I'm doing something wrong

[TV guy]

I did a full shave; face add head with my new Merkur and I must be doing something wrong. On the face I got a nice smooth shave, no nicks but it didn't "last" as long as normal. On the dome I nicked it all to rat crap and irritated the scalp bad although it does seem to "last"

HELP! what am I doing wrong?

[-Doug-]

I've used a Merkur on my face and head with similar experience on my head. I've found that what works on my face doesn't always work with the same results on my head. Maybe lets the nick and cuts heal and then try it on #1 for a while until you adjust to using it on your dome.

[warhawk]

I did a full shave; face add head with my new Merkur and I must be doing something wrong. On the face I got a nice smooth shave, no nicks but it didn't "last" as long as normal. On the dome I nicked it all to rat crap and irritated the scalp bad although it does seem to "last"

HELP! what am I doing wrong?

Hi TV Guy:  1st of all how long have you been DE shaving.  It takes some patience to work on one's technique.  Google:  Mantic59, he has some great videos on  DE shaving.  When I started a year ago, it took only about a week to get comfortable with my face shaves but the head shaves took about a month.  Everyone is different.  If you stay patient and focused, there is nothing better than a soothing shave from a DE or SE razor. 

Also... check out www.badgerandblade.com.  It is a website that is dedicated to the traditional way of shaving.  Like SBGs, it is a quality forum.  I am also a member.
Good luck and keep us posted.

WARHAWK

[Lynchy]

Slow and steady is definitely the way to go when it comes to DE on the head....

Practice and time will get you the results you want.

Any more info on the soap, and routine etc

[BillOnBass]

Just take it reeeal slooooow.  Take the time to learn the direction of your hair growth on your scalp and face; this way you can make more efficient passes with little to no irritation.  Also, try short and choppy strokes if you're currently doing long strokes of the razor (or vice versa).  Try to stretch the skin around the area you're shaving with your offhand.  Learning the proper cutting angle of the razor will take a little time.  Stick with it and in a few weeks you'll probably see great improvement in the quality of your shaves!