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2 shaves in = very discouraging. (Long)

Hi Guys,

Well I am 2 shaves into my DE routine and am not having good results.

I purchased a Greenhorn kit from Lee's that includes a Merkur 34c, a Vulfix 1000 Badger Brush and some Col. Conks glycerine soap.

The first shave (yesterday morn.) was fresh out of the shower with a wet face. Lather seemed good to me, new merkur blade, shaving with the grain.

I made 1 pass and re-lathered then made a second pass. I was paying attention to blade angle, think I had it right.

It felt as though the blade wasn't cutting, and I had major irritation and many weepers. I actually had to clean up some spots with a cartridge razor.

2nd shave this morning I thought maybe the lather was the culprit so I mixed up some C.O.Bigelow Cream. Again seemed like good lather, but again the same results. I am going to have to take a break for a couple of days to let my face heal:001_rolle Not Good!!

I have watched all the Mantic videos and am using as light a pressure as I can trying to let the blade do the work.

I do have a very coarse beard, if that makes a difference.

I also have a '65 Superspeed. Are these more forgiving or should I stick with the 34c for now.

I also picked up a blade sampler kit, should I try a different blade?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I do not want to give up trying but I don't know how many more shaves like the first 2 I can endure.:frown:

Thanks,
Sam
 
Merkur blades are horrible. If your getting cuts and scrapes, your angle probably isnt right. Use less pressure and follow the contours of your face. Also, rub that glycerin soap all over yiour face adn than go at it with your brush. When its thick rich and creamy, than you've got some damn good later.
 
Give it some time. If you have never shaved with a DE before there is going to be a learning curve. Lots of guys have had to learn how to shave all over when beginning this process.
I would stay with the same razor while learning, and as your 34C is new it has a greater probability of correct alignment than the SS.
Soap can be more difficult for a new user, so perhaps stay with the cream.
While blade preference is highly individual, many don't care for the Merkur blades. Try a Derby, generally a smooth blade for most.
Good luck.
 
I think you are well on your way! You've made your homework, in that you have decent razors, good cream, different blades, and you are well informed about the basics (angle, pressure). Now it's just finding the best way to apply all this to your beard. Adjust the different parameters until you have a good result. You know that you can get good shaves using cartridge razors, so it must also be possible with a DE razor. Hang in there, and you'll have it figured out soon enough.

Best - MM
 
I agree with the change of blade, maybe get a sample pack or at least try the Derby's. For me Merkur blades are awful which is a shame as the razors are world class.

You also state you have a very course beard. It may help spending a lot longer on the prepping with a hot towel etc. as in Kyle's sticky. This method alone has improved my shaves ten fold. Get's those tough whiskers real soft - al dente in spaghetti terms!

Good luck..
 
I agree with the change of blade, maybe get a sample pack or at least try the Derby's. For me Merkur blades are awful which is a shame as the razors are world class.

You also state you have a very course beard. It may help spending a lot longer on the prepping with a hot towel etc. as in Kyle's sticky. This method alone has improved my shaves ten fold. Get's those tough whiskers real soft - al dente in spaghetti terms!

Good luck..

I do have a sample pack, I will try a Derby when my face has sufficiently healed.:lol:

Also today I did try the hot towel method---made no difference.

Thanks Guys, Keep the advice coming. I am not ready to give up yet.:biggrin:
 
You are not experiencing anything abnormal. I'd make suggestions according to my experience: Focus more on prep work, i.e. wash your beard and use a warm towel for a couple minutes. Use a preshave oil (olive oil works well) and lots of water. Two things: A DE wont "feel" like shaving the way cartridge razors feel, because you don't get the tugging (unless the blade i dulled). If you are making a pass and definately not cutting hair, try being a little MORE aggressive with angle and using VERY light pressure Once you get the right ratio of these two elements, it gets much easier but it does take some practice.

also go slowly, real real slowly.
 
Try doing one pass only, I get alot of irritation if i do more than one pass, also try using differtent stroke techinques, i.e short or long strokes. Not everything that is recommended on mantic's vids or on here means that it will work for you, they are just guidelines. Keep experimenting with different blades, angle, pressure etc and you'll find what works with you.

p.s Good luck!
 
Change the blade first off. Everyone that i've gotten into wet-shaving(myself included) HATES Merkur blades. Im pretty sure the blade is the culprit, unless your not getting the water to cream ratio right. I wouldn't go buying a Pre-shave oil just yet. Keep the angle right and you should be on your way. Let us know.
 
There's nothing wrong with the equipment you have and I agree with everyone else. Try Derby or the Crystal blades from your sampler pack and you will likely see a very big difference. Your experience is exactly what I went through and I was ready to give it up until I got rid of the Merkur blades and found out how much better other blades could be for me. Switching to different blades though is not the entire answer, you need to work on prep and technique as well and when it all comes together you will get good shaves. It takes a few weeks in most instances so don't get discouraged.
 
My first DE shave wasn't pretty. I didn't cut myself, but I gave myself a pretty lousy shave. My second one was more aggressive and I got irritation along with a slightly better, but still not good, shave.

My last shave, probably my eighth all together, was the best shave I've ever had in my life. Smooth, no cuts and very enjoyable. Still not perfect, but I'm getting there. I think you're probably in the learning curve we all start in and that I'm still in.

You've got good advice and you know what to look for. I say stick with it and you should see some improvement. What helped me was learning to make smaller passes each time so I could focus on the angle and pressure.
 
IMO Merkur blades are OK for guys with lighter beards. When I tried one I didn't even finish the first pass..It didn't feel right. It felt like a dull cartridge. You will be much happier with a Derby or Crystal.
 
One thing you may wish to try would be to splash some water on your face before relathering. It seems to help the lather work a bit better. (at least for me it does)
 
Agree with others above. Get a sampler pack and try some different blades. They are a very individual thing but I think you will be happier with something besides a Merkur blade.
 
You've got great gear so its probably not that..I didn't hear you say much about your prep..When all else fails prep well..I would agree with others, the Merkur blade may not be enhancing your experience..Most of us don't make the all-stars in two shaves..It gets better..Enjoy the learning curve..Its worth it..
 
Whatever blade you use try "corking" it. Corking is running a new blade through a wine cork lightly several times to remove any microscopic burrs and to straighten the edge out. Doing this made a world of difference for me using my Derby blades.
 
Thanks Guys,

I will definitely try a different blade on my next shave.

As far as prep goes, on the first attempt I shaved right after getting out of the shower, after letting the hottest water I could stand run over my face for a couple of minutes, and I did re-wet my face with hot water before re-lathering.

On the second attempt I tried the hot towel method, re-wetting the towel when it cooled off for a total of three times.

I'm not ready to give up yet.
 
One thing you may wish to try would be to splash some water on your face before relathering. It seems to help the lather work a bit better. (at least for me it does)

Agreed. As has been said before, change your blade, try a Derby. But above all don't get discouraged. I think that at one point or another many of us on B&B have been right where you are. It's not abnormal at all. It only gets better.
 
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