Todays Shave :(

Today i shaved with a razor i bought that arrived this morning.
The Ball End Tech. The only Variable i changed was from my superspeed ('63) to the tech.
The blade was 2 shaves old.
Ouch!! The tech was DRAGGING and PULLING across my face through the whole shave. I had to do about 6 passes on my chin too reduce the beard.
I was dreading finishing too see how raw my face was going to be (as often when i over shave with my SS (more than 3 passes) im left with a lot of irritation.
However weirdly enough my face looked good. Healthy and felt amazing :S
The shave was extremely uncomfortable nonetheless and i am far away from my usual BBS with my SS im not even CCS.
I have a REALLY tough thick beard i know that but i am now at loose ends what too do.
I'm seriously thinking about going back too cartridges.
My shaves are usually soo good however i always get a bit of tugging on my chin.
I have been using Derby extra blades and Gillette Yellow 7's but neither seem sharp enough. I believe im too much of a beginner too use a feather yet. Only been DE shaving for a couple of months.
Thanks for reading i really enjoy sharing my experiences with you Guys
Chris

Go with the Feathers...they're not nearly the demons they're made out to be. I started with one Merkur blade that came with my razor, and switched immediately to the Feathers and never had an issue.

so a sharper blade should solve my problem. My angle i make sure is PERFECT as is my prep.
Its weird though that the tech proved soo rough too shave with
Chris

I think that some razors just don't agree with certain faces. And I would second the 'don't fear the Feather' advice...they really aren't that scary.

Wow, you don't hear this sort of thing often. Take a close look at the head of the razor and make sure the blade gap is even all across the safety bar. Just a thought. Could have been a bad blade as well.

I Know i have had some strange results. Like the dragging of Gillette Yellows on my beard. Maybe even more so than a derby. Blade gap is definately completely even. The blade was fine aswell as i used it 2 shaves previously and got great results from my SS. It was literally today getting stuck on every hair on my chin.

Bit of an Update : I shaved again today using the Tech. Instead today i dumped in a Gillette Yellow 7 o clock (which i previously had bad results with in my SS) however i got a great (close to bbs) DFS.
It took about 5 passes but i had ZERO irritation and ZERO redness.
Went straight to the clubmanb special reserve afterwards and my skin has never looked better.
I think it may seem i have downgraded but ive found my new go-to razor.
Also another reason my shaves are on/off is due too my growth. Having such thick strong stubble i cant manage without shaving everyday...
Not that thats a bad thing
Chris

Chris,

Do what some of the guys have said - try the Feathers. Yes, they're sharper but let's face it you can cut yourself with any blade. If you're not regularly nicking and cutting yourself then try a few out. Take it easy and hopefully you'll find that you'll need less passes and have less tugging or skipping because it is so sharp.

I've tried quite a few different blades and the Feather is the best for a tougher beard. Every now and then I'll pop a different blade in - all it does is confirm the superiority of the Feather.

This is why you see YMMV so often on here.

mcchriswood said:

I think it may seem i have downgraded but ive found my new go-to razorChris

Click to expand...

Who cares! As long as it works for you...!

I have iron beard, the ball end is my go to with a Dorco 301. Unless I need total bbs and then I use my Red tip other that the rest are just for collection now.

I've got a thicker bit of facial hair and have found that the Feather/Tech combo is excellent. Of course, the caveat to all that is that the Tech has treated me well with the Derby and 7 O'clocks, but was brutal with Dorco 300 and 301 blades.

mcchriswood said:

Today i shaved with a razor i bought that arrived this morning.
The Ball End Tech. The only Variable i changed was from my superspeed ('63) to the tech.
The blade was 2 shaves old.
Ouch!! The tech was DRAGGING and PULLING across my face through the whole shave. I had to do about 6 passes on my chin too reduce the beard.

Click to expand...

You may want to consider a more aggressive razor/blade combo. I tried the ball end tech and found that it was waaay to mild...6 passes is a lot and may lead to ingrowns and irritation. With good form and technique you can move to a more aggressive razor/blade combo and cut that down to 2-3 passes. I use a Feather in an HD Slant (37C) and get a DFS in 2 passes. I typically go for 4 passes for BBS though. The caveat is that you must have good form and technique. I've always been partial to more aggressive razor/blade combos though. YMMV but for me more aggressive razors always forced me to concentrate and focus on technique. Milder razors resulted in more passes, pressure, and less focus on technique. Good luck

thubbard76 said:

Go with the Feathers...they're not nearly the demons they're made out to be. I started with one Merkur blade that came with my razor, and switched immediately to the Feathers and never had an issue.

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I agree with thubbard (even if he is a Sox fan), go with the Feathers. They are the best, although the Derbys work well for me as well.

Enjoy!