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Stubble, Stubble, Toil and Trouble

So, nearly a month in to classical wetshaving here, and I can count the shaves that completely surpass my old technique on one hand. Now, most shaves these days are far better in a few key areas (cheeks, neck, jawline), but the chin and upper lip are still elusive.

Here's the gear:
mid-60s black-handled Gillette adjustable (American personna blades)
'47 SuperSpeed (used with Merkur and IP blades thus far)
Lee's Razors/Vulfix 1000 (Pure Badger intro brush)
Taylor's Avocado
Proraso
Proraso + Williams soap
QED Mocha Java
Nancy Boy Replenshing (yesterday)
Nancy Boy Signature (this morning)

Pre-shave:
This is pretty standard stuff for me -- shower, wash face with Neutrogena Razor Defense face wash, let face soak a bit. Dry self (not face), prep shave gear, make lather, re-soak face, apply lather, shave.

Post-shave:
alum block
rinse
one of the following:
Neutrogena Razor Defense lotion
Nivea Sensitive Skin Aftershave Balm
Nancy Boy Replenishing Aftershave (yesterday)
Nancy Boy Signature Aftershave (this morning)

I know that I need to work on lathering techniques, although that's getting better. Reading posts on using more cream (and a wetter brush: let drip, then two *light* shakes, plus a drib of water in the ramekin I'm using to lather in) has helped in that regard, and my one experiment at superlather was pretty successful. Still, the first application keeps on feeling too loose, while the second, third, and fourth applications start feeling right -- every time.

I used the adjustable for about 2 weeks, with the bulk US Personna blades, and farted around a lot with the adjustment. 5 is way the hell to high, I discovered one particularly ouchy morning, 3 seemed right early on, but I kept on winding up with noticeable stubble after 4 passes! (WTG, WTG or XTG, XTG, ATG and cleanup [seems most of my face can handle that])

Then the SuperSpeed showed up, along with the LetterK large sampler, so I switched immediately to Merkur blades to start off -- chalk up two shaves that start rivalling the closeness on the chin my old Panasonic gave me! I've been doing the shaving cream shuffle the whole time (the nancy Boy stuff arrived just two days ago, so that's new), juggling between Proraso -- especially on the hot days -- and the Avocado. Proraso seems to lather easier and give a more consistent shave for me, but the Avocado feels great and I love the smell ... yet the shaves were never as good.

I know one answer is probably true: geek out on blade angle and stick with one cream until stuff gets right -- then back to the shuffle. But is there anything else? Something in pre-shave to mess around with, too?

Trouble is, with a toddler to get ready in the morning and two of us with 8AM jobs, the time involved for Kyle's excellent-sounding towel-and-lather routine just isn't in the cards for the time being. Ought I just to be keeping the towel on my face from shower off to shave start?

:confused:
 
With "Panasonic" you are probably referring to an electric razor. I don't know which type you are using, but these razors mimic WTG/XTG/ATG passes, which will result in smooth shaves. Your remaining stubble could come from the fact that you may not be doing enough ATG. There is nothing really wrong with that. Many DE shavers have given up on doing ATG passes. They accept a little stubble in return for healthier skin. If your skin can take it, you probably need to refine your ATG skills in order to achieve the desired smoothness.

Also, a sharper blade will definitely help, as you already discovered. Wait until you hit the Feathers...

The prep routine, I think, has more to do with keeping skin irritations to a minimum, not so much with how well stubble gets cut. After all, if your electric was able to cut it without much preparation, you should be able to do so with a DE.

Best - MM
 
One option to avoid the rush in the morning is to shave the night before. I find night shaves (now my usual routine due to my fondness for sleep) to be enjoyable and relaxing...a nice way to unwind. You can still apply colognes and aftershave in the AM if you wish. Shaving at night also gives you more time for preshave prep (towels on for as long as you like).
 
The softer you can get your beard during prep, the more you will likely take off on each pass. For me, a fairly aggresssive ATG pass is absolutely the only thing that really takes the shave into BBS territory. To do this well, I need to get everything trimmed pretty close on the WTG and XTG passes. It seems that the less length there is when I start ATG the easier it is to keep the blade geometry stable.

I also do some moderate skin stretching to flatten areas out and to pull the hairs up a little higher on the XTG and ATG passes (YMMV, this can cause the cut hairs to lie below the skin and cause ingrowns if you stretch too much or have problems with that sort of thing). Most electrics lift the hair quite a bit before cutting, which means your DE results (especially in the neck area) may never be quite that close if this is something you are trying to completely avoid.

We all have different reasons for getting into wetshaving and/or switching to DEs or straight razors. A lot of the guys here do it to try to diminish the irritation that cartriges or electrics cause them. The MO for getting the closest shave possible using a single blade is a bit different than for getting the most gentle shave possible, and I think that a big part of the learning process is finding a happy medium between the two that satisfies your needs.
 
One option to avoid the rush in the morning is to shave the night before. I find night shaves (now my usual routine due to my fondness for sleep) to be enjoyable and relaxing...a nice way to unwind. You can still apply colognes and aftershave in the AM if you wish. Shaving at night also gives you more time for preshave prep (towels on for as long as you like).

+1
 
One option to avoid the rush in the morning is to shave the night before.

Unfortunately, that doesn't work for those who have a fairly strong beard growth. I personally would hate to have my Five O'Clock shadow at 9 in the morning already :cool:

Best - MM
 
Unfortunately, that doesn't work for those who have a fairly strong beard growth. I personally would hate to have my Five O'Clock shadow at 9 in the morning already :cool:

Best - MM

I can 2nd this. I can't get past sitting at lunch time feeling like I haven't shaved. Buy the time 5:00 rolls around, I look like I was lazy and didn't shave. And I do not have dark hair.
 
Thanks all.

I have tried afternoon-shaving (past weekend), and managed to pull off a reasonably smooth face well into the next day, so nighttime might just work.

I have a fairly light population of beard, but very dark whiskers right on the chin; they also seem to be tough, stubborn little bastards.

And, of course, as I wrote the initial post, I've been noting all day that aside from a tiny bit of stubble right on the edge of my chin, today has to feature the longest-lasting smoothness I've gotten so far in DE exploration! (A few other shaves FELT smoother earlier, but the whiskers seemed eager to get back out; not so today.)

I will note that shaving is a helluva lot more fun with a DE and wacky creams than with my M3/electric combo. And WAY less stinging on hot, sweaty days (yesterday being a glaring exception) -- that was my main irritation with my old shaves. When I sweat, it's almost entirely concentrated on my head (whee), and my chin and neck would particularly sting like hell on very hot, steamy days when I had to be outside a lot. Like I said, with the DE, that's happened ONCE so far, so I think I'm starting to get the hang of things... a little bit, at least! :thumbup1:
 
Another member of the Night Shaver's Society, :redface: fessin' up:redface: . For all the :drool: exemplary reasons :drool: Michael enumerated. And most of all it gives me a whole hour or morn in the evenings
to unwind & enjoy the whole hydro experience.
 
Try not washing your face in the shower (or using conditioner on it or anything as such). Make sure you wet your beard thoroughly though and soak it the best you can. This might be an ideal time to do the hot towel thing as well. I would think about a sharper blade too - try the Swedish Gillettes. They are in between a Derby and the Feather and tend to work well for many people. If you still feel the need to wash the parts of your face not soaked in lather, you can do that after you have shaved.

Dennis
 
I, for one, could never get a close shave with my gillette slim adjustable. much better with my Merkur futur, but I could never go ATG on the lip. BUT, with my recently purchased Merkur progress, I can go ATG on the upper lip.

FWIW

Matt
 
Welcome, Andy! You mentioned that though your beard is sparse, it is somewhat tough. I match the second half of that...:rolleyes:
If you have a tough beard, you either have to spend more time on prep to soften it, or you have to use a sharp blade. Preferably both. I suggest you move up from Derbys and IPs. If you don't have a blade sampler pack, then that's probably what you need next. Click here for one source, and here for another.
 
If you like and enjoy Kyle's towel and lather routine, but tiume is a factor consider shaving @ night.

Looking at which blades you are using, I wil definitely recommend a blade sampler pack(before leisureguy does.:wink: ) once you have found the blade for your face, then go with one blade,one razor,one cream/soap for one month.

This will help you to perfect your technique to the point that once you change one of the variables, you will be able to tell the difference and know what direction to go in next.


Marty
 
A couple thoughts:

1. As you noted, things might already be getting better. My first couple "true DE" shaves weren't necessarily anything to alert the media over; but, that's improved markedly in just a few short weeks. There really is a learning curve, as others have noted. So hang in there!

2. Experiment between Lelander's and Dennis02's thoughts on pre-shave prep. In my experience, more has tended to be better (consider adding that conditioner and/or a preshave like Proraso); but that's what's worked for my concertino wire hair...going the other direction (less prep is more) helps some guys.

3. I accept the wisdom of the masses on sampler packs, but I'm still on my first set of Merkur blades, having migrated from M3s as the last step in my "full conversion" process, so I can't actually speak from experience.

4. Finally, so you're the other Too Much Joy fan in the world? :biggrin:
 
I honestly get closer shaves with an electric foil shaver than with a DE. I'm giving it time though on the DE- it takes time to find the right tools and products that work for you. It is slightly more comfortable to shave with a DE because I find a foil razor always tends to pull one or two hairs a little and creates a slight razor burn sensation (nowhere near as bad as a Mach 3 though), whereas if everything goes right with a DE you will get no razor burn- at all. Both are leaps ahead of a Mach 3 razor though in terms of comfort or not getting ingrown hairs.

The vintage Gillettes I believe are the finest DE's ever made. Merkurs are OK but they are a little more aggressive than the Gillette's. A blade that works in a Gillette may not work well in a Merkur. For instance I find Merkur blades OK in a Gillette razor but not that great in Merkur's own razor. I prefer Derby's in a Merkur razor.
 
OK, so in a freak of timing, I managed to get extra shave-time this morning, and went the lather + towel routine, for 2 minutes. Everything else was the same as yesterday (SS, IP, NB, NB A/S).

Results? Rocking shave!

That is, in all the places where I nailed the blade angle, and portions of my neck still seem to be random growth zones, but that's easily dealt with over time.


A couple thoughts:

1. As you noted, things might already be getting better.

3. I accept the wisdom of the masses on sampler packs, but I'm still on my first set of Merkur blades, having migrated from M3s as the last step in my "full conversion" process, so I can't actually speak from experience.

4. Finally, so you're the other Too Much Joy fan in the world? :biggrin:

The shaves are improving notably, actually. That started once I got the sampler pack last week, and really is kicking off now that I'm getting the blade angle under control. And yes, I'm a creakly old TMJ fan! A friend of mine actually saw a reunion show in NYC a few months back....

If you like and enjoy Kyle's towel and lather routine, but tiume is a factor consider shaving @ night.

Looking at which blades you are using, I wil definitely recommend a blade sampler pack(before leisureguy does.:wink: ) once you have found the blade for your face, then go with one blade,one razor,one cream/soap for one month.

As mentioned, I'm already there: following the recommended path of Merkur -> IP/Derby/Dorco -> Swedish Gillette/Wilkinson Sword -> Feather, but of course, I'm still in the very early stages, and trying very hard to be patient (I'm not all that good at that part).

Welcome, Andy! You mentioned that though your beard is sparse, it is somewhat tough. I match the second half of that...:rolleyes:
If you have a tough beard, you either have to spend more time on prep to soften it, or you have to use a sharp blade. Preferably both. I suggest you move up from Derbys and IPs.

Softening up the beard more this morning definitely helped -- and I can tell that upping the sharpness will do a lot as well. (It's weird, the beard is easygoing on the cheeks and upper lip and neck, and downright burly around my chin -- amazing what you notice when you spend all this time staring at whiskers....:biggrin: )

Again, thanks all!
 
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