First shave

Cerbera

Cerbera

Messages
14
Location
North Yorkshire
Hi all, I'm new to the forum and thought I would share my first ever wet shaving experience. Having only used electric shavers and going through three expensive shavers in the last eight months I decided to purchase an ej de89

I have a thick coarse beard type so jumped in the shower and used a facial scrub to exfoliate the skin and then loaded an astra sp blade into the razor. I used a badger hair brush to lather up proraso menthol shave cream and applied To my face in a circular motion making sure I covered all my beard area......................now for the shave, I used short strokes and the blade sounded like it was cutting through my whiskers a treat, I wasn't using a lot of pressure and shaved in a downward direction for the first pass. I rinsed and relathered and kinda feel this is where my problems began

I started the second pass from ear to nose and started to nick myself quite a lot but undetered I continued and got through it, I rinsed and lathered up for a third and final pass this time shaving from nose to ear.......................final pass over I rinsed my face in warm water to get rid of the pint of blood my skin was secreting and felt my skin and WTF!!!!!!!! It felt like I have never shaved and my neck was as red as a baboons arse :icon_sad: I then proceeded with a rub of the alum block, needless to say I'm still recovering from that experience...............please please please is there anyone on this excellent forum that could give me some tips so I can turn this into a pleasurable experience :icon_razz:
 
It could take some time for your skin to adjust as it is not used to it, plus your technique wont be up to it yet. Try keeping it at one pass with the grain for a wee while. Check your lather too, there are some videos on the tinterweb but I cant remember who made them, someone will be along soon to tell you. Which soap did you use? it can make a huge difference.
Next time you start getting nicks, stop! Have a wee think and dont just continue regardless, it will put you off continuing with a DE.
Some may dissagree but get yourself a gillette sensor excel or similair cartridge razor, carry out the first pass with the DE, WTG. If you feel not quite smooth enough use the Gillette to get rid of any rough areas. If your face is sore after, use a good aftershave balm and then have a rest day to let your skin recover. The Astras are good blades so just keep with them for a wee while, dont be tempted to chop and change yet, pick a blade and stick to it while you get your technique right.

Above all don't be disheartened, it WILL get better! And when it does all come together you will wonder why you ever used an electric razor
 
i dont know if im the only person on here whos had this, but my face reacts really badly with astra blades. ive tried them a few times and each time my face and neck feel like its really badly sunburnt. it wasnt technique or lather problems as i tried a few times and each time was the same. it might be also worth considering this as well as technique.
 
Videos by Mantic59 and Geofatboy are good on utube lots of usefull tips.
Have patience it takes a while to get everything going right :icon_rolleyes: I'm sure some old hands on here will be on soon to give you some usefull tips and encouragement.
Regards Brian
 
Don't be too hard on yourself...stick to a couple of passes (north to south) only for a week or two until you get used to everything and don't fret about getting good results just yet and of course study the mantic59 video guides.

Sorry Daz I don't see any point in him getting a cartridge as he's not used to that either.
 
Daz is pretty much spot on. Virtually all of us who come to DE shaving suffer dodgy shaves at first, even if we've been wet shaving for years. Coming to it fresh probably only serves to exacerbate things.

Almost certainly you are pressing harder than you think - when I started, about 15 months ago I was convinced I applied no pressure, but it's all about degrees. You only acquire the touch with practise and what might feel like a light touch today will seem heavy handed indeed in a few months time.

Don't be discouraged, take your time and it will get better. One suggestion I have that goes against perceived wisdom is to use flannels and hot water first and leave your shower until after. Not because the shower isn't preparing your face well (it almost certainly is) but because a shower is a great way to stop your face bleeding without the burn of alum!

By the way - your choice of starter kit is good so don't feel the need to chop and change. Consistency will help you at the moment rather than a search for some magic product!
 
daz said:
It could take some time for your skin to adjust as it is not used to it, plus your technique wont be up to it yet. Try keeping it at one pass with the grain for a wee while. Check your lather too, there are some videos on the tinterweb but I cant remember who made them, someone will be along soon to tell you. Which soap did you use? it can make a huge difference.
Next time you start getting nicks, stop! Have a wee think and dont just continue regardless, it will put you off continuing with a DE.
Some may dissagree but get yourself a gillette sensor excel or similair cartridge razor, carry out the first pass with the DE, WTG. If you feel not quite smooth enough use the Gillette to get rid of any rough areas. If your face is sore after, use a good aftershave balm and then have a rest day to let your skin recover. The Astras are good blades so just keep with them for a wee while, dont be tempted to chop and change yet, pick a blade and stick to it while you get your technique right.

Above all don't be disheartened, it WILL get better! And when it does all come together you will wonder why you ever used an electric razor
Click to expand...

Hi Daz

Thanks for the tips, much appreciated.........I was using proraso menthol soap but I guess its safe to say I have ultra sensitive skin and maybe should opt for the proraso sensitive and the pre and post shave cream? Not sure of any of the others being a total newbie to wet shaving

Cheers lads, I will take your wisdom on board, its kinda weird seeing as my face is glowing in the dark but I'm actually looking forward to my next shave. I have seen various videos regarding shaving but there seems to be a lot of conflicting advice on how to shave and what to use etc., as for blades am I way off the mark thinking the sharper the blade the better the shave? This is the bit that confuses me the most, should I switch from the astra and attempt plastic surgery with a feather? :icon_razz:
 
Not necessarily, everybody thinks they have the most sensitive skin ever and they need the sharpest blades when they start wet shaving.

An EJ + Astras is a fairly tried and tested setup to begin with and some react to alum so the only change I'd make is swapping Alum for witch hazel as a post shave which is less harsh, other than that I'd stick with what you're using at least for now. As has been said you won't get very good results to begin with and you should be aiming for an irritation free shave rather than the closest, that'll come with practice.
 
Like others have said, "dont give up hope". It does take time and practice. Stick around on this forum , there`s loads of good advice, and watching Mantic59 on youtube is an excellent starting point.
`
Other good tips I gleaned from on here are to shower before a shave and soak your beard in the wife`s conditioner, "hot towels" before a shave, start with a WTG with the grain pass for a week or so, then move on to WTG followed by XTG across the grain.

Already mentioned is apply little pressure, just the weight of the razor should be enough. change one thing at a time and stick with it for at least a week before changing something else. For a super thick creamy lather load some shaving cream into the middle of the brush then lather this up on a shaving soap.. finally, after shaving , rinse, dry then use a moisturiser, I prefer Nivea sensitive - no burn, but Nivea replenishing stings like mad.
 
Thanks to all for the positive comments, feel I have learnt more from the good folk on here in the past few hours than I have in the weeks of trawling the net and watching videos
 
Cerbera said:
Cheers lads, I will take your wisdom on board, as for blades am I way off the mark thinking the sharper the blade the better the shave? This is the bit that confuses me the most,
Click to expand...

Hi there,

None of what I type will really make much sense right now. You gotta take things on a leap of faith till you get some DE shaving experience.

If the sharpest blades gave the best shave, everyone would be using those. Sadly though that's not the case, which means there's some trial and error involved in finding the best fit. The idea is to find the sharpest blade needed to cut without any resistance, and stop there. Any sharper and you can run into issues with a lack of forgiving nature and a better chance to hurt yourself needlessly.

Same holds true with a razor. If the most aggressive and close shaving razor provided the best shave, we would all be using those too. In real life, many of those razors with lots of bite are not suitable for many people, even experienced shavers. It's more than what's needed. Heh, as I said, this won't compute very well for you, but that's the deal.

Best thing's to use a razor/blade combo that's right in the middle, at least in the beginning of the journey.

Martin
 
antdad said:
Sorry Daz I don't see any point in him getting a cartridge as he's not used to that either.
Click to expand...

No need to say sorry, we all have our own opinions. My reasoning was that a cart would be less problematic than a DE but better than an electric, kind of a wee halfway house. Carts really don't need any thinking about and give a more gentle introduction to a wet shave, and IMHO might give a wee bit more confidence when used alongside a DE to start with. Imagine reading shave of the day in this place where people post about three passes? A new guy to wet shaving tries to have three passes with a DE on their first attempt, ends up bleeding all over the place and very sore skin. They might just be tempted to give up after the first try? Combine the DE with a cart and get to learn the DE while still getting a comfortable shave thats nice and smooth with less irritation. I am in no doubt you will not be the only one to disagree though.
 
dodgy said:
Cerbera said:
Cheers lads, I will take your wisdom on board, as for blades am I way off the mark thinking the sharper the blade the better the shave? This is the bit that confuses me the most,
Click to expand...

Hi there,

None of what I type will really make much sense right now. You gotta take things on a leap of faith till you get some DE shaving experience.

If the sharpest blades gave the best shave, everyone would be using those. Sadly though that's not the case, which means there's some trial and error involved in finding the best fit. The idea is to find the sharpest blade needed to cut without any resistance, and stop there. Any sharper and you can run into issues with a lack of forgiving nature and a better chance to hurt yourself needlessly.

Same holds true with a razor. If the most aggressive and close shaving razor provided the best shave, we would all be using those too. In real life, many of those razors with lots of bite are not suitable for many people, even experienced shavers. It's more than what's needed. Heh, as I said, this won't compute very well for you, but that's the deal.

Best thing's to use a razor/blade combo that's right in the middle, at least in the beginning of the journey.

Martin
Click to expand...

Martin, I'm confused. Shouldn't you have followed that with the offer of some sort of vintage gillette?

Here we have a man in a dilemma - probably ready to jump at the possibility of some magic piece of equipment that might solve all his shaving woes. I would have thought he was a prime candidate for enablement!

Unless this is the first play in some sort of subtle master plan that I am to obtuse to see...

Stu
 
ChopperHarris said:
Best thing's to use a razor/blade combo that's right in the middle, at least in the beginning of the journey.

Martin
Click to expand...

Martin, I'm confused. Shouldn't you have followed that with the offer of some sort of vintage gillette?

Here we have a man in a dilemma - probably ready to jump at the possibility of some magic piece of equipment that might solve all his shaving woes. I would have thought he was a prime candidate for enablement!

Unless this is the first play in some sort of subtle master plan that I am to obtuse to see...

Stu
[/quote]

What's doin Stu,

Well, these things have to be done delicately (said in my best Wicked Witch of the West voice). Yeah, I do more of the no sell laid back sorta schtick, at least in the beginning. Yes, totally unlike that rascal Uncle Mikey. He sometimes shows his ruthless nature too early, at least to my way of thinking. You will see me occasionally warn new members to use the 'ignore' feature. That will keep any of his private messages from getting through......we all use that setting.

So for the moment I will be a really swell guy and not enable the blinded/starstruck member. Plenty of time for that once he's swallowed the hook.

Martin


Ohhh, welcome to TSR new guy......
 
Not wanting to start a new thread, so I thought I'd hijack this one - I also took the DE plunge for the first time this week. Bought a cheap Boots razor and their rebranded blades to see what I thought.

I haven't yet nicked myself (how?) and have been very very gentle, just letting the razor's weight do the work. WTG and ATG have been fine, haven't yet summoned up the courage to go the other way, so to speak.

Had some Crabtree & Evelyn hard soap and a TOBS badger brush kicking around but really couldn't get a decent lather out them. Gave up, reverted to the King of Shaves gel that I had been using with my old Wilkie cartridges and got a *much* better shave. Really quite a lovely shave, if I'm honest. (Though I have ordered some TOBS Sandalwood)

Bought the Boots razor on Sunday, got my EJ89 off Amazon today; just shaved with it (using the Boots blades rather than the Derby blades it comes with). It feels better in the hand, but actually the shave with the Boots razor felt smoother. Probably just me getting used to the change in weight. Closer shave with the EJ though!
 
Gillette technology for many stated about the same time as the Edsel. For our European drivers about the same time as the Renault Dauphine.
For a truly excellent razor one needs to go back a few years when quality and pride of workmanship counted for something. If you want a razor that will last you into the 2090's go with a war years gillette '04. You can't go wrong.

... and yes, a Derby or an Astra with the '04.
 
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