Getting a little frustrated...

[bmorrison]

So, I'm on week two. I swapped my derby extra for a new one and tore my neck up pretty good. So maybe it wasn't that I was getting better after 4 shaves, it was just that my blade was dull.

My face, or rather my neck, feels like it is burning and I get a good 6 nicks every shave, below the jawline. My questions are these.

1. Are there men that just can't make the DE experience happen.
2. Is it way too early to be asking this question.

3. I have always shaved before the shower, hot face cloth, pre shave oil/cream, lather, shave, shower, after shave. Since I started DE shaving two weeks ago I am following instruction and shaving after shower. Would it be the end of the world to go back to my original routine and see how that works? The logic there was, if I clip myself, by the end of my shower, it is all done bleeding?

Or should I just quit complaining and stick to it for another few weeks?

[the_edski]

if you want the bleeding to stop, you can try any of the following: lots of cold water, witch hazel, alum block, styptic pencil, nick stick (Pacific and Clubman are 2 brands) or the old fashioned toilet paper square. Experiment with your prep and see what happens! Stick with it!

[turtle]

Sounds like you are prepping well. You might want to switch to prepping and shaving after your shower to see if it helps soften your beard more.

You may not have enough slick to your lather. You can try adding 3-4 drops of glycerine to your shave bowl and work that into your lather for more slick. You don't say what brand of soap/cream you are using. You may have an allergy to an ingredient in the product you're using

You don't say what brand/model razor you are using. Switching to a milder razor might help.

Stick with it, it's just a matter of time before you get that "ah ha" moment and everything comes together. It's sort of like learning to ride a bicycle, you gotta take a few tumbles before you get the hang of it.

[beengone]

Be sure your lather is slick. If it dries out and the blade is skipping across your face, you'll end up with that problem. Same if it's too wet and doesn't lubricate. If you use no pressure, proper angle, and good lather, you shouldn't get cut up. Is the blade gliding smoothly? If so, be absolutely certain of proper angle and pressure. If you never have trouble on a large, flat area you can easily see- say a cheek - try shaving that area first and pay attention to all these things. If something is wrong there, it's only going to get worse on areas you can't see as well or where you have a harder time with angles, etc. This should give you a good way to tell if the blade is skipping, tugging, at the right angle, no pressure, etc. If you're unsure, do both cheeks WTG and see if you can get better by the end of the second one.

If all is well there and you still have trouble, write back.

[Go West Young Man]

You're exactly where you should be after the first week of shaving..... give it time, focus on fundamentals, try to do one thing better every day.
In 2 months, you'll be amazed at how far you've come!

[AABCDS]

1. I'm sure there are. It would be hard to believe DE shaving worked for everyone who tried it.
2. I think it's a little too early to quit. I would say to keep at it for at least two months. One thing you can do if you're in a hurry on the weekdays, is to just use a DE razor on the weekends when you have more time to shave and take things slowly. As you become more proficient, you can work add more DE shaving days and wean yourself off of cartridges.

Another suggestion is to try a different blade. I tried one Derby blade and I didn't like it at all. For a beginner, I would recommend the Personna Medical Prep blade or the Personna Lab Blue blade. These two blades are comparable in performance if not identical. They are smooth and forgiving but still have an acceptable level of sharpness. My opinion is that both blades are sharper than the Derbys; I experienced tugging with a new Derby blade.

[konijntjesbroek]

3. I have always shaved before the shower, hot face cloth, pre shave oil/cream, lather, shave, shower, after shave. Since I started DE shaving two weeks ago I am following instruction and shaving after shower. Would it be the end of the world to go back to my original routine and see how that works? The logic there was, if I clip myself, by the end of my shower, it is all done bleeding?

Or should I just quit complaining and stick to it for another few weeks?

may want to drop the hot cloth, I have had a few folks tell me that it makes one more likely to nick themselves. Good luck, and keep in mind the fewer things you change at once the easier it will be to figure out what fixed it.

[Useless shaver]

Sorry to hear about your frustration. I think that, yes, it's a bit early to be asking.

There are wiser and pretty more experienced people here. But, IMHO the learning process varies a lot depending on... a lot of variables. It took me months (yes, months) to get flawless shaves on a daily basis and now I'm delighted with my EJ DE89L + Feathers.

I'd suggest you to stick to the basics: patience, close attention, no hurry, mapping your beard, good lather, NO pressure, right angle.Did I say NO pressure? The neck is tricky, actually, and usually needs a lot of attention.

Perhaps Derbies are not for you. In my case they were horrible! May I suggest a blade sample pack?

What razor are you using?

Anyway, the good news is that I don't think you won't get it, it'd shock me to hear that. You seem to need more practice and it'll get better.

Good luck and enjoy!

.

[bmorrison]

Geez, sorry for the lack of info.

For a year or so I have been using proraso soap. For Christmas I got a Edwin Jagger DE87 I think, beautiful razor. It came with a 5 pack of Derby's. I also got proraso pre/post shave cream, which I LOVE, and I just bought proraso after shave lotion because it has witch hazel in it.

I also just read an article somewhere about getting good lather from soap. I have seen a lot of lathering youtube videos, but they are all cream. The article I just read said to make soap lather on the face as opposed to in the bowl. I got a good wtg and xtg shave this morning above the jaw, but the neck continues to just be a total nightmare. I feel like the blade catches and nicks no matter what the pressure. But I have not gotten serious about how my neck hair grows, that is another thing I'm noticing.

By the way, this site rocks. Thank you all so much, this is very important to me and I want to succeed. Fortunately I am self employeed, so the extra time needed to devote to learning is not a problem.

[duokun]

I usually shave at night, to save time in the morning and don't shower before or after. So don't worry about it. Not that big of a deal.

As a fellow newbie the biggest thing that I notice makes a difference is using NO pressure, paying attention to the blade angle, and resisting the urge to go back over areas until I lather up for another pass.

That being said, I still have a hard time shaving around the jawline and neck, and I usually I get one or two small nicks, but nothing major. The blood usually stops before I even get around to using my styptic pencil.

Generations of men did DE shaving w/o the benefits of the resources of info and accessibility of product variety that we have, and they did alright, so dont loose hope.

Take your time, and let the razor do the work.

Have you checked out the Mantic59 videos on YouTube? They are full of good info.

[mdw15]

Yes, it's too early to know.

Make sure you know your beard pattern by mapping your face; short, light strokes, with the blade and razor flat against the skin; relather before the next pass, anywhere; patience.

Better blade and maybe a better razor! What are you using? I can only use mild razors or adjustables turned to mild. I do so with great success with sharp smooth blades like the Gillette 7 o'clock blacks, blues and yellows. And with the Personna Med and Lab Preps, and a few others.

The right razors and blades make all the difference for those of us who need a milder razor especially.

When I started I really didn't think I could handle a de razor on a regular basis, but I have been an apt pupil of B & B and mantic59 now for over two years and can tell you this hobby is fun and practical and in all likelihood you will come to agree. If not the investment will still have been a sound one.

[duokun]

Just saw your new reply, you are using some great products, so don't worry about that aspect. You may wanna try some new blades, if ya wanna go local, Walmart usually carries Wilkinson Swords for under $2. I have been using them in my 40's style Super Speed and I can't complain too much.

I myself need to pay a bit more attention to mapping the growth of the hair on my neck. Anything under the jawline is a bit of a pain for me to shave. But i find it is getting somewhat better over the past few shaves. I sometimes get a bit of irritation stil, but not as bad as my first couple shaves.

Dont give up though!

[bmorrison]

That is at least two people steering me towards Personna's.

1. New blades
2. map hair growth on neck
3. Concentrate more on holding razor with just thumb and two fingers = no pressure
4. May or may not try shaving before shower like I used to...
5. Research good lather with soap as opposed to cream, mantic59 maybe.

[Rustonrazor]

I am in week 2 as well. I decided early on that I wasn't going to shave unless I knew I had time to get the lather right and take my time shaving. I have only shaved 1 time in the morning so far. Other times it was a weekend afternoon before going out to dinner or after shower before bed. Also, I have found that shaving when I don't have enough growth causes minor irriatation. I only shave every other day. All that to say, I am only on shave #5 or 6 now, so I don't know any more than you do. I am changing blades for my shave tonight, so I may have a similar post before I go to bed.

[turtle]

I got a good wtg and xtg shave this morning above the jaw, but the neck continues to just be a total nightmare. I feel like the blade catches and nicks no matter what the pressure.

Are you pulling your skin tight when you shave your neck? Grab at your collar line and stretch down to get it taught. Grab at the throat and pull away from your ear to get it taught. Grab at your jaw line and pull up. You will pull from different directions depending on which way you are moving your razor on your neck.

If you are trying to shave with your skin loose you will find it is bunching up in front of the blade (sort of like what happens when you put a throw rug on carpet and it creeps producing a lump/wave).

[bmorrison]

Update!

1. Shaved before the shower, 30 sec hot towel.
2. Lathered Proraso soap on face, not in cup, I think I got a thicker better lather
3. Pulled skin as tight as I could
4. Found grain around adams apple opposite of other areas, used this to go wtg there.
5. NO pressure

Result: One nick, and some burn on the very bottom, side of my neck. Maybe an area that should be done with the clippers. I went wtg everywhere, then xtg from adams apple up to eye balls. WOW, not as close as I want it, but that will come with practice and the addition of one more pass atg. I think my neck will be super difficult forever, but it will become the new normal after a couple of months. Tomorrow I will try all these new things after the shower and see how it goes.

Thanks for the awesome support everyone.

[anxiolytic]

What many people have already said, NO PRESSURE!

Since you're learning, try and shave so that there is still a hint of lather on your skin after the razor passes over it. This should get rid of any irritation you're having. For closer shaves, still keep the strokes that light and just vary the angle.

You'll be surprised how much beard you can remove without the blade even seemingly touching your face.

[duokun]

Glad to hear it is getting better!