DE tips for perfectly smooth shave needed

[dantes]

Hello,

I received one week ago a feather popular DE razor with a few boxes of feather Hi blades.

I am already having great shaves: my face surface is shaveg in homogenic fashion and I have no irrations or spots anymore.

That being said if I touch my face against the grain I can feel it even after my shaving.

What should I change to get a prefect face? Do you suggest a more aggresive DE an open comb? Here's my technique:

-moisture my face for 2 min with a wet towel
-use a tabac soap with a pure silk brush
-1 go with the grain
-1 go trans at 90 deg from the grain
(I do not dare to go against the grain, should I?)

[JayKay]

When you say silk brush, I assume you mean badger brush. What many people do is one with the grain pass, one accross the grain pass, and one against the grain pass. It all comes down to technique. Your face will take time to adjust to going accross the grain and against the grain. Going against the grain can lead to more irritation, and some peoples skin cant even handle it at all. YMMV.

[Automaton-Tim]

I myself use derby blades. one pass wtg, 2nd pass xtg, I do not tolerate atg, or at least my face does not. I'd say that if it is a question of irritation, don't go for the third pass. ymmv imho.

[Queen of Blades]

Welcome to The Shave Den, dantes!

Don't miss the Newbies Give-Away (http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5834)! :happy088

[VetsJetsnGuns]

I've been playing around with all kinds of different passes, and I finally settled on a 3 pass with touch up.

1st pass, temple to corner of mouth. (maintain this angle for whole face)
2nd pass, exact opposite
3rd pass, rear jawbone to nose
4th pass, touch up.

I'm still working on the chin area- that looks like it's going to take its own custom type deal. But with the way my whiskers grow, this works very well. I'm also using a blade only 3 or 4 times.

[Mottern Man]

I pass for me, I don't need smooth as glass, just close and no problems.

[squishy]

for the tips Vets...

[dantes]

Thanks for the advices,

I won't go against the grain and therefore consider buying a closer DE.

A merkur barber pole for the weight or a light merkur classic long in open comb version for a closer blade... What would you choose?

Another thing. My tabac lather works great but i have to lather my face quickly, if brushing my face too long, the lather turns flimsy and the resulting lubrification is crappy. Is that usual or am i wrong with my lather technique?

Thanks

[redorchestra]

There are also advanced techniques that you might want to try. I think you can find them on the youtube videos. I use the J-stroke for my neck. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQco5PWc2JU

But they are ADVANCED!

[Scruffy1]

He's the shaving God!

[Michael]

I have no tips for getting a good shave with a DE. Other than this - consider not using one. After a year and a half, I've just about given up (slow learner, I guess). I just can't do it.

Admittedly, I've tried only a few brands of DE blades (Sharp, Derby, Feather, Merkur and Crystal). I've used a Fat Boy, Super Adjustable, 1949 SuperSpeeds (2), a 1960 SS, a Merkur HD, gold Slant, gold TESC Lined Chatsworth and a 1906 gold Single Ring. No matter the combination, I find as often as not, my face is irritated when I'm finished. BBS most days, but too often, pink. Some days, albeit rarely, it's quite red and even puffy!

The only razor I can get a consistently good, close shave with (with no irritation whatsoever) is the Gillette Mach 3. It works for me...very, very well. As for the cost of cartridges, yes, they are expensive. However, I can often get 2-3 weeks of daily shaves with a single cartridge. Wonder how many cartridges I could have bought for the price of all those DE razors. The M3 is not as enjoyable as a DE - actually, it's not enjoyable at all - but I'm tired of having my face feel "warm" all day and of going to work and having people ask me what's wrong with my face...again.

Lately, I've been trying to learn straight shaving so it's been two passes with the straight and then finishing with the M3. I could get the same result with the M3 only - with only two passes, sometimes one - but I really like the idea of trying to get just as close a shave with a straight. Not convinced that's possible, but I'm trying. It's going better than I expected...a $10 antique store straight, assorted grit wet-dry sandpaper on a 1/2" thick piece of plate glass (ever hear of "scary-sharp (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scary_sharp)"?) and an old belt for stropping. Anyway, it (mostly) passes the Hanging Hair Test (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xM1V3Je4zUI).

Don't be surprised if you see a bunch of DE razors in the classified section before too long.

[VetsJetsnGuns]

My face has noticably cleared up from switching to DE shaving. I was using the Mach 3.

Something I do that seems different from what I'm reading is my post shave rouutine:
1.) Cold Water Splash 2-3 times
2.) Very Mild Balm or Gel (T&H ASB or Nancy Boy Replenishing Gel)
3.) Balm with alcohol and other goodies (Zirh or Nivea replenishing)
4.) Alcohol Based Splash (Clubman- I like the caffine, or that amazing fantastic super blue wonder VELVA (yeah, baby) or the lucky tiger bay rum splash, which seems milder than the other two)

I usually put on all three of the aftershaves, giving about 5-10 minutes after the mild balm/gel, and a couple minutes after the secondary balm. This pretty much eliminates the alcohol sting from both the 2nd balm and the ABAS splash, and greatly shortens the 'pink face' phase. And after the alcohol splash, your face doesn't have a sticky or tacky feeling.

PS I'm a big fan of Nancy Boy. Won't be wearing the "cute t-shirt" they sell anytime soon, but the products are awesome and not expensive.

[Mottern Man]

Thanks for the advices,

I won't go against the grain and therefore consider buying a closer DE.

A merkur barber pole for the weight or a light merkur classic long in open comb version for a closer blade... What would you choose?

Another thing. My tabac lather works great but i have to lather my face quickly, if brushing my face too long, the lather turns flimsy and the resulting lubrification is crappy. Is that usual or am i wrong with my lather technique?

Thanks




An aggressive razor may not be the answer. You may go too close too fast and get irritation. I would just add more WTG and XTG passes. Be sure to use a light touch of course.

Take your time lather, the idea of this is to relax and enjoy yourself.
Sound like you may be using too much water and not spending the proper time mixing it in to a thick creamy lather.



Michael,

I am going to quote myself "I pass for me, I don't need smooth as glass, just close and no problems"

Don't try so hard, "Just shave Baby!"

Nice to see the Straights are working.

[Michael]

Michael,

I am going to quote myself "I pass for me, I don't need smooth as glass, just close and no problems"

Don't try so hard, "Just shave Baby!"

Nice to see the Straights are working.

My thought is, what's the point of shaving if you're going to leave stubble. Especially since I know I CAN get an irritation-free BBS shave every time with the M3. It's just so "plastic" though, and I am concerned that shaving will become a chore again.

That's why I'm trying the straight. As many have said before, it's kind of cool to be able to tell friends that you shave with a cutthroat!

We'll see.......

[Infotech]

Why not go against the grain? I think that's the only way I could get a close, irritation free shave. 6 months ago I wouldn't have dreamed of going against the grain and would just add more passes. THat lead to razor burn which led to frustration which led to worse shaves.

It took me about a year to find the correct routine.

Gillette Slim Adjustable on Setting 5
Derby Extra Blade
1 With the grain pass
1 Across the grain pass
1 Against the grain pass

This isn't a hard and fast rule. Some places only need two passes and others need more. For instance, my cheeks don't have much stubble so I only go 1 WTG and 1 ATG. My chin, on the other hand, usually needs all three with touch up to get close.

Ultimately for me, the less passes the better. And ATG was the answer.

[Mottern Man]

My thought is, what's the point of shaving if you're going to leave stubble. Especially since I know I CAN get an irritation-free BBS shave every time with the M3. It's just so "plastic" though, and I am concerned that shaving will become a chore again.

That's why I'm trying the straight. As many have said before, it's kind of cool to be able to tell friends that you shave with a cutthroat!

We'll see.......

Well, if you lather with the good stuff I am sure you will like your chore.

If the M3 works, USE IT!

(that said straights are real fun too).

[Scorpio]

One thing no one has mention...do not forget to stretch the skin when you shave. This is important if you are trying to get a close shave.

Some folks just can not go ATG. This is why learning the exact growth pattern of your stubble is important. What you may thing is against the grain may not be.

I also think your lather has too much water if it is running of your face. Use less water to start the lather and add a few drops as you go until that creamy lather consistency is achieved.

Raf

[crosbie]

When I first started DE shaving I had problems with an overly runny lather. The best way to resolve this is to make the lather in the bowl slightly dry, just a little bit drier than you would like it, generally this is achieved with whatever water the brush will hold. Then, and this is the secret, wet your face thoroughly with hot water and then lather up on the face. The extra water now on your face will make a fine lather. The other alternative is of course simply to face lather but not everyone is suited to this and the above method is sort of a cheat attempting to get the best of both worlds.
Also mapping the direction of growth is VIP for WTG, XTG, ATG and try to keep the amount of variables to a minimum. I know its hard when you want to try out new products but if you don't perfect your technique you'll have no benchmark from which to judge. I remember changing blades too much and ended up liking blades which I initially tought were useless.
Hope it all works out;

[dantes]

Well,

I said that tabac sopa (stick soap) provided a good lather despite my problems... but I only knew cheap foam.

Now I tried a cheap cream palmolive and i obtained easily a thick lather and my shaving was incredibly better than a tabac's soap shave. But that palmolive doesn't allow me to go ATG in thick curvy areas.

What's wrong with my tabac soap prep? Once again more precisely how I manage my soap lather.

1/I let my brush into hotwater while I moisture my face for 2 min with a towel
2/I shake my brush in order to get ride off the extra water

3/ i make about 30 circles on my soap stick then I run my brush in a bowl for about 2 -3 min adding a few drops of water during the process.

Now the resulting lather isn't runny any more but is lose volume quite fast and if I lather my two cheeks I haven't shaven one cheeks and the lather has already losen most of its density.

SO I expected tabac soap to be far superior compared to a palmolive line.

Shouldn't it be?


Now regarding the blade for the ATG part, a feather blade on a light feather popular DE should be my smoothest option or would you suggest an other association? Note that I can shave my cheek ATG with no irritation or ingrown (from yesterday to now^at least) but my chin cannot be approached (at least when lathered with palmolive cream)

Thanks for advices

Thanks

[Mottern Man]

Rub the stick on a wet face first then take slightly moist brush (not dry and not dripping wet) and go to town brushing on your face directly.

I would suggest a blade sample pack and see if something works better then a Feather.

[fritz]

...
3/ i make about 30 circles on my soap stick then I run my brush in a bowl for about 2 -3 min adding a few drops of water during the process....

Rather than saying "too much water" I would say "too little soap". Dip the end of the shave stick into hot water and then rub it all over your face, re-dipping into the hot water as needed. You should end up with a good, thick coat of stiff soap over your entire face. Then, lather on face with wet brush, adding water as needed. Put the brush in a bowl and build more lather when needed.