with the Sensors/Mach3's/etc.

Peace,
Porkpie

**mblakele** · 01-18-2011, 05:05 PM

Welcome to B&B!

**ackvil** · 01-19-2011, 05:31 AM

Welcome to B&B.

I will also chime on the issue of no pressure. The two stumbling blocks many new shavers face is learning the correct blade angle and not putting pressure on the blade. Most new shavers have used cartridges and, as a result, have developed poor shaving habits. However, the one area that cannot be emphasized enough is NO PRESSURE on the blade. Let the weight of the razor do the work for you. To assure this I use two fingers and my thumb to hold the razor with one 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 without it falling from your hand. For blade angle take a look at here.