My First Order

NavyPiper

NavyPiper

Messages
4
Hi y'all,

Well I made my first order which hopefully will arrive next week. I tried using in the past an old Gillette DE razor from the '60s but never had success with it, so I found a website and got an Merkur 510 progress adjustable with long handle, and a couple packs of Feather blades. I think I'll like the longer handle since the Gillette was short and always had trouble holding it, and since I'm used to a cartridge razor I think I'll transition better with the long handle.

I was told that the feather blades are super sharp so my goal is to make less passes over a couple of real sensitive areas at the lower corners of my mouth.

Been using art of shaving cream with a badger brush for a month now which i really like, and have been getting more adept with this mode of shaving cream.

What say y'all? Is my logic correct?

Thank you in advance,

Doc
 
Feathers are indeed an exceptionally sharp blade and allied to a Progress may give an even more agressive shave than you anticipate. If you already know of tender areas at the mouth it's possible you may wish to experiment with more "middle of the road" blades should the Feathers be a tad too keen.
Enjoy the Progress, start off with a low setting & it looks like you're good to go.

JohnnyO. \:icon_razz:
 
Good choice of razor, keep it on a low setting initially, between 1 and 2, closer to 1 to start with.

The feathers are very sharp blades, but they don't suit everyone, it may be worth picking up a selection pack of blades. ConnaughtShaving.com sell them, a few other suppliers do them as well. I can't use feathers as they cause me too much irritation, and the fact they are blunt after 1 shave annoys me when other blades last a lot longer.

Gillette 7 o'clock Sharpedge blades are pretty good, as are most of the Gillette range.

What is it you didn't like about the old Gillette razor you were using, this could give us some pointers as to what could help you going forward, and what type of razor was it as they all have there own characteristics.
 
Greetings
I have to agree with what the previous two posters said feather blades are without doubt one of, if not the, sharpest blade and as such you will either hate them or love them. They are just too sharp for me and leave my face feeling tender, I'm not saying you should not try them I think every DE shaver should give them a try but don't think you are alone if they do not suit you!

Regards
Dick.
 
I'm afraid I greatly dislike the idea of new DE shavers using an adjustable as their first razor. It's like driving - would you rather learn to drive in a hatchback with automatic transmission or an artic lorry with umpteen gears, parking brakes etc.?

I'd also advise against Feather blades for a good while - you will undoubtedly make mistakes and your technique will be a "diamond in the rough", and a Feather blade is likely to punish your errors severely. If you must use the Progress, get a mild, middle-of-the-road blade, such as Personna Platinums, Crystal, Astra Superior Platinum or even Derbys, and learn your technique, leaving the razor on a low setting. Once you are able to get a comfortable shave, get a sampler pack from Connaught Shaving and experiment with different blades, keeping the low setting on the razor. Once you've then found a few blades you like, then you can experiment with XTG passes and different settings.
 
chrisbell said:
I'm afraid I greatly dislike the idea of new DE shavers using an adjustable as their first razor. It's like driving - would you rather learn to drive in a hatchback with automatic transmission or an artic lorry with umpteen gears, parking brakes etc.?

I'd also advise against Feather blades for a good while - you will undoubtedly make mistakes and your technique will be a "diamond in the rough", and a Feather blade is likely to punish your errors severely. If you must use the Progress, get a mild, middle-of-the-road blade, such as Personna Platinums, Crystal, Astra Superior Platinum or even Derbys, and learn your technique, leaving the razor on a low setting. Once you are able to get a comfortable shave, get a sampler pack from Connaught Shaving and experiment with different blades, keeping the low setting on the razor. Once you've then found a few blades you like, then you can experiment with XTG passes and different settings.
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree. I made exactly that newbie mistake. Save yourself a lot of pain, expense and embarrassment and go for a fairly standard fixed head razor and use something like Derbys for a couple of months.

I started off doing that, then stupidly bought a Fatboy... which I couldn't get on with and had to go back. Now I'm back on my EJ De 89 and finally got fed up with Derbys... just started on my Connaught sample pack now... and it's great fun
 
I picked up a progress a few days ago and have used it with Supermaxx Blue Diamond Ti coated blades, to good effect. I've started out with it set to 4. I really like it, works well for me. Just make sure you line up the marks when you load a blade.

You'll enjoy it.
 
Helveticum said:
chrisbell said:
I'm afraid I greatly dislike the idea of new DE shavers using an adjustable as their first razor.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you just want everyone to suffer through EJ + Derbys, good lad :D
Click to expand...

I hate Derbys - I actually added them to my list of good blades for a new DE shaver only because some weird people here actually like the dratted things. My personal choice would be either a Personna Platinum (though I dislike them, it's me in the minority in this case) and Astra SPs.
As for the EJ - I never said (IIRC) that everyone will like them; you must, however, admit that the majority do, just as I have with the Personna blades. If it wasn't for the sometimes indifferent QC, I'd actually revert to recommending the Merkur 34c. I don't because I reasoned that most newcomers will be impressed by the fit and finish of the EJ over the Merkur. Also, the EJ is more forgiving.
 
For the money Derby's are "equal to all and better than most". If you buy a pack or a sleeve you'll at least know what everyone's writing about.
If you go with Bestshave pick up a horse hair brush #6 too.
 
The long handled progress is a great razor, I love mine, as others have said you may want to experiment with different blades. You are best advise to keep the setting low to begin with. I am sure you will have fun trying different things out.
 
RE: Derbys... as a newbie you're going to cut yourself and rough your neck up whatever blade you use. Derbys are a good place to start and at least you can use them as a basis for comparison. I just think it's a good thing to keep the variables to a minimum at first.
 
Something that may be counter intuitive is blade sharpness. A sharper blade means you're less likely to cut yourself or suffer irritation.
 
NavyPiper said:
Hi y'all,

Well I made my first order which hopefully will arrive next week. I tried using in the past an old Gillette DE razor from the '60s but never had success with it, so I found a website and got an Merkur 510 progress adjustable with long handle, and a couple packs of Feather blades.

I was told that the feather blades are super sharp so my goal is to make less passes over a couple of real sensitive areas at the lower corners of my mouth.

What say y'all? Is my logic correct?

Thank you in advance,

Doc
Click to expand...

Hi there,

I'd give you a split decision on razor/blade choice. The Progress is the only currently made adjustable that I'd like to sample. They're not for everyone, but most people like em and some flat out love em.

That would be a good razor to start with, as long as you treated it like a non adjustable model. Choose a low (mild) setting and leave it there for 25-30 shaves. You'll be kinder to your face when using a more forgiving or comfortable setting, which is handy in the beginning, However, if you screw around with the setting before the first month is done, you'll most likely add more time needed and more aggravation trying to figure everything out.

Do not use a Feather. Believe me, in this case sharper doesn't necessarily mean better. Lots of experienced shavers don't like em, for one reason or another. Start with just about any other blade but that one......even a Derby if you have to.

Or, do whatever you like and see how that goes. We all have our own way of doing things, and the members here are just trying to save you some grief.

Martin
 
When I started I used the sample pack I bought with my razor. Astra and shark were about the sharpest. When I moved to feathers after perhaps 10 shaves, my shaves were greatly improved.

However I've since found out that I was using (and still am using) a mild razor - EJ DE89. I prefer a big handle on it, but I still prefer that head (although I have a Merkur OC to try out too). I've found a combination of mild razor and sharp blade works well for me - and I've seen other people say the same.

In all honesty I think I'd have been fine starting off with feather blades. In fact I've been trying blades and while I have 3 or 4 more to try, I'm going to go back to feathers for a prolonged period to see how I get on with them.

You however aren't using the mild razor I used, where I think Martin's advice is precisely correct, and profoundly important is to try everything the same for 25-30 shaves. I wish I could take that advice myself, but sadly I can't stop shaving and I can't stop changing things around.

Good luck with it all - and I hope Martin is wrong about the feathers. Not because I want him to be wrong, but because you've already bought them :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom