Day 2 with the DE razor

[MattD]

Had more time this morning and took my time. Much better experience that the first. Still have some learning to do though. I can tell it takes a little learning of the feel.

My question or issue I have though is this, and it may be because I haven't fully converted to wet shaving yet. (still using the Gillette comfort advantage in a can) But I noticed that the head of the razor seems to catch and pull the skin as I shave. It's as if the razor removed all of the hair and shave cream and there is lots of friction between the highly polished razor  head and my skin. Is this a technique problem, or is it associated with the products I apply to my skin? Thanks for the help! I'm trying to learn and get his down.

[warhawk]

Is this a technique problem, or is it associated with the products I apply to my skin? Thanks for the help! I'm trying to learn and get his down.

Hi Matt:  It is a combination of both.  Get rid of the canned goo if you are serious into getting into the traditional way of shaving.  You got a great DE razor.  If you do not want to go on the internet for some quality shave soap or cream.  You can go to your local Bath and Body Works and purchase a tube of C.O. Bigelow Shave Cream.  It comes in a green tube.

If you decide to go on line... You can go to www.mikesnaturalsoaps.com.  Mike's Natural Soap is a great shave soap.  Another great shave soap (soft soap) is the RazoRock brand.  Our very own...MikeKoz and BlueBriz have the RazoRock brand shave soft soap and they can tell you that it is a great product.  My other favorite shave soap is Mystic Water Soap.  It is an excellent product.  If you want to stick with the creams... go with TOBS (Taylor of Old Bond Street).  TOBS is an excellent product also.

Also...what type of DE blade are you using?  The right DE blade is another important factor.  Post up your SOTD in Safety SOTD section of the forum.  If you got pics that would be great but if not please post and contribute your SOTD.  Keep us posted and hope that this helps you get great shave.

WARHAWK

[MattD]

Yeah, i figured the goo was part of my problem. I might try out the cream at Bath and Body works.
Currently, I just have Lord Platinum blades that italianbarber sent with the razor. I'm interested in trying the Astra's as many have recommended them. Has anyone found a local place to buy them?

Also, saw that CVS has their own private branded blades, I wonder who makes theirs?

[Mikekoz13]

Matt-

Beileve it or not, you can go to Wally World and they sell Wilkinson Sword brand DE blades. They are not bad at all. Definetly not on  par with Astra or Feather (my personal favorite) blades but not bad at all for the price.

[warhawk]

Hey Matt:  The only tough part of DE shaving is that the best products are purchased on line.  That would only be the negative; however, it's kinda fun getting stuff in the mail.  Reminds me of Christmas. Yes... try the Astra SP blades.  If you like it... you can purchase a 100 pack of Astra SP for less the $11.00 on Amazon.com.  Try buying 100 pack of Fusion blades .(THAT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE!!!)  Astra SP blades are the best bang for your buck blades if you include price and performance.  My other favorites are the Feather, Polsilver Super Iridium,  Gillette 7 o'clock blades, Gillette Silver Blues, and SuperMax Titaniums.

WARHAWK

[BillOnBass]

Hi,

Definitely ditch the canned stuff.  Proper skin preparation (quality lubricant and lots of water) is crucial for DE wet shaving.  Personally, I think the pre-shave prep is as important, if not more, than your shaving technique (which you'll get better at as you go along).  All the canned foams and gels that I know of don't contain glycerin or lanolin, and those are just key to having a nice glide of the blade.  It takes a little time to find that perfect angle and drag speed, too.  Don't give up!  DE shaving is a really rewarding experience. 

[Mikekoz13]

As WARHAWk mentioned...... I'm a big fan of the RazoRock shave soaps. You can get them at Italianbarber.com!

[-Doug-]

Matt-

Beileve it or not, you can go to Wally World and they sell Wilkinson Sword brand DE blades. They are not bad at all. Definetly not on  par with Astra or Feather (my personal favorite) blades but not bad at all for the price.

I'll second what Mike said. The Wilkinson Sword DE blades are my blade of choice because they are cheap, readily available, and they give me a good shave.

[waine]

I cannot get Astra blades here in South Africa, but thanks to Warhawk I did a blade trade and he sent me some.  The Astra blades are truly the best blades I have tried out of about 8 varieties of blades.

@Matt, ditch the canned goo and get shaving soap with a nice badger brush.  There is nothing like it, you won't look back!