3 Days In With Edwin Jagger DE89Lbl

[junglephone]

Hi All. Well this is an interesting process. Still getting my technique together but I can see the DE is the way to go. Just doing mostly single pass but two passes in certain easy spots. Razor bumps are disappearing. Only one nick so far on a bump. First two days, bundled Derby blades, today Astras which are a little better. Feathers coming tomorrow. My hair is super tough and I think I will ultimately need a more aggressive razor. Think I'll rock the EJ for a couple of months and work with prep and blade experimentation.


Still feel like I can do better with pre shave. Have tried grape seed oil one day and Shave Secret for two. No noticeable difference. Taylor of Bond Street sandalwood shave cream with Art of Shaving brush from their starter kit, not a high end one. Feel like I'm not getting enough glide.


Anyone want to school me on breaking down really tough hair?


Thanks,


Adam

[gwsmallwood]

Welcome to the club.  DE is awesome once you get the hang of it.  As far as breaking down tough hair, here's a tip that has finally seemed to start helping for me the past few weeks.

Conditioner.  Make sure it's softening and not strengthening, or it could have the wrong effect.  I wash my head and face with a Benzoyl Peroxide wash in the shower first to control my folliculitis.  The I rub in some conditioner and let it sit for about 3 minutes while I finish up my shower.  When I get out of the shower, I go through my normal prep and shave routine.

I have struggled with irritation when trying to shave daily in the past.  It always seemed to work fine on 48 hours or more.  The past week or two since starting the conditioner my shaves have seemed much more effortless.

Another tip on pre-shave.  If you have oily skin, and/or want a cheaper solution, Corn Husker's Lotion or similar will work just as well.  I started using it when my Derm told me to stick with water and glycerine based moisturizing products.  I can't really tell the difference in results between that and oils.

[warhawk]

Hi Adam:  I cannot stress the importance of a great pre-shave prep by washing your face and dome well using simple facial wash by Nivea, Neutrogenia, and Noxzema.  Garrett.... gave you some great advice. 

I think you will benefit with a very sharp blade when using your EJ89.  I would pair it with a Feather.  Get some great shave soaps from Mike's Natural Soap, Mystic Water Soap, Cella, RazoRock, Cold Water Soap Works, TIKI Bar Soap.  These soaps give great lather, protection, and glide.  You don't need shaving oil when using these soaps.  For me.... the shaving oils do not improve my shaves. 

Keep us posted on your routine and ask more questions anytime.  Enjoy your wet shaving journey doing it the traditional way.  Be patient.  It took me about a week to get comfortable with my face shaves and about a month to get comfortable with my head shaves.

WARHAWK

[mrzed]

I start my head shave process with some of this:

http://blissfulelegancesugarscrubs.com/

Coconut oil, sugars and essential oils. Smell great.  Soften the head.  Feels good as a head massage.  The shave seems to go better.

You could probably also make your own.

[junglephone]

Great stuff, guys. Thanks! I only shave after a shower as that's the only way my hair and skin are close to being ready. Haven't tried the face washes so that's next on the list. The Feathers came yesterday. Will check out the soaps also. Seems like my skin likes the oil for its conditioning properties but I agree that it doesn't seem to effect the shave. Thanks for the knowledge, fellas!

[J_Dub]

Just picked this razor up myself.  It's beautiful!  I've only tried it on my face so far.  Trying to get a feel for it before trying it out up top.  I'm using the same Derby blades that came with it.  Can't say I'm impressed.  The seem to pull a little.  I'll try something new here soon.  Good luck!

[geeman]

I have this razor, it took some trial and error to find the right blades, and I find shaving after a hot shower works best, gets the hair soft and seems to bulk it out, leaves very little shadow and is super smooth