Really dumb question and behavior

Doing two passes shouldn't take that long. Maybe twice as long as using the sensor, what takes longer is the prep work with wetshaving. You are not just wetting your face and pressing on a can of foam gunk to put on your face. It takes time to learn how to build a proper lather and then apply to your face. I can't see setting five to ten extra minutes in the morning, for the time being, should not be enough to get a careful DE shave in.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but are you sure you have the base plate on correctly? I've seen them placed upside down before. If you have it set up properly and you can't get a close shave, I suspect that you don't have the razor at the right angle. If either too steep or shallow, the blade won't make full contact with the skin. I've found that even the mildest DE razor gives a closer shave than most cartridge razors, when used correctly. I've never tried an EJ, but they are considered to be very well made. Keep trying, rewatch the tutorials, and ask all the questions you'd like. I doubt you will find a site more eager to help with problems than you will here.

Please don't take this the wrong way; your description reminds me of a bad cartoon on Saturday mornings - you know, the ones where the poor sod on the screen ends up doing what you did and there's blood Everywhere! (fades to black...) I think, seriously, you want and need a mentor. Again, consider the upside if you will for a moment. Someone who shaves with a DE regularly can tell you and point out to you far more, far quicker, than any YouTube video you'll ever watch. Add, they'll be able to be there and SHOW you right there in front of you Exactly what your razor would look like properly assembled, and correctly applied. Last, if you're both comfortable with the experiment they can be there with you on a shave and either demonstrate on their own face and / or help by watching your strokes how to get the best out of your grooming the fastest possible.

I know it may be a stretch; but seriously, a mentor could do wonders to seeing you get on your way as fast as anyone I've ever met here or in real life when it comes to shaving with sharp instruments which can do serious damage if we do not recognize the potential danger and give them the needed respect.

I'm sorry I'm not in Scotland, nor able to travel out for a quick visit... But I have to think that maybe someone in that Fine Land could get you going smartly!

Good hunting and god speed.
Regards,
Chris

one thing that I haven't seen mentioned on here is doing a little homework. everyone keeps tossing out terms like wtg, xtg, atg, but no-one has properly explained it. here's the homework part. do some face mapping. I know it sounds silly, but it works. download a face mapping worksheet. (when you have a couple of days where you don't have to shave) print it out, then head to the shave den. examine your face, and pay close attention to which way your beard is growing. easiest way I've find was to make up a slick lather, and cover my face with it. then, run your fingers all around your face, feeling your stubble in little overlapping circles. when it feels smoothest, note the direction in that area of your face on the worksheet. that will be with the grain. different areas of your face, the hair may grow in different directions. once you've mapped out your entire face, then move on to your neck. once you know which directions your facial and neck hair is growing, you can apply that to your shaving. shaving is about beard reduction through more than one pass, not getting rid of it all in one shot. start with at least one pass wtg, and go from there.

Welcome to B&B! Additionally make sure you're holding your razor at the proper angle and not applying pressure... technique is moy importante

Marky said:

So, obviously I know I'm going wrong somewhere, but is it the fact that a safety razor is designed not to give such a close shave and I'll need one that exposes the face to all of the blade? Do I maybe need to do several more passes? Is it just my technique and angle I'm holding it at? Or something I've missed?

Thanks in advance for replies.

Click to expand...

A DE Razor is the best razor to achieve a BBS, once you get the hang of it you'll be surprised that an old razor basically performs way better compared to a "modern" razor. You need to do more passes.

I wrote a mini guide for beginners like you, I hope it's going to help you a lot:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/462403-GUIDE-The-most-important-part-newbies-don-t-know!

PS: don't use pressure like you're doing with your multi bladed razor, just relax and be gentle as possible. i would also use a mild/sharp razor, I can recommend an Astra SP blade.

Welcome! Great advice so far from all. Only thing I'll repeat is PATIENCE!!!! Don't just do it, enjoy it!