Apprehensive Hello!

Hi Chris and welcome to the forum. I started just like you have and also thought it would be cheaper, well it is to start but then you find different creams and soaps, different razors and blades and so forth. Big difference, well for me anyway is the change from just shaving to having a whOle new enjoyable hobby which just happens to be shaving!
One thing that you may want to look for is an Alum block as this will help if you get the odd nick when your starting out.

Cheers,
Geoff
 
Ok. So I got a "practice" DE razor from boots. (£3.79 - imagine the quality) I think the blades were Israeli but they were unbranded.

Had my first go last night. The positives were that I had zero nicks. No pink foam, no moments of swearing.
I was concentrating so hard though. By the time I'd finished one side of my face the foam on the other had started to dry out!
I also think I kept going back to cartridge habits as the angle kept slipping so that the handle was almost parallel to the skin.
I tried zero pressure, going for reduction not elimination and after two passes had not removed any beard at all, so figuring that the boots razor was too light I applied some gentle pressure.
This seemed to work and I was moderately happy.
The Alum block swiftly removed my smugness and replaced it with a sensation of lying on a pillow of nettles.

I have 3 possible conclusions from this.
1. The boots razor isn't very good
2. More likely, I'm not very good
3. The pure genius is that I want to practise again. But I have to wait 24 or so, otherwise I will just irritate already irritated skin. Unlike most hobbies I can't practise over and over until I get it right. I have to wait, and that builds tension and excitement for next time.
But I want to practise some more!!
Right I'm off to find one of the kids teddy bears, I'm sure I can find one that needs a shave!
 
I think for next time, you need to concentrate on 2 things - keeping the wrist still and using the arm to make the strokes, which helps keep the correct angle, and applying just enough pressure to get the blade cutting. If you watch mantic59s videos, especially the general DE shaving guide ones, he refers to locking the wrist - watch what he does, but don't try to lock the wrist, as you'll grip the razor too firmly. You need to hold it just firmly enough to maintain the angle, but not so firmly that you apply too much pressure. If you use fountain pens it's not dissimilar - a gentle but secure grip.
 
Welcome. I have the same Edwin Jagger razor and it is ace. Lovely weight and comfortable to use. Find the right blade for you (try a variety pack) and you will not miss cartridges one bit. The grip and shaving angle takes time and will become more natural with every shave. Sounds daft but I had a practice shave with no blade in razor to get a feel for the weight and balance of the razor (I even applied a lather) so that I was not thinking about the razor so much when really shaving.

Share your success and disasters with us and I am sure people will offer advice when needed. I am new to DE shaving and have found this site invaluable.

Hope this helps, I am far from an expert but I am a convert.
 
Hi mate,

I've just had my first shave with the EJ 89 which is also my first DE shave. The razor feels lovely mate, gorgeous to hold, look at, and use. Didn't really find myself thinking about angles as much as I thought I would, although I did wonder at times if I was actually shaving as it was so smooth.

Don't think you'll be disappointed but it's a shame you have to wait. FWIW the packing and service, and sweets from TTSC are top notch.
 
Welcome to the forum.

Nothing to worry about at all with the DE shaving, you will find a slightly heavier razor easier than the boots one, so once you EJ turns up you'll be fine.

I forgot about the sweets you get from TTSC, they are very good indeed.
 
My first DE was the Boots and my second the Jagger. Trust me, you'll appreciate it when it comes!

The Boots one is perfectly usable if you have the right technique, but it's light enough to be a poor learner razor IMO.
 
Had a second go just now.

Much better :D
Still a few "facets" that I'm struggling with, particularly the point of the chin, and under the nose.
But all in all a better shave than yesterday.
Nowhere near BBS yet, but then Rome wasn't built in a day!
 
cruciate said:
Right I'm off to find one of the kids teddy bears, I'm sure I can find one that needs a shave!
Click to expand...

Hi there,

Don't forget about the neighborhood dogs and cats for doing some practicing on. Think of it as animal topiary. There's a couple members here who make some late night walks through their neighbors yards and shave whatever pet they happen to encounter. As you can imagine, the neighbors are thrilled to death about these improvements to their pets.

Martin

Oh yeah.....you ever wonder how Pigcat got his name?
 
best advice is loose the Boots razor... I did exactly the same as you did and cut my face to ribbons.... put me right off DE shaving for years until for some reason I bought a Merkur Future ...what a totally different experience ..now I wouldn't go back.
 
Welcome along. I got on ok with my boots, but found that better razors made for a much nicer shave - the EJ should be a world of difference! FWIW, it took me about a fortnight of daily shaving before I was happy with the results, and now get close to BBS every day with maybe only a nick/weeper a month.
 
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