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After 6 months: EJ DE89L - still nicks and cuts

Hi!

Although I now shave 6 months with my Edwin Jagger DE89L, always perform a solid preparation (either taking a shower or apply a hot, moist towel to my face - for 3 minutes) and lather up the soap or cream with a Silvertip brush, I still get nicks and cuts too often.

Using Feather blades, I really think my skin just does not like these kind of aggressive blades. What other sharp yet smooth blades could you suggest? I have tried using Personna Red blades, these were smooth but not sharp enough.
The Feathers are sharp, but I now really came to the conclusion, also too aggressive, especially in the first and second shave. Am I wrong?

Thanks for your help, guys!

Cheers
Christian
 
Although a beautiful piece of construction, I found the DE89, well, a bit meh...

I did get one great shave with an Iridium Super, it just took 4 passes plus touch up.

Life is too short to be dealing with razors which are too tame. I guess I just like my vintage Gillettes more!

Schoene gruesse ...
 
Christian,

Feathers are a very sharp blade. I too love the sharpness but they always give me weepers if I am not careful. If you would like a blade that is very sharp but smooth I suggest Souplex blades. A step below Souplex, in terms of sharpness, but still very smooth would be a Timor blade.

Some other sharp and smooth blades that have worked for me are:

Gillette 7 O'clock yellow SharpEdge

Gillette 7 O'clock black Super Platinum

Perma Sharp Super (in cardboard box)

Medical Personna

Don't give up hope. The Jagger is a superb razor when paired with a blade that works for your results should improve. I have many vintage and modern razors but I always find myself reaching for the Jagger because for me it make great blades sing and I can always count on a effortless BBS shave whenever I use it.
 
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You may also want to try BIC Chrome Platinum. They get mixed reviews here, but I always get a great shave from them.
 
Gillette 7 o'clock SharpEdge 'yellows' and Gillette SuperThin Platinums or if your on a budget Treet Durasharp 'yellows'.
 
If you're still getting nicks and cuts after that long with the DE89L, something is definitely wrong. There has to be a flaw in your prep or technique. The DE89L is one of most gentle shavers you can get your hands on. I'd go ahead and buy a blade sampler from someone like westcoastshaving.com and work through the blades, but I'm thinking that your problem lies elsewhere. Can you go into detail and describe every step of your prep and shave?
 
The iridiums hard to find but a great shave have the same in a t&h razor, I have souplex now loading one this weekend
 
Astra SP is good for many razors. however I found Perma-sharps are best for mild razors like Techs, Slim and Fatboy under 4.
 
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+1 on the BiCs and Astra SPs. You might try Lord Racer blades, as well. These are one of the best blades I've tried yet. Sharp, smooth, and long lasting. A full tuck of 10 blades averaged 7 shaves per blade in my various vintage Gillettes. It may not be the Feathers, though. Maybe the EJ just doesn't agree with you. You can pick up a Superspeed for about $15. Maybe you should give one of those a test drive. Good luck finding your better shave!:001_cool:
 
I find the Astra SP to do really smooth shaves with my DE89 and the Derby Extras to be not far behind. You should really try them out! :thumbup:
 
With the correct technique, the Feather blade, although the sharpest, should give no higher risk of cutting you than any other. This blade, in combination the EJ89L should excel. As David above says, there has to be another reason for the cuts and I don't think changing the blade will resolve that. Are you absolutely sure your razor only is doing the work, and no more pressure is being exerted? This and/or incorrect is the most likely cause.
 
I find the EJ89L is really a fairly mild shaver AS LONG AS YOU APPLY MINIMUM PRESSURE. My early shaving problems with this and other razors related mainly to too much pressure - ie, not allowing the weight of the razor to do the work, but wanting to help the shave along with a bit more pressure for a better shave or less passes.

I really prefer a good sharp blade with a milder razor. Seems like a perfect pairing. Feathers and Shark SC work really well for me in the EJ89L - also the Muhle R41 and Goodwill (last two are mild open combs).

I also find that a soap or cream that provides good to excellent lubrication is a big factor in getting a good smooth shave. Soaps like Tabac, MWF (needs a lot more work) Cella and Cade, when you use enough soap (3/4 - 1 min on the soap) and creams such as Akka Kappa 1869 tub work very well for me. The key, I think, is not to skimp on your soap so that you get great lubrication.

I've also found that using LESS angle is a great idea and works for me. When I start at the top and move down to when I feel the blade working I get the best shaves. I try to follow Mantic's guide of minimum pressure and then angle and less pressure to produce my best results.

The EJ 89 L is a great razor. i hope you can get it to work for you too.
 
I prefer the Gillette 7 O'clock Sharp Edge (Yellows) in my EJ. Nice and sharp and more forgiving than a Feather for me.
 
P

Pjotr

Hi!

Although I now shave 6 months with my Edwin Jagger DE89L, always perform a solid preparation (either taking a shower or apply a hot, moist towel to my face - for 3 minutes) and lather up the soap or cream with a Silvertip brush, I still get nicks and cuts too often.

Using Feather blades, I really think my skin just does not like these kind of aggressive blades. What other sharp yet smooth blades could you suggest? I have tried using Personna Red blades, these were smooth but not sharp enough.
The Feathers are sharp, but I now really came to the conclusion, also too aggressive, especially in the first and second shave. Am I wrong?

Thanks for your help, guys!

Cheers
Christian

I agree with others in that it's not a question of changing blades but that you must be doing something techniquely wrong. Or, maybe wet shaving is just not for you. At a very basic level, regularly running a razor sharp blade across your face and removing not only hair but also an outer layer of skin is not a natural thing to do. There must be a percentage of people that are just "allergic" to the whole thing or can't do it on a regular basis. Maybe that's what's happening in your case.
 
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If you're still getting nicks and cuts after that long with the DE89L, something is definitely wrong. There has to be a flaw in your prep or technique. The DE89L is one of most gentle shavers you can get your hands on.

Agreed - the prep sounds good, so maybe your technique is to blame.

I have one (EJ DE89L) purchased primarily for it's less aggressive tendencies. Mine came with some Derby's and I find them to work really well in this razor. I'm also a fan of the Dorco blades in this razor.
 
If you're still getting nicks and cuts after that long with the DE89L, something is definitely wrong. There has to be a flaw in your prep or technique. The DE89L is one of most gentle shavers you can get your hands on. I'd go ahead and buy a blade sampler from someone like westcoastshaving.com and work through the blades, but I'm thinking that your problem lies elsewhere. Can you go into detail and describe every step of your prep and shave?

I was thinking the same thing. I have the Muhle equivalent and uses Feather blades 90% of the time. I never get weepers or cuts.

I too would like more detail on your shaving technique to give more meaningful help. Your Jagger is an outstanding razor that is mild yet gives great shaves.

A few suggestions for the moment:

Study your beard growth so that you know where to shave wtg, atg, etc. My whiskers grow in all kinds of weird directions.

Lather well with a soap that is protective and slick.

Hold the razor in your hand gently. A tight grip will tense muscles and cause you to apply too much pressure when the razor meets the skin.

Aim for slow and gradual beard reduction. If you need four gentle passes, then so be it.

Try other blades. I suggest a sampler. I have used Astra and Merkur blades with success.

Good luck.
 
You might try switching blades - personally I don't enjoy feathers. Currently I use Astra SP, but I've enjoyed Derby's and the Crystal (Israeli) blades.

Even after nearly 2 years I still knick my jawline every so often. Usually I'm not paying attention or going too fast - or not paying attention and going too fast. You may also try exfoliating before shaving, especially because it seems as if you are prepping properly.

Best of luck!
 
The blades I've found closest to Feather in terms of sharpness, but probably a little smoother are Iridiums (my favorite but good luck finding them), Medical Prep Personnas and Gillette 7 O'clock Sharp Edge
 
My impression is that the EJ is such a deceptively smooth shaver that I get lulled into a false sense of security and end up nicking myself.

Too much pressure, wrong angle, going too fast. The nice well built razor mesmerizes me with its beauty and I loose all experience and common sense.

I cut my jaw line pretty bad a few months ago and still have a mark. I can get a great shave with a slant, but still get timid with my EJ due to the past experience of blood letting.

False sense of security is my issue with EJ. I still love her.
 
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