After Action Report on First DE Shave!

[invisionz]

So my equipment and supplies came in ahead of schedule, I got it setup last night, studied some videos (mantic59) and re-read some articles in anticipation of shaving today.

I started out with a pre-shave oil, I read that grape seed oil was the best to use. Well, now I don't believe that after trying it because it just gunked everything up.

Next, I lathered up with some Proraso, BTW I would definitely like to know how that is pronounced. The lather was nice and warm and I really enjoyed it.

Then came time to tame the Futur beast! The Futur was loaded with a Merkur Blade. My first 'with the grain' pass was on a setting of 1 and I quickly determined that was not working and slowly increased up to 3, using half increment increases. My first pass produced a small nick just below my adams apple, no big deal.

The second pass was 'across the grain' and I could tell that my shave was getting closer and I could audibly hear the blade slicing the hair, awesome! The second pass was without incident, but I did notice that I could visibly see my facial hair and I was concerned that I wasn't properly shaving because I could see what appeared to be a 5 o'clock shadow.

With the third 'against the grain' pass I decided to apply just a little pressure to get a closer shave. I started low on my neck and went up my face with short strokes and heard more hair being removed. After the third pass was completed I did not see the shadow on my face, but I still could see it on my neck.

I decided to do another pass on my neck only. I lathered it up and decided to make this a downward (North to South) pass with the same slight pressure I had just used to go against the grain. When I got done with the neck pass I noticed some slight redness.

I did the cold water rinse to close the pores and noticed some slight irritation on my neck and then the Alum Block set my whole face on FIRE!
I rinsed the Alum off after my face had dried, about 2 minutes and then generously applied an After Shave Balm (ASB) which calmed my neck a little bit.

Some time has passed now and I still feel the irritation (razor burn?) on my neck and some red bumps. Is there anything I can do to minimize the damage? I really do not want any ingrown hairs or to complicate tomorrows shave, so I am looking for some preventive maintenance suggestions.

In summation, I enjoyed the experience. It takes much longer to shave this way, but I honestly believe that my face is being taken better care of than before and I think my skin looks better.

Thanks

[netsurfr]

Take it easy on the pressure and that may help the redness. Shaving is a matter of stubble reduction not getting it all in one go. Mostly in the early going, the problem is technique; you will get better with time.

[studman46]

The Futur is one of my favorite razors but it must be tamed or it will bite you quick. It takes getting used to; A setting of '3' is very aggressive (for me at least). I use a setting of '2' for the cheeks, chin, and upper part of neck but only a '1' for lower half of neck. Anything above that and irritation and redness is guaranteed. The Futur is heavy (4.3 oz) and any added pressure is a no-no. With the Futur, I do XTG as first pass, then ATG. In fact, the Futur is the only razor I can do an ATG pass as my first and second pass and get a BBS shave. I have a fairly coarse beard yet anything above a '2' is too much for me. There's a learning curve with the Futur; go slow, and you'll be fine. Hold the Futur where the handle is indented on upper half; that is the fulcrum or balance point. Good luck. You might consider the Merkur 39c barberpole slant in the future; It is just as good, if not better with less nicks and cuts and a BBS shave in fewer passes. Got mine from Lee's Razors, a great vendor recommended by many here and no S&H if you tell him you're a B&B member). Good luck and keep us posted.

[Navy Chief]

Sounds like it could be a combination of too much pressure, and the need to try some different blades; the merkurs are generally considered to be pretty blunt in comparison to a lot of the others out there. Maybe give a Derby a shot. Just watch the angle and the pressure.

[shyrlock]

Yup, it's pretty crazy that Merkur make such fine razors and such crappy blades.
I bought my Futur a couple of years ago and bought about five packs of Merkur blades to go with it. I figured that they would surely make the best blades for their own razors.
Now, five pucks of Tabac later, I still have four of packs of Merkur blades. After getting a sampler from www.westcoastshaving.com and seeing how nice many other brands shave, I dont use the Merkurs anymore.
Everyonce in a while I will put one in my Futur and see if they still feel rough, they always do. I suppose I will toss them in the trash one of these days.
Life is to short to use crappy razor blades.
Anyway, congradulations and welcome to this fine site.
Enjoy your shaves!

[pal]

Actually for a first DE shave, I would say it was a great success! It will take you a few weeks to get your beard conditioned to the DE. Congratulations!

[invisionz]

Yup, it's pretty crazy that Merkur make such fine razors and such crappy blades.

Now, five pucks of Tabac later, I still have four of packs of Merkur blades. After getting a sampler from www.westcoastshaving.com and seeing how nice many other brands shave, I dont use the Merkurs anymore.

Thank you for turning me onto the sampler packs. I am planning on purchasing some, soon.

pal & the rest of ya'

Thanks for the encouragement.




Today was a much better shave, but I still have the RAZOR BURN on my neck. I am not sure if I created some new razor burn or if this is residual stuff from Shave # 1. I switched out my Merkur blade for a Personna Blade that I got from a local barber supply store, it is in a blue wrapper. I personally don't think it is any better than the Merkur, in fact I think it is probably just a little bit worse (dull). However, I did run across some Personna blades in Walmart that were packaged in red and has a dispenser. Maybe I will try them out tomorrow? I remember seeing some I think their called Wilkson blades at Walgreen's. Any thoughts on these blades? I am interested in them till I can get a hold of the sampler pack.

On another note, I went by the Crabtree & Evelyn Store and rounded out my Nomad ASB with the shave cream and EDT and I also picked up a C&E naturals shave cream to try out. Man I feel like I have given the economy my own jump start here with all of the dough I have dropped!

[flabajaba2213]

Thank you for turning me onto the sampler packs. I am planning on purchasing some, soon.

pal & the rest of ya'

Thanks for the encouragement.




Today was a much better shave, but I still have the RAZOR BURN on my neck. I am not sure if I created some new razor burn or if this is residual stuff from Shave # 1. I switched out my Merkur blade for a Personna Blade that I got from a local barber supply store, it is in a blue wrapper. I personally don't think it is any better than the Merkur, in fact I think it is probably just a little bit worse (dull). However, I did run across some Personna blades in Walmart that were packaged in red and has a dispenser. Maybe I will try them out tomorrow? I remember seeing some I think their called Wilkson blades at Walgreen's. Any thoughts on these blades? I am interested in them till I can get a hold of the sampler pack.

On another note, I went by the Crabtree & Evelyn Store and rounded out my Nomad ASB with the shave cream and EDT and I also picked up a C&E naturals shave cream to try out. Man I feel like I have given the economy my own jump start here with all of the dough I have dropped!

The Personna's at Wal-Mart aren't the same as the Personna Reds that a lot of people on here like. I thought they were, until I bought a package. Wilkinson Swords used to be decent blades (what my father used when he was a lad), but I'm not sure how they are now. As far as neck irritation, I have it as well, but my neck is always irritated after a shave. However, with my DE it is far less painful. What I found that helped was that if your neck is still a bit painful, only do a WTG and XTG pass on it the next day, giving it another day to heal. That has helped me plenty.

[alabamalawyer]

Congrats on the first two shaves. You definitely want to avoid pressure with the Futur. I never got mine above the 2.5 setting. Futur + pressure definitely = razor burn. Take your time and focus on technique.

BTW, it is cool how the Futur sounds when it cuts the whiskers.

[cvac]

Recently I had a couple of bad shaves due to trying out a new razor that is completely different from what I had been using. If your skin is tender or razor burned on Day 1, it's not going to take much to make it feel the same way or worse on day 2. That is my experience. Your best bet is probably just to take a couple days off shaving to let your face heal, if at all possible.

[thecoalition]

when i started i did 1 week of wtg only. then the second week was wtg and xtg. the third week when i felt cocky i did wtg, xtg, atg. it takes some time to get used the technique. the big things are taking your time until you are comfortable. if you have to rush through the shave then what is the point of doing it the good ole way?

[SRock]

Your choice of words, "After Action Report." Are you military? Veteran? If so make sure you identify to the Mods so you can get the appropriate tag.

As for your shave, congrats and stick with it. Time, practice and technique will ultimately lead you to shave Nirvana!

[invisionz]

WOW! I think I am catching on.

So I think I had one of those epiphany moments today. I have been tracking the equipment and consumables that I use and my results for each shave. I have developed a tracking sheet, really a simple 2 page procedure list and shave report. I use this to make adjustments to my shaves and overtime I expect to have a better picture or analysis of how I have butchered my face or improved my shaves.

Anyways, I decided to back my settings down just a little bit and turn off the running water so I can really hear what is happening. I am on high alert using all of my senses to improve my shaving experience! Sight, sound and touch are my guides and the sense of smell to absorb the pleasant aromas are intoxicating.

Before I started I changed out the blade to one of those Wal-Mart Personna Platinum's. On the WTG pass I used a setting on 1.5 and it did very well. Then I decided to follow a bit of advice mentioned by 'studman64' who mentioned doing a XTG pass first. Now I am not that brave, but I did alter my routine by deviating from Mantic59's advice by performing the XTG pass instead of the ATG passes.

So I proceeded to perform my XTG pass when I noticed that there was some bite to the first pass. So I backed the setting down from 1.5 to a 1 and restarted my XTG pass and shortly thereafter, EUREKA! What a world of difference that made! A lot of short little strokes produced some flaking skin by it was performing nicely. Next were the ATG passes and man did my shave REALLY start to shape up. I felt like a pro shaver, a master of the DE Blade! Alright, maybe I am going a little to far.

Seriously, I began to really feel comfortable, just as comfortable as when I used my Mach3 disposable razors. Chin, Adam's apple, Lips, around the Nose, and Earlobes, no problems! Several small passes, re-lathering, and going back for more! AWESOME!

When I was done, the Alum Block pass was not as painful as before and my neck still had razor burn, but I am betting that it is residual from the last two shaves.

Now, let's hope tomorrow is the same or better.

BTW, thanks for the advice and yup, SlagleRock I am in the Army.

[SRock]

WOW! I think I am catching on.

So I think I had one of those epiphany moments today. I have been tracking the equipment and consumables that I use and my results for each shave. I have developed a tracking sheet, really a simple 2 page procedure list and shave report. I use this to make adjustments to my shaves and overtime I expect to have a better picture or analysis of how I have butchered my face or improved my shaves.

Anyways, I decided to back my settings down just a little bit and turn off the running water so I can really hear what is happening. I am on high alert using all of my senses to improve my shaving experience! Sight, sound and touch are my guides and the sense of smell to absorb the pleasant aromas are intoxicating.

Before I started I changed out the blade to one of those Wal-Mart Personna Platinum's. On the WTG pass I used a setting on 1.5 and it did very well. Then I decided to follow a bit of advice mentioned by 'studman64' who mentioned doing a XTG pass first. Now I am not that brave, but I did alter my routine by deviating from Mantic59's advice by performing the XTG pass instead of the ATG passes.

So I proceeded to perform my XTG pass when I noticed that there was some bite to the first pass. So I backed the setting down from 1.5 to a 1 and restarted my XTG pass and shortly thereafter, EUREKA! What a world of difference that made! A lot of short little strokes produced some flaking skin by it was performing nicely. Next were the ATG passes and man did my shave REALLY start to shape up. I felt like a pro shaver, a master of the DE Blade! Alright, maybe I am going a little to far.

Seriously, I began to really feel comfortable, just as comfortable as when I used my Mach3 disposable razors. Chin, Adam's apple, Lips, around the Nose, and Earlobes, no problems! Several small passes, re-lathering, and going back for more! AWESOME!

When I was done, the Alum Block pass was not as painful as before and my neck still had razor burn, but I am betting that it is residual from the last two shaves.

Now, let's hope tomorrow is the same or better.

BTW, thanks for the advice and yup, SlagleRock I am in the Army.

Sounds like you are getting this nailed down. It doesn't take long to really figure out what works and as long as you respect the blade you will hone your technique in no time.

I suspected that you were military as well. We tend to speak a language all our own, it's not English, it's just Military. Again, welcome to the B&B. It's always nice to see more service members around here!