I started using a DE razor about a week and a half ago. I shave every other day after a shower, and this morning I butchered my neck. I keep reading to not use any pressure and I know I'm just starting. But, what is the best way to go about that. Also, I used a new blade (Astra) and also got my best lather. Thank you for any help.
Could use some advice.
- Thread starter Rigar
- Start date
be sure to map your beard so that you know for sure which way the grain is on all areas. Necks can be pretty squirrely.
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- #4
Would shave oil help?
Welcome!
While practice does help you need good lather and that starts with a good soap. I learned on Cella and Arko and probably been served a lot better with TOBS, RazoRock and GEO F Trumper products. They all make very nice lather that cushions your skin.
To your original question hold the blade by your fingertips at the far end of the blade to guide it and use the weight of the razor to do the work. Unlike carts where you have to press a DE requires no pressure. In a quiet room you should be able to hear the razor "pop" the hairs as it cuts them.
While practice does help you need good lather and that starts with a good soap. I learned on Cella and Arko and probably been served a lot better with TOBS, RazoRock and GEO F Trumper products. They all make very nice lather that cushions your skin.
To your original question hold the blade by your fingertips at the far end of the blade to guide it and use the weight of the razor to do the work. Unlike carts where you have to press a DE requires no pressure. In a quiet room you should be able to hear the razor "pop" the hairs as it cuts them.
+1 Let the head rest on your face, then only use the handle to guide the head down your face without applying any pressure.
I'm not sure if this will help in your case...
I hacked my face to bits the first time I DE shaved because, I used too much pressure, went too fast and started off with the wrong angle. To picture the correct angle, start by holding the razor handle parallel to the floor and the top of the razor touching your side burn area. While making short North to South strokes, slowly drop the handle towards the floor - you have the correct angle just as the blade starts cutting stubble.
If you begin with the handle perpendicular to the floor (blade 90 degrees to your face) , you will get a lot of chatter and you will wind up with a ton of nicks - this was the mistake that I made and I wound up a bloody mess!
When shaving your neck, you will need to maintain the optimum angle while navigating your Adam's Apple and jaw line.
Leading with the corner of the razor sounds counter intuitive but, in some neck situations, it helps.
Don't DE shave every day to save your skin. It takes about a month to get good at it - don't rush.
I hacked my face to bits the first time I DE shaved because, I used too much pressure, went too fast and started off with the wrong angle. To picture the correct angle, start by holding the razor handle parallel to the floor and the top of the razor touching your side burn area. While making short North to South strokes, slowly drop the handle towards the floor - you have the correct angle just as the blade starts cutting stubble.
If you begin with the handle perpendicular to the floor (blade 90 degrees to your face) , you will get a lot of chatter and you will wind up with a ton of nicks - this was the mistake that I made and I wound up a bloody mess!
When shaving your neck, you will need to maintain the optimum angle while navigating your Adam's Apple and jaw line.
Leading with the corner of the razor sounds counter intuitive but, in some neck situations, it helps.
Don't DE shave every day to save your skin. It takes about a month to get good at it - don't rush.
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- Thread starter
- #9
Right now I have Van Deer Hagen soap from Walmart. I will start researching soaps and order one. I will definitely ry holding from the tip next time also. Thank you.
Welcome aboard!!
Two suggestions:
1. Watch the angle of the razor (lots of good description on the wiki).
2. Let the weight of your razor do the work. (NO pressure!)
This is a skill that requires a bit of time and patience to master. Have fun!
Two suggestions:
1. Watch the angle of the razor (lots of good description on the wiki).
2. Let the weight of your razor do the work. (NO pressure!)
This is a skill that requires a bit of time and patience to master. Have fun!
This bro and welcome!
Sound advice. Also, something which might help; I tend to shave way down my neck. It's this last inch and a half or so which usually is where I run into trouble. If you might take some advice that I can't seem to hear for myself - don't shave so far down every time... leave it for, maybe, once every three or four shaves? Maybe leave it to control with a beard trimmer.
This area is where the beard grows every-which-way-but-loose and the skin is hard to stretch, and worse, very soft/tender/sensitive. You've already got a lot to learn and master, why not do yourself a favor and leave the advanced course for after shavecraft 101?
Good advice. DE shaving is different from cartridge shaving in that you must be sure you are not putting any pressure on the blade. Let the weight of the razor do the work for you. I use two fingers and my thumb to hold the razor with another finger resting on the tip of the handle. This results in holding the razor very lightly with no pressure on the razor. You want to hold the razor as lightly as you can without it falling from your hand. The wiki deals with holding a razor and may help you.
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Oh, I see.
Grab a tub of amici. You won't be disappointed and it will perform far beyond VDH.
Guide the razor by the tip of the handle. Do not hold it tightly in your hand.
Watch a YouTube video. They helped me out when I started. I would recommend Mantic59. Probably the most informative beginner videos. Other videos may show you the newest artisan soap. Mantic will show you how to start.
Practice for a couple more months, it's all part of the learning curve.
- Thread starter
- #19
Thanks for all the tips.
Welcome to B&B
You must get your beard hydrated so that it cuts cleanly and smoothly. This can be done in the shower by using your hair shampoo on your beard area and leaving it sit while you complete your shower, rinsing it off last, then shaving right after showering.
If you cannot shave right after a shower wash your face twice with a glycerin based soap (Pears or Neutrogena). The first wash is to remove dirt and oils the second you should leave on to hydrate your beard while you set up your shaving tools. Sometimes I leave this second soaping on and apply lather directly to it sometimes I rinse lightly (just to dampen my face) then apply lather.
To help mitigate razor burn and cut down on nicks and weepers, you should use your off (free) hand and stretch your skin in the area you are shaving.
Grab your skin at the base of your side burns and pull up for your back cheek area and puff air into your cheeks for shaving around the front of your cheeks.
Grab your throat with the flat of your hand below your lather an pull down for your neck and throat, moving your hand around as you shave to stay below your razor.
Grab your cheeks and pull back to stretch your chin.
You do not need to keep your skin tight as a snare drum, just keep it taught so that it does not roll up in front of the blade.
You can make silly faces to help stretch areas that are hard to reach
If you find you have a difficult time holding where you have lathered, rubbing your fingers on an alum block will give them enough grip to hold on to a wet or lathered area
Practice where and how to stretch as well as how much you need to stretch when you are NOT shaving. This way it will become natural when you are shaving
This will help your razor glide over your skin instead of bunching it up in front of the blade as you move it.
When shaving try to use short rapid motions, not long slow ones. You want to cut your beard not mow it down. Apply only enough pressure on the razor to keep it in contact with your face. Let the weight of the razor and the sharpness of the blade do the cutting.
Try to lock your wrist and elbow and move the entire arm that is holding the razor from the shoulder. This will help you keep a consistent blade angle as the entire razor will move in one plain since you are not adding several additional movements with your wrist and elbow.
Do not "flick your wrist" as the blade angle will swing wildly through your "flick".
This may seem awkward at first but after 6 months to a year of concentrating on this technique it will become natural and not require any thinking.
