It's just one of those days...

Have you put yourself down for the Merkur Slant pass around on the buy sell trade forum?

People say the slant is only for the experienced. However it's giving me the most irritation-free shaves ever and I'm no expert. Two things to note:

1) it likes sharp blades. A feather or derby would be ideal, although the derby will only be good for 2 shaves. Once a blade gets dull, a slant will start to bite you
2) take it slow and vey gentle. Apply NO pressure, let the razor rest on your (lathered) skin and start gliding it down your face. You'll be amazed at how easily it cuts the stubble.

Put your name down and give it a try! :)
 
Not that I have used many blades, but I have found they start out very sharp. However they're only good for a couple of shaves. They honestly work very well in a slant. IMHO anyway.

It's sharper than every other blade I've tried apart from Feather. However there are some blades like the Gillette super thins and Treets that I have yet to try. Out of interest, what other blades are considered to be in the top tier of sharpness?
 
excuse the ignorance, but what is a slant? Is the when you how the blad at an angle and then pull down? i.e. 45 degree anglen and then pull it down your face/throat? I think i've tried it a few times and even tried the j hooks but i just seem to be getting more and more infuriated the more things I try and have now not shaved for 2 days :/ And the longer I put it off the more passes I will feel obliged to do when I shave.

Is it shaving depression? I don't know :(.
 
new2DE said:
excuse the ignorance, but what is a slant? Is the when you how the blad at an angle and then pull down? i.e. 45 degree anglen and then pull it down your face/throat? I think i've tried it a few times and even tried the j hooks but i just seem to be getting more and more infuriated the more things I try and have now not shaved for 2 days :/ And the longer I put it off the more passes I will feel obliged to do when I shave.

Is it shaving depression? I don't know :(.
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A slant is a DE razor with the head designed in such a way as to expose more of the blade at one end than the other. It is designed for those of us (not me) with a particularly heavy growth.

I think though that the key to success for you will be to overcome the frustration you are feeling - it can become a vicious circle, you make more passes than you know is good, the shave is unsatisfactory, therefore you make more passes, leading to soreness, poor shaves, more frustration etc.

Take a mental step back. Simplify the shave.

If there has been a blade you have had a better result with, stick to that brand for the next wee while.
Stick to one soap/cream which you can create a good lather with.
Likewise, keep the same razor, brush. In other words, eliminate all variable factors, so you can focus on technique.
If you can, pick a time of day to shave, when you have nothing to distract you, and no pressure (no pun intended) of time.
Try making three passes WTG, then stop shaving. Put the stuff away til next shave. Give your face loads of rinses with fresh water. Don't use alum, witch hazel, aftershave splash, even give the balm a miss, unless your face is painful a while after the shave. Any one of these products could possibly be causing soreness.
If this works, do exactly the same again next shave. If it works, same again. Only add in ONE variable at a time in subsequent shaves.

Ultimately, if you are experiencing razor burn, and it's not a reaction to some product you are using, you are simply using too much pressure, too many passes.

(the above certainly worked for me, I have been through the same frustration cycle, but now regularly enjoy decent shaves. Most importantly, I enjoy shaving.)

Good Luck.
 
new2DE said:
You've mentioned the blades that you've tried. What razor are you using?
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EJ DE89 with barley handle. It's a passive razor compared to the random other one I have and don't know the name of, but I just have a terrible technique!
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Hi there,

I'd suggest the problem may not be in your technique, but rather the razor you're using may not be a good fit. For whatever the reason, it might not be possible to get the shave you're looking for with that model.

Reason I say that is because that's my problem with the Muhle/EJ head. No matter how careful I am, or how I tweak my technique, I'm still unable to get a great shave with those things. Changing the blade doesn't help......it's the head design I can't get past.

You might like to try an old Gillette like a Tech, and see if you notice a difference. I'm happy to send you one to sample (and keep) if you like. Use the pm feature if that interests you.

Anyway, it's something to think about,

Martin
 
The guys here seem to be on top of everything, so I won't add anything in terms of equipment etc.

However, just my two cents - how is your lathering? I used to just whip on the lather and then spend ages focussing on the pressure, the angle of the blade against my skin, getting my WTG/XTG perfect...
However, since I've started taking more time with the lathering stage, my blade glides a lot easier (I used to get the odd 'hurt' whent he razor felt like it was sticking to my face instead of gliding). I've now had 3 shaves in a row (one each morning since Monday) and my skin has very, very little irritation.

Seriously, concentrate on the lather for just as long as the shave.
 
I had a pretty awesome shave this evening. Had a shower, just chilled, and lathered nice and slowly in a sauna like bathroom. took short pressureless strokes and used a gilette superthin. It felt good. I didn't get a perfect shave but very little irritation and I look presentable. A few long hairs here and there but minor.

You only realise how much pressure you put on when you don't apply the same pressure and the head of the razor moves more smoothly along the skin :)

My love of DE is back (for now!)

Amnesia180 said:
The guys here seem to be on top of everything, so I won't add anything in terms of equipment etc.

However, just my two cents - how is your lathering? I used to just whip on the lather and then spend ages focussing on the pressure, the angle of the blade against my skin, getting my WTG/XTG perfect...
However, since I've started taking more time with the lathering stage, my blade glides a lot easier (I used to get the odd 'hurt' whent he razor felt like it was sticking to my face instead of gliding). I've now had 3 shaves in a row (one each morning since Monday) and my skin has very, very little irritation.

Seriously, concentrate on the lather for just as long as the shave.
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I think i spent more time lathering today before reading this post. I had a good shave and it was probably down to less pressure on the razor and better lather. I didn't rush it and the lather was nice and thick :). I even made more lather when the old one had run out by the 2nd pass. :p
 
Glad to hear it! Now, stick with that combination of razor, blade and soap and make sure you are able to repeat the experience consistently before changing anything.
 
Hax said:
Glad to hear it! Now, stick with that combination of razor, blade and soap and make sure you are able to repeat the experience consistently before changing anything.
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I had another great shave with the same combo! I think the gilette blades are really working for me. I've not had much sting when applying the alum block, except either side of the adam's apple, which is a hard to shave area for me!
 
If you feel the super thins are working well for you drop me a pm with your addy again & I'll send you down another packet so you can confirm they're making a difference before you buy up all the world's remaining stock.

Johnny.
 
JohnnyO said:
If you feel the super thins are working well for you drop me a pm with your addy again & I'll send you down another packet so you can confirm they're making a difference before you buy up all the world's remaining stock.

Johnny.
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I've only just used the 1st blade! I'll let you know if I need one more sample :). Thanks again! :). I've not ever reached the feathers yet and I've heard they're really nice and sharp! I think having very wirey facial hair, I need something sharp to get through the damn hairs! Some blades just weren't sharp enough and ended up tugging a fair big. Astra's i found painful. Before my blade experiment I thought all blades were the same, as after all, what is a blade but a strip of metal? It's only now i'm realising what a difference blades make to a shave after a disappointing week using donca and an astra and a shark stainless.
 
I've just had another awesome shave with an EJ de89, gilette superthin, g f trumper sandalwood, fido brush and proraso preshave and aftershave products! Very little irritation when applying alum block which is an indication of a good shave I believe. However when rubbing my face with my hand I didn't feel much stubble, but looking in the mirror it looks like a 3 hour shadow! Is this just because my hair is really thick? Here are some pics. Let me know what you think of the shave. Also note the bubbly bits. Does that mean I'm having a reaction to something or is that normal?

Pic of my face 5 mins after shave,
 

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new2DE said:
I've just had another awesome shave with an EJ de89, gilette superthin, g f trumper sandalwood, fido brush and proraso preshave and aftershave products! Very little irritation when applying alum block which is an indication of a good shave I believe. However when rubbing my face with my hand I didn't feel much stubble, but looking in the mirror it looks like a 3 hour shadow! Is this just because my hair is really thick? Here are some pics. Let me know what you think of the shave. Also note the bubbly bits. Does that mean I'm having a reaction to something or is that normal?

Pic of my face 5 mins after shave,
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You're like me - dark, coarse beard hair. As you get better and more practised, that shadow will ease. Don't try to get rid of it - it'll come naturally as your technique improves.
 
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