New to DE - some questions.

[notquitethere]

I started regularly (at least every 3rd day sometimes daily) shaving my head around the 4th of July - been using exclusively the Headblade.  In search of less expensive and better shaving options in general, I finally bought myself a DE razor.  I went with the Apollo. Stainless steel, good reviews, reasonably priced. I am still using the HB on my head until I get more comfortable with the DE.  I have some important business meetings this week and a wedding to go to on Saturday - don't want to look like I fell asleep under a lawn mower.

My first shave with it was last week using hte Merkur blade that came with it. Struggled with some spots, a couple of nicks but generally ok. This morning I changed blades and went with a wlkinson sword blade.  Not as good in my opinion, a couple of scrapes in places I wouldn't have expected them. 

Should I change blades again for my next shave and assume the Wilkinson doesn't work for me?
My other options for blades right now are Feather, Blue bird, Gillette 7o'clock and Bic Chrome Platinum.  Which do you think would be the closest to the merkur which I used first?

Is there going to be a steep learning curve to doing my head with a DE as opposed to the HB?  For efficiency I have been going almost exclusively WTG on my head - I can't afford to add a lot of time to my morning process so if the De ends up taking more than a couple of minutes longer it will be an issue.

In short, I've made a couple of changes to my routine and am looking for some advice/direction on the next steps to take.

Routine - preshave scrub head and face with a sensitive skin face wash in a warm shower. Shave secret head, brush with a low end soap on head, shave head WTG using HB. Shave secret face, brush, shave with the grain using DE.  Touch up difficult spots behind ears, around nose, adams apple - using DE. Rinse with warm water, rinse with cool, pat dry, apply tend skin. After dressing before leaving I put on a quick hit of Oil of Olay with SPF15.

I'm adding some better soap options like proraso and Col. Conk at some point. Trying not to change too many things at once though.

[Fondlheine]

You'll find that the Feather blades can be aggressive - I know when I tried them as a newbie, well - it wasn't pretty.  I would go with the Gillette 7 o'clock if you decide to change the blade.

But, I would give the Wilkinson a second shave to see if it get's a bit smoother.  Not all blades are perfect out of the wrapper (I usually put my new blades on a strop before I put them in a DE).

As to learning curve, that varies from person to person.  Remember that this is not a race, so take your time.  You might want to stick with just doing the face until you're comfortable, then move onto the head.

As to another soap (or croap or cream), I've found that C.O. Bigelow (which is Porasso Green for the most part) works/lathers very well and is an excellent bang for the buck (it runs $10 a tube at most Bath & Body works stores).  You could go to the higher end stuff (TOBS, Trufitt & Hill, Castle Forbes, etc...), but start low and slow and work your way into a loaded shaving den

[Mike E. P.]

I'd stick with the Wilkinson for at least another shave. Occasionally, I have a rough shave with a new blade, but it improves on the next one.

I've been DE shaving since February. My learning curve was fairly quick. In the beginning my shaves weren't great and I had to touch up with my Mach 3. However, with practice, I got better and better. Now I feel like I get a superior shave.

After about two weeks on my face, I started on my head. I was apprehensive, but I went slow using small strokes and did not shed much blood. In terms of time, though, it takes me quite a bit longer to wet shave my head. I go slow ish and I usually need three passes. I shave at night so it doesn't interfere with my getting ready for work. And I only shave two to three times a week. That works for me, however, my smoothest period is when I am sleeping!

[notquitethere]

Thanks for the advice. I'll give the Wilkinson another try tomorrow.
I know it's not a race, unfortunately time is not always a luxury I have. 2 elementary school kids and my wife and I both work so mornings are busy. Weekends don't add much time between hockey lacrosse soccer and theater for the kids.
I'm not against spending money on good products.I have often found that less expensive things are just as good though. I am a firm believer in start cheap and work up until I find something I really like.

[greatnessinc]

Invest in a sampler pack of blades then determine which blade works best for you (keep in mind that not all blades work the same for everyone). I find the aggressiveness of Feather to be over hyped. Bloodshed can easily be avoided by using the proper technique. you can speed up your shave a bit once you have your technique down right. What is the right technique? 1) proper cutting angles. 2) no downward pressure on the razor.
To speed up your shaves, go with the grain against the grain then with or against the grain one last time whichever way needs it most.

[notquitethere]

Thanks for the advice Greatness!
I used the Wilkinson again this morning. No real issues, but not as good as the Merkur I started with.  I got a pseudo sampler with several 5 packs that I will work through. Will probably move the Wilkinson to the bottom of the stack for now and move on to another blade after a couple more shave.

Did the touch-up on my head with the DE today with no issues. Not quite ready to try the DE on my head yet, but getting closer.  I figure I want to find a blade that suits my style, use it for at least a week to get really comfortable, then maybe try my head if I can find a slow morning.