Please assure the numpty

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Ola chaps, thanks again for the warm welcome i received the other day and apologies as I'm sure this will have been covered ad naseum elsewhere but ..... please assure the numpty.

Am probably just about into double figures now with the shaves and the previous couple had been great ... BUT ... today i look like i dove neck first into a barrel o hedgehogs. Why do the shaving gods mock me so? Prep was ok I thought, lather not the best but I'll get there on that with practice anno, don't think it was a too blunt blade (2nd use) so I'm puttin it down to me bein a cack handed frigger :roll:

Just tell me I'll get better an make me believe it, I look even uglier with a beard than without so I don't wanna quit. Got a few suggestions on longer handled razors in my welcome post as I have 'shovels for arm ends' (thanks for that Canuck :lol: ) and am definitely goin to have to try one or more of them as my little tech feels too damn small, pity cos nice shave when it's not mincin me but just feels a wee bit dinky. Anyone think this may be a contributory factor or is it just bad technique?

Enough no doubt much repeated witterings from me, later all ;)

Cheers, Wayne.

ps .. did I mention? assure the numpty pls
 
Make sure the lather is slippy... if you put some between finger and thumb, you should not feel your fingerprints when you rub them together.

Ease off the pressure - what you describe sounds like you've pressed on a bit hard - imagine you're shaving a balloon - if you think you're pressing on, you're pressing on too hard.
 
It'll all come good M8, believe me. As a member suggested on another thread recently ( may have been PigCat, not sure) just aim for the feeling of shaving off the lather rather than your stubble. If you're wanting to try out a long handled Merkur open comb feel free to pm me your address as I have access to one which you're welcome to try out for a couple of weeks if you want.

I well remember when I started shaving with a 3 piece Gillette back in the early sixties & had to use my Dad's old blades (not a lot of money coming into the house) many a morning I sat in the blue train to work with what seemed like reams of hard toilet paper stuck onto the various nicks & cuts all over the old physog. Sooner than you imagine you're going to be smoothly shaven & finding that other guys start trying to get hints as how you are always so enviably turned out in the clean cut dept.

JohnnyO. \ :D
 
I think every newbie to DE shaving has had a few shaves like that - I know I have. :roll: They will become fewer and further between as you gain experience, but they'll never disappear entirely - every once in a while you'll have a bad one. Keep concentrating on a light grip (to prevent you applying too much pressure) and maintaining blade angle. Try to make your lather slightly too dry, as it's always easier to add a couple of drops of water (when you gain experience, you get to the stage where you literally know that the lather needs 2 or 3 drops more water and no more) than it is to rescue a thin, watery lather. Keep working until there are no visible bubbles.
 
So now I have shovel hands and I have to imagine my head's a balloon, what kind of cartoonish freak am I? :eek:

Good calls actually thanks guys (why am I in the least surprised by this, tis a wise group) I shouldn't be bummed out by the odd inevitable setback an take it easy round the face cos however manly it's still sensitive. I reckon too much pressure is more than likely the cause yup so slowly, slowly catchy monkey.

JohnnyO : what a frightfully kind chap :D seriously, thanks very much for the offer of trialing your merkur. One question, I'm fairly obviously inexperienced in de shaving so do you think it'd be suitable? Wouldn't want to jump to something way more aggressive but then it has the longer handle and that surely would give more control if I was comfortable with it? Am I a rambling idiot or did that half arsed question actually make sense? Not meaning to sound ungrateful Johnny, it is very much appreciated and unless someone pops up an says don't do it, it'll take your head clean off in one pass I'll no doubt pm later.

Cheers guys, Wayne.
 
"Bearing in mind that this is THE most aggresive razor in the whole world and WILL take your head clean off in one pass............." :lol:

It's not that aggresive, honest. I shaved for years with a long handled Merkur slant & Feather blades and always found that the keener cutting edge made everything much easier & made for a lighter touch. Possibly the longer handle will prove more comfortable for such a physical freak as we seem to have managed to make you out to be. Joking apart, the offer's there if you want it and even I don't have such a fierce sense of humour that I'd suggest anything I believed would be uncomfortable for you to try.

JohnnyO. \ :D
 
I can second JohnnyO on the aggressiveness vs the pressure. For some reason it is easier (for me at least) to focus on the pressure and grip to be light, when I worry less about the razor cutting, because it is more aggressive. Goes for blades as well. Once you put in that Feather blade, your first shave will be with the lightest of touches, because you have heard what a monster that blade is, and after you will most probably wonder what all the fuss was about...

That said, I only learned the correct angles properly when I went to a really mild non-adjustable razor ;)

Regarding your Tech: I have a tech, which is a british ball ended type, with an aluminium handle. It is feather light, and mild, yet produces excellent shaves. But I find it hard to handle. The reason is, that the handle is very thin, and round without any lengthwise grooves, which makes the razor "roll" between my fingers. I often find I need to take care not to grip it too tight. If I'm preoccupied by something else, I will feel the shave afterwards, no doubt.

I find it easier to hold on to the Progress or my GEM Micromatic, however some people find the Progress hard to hold, as there is no knurling on the handle. Its all personal preference.

I only gave the Micromatic as an example because it has lengthwise grooves in the handle, I would not recommend it for you just now, as it is very aggressive.

/Max
 
From another newbies perspective I think this is something we all go through. I've been DE shaving for around the same amount of time as you and I had the same experiece - a fortnight of great shaves and then blood and gore all over the place (well, perhaps not that bad). I found that I just had to concentrate that little bit more and keep focused on things like blade angle, pressure etc... and things quickly settled down again.

Like you I have found that following the advice here is the quickest and most pain free way to getting the best shave :shave.
 
Exactly that regarding my tech Max, I'm grippin it too tightly I think because it feels so small. Hey ho, I'll learn.

Wasn't quite carnage Dil no but it bloody felt like it for a wee while there :lol:

Cheers again guys, I just need a wee pat on the head now an again to know I'm no an idiot an we all do it :D
 
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