My first week of shaving with a safety razor

P

Phil

Joined
Sunday November 7, 2010
Hi All,

Firstly, the obligatory apology for the long post :)

I received the following this week and thought I'd let you know how I've been getting on with my first few days of shaving with safety razors. It's been a real eye opener and a huge amount of fun. Who'd have thought that something as mundane as a daily shave could be so invigorating and exciting :D

This is my kit list...
  • Merkur 34C
    Parker 90R
    Coates LE Cream
    EJ Medium Badger Brush
    WS, Derby and Feather blades[/list:u]

    ...and this is my first week's shaving diary....
    • Day 1:
      Merkur 34C
      WS blade
      Gillette shaving "Goo"

      It's with some trepidation that I put the razor to my face and this nervousness resulted in quite a lot of razor burn and about 4 nicks. The shave was certainly better than my previous results with my Mach3 but not as good as I expected. The shaving "Goo" dries out pretty quickly causing the razor to drag and jump. Hopefully the Coates LE Cream will turn up today. Additionally, it's clear that technique is going to play a large role in this shaving lark!

      Day 2:
      Parker 90R
      Derby blade
      Coates LE Cream

      The Coates Cream is lovely stuff. Lathers well and really helps to lubricate the shave. The Parker 90R razor seems easier for me to wield than the Merkur; Possibly due to its longer handle length. Smoother shave than day 1 but not close enough. ATG pass was quite uncomfortable resulting in a little razor burn. 2 nicks.

      Day 3:
      Parker 90R
      Derby blade

      Decided to stick with the 90R as it just seems more comfortable in my inexperienced hands. Today I was quite pleased with my shave. Very close with a few rough patches that should really have had another pass. No noticeable razor burn but still a couple of nicks.

      Day 4:
      Merkur 34C
      WS blade
      Coates LE Cream

      Back to the Merkur to see how the combination of the Coates Cream and my improving technique affected my shave. The results were much better than Day 1 with no nicks but I found that the shave wasn't as close as Day 3 intially so I went for another ATG pass resulting in razor burn. I think my technique is improving but it will take time.

      Day 5 (today):
      Parker 90R
      Feather blade
      Coates LE Cream

      Now, I've read people warning novices away from Feather blades for fear of slicing up their faces, so I tackled this one with as much trepidation as Day 1. Absolutely no need though. The shave was extremely comfortable and closer than ever. I am very pleased with the results today; no razor burn and no nicks. Just a wonderfully smooth face. [/list:u]

      So, what have I learned in my first few days of using these razors? Well, firstly the consistency of the lather is important. Getting it right makes a huge difference in comfort. The angle of the razor and the pressure (or lack of it) applied to it makes all the difference between a comfortable, close shave and one that you'll be feeling all day for all the wrong reasons.

      I realise I have a long way to go before I can claim the BBS shave that I'm striving for but I'm happy with my progress so far. This is in no small part due to the advice on this forum so thank you all for such a valuable resource.

      Cheers,
      /Phil.
 
Great stuff, but if I may make a suggestion, try sticking to one setup for a couple of weeks while you get your technique sorted. Reducing the number of variables helps you isolate what works and doesn't.
 
I enjoyed your post too, Phil, and it's obvious that you're enjoying yourself. Jeltz's suggestion is good advice, and I suggest that you put thoughts of BBS out of your mind for the time being. Getting hung up on achieving the smoothest of results can lead you to overdo it, usually resulting in razor burn or worse. If you aim for a nice close and comfortable shave for now, chances are that one day before long you'll realise that you've been getting near perfect shaves without really thinking about it.
 
Good advice indeed. The plan is that I'll stick with the 90R with Feather blades for the time being. Once I'm happy with my technique I'll give the Merkur another go.

That's the plan anyway; although I don't have a great track record of sticking to plans where new shiny things are available.... ;)

/Phil.
 
+1 on Arrowhead's suggestion.

It's great that you have jumped into this with aplomb, but try to resist going too mad with soaps, blades and razors… Stick to the same 3. That way you'll learn more and - probably - quicker. It is tricky to do it (I failed miserably tbh, preferring to mix and match perhaps a little too quickly), but you will get the most benefit by being disciplined.

Oh and after a few weeks or so, get yourself a blade sampler pack. :D

Good luck, and try not to buy loads of things off here in the next couple of weeks. Once you have everything down pat, then you can go mad. :lol:

Enjoy the journey!

Lipsy
 
As far as kit for a newbie I think you are missing one thing. Alum block. Because of the pain I learnt much faster. :lol:
You are a brave man. I've been de shaving for some time now but am still to scared to try Feather blade.
 
Congratulations Phil! Let us know which of the razors you like best.

I don't know about safety razors but seems to me you were more comfortable wielding the Parker. Having said that you should stick with what you are comfortable with first. Anyway, you needn't worry about ATG for time being but you've done well my friend.

BTW Shavex, Razo Rock or any alum block, styptic are useful for minor nicks/cuts.
 
SiR-ed8 said:
Congratulations Phil! Let us know which of the razors you like best.
Click to expand...

Well, in places like this there's a lot of implied peer pressure to "prefer" one razor over another but I have to say that my preference is based on comfort, performance and quality.

For me, at this stage in my shaving career, the Parker comes out top in all three categories over the Merkur. No doubt my opinion will change over time and with the weather or whatever but for now the Parker is in front. That'll be the razor I use for the next few weeks before revisiting the Merkur.

I suspect that the comfort and performance of the Merkur will improve with my experience and technique but the build quality I find disappointing. I'll give more detail when I have more time.

Thanks All,
/Phil.
 
Good to see your enjoying it Phil, as already mentioned above, try and stick to a solitary set up for your first few weeks (i know, its hard) and your absolute spacial domination of the bathroom will follow shortly :lol:

Book mark this post and come back and have a look in six months. ;)
 
Good start Phil, no point in repeating the advice given as they have covered anything I would say. I think you are going about it the right way and before long will really see and feel a major difference from the days of cartridge shaving.
 
All excellent and sage advice on here for you Phil. I wish I had joined this forum before I started DE shaving, I had no idea what I was doing, and my first shave looked like I had been in a bad accident afterwards, at least you're doing things the right way from the beginning. :cool:
 
Phil said:
Well, in places like this there's a lot of implied peer pressure to "prefer" one razor over another but I have to say that my preference is based on comfort, performance and quality.
Click to expand...

Parker doesn't get a great deal of good press in shaving forums - it is rather 'unfashionable' for whatever reason. If you are getting on well with yours then stick with it. You can always try the Merkur (and others) as your confidence improves, but you may find you end up favouring the Parker. Glad to hear things are going well, thanks for your post! :D
 
Pig Cat said:
Phil said:
Well, in places like this there's a lot of implied peer pressure to "prefer" one razor over another but I have to say that my preference is based on comfort, performance and quality.
Click to expand...

Parker doesn't get a great deal of good press in shaving forums - it is rather 'unfashionable' for whatever reason. If you are getting on well with yours then stick with it. You can always try the Merkur (and others) as your confidence improves, but you may find you end up favouring the Parker. Glad to hear things are going well, thanks for your post! :D
Click to expand...
My Parker 91R actually snapped after about a year's use - I was screwing the head back into the handle after putting a new blade in and slipped, getting the angle wrong. Some of the thread had already entered the handle.
I'm not knocking the Parker as it gave a very good, aggressive shave - I'm not a troll - but the metal underneath was more brittle than I had anticipated (if it is metal - it looked more like a resin-like material).

Was a good excuse to get another razor, thus starting my RAD (razor acquisition disorder)
 
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