Trouble picking a blade

[Sledge]

I seem to be having a great deal of trouble picking a good consistent blade that works for me... i mean ive tried a good deal of some of the more common blades, and for some reason the shaves differ from one shave to the next, even with the same blade... for instance, ive never gotten such a clean shave from a feather as i did last night.. remarkably smooth and with little pain... not a single nick :eek: maybe it was because i used it in my 38c rather than my futur, but for some reason that shave went really well... on the other hand, ive had unbelievably horrible shaves with a feather.... nicks and cuts everywhere, severe irritation, lots of stubble left over... just plain old bad! i dont know if its my technique improving or if its the blades differing so much from blade to blade... or if my lathers differ from shave to shave, or what... im getting a bit frustrated, and im hoping someone here can give me some pointers as to how i should be using these blades and what i should be looking for to judge my shaves... is there really going to be a big difference between a futur and a 38c in regards to blade usability? am i going to have to buy multiple brands for use in different razors? im lost... someone help!

[TraderJoe]

I think the solution to your problem is in pre-shave prep.

Sounds like you need something to coat the beard.

Question: do you have any noxzema shave cream (in the can) laying around?

[Sledge]

....no :scared007 lol

[TraderJoe]

This is going to sound unorthodox, but have a listen anyway:

I have been planning to release some results of this eventually, probably no better time than now to do it.

Noxzema Shave Cream, Sensitive (in a red and white can $2-3 USD).....makes an excellent pre-shave preparation. It has dimethicone in it, which is basically a silicone substance....it will help.

I am recommending this product for a couple reasons:

Cheap
Readily available
Works (if used properly)
Smells good
No real offensive ingredients (unlike other canned goo)How do you use it? Simple:

Wet face thoroughly with hot water, as per usual
Apply the Noxzema
Make lather, using your brush....with whatever the cream/soap du jour is
Rinse off the noxzema, leaving behind the layer of slickness the dimethicone creates
Apply lather (from brush) to the face
ShaveI have sensitive skin and coarse whiskers, and will usually always use some kind of pre-shave product. When I don't consistently use a pre-shave product, my skin gets torn to smithereens (somewhat like what you describe)

I have been doing this new process for a couple weeks now (save for a couple days of experminetation with other stuff) and the results have been nothing short of Magical

Its so easy, cheap, and works so well......that its a no brainer.

Now there are other shave creams that you could substitute out for the noxzema, but I think it works just as good if not better and you get a whole can of the stuff for a couple bones.

[Sledge]

sounds like a winner :) will have to try that out... now, do you use a lot? to form a thick layer over the beard? or do you just use enough to work it into your face like a soap? add water? or straight out of the can?

[Sledge]

and heres another kicker, is there a way to buy pure dimethicone?

[TraderJoe]

sounds like a winner :) will have to try that out... now, do you use a lot? to form a thick layer over the beard? or do you just use enough to work it into your face like a soap? add water? or straight out of the can?

I have tried using a lot of cream, and have tried using a little.....doesn't seem to matter too much.

My hands are wet when I release the foam, and my face is wet before applying.....otherwise, no other water is being added.

[TraderJoe]

and heres another kicker, is there a way to buy pure dimethicone?

I would imagine so, yes.....but I don't think the dimethicone is the only force at work here. Although I feel it is definitely a major part.

[Sledge]

good :) will try it tonight!

[PalmettoB]

Also you might try limiting other variables. In other words, you mentioned that you weren't sure if it was the lather, or the blade, or what.

Joe's idea sounds like a winner. But also try using the same lather (all soaps, or all creams, maybe all from one source, esp. one you have had success with, let's say TGQ, or TSD, Mama Bear or whatever.)

Then use one blade in one razor over several shaves, then another in that razor, and so on. You may find that a different blade will work best in different razors (i.e., Feather in a 38c, or Derby in a Futur, whatever).

Like a process of elimination. :D

[Racso_MS]

Good Razor + Good Razor Blade + Good Lather + Good Technique = Good Shave.

I have found that certain blades work better in certain razors at least for me...(i.e Merkur Razor Blades seem to work very well for me in Merkur Razors). However I get an acceptable shave with a Derby, Israeli No Name, or German Wilkinson with other razors. Dorcos seem to work and are very forgiving in any razor (acceptable but not BBS OR LONG LASTING). With the NOS Wilkinson UK made razor blades (no matter the razor) I always get a good long lasting shave. (Exceptional Quality) However, as always with razor blades, YMMV.

Enjoy your shave... :D

[Sledge]

i still dont know what YMMV means lol im going to feel stupid when i find out too, i know it... but for now, i think i feel more stupid lol :D

i tried the noxema pre-shave... but, i didnt do the whole consistency thing (i used a straight razor) i used a different razor... and thus, it didnt seem to work for me... not enough to notice a difference anyways... but, like i said.. i used a totally different razor... and it hurt like hell (just like it did before... lol its amazing how good a feather can feel next to a blade like that... eesh)

[Queen of Blades]

i still dont know what YMMV means lol im going to feel stupid when i find out too, i know it... but for now, i think i feel more stupid lol :D



YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary.

Basically, what works for one person, may not work for another.

[Sledge]

oh ok... i dont feel so stupid anymore :) not quite a common saying around here... :D but ill definitely be more informed for the future. thanks queen!

[TraderJoe]

~


Literally, "Your Mileage May Vary," comes from the small print in (American?) automobile commercials in the 70's and 80's. It has come to mean an acknowledgment that the opinion of the poster may not be shared by everyone.

[jbcohen]

I would think that your experiences are very normal. I am not at all suprised by what you are experiencing. The thing Michael Ham would tell you, I believe that he would tell you, is that you need to find the right blade for you. I do not believe that you have found the proper blade as yet. Keep trying different brands, each are different and some you will find are better than others. I would recommend that you make a purchase from west coast shaving of one of their sampler packs as well as a sampler pack from Razor and brush. There are approximatly fourty brands of blades being made somewhere in the world. One of them will be the right one for you. The right brand may be a Gillette, it might be a Wilkinson or a Sputnik. At the moment I have approximatly 100 different blade brands in the medicine cabinet all of them are samples and most of them were free. Giovanni, at razor and brush, is prone to sending free samples. I would suggest try a Treet or a Sputnik. These two are very different from anything you have encountered as yet. Treets are Pakistani and Sputniks are russian. So try different blades and perhaps a change in razors might help, your 38c might not be holding the blade right for you.