Not getting success

Hey everyone,

First off this is a really cool forum. Lurking around the speakeasy and such it's good to see that so many people with similar interests (my friends call me a "wannabe old person").

Anyway, I was introduced to wetshaving through my favorite blog, zenhabits. I read the article that came up on that site a while back, and thought it was kind of interesting. I'm typically a no frills guy, I shave in the shower with a Fusion and no cream or gel.

We were honeymooning in Vegas at the start of the month and my wife wanted to do a spa day, I said "well you can have your spa day, I'm going to go to the art of shaving and get a straight razor shave".

It was wonderful, and they convinced me to buy their trial kit and and a merkur double-edge. It came with a badger brush which the lady said is good for two weeks only (doesn't make sense to me...could someone explain that?), cream, pre-shave oil, and aftershave.

The cream ran out very quickly and I am now on something from Bath and Body Works which I am led to believe is rebranded Proraso.

The blades that I am using are from CVS. I understand that this is the weakest link but I really don't want to resort to buying items from the internet which I will have to order routinely.

I knew there was a learning curve involved, but I have been using it for two weeks and am still nicking the hell out of my neck. I am being careful with the angling of the blade and am always shaving with the grain. I've read all the tutorials and watched all the youtubes.

I have gotten to the point where if I really take my time, I can shave blood-free, but I will get a rough and uneven shave. If I even that up, I will get the closest shave that I've ever gotten, but there will be blood everywhere.

I've tried in the shower, and after the shower. In the shower (lathering with my hands) seems to work out much better than after the shower (with the brush). But either way I just can't seem to get it right.

On the plus side, I am glad to have found out about real shaving cream. It makes a world of difference, even with the fusion.

Do I just keep trying or do I need to change something? Will I have to buy blades from the internet?

...but I really don't want to resort to buying items from the internet which I will have to order routinely.

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SpecialK --

Welcome to B&B. It sounds like you're well underway with the wetshaving transition. Good show! Regarding blades, order a blade sampler from www.westcoastshaving.com at modest cost; then cycle through to determine which brands you favor. Really, it's the easiest way to go.

You'll find that even in the largest metro areas, there is limited and spotty product availability at Brick and Mortar stores. So online ordering is the way to go. Fortunately, there are several etailers who offer a wide range of products, at good prices, and provide exceptional service. When you've come to know what products you favor, you can buy in quantity so you're not repeatedly making orders for small quantity. I understand the reluctance of new guys to buying online, but really, the internets is your friend.

Read through the 'stickied' postings at the top of many forums for good info and tutorials.

-- John Gehman

As John suggests, your best bet right now is to order some blades from westcoastshaving.com. I don't know of any resource outside of the internet where you can acquire quality blades, and it is the blade that would seem to be the source of your problem.

Yeah, I'd say give a Derby blade a try. They're a good combination of being sharp enough to shave well while still being smooth enough to not rip a relative beginner to shreds.

Also, with a DE, try making your shaving strokes no more than one inch in length. If you're used to a Fusion you're probably used to taking one long stroke from the top of your cheek to the bottom of your neck, and that doesn't work with a DE.

the CVS blades I tried while waiting on my sampler pack those two have already mentioned were crap. The blades from Walgreens which had a made in israel sticker on the back were MUCH better!

Also, are you trying to get a "perfect" shave in just one pass? It's virtually impossible with a DE. You're on the right track with one pass that's blood-free but still rough. After that pass rinse your face, re-lather and make a second pass going across (NOT against) the grain. That should get you closer to smooth.

The blade sampler is well worth the money. Before I received mine, the Korean blades from K-Mart or Winn-Dixie (reportedly made by Dorco) worked well for me. There is a big difference in how different brands of blades shave on different individuals.

-Clarke

Get the sampler!

and WELCOME!

bloody neck - here are few things to try.


Pay attention to the angle of the razor. It's posted here in numerous threads. Here is the the easiest way to find a comfortable and effective angle:

-Start by holding the blade perpendicular to the face. This means the center of the top of the razor is touching your face and the handle is more or less horizontal (parallel to the floor).

- Lower the razor (decrease the angle/rotate the handle closer to your face) until the blade itself just catches your stubble. (the angle of the blade itself is the inverse of the handle - as you lower the handle toward your face you increase the angle of the blade against your skin)

- try a few strokes, minutely decreasing the handle angle further if needed until a comfortable and effective stroke is achieved. Hair should be easily cut with very light pressure. If you have to press, change the angle.

- the optimum angle will likely be a bit different on different areas of your face. This control is the biggest benefit of using a DE in my opinion.


Rather than lifting the chin to stretch the neck while shaving try this:

- tuck your chin in to produce an exaggerated double chin.

- stretch the skin by pulling with your fingers from the side of your neck.

- shave the stretched area from outside to centerline by using a horizontal or downward diagonal stroke. Repeat for opposite side.

- this should remove the bulk of the stubble on the neck and under the chin with potentially less irritation than the conventional 'salutation-to-the-ceiling' method.

-You may find it difficult to get the hair at the very base of the neck this way however, so additional strokes may be needed here. This area is often a tough spot as the hair may grow in opposite patterns compared to the rest of the neck so be gentle and you'll soon find your own way.


Finally, Proraso is a cream that thins very easily. It works very well when optimized but it's tougher to get there than a lot of other creams. Try shaking out the brush a bit and/or using more cream (or just use your fingers - I find Proraso works better brushless for the most part). This will produce a slicker, more cushioning base for the razor. Don't worry if the cream is too thick or dry - just wet your fingertips and rub to moisten it back up a bit.



Don't worry you'll get it soon enough!

you mention that you get better results in the shower.so do i.before getting in rub your face,massage well for a few minutes.hop in wet your face several times and massage.then rub your face with your soap.soak your brush in the hot water stream, sling out the excess water and swirl on your face, build up a brushful of lather.with a good soap you should have enough for 3-4 passes.use small 1/2 to 3/4 inch strokes.and rinse the razor frequently.i start with north to south strokes.relather for east to west pass.then relather for a south to north against the grain pass.if needed then do another pass at the trouble spots.do not press down with the razor.use the weight of the razor head to apply the pressure.hopefully this will help you some.

Special K said:

(my friends call me a "wannabe old person").

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I prefer the term curmudgeon.

Welcome, I guess.

Welcome. I'd like to reiterate what Patris VII said, if you aren't making funny faces while shaving you are probably not getting the skin tight enough. Try it and see if it helps.