Very bad second and third pass!

I have been shaving with a parker barbers straight and derby blades for nearly two years now and most of the time I just have a one pass shave and be done with it. Recently however I have been going for a second pass (XTG) and a third (ATG). The second pass is irritating me like crazy and leaving me with a bad shaving rash and the third is making it worse. My shave goes like this:

Face soak with a hot towel for 2 minutes
Lather on the face with badger brush
First pass (WTG)
Face soak again for 1 more minute
Lather
Second pass (XTG)
Face soak for 1 more minute
Lather
Third pass (ATG)
Cold Towel
Balm
Aftershave

I have tried changing my technique to fix the problem unfortunately to no avail, I have tried a number of soaps again to no avail. I've tried soaking my face for longer but nothing seems to work. Could my blades be the problem? Is it worth upgrading to feathers to stop the hairs dragging? Any suggestions would be appreciated because I am just not enjoying my shaves at the minute

My first thought is: stick to only WTG passes. Have you tried DE? That might be another option.

Nothing wrong with straights..but I would skip the face soaking as water might be too much with your lather brush that has water in it already...if its been a few months..I can re hone for you...no charge.assuming you live in the US Feather disposables are totally different from real straights..I didn't like the disposable I tried..but YMMV

Thankyou for the offer of a hone I really appreciate that, however I am using a barbers straight, the kind which you use a razor blade in the end Ive not tried a DE yet, I am looking for a cheap one though because I would like to try it, maybe that will solve my problem too

Just a question, if you have been doing only a one pass shave for 2 years, what made you try to change now? Instead of adding an ATG or XTG pass, why not just try a second with the grain pass if you think you need to get a bit closer. Have you ever tried any other blades? Just like DE shaving, maybe order a blade sampler to see which one works best.

I havent been at work for 2 years so there has been no need to get as smooth as possible on my shaves, but recently I have been going to job interviews and meetings regarding work so I wanted the best, smoothest shave possible A blade sampler is the next thing on my "to buy" list, I reckon that is the best way to go to solving my problem. I will be honest aswell, two WTG passes didn't even cross my mind haha.

Here's another theory to consider:

I wonder if the extra face soaking between each pass is working against you. Even the hot towel at the start may not be good, depending on your type of skin. It may be making your skin more puffy and prone to irritation, cuts and weepers.

For me, just showering and washing my face before shaving is enough prep. Then I splash cool water rather than warm water onto my face between each pass. That simple change made a huge difference in my ability to do XTG and ATG passes. I use a DE nd not a straight, but I suspect the logic is the same. Might be worth a try.

Nick

Indeed, Nick is right. I recently have become a staunch proponent of cold water shaves. That's just cold water from the tap, and it really seems to reduce irritation for me. Derby blades in my DE Razors never worked for me. I use Feathers mostly and Astras occaisonally.

Buzzardstubble said:

I havent been at work for 2 years so there has been no need to get as smooth as possible on my shaves, but recently I have been going to job interviews and meetings regarding work so I wanted the best, smoothest shave possible A blade sampler is the next thing on my "to buy" list, I reckon that is the best way to go to solving my problem. I will be honest aswell, two WTG passes didn't even cross my mind haha.

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Understood! Like someone else said, Derbys were never good for me either in my DE's. I really liked Astras and Feathers, but now I primarily use Personna Med Preps.

Just ordered a sampler pack of Gillette 7oclocks (a pack of each kind they make) and a sampler of feathers so I am going to give those a go. When they get here I am going to have a go at the cold water shave as well. I have been reading that most guys use the same blade 3 or 4 times in a row where I have been using a new Derby half blade every shave, maybe that could be contributing to the irritation too?

Just a reminder: if you've been using the pre-cut Derby half-blades and are switching to a different brand you have to snap in half yourself, always, always, ALWAYS break the blade in half while it's still in the wrapper. I watched someone try to break an unwrapped blade and slice the pad of his thumb to the bone.

That being said - I second Nick's assessment. Too much prep/soaking/steaming can be a bad thing. If you're still getting pulling and irritation with your non-WTG passes, it's could be a couple things: first, you're applying pressure/using an incorrect angle (very easy to do with a straight or shavette where you lack the weight of a safety-razor's handle), or perhaps your lather isn't providing enough lubrication.

often times, less is more
pressure, passes, all kind of wacky preps
for some reason all the face soaking and RE-lathering, rubbing that brush on your face, sounds counter-productive to me and might lead to unwanted irritation

since you've been shaving with it for two years, it's probably not the issue, but check your pressure, one pass with a little too much pressure might get acceptable results
but two or three will probably not
aside from angle, good lather worked into your whiskers and pressure are my usual suspects

like always,
respect the razor,
shave for skin comfort first, and later for closeness
go from 1 pass to 2 passes, after you mastered that, go to three
you might not even need 3 passes for a close shave, some ppl just cannot tolerate 3 passes

and there could be a blade issue, granted I have no experience with derby blades
I have had less than stellar results with some brands of blades, switching to other blades have worked in the past for me, something to think about

Buzzardstubble said:

I havent been at work for 2 years so there has been no need to get as smooth as possible on my shaves, but recently I have been going to job interviews and meetings regarding work so I wanted the best, smoothest shave possible A blade sampler is the next thing on my "to buy" list, I reckon that is the best way to go to solving my problem. I will be honest aswell, two WTG passes didn't even cross my mind haha.

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well I know that blades a very personal, what works for you could kill me, however, I have a sample pack, and the gillette 7 o'clock green blades I have tried are the best i have shaved with so far, I will be trying the yellow ones when the greens are gone

I know you said you feel you need a bbs for work, but could you possibly get away with a 3 pass wtg shave? maybe give your face a day off when your not in work, may help

Thanks for the tip Rob, I used the full blades before the pre cuts so ive got the snapping thing down already thanks aswell guys, I will work on my lather and check my blade angle/pressure and check back in with the results!