Super Gillette Blue Blades

How long have you been going with the cold water shaves? I've had one try but seemed to get a couple of weepers on the first pass.

I've seen a few folks mention it on various forums, so any advice would be appreciated.
Alright Matt! This may not be the right thread for it as I'm sure there's one for cold-water shaving but here goes;

I've not been wet-shaving for a huge amount of time in the grand scheme of things. I started properly the end of November and have been cold-water shaving since probably the end of December. I started off with the whole 'warm towel', 'following a shower' lark and I always felt a little raw thereafter, though that's probably in part due to technique (or lack thereof). I really focussed on getting my technique sorted, especially as I started off with Straight Razors over DE's or SE's, and went back and forth between hot and cold water shaving. The cold water seemed to give me better results with less irritation or opportunity for ingrowns/razor burn etc.

I'd say get your prep down to suit you. Some people really benefit from a pre-shave oil. In amongst the prep I'd say get your lather bang on, know what to look for when you're dialling it in and take as long as you can really working it into bristles. You're looking for a sheeny, yoghurty appearance, akin to just-whipped cream. If it's not shiny, or worse still starts going cakey during your shave, there's not enough water.

With respect to weepers, they can come about due to a number of factors. They might be down to;

  1. Incorrect angle, which I've found goes hand-in-hand with a stubbly feel after shaving.
  2. This could also be down to a lack of slickness and hence some 'jumping' of the blade which is down to prep and/or angle. I found this can become quite prevalent with SR's where the angle is key.
  3. Weepers may also be down to incorrect pressure. Remember, you've essentially got an unsheathed, surgically-sharp blade against your face, plus you're controlling the angle. With cartridge razors there's far more room for error in the pressure aspect. Bear in mind when you're taking your passes that barbers practice shaving foam off a balloon - you're aiming to do the same, but substitute the balloon for your face and neck. Just try and concentrating on removing the foam from your face, rather than trying to remove the hair.
  4. Beard mapping is a worthwhile practice - if you're shaving with the grain you've less opportunity to 'pluck' hairs from the face which can cause weepers, or shift the skin unfavourably towards the blade (usually seen with against-the-grain passes).
  5. Blade and razor - opt for something mild to start, it'll show you the way to some extent and go for a tried and tested blade. I'm a big fan of the Gillette Nacets since trying them out. Other people will recommend Voskhod blades. I'm yet to try, but haven't heard much (if any) bad press about them.
Try and stick with the same soap/razor/blade combo for a little while, even if that may seem a little boring. It'll give you a feel for each individual item and hopefully you'll be able to see where you might be going wrong.

The aspect which most people tend to overlook is point #4, above. I did when I started and since starting it's given me a good indication of general direction to shave. I now have far fewer weepers and far less issue/burn. Take your time and go slow, load that soap up thick and take it breezy! :D As always, keep us updated with your shaves on the Shave of the Day threads and don't be afraid to ask questions! :D
 
Yessir. Both tucks I had contained substandard blades which gave a very tuggy shave. Was hoping it was just the one pack but, alas, no.

I just can't "figger" this. I say this as I just completed shave #3 on one and it was perfectly smooth & sharp. Your blades don't look counterfeit. I just am plum baffled. :confused:
 
I just can't "figger" this. I say this as I just completed shave #3 on one and it was perfectly smooth & sharp. Your blades don't look counterfeit. I just am plum baffled. :confused:
Absolutely, same here! I can't wrap my head around this either as there's nothing to suggest they're fake. They might have just been from a couple of dud batches from what I can tell? :confused:
 
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