Back for a second try!

mattprince · Aug 27, 2014

Hi,

After trying "proper" shaving a while ago i gave up as my face was screaming in pain. I went slow , no pressure , really took my time and still a really painful, bloody, sore shave. I currently use Gillette Mach 3 and Fusion sometimes. I find if i leave my beard to grow and i trim it down with a stubble electric thing and then the next time i need a shave , then shave with a Mach 3 or Fusion , i don't get as much pain. I put this down to my sensitive skin getting a rest and rehardening?

I have a really thick stubble and have, as long as I've been shaving, had red bumps and ingrown hairs in my neck area. Ive tried solutions that claim to get rid of it and had a little success but not cleared up and every time i used it my neck went red.

Really want to crack this DE shaving as it will save me money and also be more pleasurable in the long run.

Any advice on what stuff to buy is really appreciated. I do have Bluebeard's Revenge cream already but my brush is cheap muck.

Was thinking of getting a Merkur Futur and a decent brush.

Matt :thumbup1:

mcdig · Aug 27, 2014

Welcome back Matt! The Merkur Futur was way to aggressive for me. Look at the Merkur Progress Adjustable instead.

Cumberland Sausage · Aug 27, 2014

Hi there. My advice is just to keep at it. I found the no pressure (or minimal pressure) thing really did take time to get to grips with coming from cart razors. The blade really does want to be just touching your face, and it takes time to achieve that. Alos pay attention to prep -- at least a shower and face wash or hot towel treatment before you shave.

BaritoneJP · Aug 27, 2014

Hi Matt ...

Other than keeping at it and working on things like pressure, angle, prep, etc (and all the great advice on this board) - My problem, and as a suggestion, is to watch your speed. No, not the Super speed, (a great razor to start with btw) but rather not getting into a hurry. At first, that was my cause for "shore shave" and nicks/cuts. Several people love the Astra Superior Platinum blades (Green), and that is what I started with. Those, however, didn't work out to be the blade for me to start with ... so I changed to the Personna (blue, not the med prep.) blade and it was much better.

With thick stubble as you say, prep may be your best friend. I haven't used oil in my prep, but from what I'm reading it may help with your experience.

Happy shaving!

BSAGuy · Aug 27, 2014

Glad to have you back, Matt. You can co this. Billions of men do this and have been doing this for centuries and they are no smarter than you!!

musicman1951 · Aug 27, 2014

Blood and irritation are a result of too much pressure or incorrect blade angle - or both. Blade angle takes a little while to get down, but less pressure is available immediately. Imagine using very little pressure and then cut that in half.

An adjustable might be a great idea. You can dial it back a notch or two for your neck.

PMT · Aug 27, 2014

Cumberland Sausage said:
Hi there. My advice is just to keep at it. I found the no pressure (or minimal pressure) thing really did take time to get to grips with coming from cart razors. The blade really does want to be just touching your face, and it takes time to achieve that. Alos pay attention to prep -- at least a shower and face wash or hot towel treatment before you shave.

+1

tromboneliness · Aug 28, 2014

Cumberland Sausage said:
Hi there. My advice is just to keep at it. I found the no pressure (or minimal pressure) thing really did take time to get to grips with coming from cart razors. The blade really does want to be just touching your face, and it takes time to achieve that. Alos pay attention to prep -- at least a shower and face wash or hot towel treatment before you shave.

+2 I would add that it's important to remember that we doing beard reduction with each pass, not beard elimination. Avoid ATG. Never shave a spot that has no lather. Forget about BBS--make your goal a close, comfortable shave. If you want to touch-up, try J-hooking as shown here instead of an ATG pass.

engblom · Aug 28, 2014

I have a very coarse beard and I would not recommend a Futur. If it would not be for open comb razors I would not be a DE shaver. Some how I feel that the more coarse beard one have, the better it is with an open comb. They come in all kind of aggressiveness, all the way from ultra mild (Merkur 15C) to super aggressive (Mühle R41)

A mild open comb like Parker 24C/26C (depending on what handle you want) would be a good start for your second trial. Many of us here later move towards open comb and there we get stuck. Open combs are the same safe as safety bar razor but they have the following advantages:
- They will easily cut one day of growth as well as a week+ of growth. Safety-bar razors begin to clog if you have longer growth and most safety bar users prefer to trim the beard before shaving.
- For the same close shave, we find open comb razors to be more comfortable. This especially if one is having coarse beard.
- Open comb razors will visually show you if you have wrong angle. A too steep angle will show stripes in the lather, a too shallow will show a smeared lather.
- Open combs need less skin stretching.
- No bar is raking away the lather right before the blade. For some soap this matters, for other not.

You will also need a few good blades. I do not know what you used last time you begun.
Most samples have a lot of useless blades, so do not jump on a samle set directly. You are not able to tell directly if it was a useless blade or bad technique on your side.
Buy 5-10 blades of the following brands: Voskhod, Astra SP, Polsilver SI, Gillette Silver Blue and Feathers. They are approximately in sharpness order with Voskhod as least sharp and most forgiving. Try all blades and set on one for learning technique. These are among the most popular blades. There surely are a few more good, but these are quite safe bet if you need to quickly find a blade that just works.

Sho-Nuff · Aug 28, 2014

Welcome aboard! You should find all the answers you need to hear? These gentleman Provided a wealth of knowledge for me, and it's my pleasure now to share with the others.

1)I started with a Muhle r89 grande. My beard is coarse and skin is sensitive as well "a most unfortunate combination" but the R89 proved to be a wonderful companion not just as a starter but now a staple in my rotation. Not so mild that it can't provide BBS but not so aggressive as to agitate my skin. Really....really recommend this razor or the EJ89 which has the exact same head

2) use a pre-shave oil. Many hear believe this to be an irrelevant step but trust me, at least in my case, it has made all the difference. My favorites are John Allan slick water, and Jack Black epic moisture. Both of those are expensive and a MUCH cheaper alternative that produces similar results is Shave Secret which can be found at most Wal-Mart stores for $3.00

3) no pressure WTG passes only for at least 2 weeks. This will not give you the BBS you seek but it will help you learn technique and how your facial hair grows.

4) use a alcohol free aftershave. Many here are fans of Nivea sensitive which I haven't tried. I do like proraso white balm, Jack Black post gel, and AOS unscented balm....my favorite is John Allen cool face.

5) do not get discouraged, give it time, the good shaves are on the way

lamontqsanford · Aug 28, 2014

I also have a very course beard (more like barbed wire). For me, the number one thing that helped was actually mapping my neck growth. Take a cotton ball and find out what is actually with the grain (WTG). I found that on either side of my adams apple with the grain meant I had to shave from adams apple to ear (East to West and West to East). This was the single most factor that eliminated any redness and ingrown hairs. I watched video after video and they all seemed to shave north to south on the neck and I figured that was what I should do as I had always shaved that way. I still do a north to south pass (as that is ATG) but only after I do the WTG pass. Once I mapped my growth it was a shave revelation!

alex2363 · Aug 30, 2014

mattprince said:
Hi,

After trying "proper" shaving a while ago i gave up as my face was screaming in pain. I went slow , no pressure , really took my time and still a really painful, bloody, sore shave. I currently use Gillette Mach 3 and Fusion sometimes. I find if i leave my beard to grow and i trim it down with a stubble electric thing and then the next time i need a shave , then shave with a Mach 3 or Fusion , i don't get as much pain. I put this down to my sensitive skin getting a rest and rehardening?

I have a really thick stubble and have, as long as I've been shaving, had red bumps and ingrown hairs in my neck area. Ive tried solutions that claim to get rid of it and had a little success but not cleared up and every time i used it my neck went red.

Really want to crack this DE shaving as it will save me money and also be more pleasurable in the long run.

Any advice on what stuff to buy is really appreciated. I do have Bluebeard's Revenge cream already but my brush is cheap muck.

Was thinking of getting a Merkur Futur and a decent brush.

Matt

Can you elaborate more on what shave gear you had and what was you shave process.

Augustiner · Aug 30, 2014

engblom said:
I have a very coarse beard and I would not recommend a Futur. If it would not be for open comb razors I would not be a DE shaver. Some how I feel that the more coarse beard one have, the better it is with an open comb. They come in all kind of aggressiveness, all the way from ultra mild (Merkur 15C) to super aggressive (Mühle R41)

A mild open comb like Parker 24C/26C (depending on what handle you want) would be a good start for your second trial. Many of us here later move towards open comb and there we get stuck. Open combs are the same safe as safety bar razor but they have the following advantages:
- They will easily cut one day of growth as well as a week+ of growth. Safety-bar razors begin to clog if you have longer growth and most safety bar users prefer to trim the beard before shaving.
- For the same close shave, we find open comb razors to be more comfortable. This especially if one is having coarse beard.
- Open comb razors will visually show you if you have wrong angle. A too steep angle will show stripes in the lather, a too shallow will show a smeared lather.
- Open combs need less skin stretching.
- No bar is raking away the lather right before the blade. For some soap this matters, for other not.

You will also need a few good blades. I do not know what you used last time you begun.
Most samples have a lot of useless blades, so do not jump on a samle set directly. You are not able to tell directly if it was a useless blade or bad technique on your side.
Buy 5-10 blades of the following brands: Voskhod, Astra SP, Polsilver SI, Gillette Silver Blue and Feathers. They are approximately in sharpness order with Voskhod as least sharp and most forgiving. Try all blades and set on one for learning technique. These are among the most popular blades. There surely are a few more good, but these are quite safe bet if you need to quickly find a blade that just works.

I like your plug for OC razors. I have a very coarse beard as well and have also found an OC razor to be the best for me. However, I don't feel that they work for a thick beard only. All shavers would benefit from them.

I feel the biggest benefit that they offer is for the last reason that you listed. The open teeth do not wipe away the lather right before the blade cuts. This means:

1) The whisker is cut closer to the base because the lather is still next to the whisker, propping it up straight when the blade contacts it
2) The shave is more comfortable/less irritation because the lather does it's job of protecting the skin from the blade since it is not wiped off

It also doesn't clog as you mentioned.

I agree with the blade brands you listed. I personally am an Astra SP user. It has the best combo of sharpness and smoothness that I have used.

BeardFace · Aug 30, 2014

I started this a little over a week ago and have been using electric foil shavers for the better of my life, with a few years where i was shaving with the mach 3/fusion.

My first few experiences with the DE were horrific, even though I took my time and listened to all the instructions. I have a Merkur 34C, which is highly recommended for a beginner, Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood shave cream, and a cheapo brush. I wanted to invest as little as possible to see if I would like it and then buy more if it worked out for me. Well the first few times it didn't work out, but it is when I invested in a preshave soap and a better brush that things started improving.

So here is the advice of a newbie who has been soaking up the knowledge of this board and others for about a week: 1) don't discount the preshave. For me I bought a $2 bar of soap at whole foods and washed my beard with it while showering. You feel a big difference in your skin and the feel of your beard. 2) I'm not saying a cheapo brush won't work for you, but I couldn't generate lather the way you see in the videos. I bought a parker pure badger brush on amazon ($35) and things got better. 3) Whatever you do, don't start with derby blades if you have a coarse beard. I would suggest starting with Astra SP blades. 4) Have something to help calm the inevitable nicks and cuts you will get. It's a part of the learning curve. But you will see improvement and that will be satisfying.

**From these posts above, I am now interested in looking at an open comb razor. Eventually, I'll probably and OC razor and adjustable to the collection.

I also have a question of my own...does the process from start to finish ever speed up. My last two times, it took me 45 minutes from when I started creating my lather to when I finished with after shave routine.

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Back for a second try!

mattprince

mcdig

Cumberland Sausage

BaritoneJP

BSAGuy

musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu

PMT

tromboneliness

engblom

Sho-Nuff

lamontqsanford

alex2363

Augustiner

BeardFace

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