Questions to switch to safety razor

[Goatee]

Once you start DE shaving you will soon find out the right angle etc etc. I am more nervous with a DE though!

[greatnessinc]

I actually think DE is safer than any multi blade.

[Goatee]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Takes practice though to get the right shave and one can be a little more relaxed with a cart. But, DE shaving is an art!

[xivdef]

Woh a lot of new advices!

Thanks to all of you!

I got myself some inexpensive and available items at the local drug store to start with. I bought a Proraso soap 8$ and a Wilkinson sword brush. 8$ just to try... and it's doing the job so far.

With the Proraso soap I get dry skin, even more then the Gillet gel, but it's quite pleasant to use with the brush. The quest to find a more suitable cream is still on, I still have your advices to order. (With the little oil)

I also didn't listen for the DE and bought a Merkur "Long" DE at another shop close to my home for 53$. Fortunately, I think it's a really nice device, require much more skill to use then Mach 3. First head shaving was 80% success, it was fun to use with the hot soap and the bruch. Great experience.

Next step would be to:

- Practice to get the right angle.
-Try various blade types.
-Get another shaving cream that will hydrate my skin even more then shaving soap.
-Maybe replace the Aloes Witch hazel with something with a less shinier finish.  although, I really like the Witch Hazel.
-Find a mattifier cream to prevent scalp shine + i have lot of oil build ups, i don't know if it's going to work well.

[Goatee]

Taylor of Old Bond Street do a fantastic shaving cream for sensitive skin. May be worth a try? I use it and find it awesome!

http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Old-Bond-Street-Sensitive/dp/B003VZPTAC

[gwsmallwood]

I would also try using more water and spending about double the time you currently are working up your lather.  I'm starting to find that my problems with lather drying out on my or making my skin feel dry have more to do with me not using enough water than the soaps themselves.

My new formula has been to spend twice as much time loading the brush, use more water than I think I need, and spend twice as much time working the loaded brush in the bowl.  If your lather seems watery after about 30 seconds to 1 minute of working it, good, keep at it for another 30 seconds to 1 minute and it should be just about right.

[greatnessinc]

Porasso dried out my skin quite a bit, for a while there I thought I had wicked dandruff until I switched to a different cream. Checkout the RazoRock shave soaps at italianbarber.com Quality products are found there at reasonable prices.

[xivdef]

greatnessinc

Hemm well the Mach3 looks much safer to me then the DE for now. I had a few small cuts with my new DE razor on my first experience.

Hey, we have sampler packs in Canada too like this one:

http://www.amazon.ca/FEATHER-GILLETTE-BLUEBIRD-Blade-Sampler/dp/B004ODR7OG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1410313268&sr=8-5&keywords=razor+blades

Could be good to start with?

gwsmallwood

I'll try to get a better lather tomorrow morning with more water, maybe I just don't do it correctly to get the correct thickness... a drop of shaving oil might help my situation too.

[xivdef]

 italianbarber.com ok,

This morning i used the Gillet gel can instead of the Proraso soap. I have to say with no doubt i prefer the can for the smell and the feel... I get better result out of it with much less dry skin.

This morning i took 4 minutes shower to soften my hair. And this time, instead of shaving with the grain then shaving against it, I shaved against the grain directly with the DE, (but with much smaller strokes then the mach3).  It did a great job i have to say, with no cuts.

The DE is doing an amazing job for the price of the blades.

Strange, I do what is not recommended to do then I get good results.

[greatnessinc]

Once you perfect your technique the cuts will be few and far between. remember, using a DE is not the same as the multiblade carts. with carts you have to push them to your face at a flat angle. If you put a DE directly to your face it'll be at a 90 degree angle and the blade won't reach your hair, so from there tilt the blade slightly (either up or down depending on which way you're shaving) so that the blade clears the crossbar this is called the cutting angle. Note you may need to adjust your cutting angle in various places. You can hear the blade cutting hair, that's the best way to know you've got the right angle.
Yes definitely start with a blade sample pack; if you don't like any of the blades in that pack just get a different pack.

[xivdef]

i started looking for a cream on the Italianbarber's website and Amazon, there are many products.. it will take me another day looking at the products before I buy anything.

The suggestions are the following:

TOBS (Lot of different products)
HEAD SLICK (No scent, i like that)
Trufitt and hill (The price looks too high)
RazoRock
Willliams Mug (Looks like a soap, i will go for a cream this time)
CO Bigallow (Price looks good)

Has for the shave oil, maybe the "home maid"  product using olive oil,  could work...

[greatnessinc]

TOBS sensitive is my go to shave cream.

[xivdef]

greatnessinc

Well it looks easy to get TOBS, so it might be the final choice. I ordered the blades this morning, 24 variety pack, my first blade was a "Merkur" type it lasts 4 head shave and 2 beard shave, it's totally over for this blade now.

Last evening i used Proraso Soap to shave my beard, i enjoyed the experience a lot, the smell and the feel were great, the weight of the razor itself and it's balance while holding it.

The whole experience was priceless. I am starting to wait before my next shaving already!

Unfortunately i have irritation my my head now, i need new blades, new cream, shaving oil before I continue again with DE. .

[greatnessinc]

You might want to wait a day between shaves if that suits you best. It's mostly about finding the method and combination of products that work best for you. DE shaving isn't a one size fits all experience.

[xivdef]

Greatnessinc

Your right, well now i am waiting for my blades and some cream. I took the popular "Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Shaving Cream Bowl"

I also saw the Geofatboy videos, great suggestion and interesting.