Venturing into DE shaving...

T

Threethreethree

Joined
May 30, 2013
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117
Hello there

I shave with a straight razor since roughly 2 years and i must say i'm doing okay with the occasional nicks and cuts... However i started shaving my head and no matter how i look at it, it just looks ludicrously difficult, long, tedious and very dangerous to do with a straight, i wont ever go back to cartridge POS so naturally i have been toying with the idea of a DE razor since 6 months.
I already ordered a Merkur Futur and i anxiously wait for it, now let me add, i know lotsa people wouldnt recommend an adjustable razor for a beginner but i dont see myself buying several razors once i got the skill to handle a more aggressive one, basically i'll learn to use it on the mild setting until i am confortable with it before i try to ramp up the aggression.

Speaking of soaps and blades, well it sucks around here, i get access to wilkinson blue bowl and thats it, as for the blades i can snatch some Gillette blue ( carbon steel ) for dirt cheap, i have access to Dorco st301 aswell and thats all.
I ordered some Merkur blades to have a fair reference point.

I have a crappy Wilkinson badger brush because again i didnt have the choice that much, but i plan to get a stiff boar brush...

Im more or less asking about how will be the learning curve with a DE considering i'm able to get a good shave without maiming myself too much using a straight in about 15 mins, now i'm aware shaving the head is a whole other story...

It also worth noting that i dont have a sensitive skin and i can stand passes against the grain.

If you have any advices i'd be glad to hear them, thanks.
 
First off, good on ya for giving it a go. i think you'll have a pretty good time of things because you've got a few advantages already. Since you are having success with your straight, I'll assume you've got prep pretty well in hand. Next off, I actually think you've made a good choice with the adjustable. head hair is much different than face hair (obviously) and is going to cut differently, so you'll be able to dial in what works best for you. but starting off on a low setting is a good idea you may not need anything really aggressive at all.
As for blades, they are pretty much a personal preference, and I recommend ordering a few different types (the popular auction site is a reasonable starting place) Or from a "local" online store (where are you at?) Feathers are by far the sharpest, and while there are a lot of guys who report very good success with them, they are rather unforgiving, so I would leave them until you've got everything else nailed.
And to the learning curve, I have no idea. I've never shaved my head (besides electric) so I don't know how hard it is. I will say that learning to shave your head is the hard part, using a DE comes pretty quickly, so once you've got the basic technique, you'll do fine.
 
Where are you located? I can drop a few different blades in an envelope and send them your way if your interested.

I don't head shave, but leaving it on a mild setting might help by forgiving incorrect angle rather than digging a trench into the back of your head. Also, a shavette might be a good candidate for you.


-Xander
 
Merkur and Dorco are not the favorite blades among experienced wet-shavers. Actually, quite opposite. Get some Omega boar brushes for around $10, some Cella soap, Feather, Astra, Personna (US made) blades. Edwin Jagger DE89 is extremely popular inexpensive DE razor as well. Do not underestimate vintage NOS or in great shape Gilletts. Oh boy, beware of razor acquisition disorder!
 
Unless you need a particularly mild shave, do yourself a favor and get an Edwin Jagger. Pretty much right in the middle of aggressiveness scale, all their models have the same head, only the handles differ. If you need a bit more aggression, shim it with one or more dummy blades to increase gap. If you find it's not for you down the road, you can sell it for most of what you paid (but hardly anyone lets go of one). An excellent choice among the more aggressive razors is the RazoRock "Jaws" open comb, and quite inexpensive.

My 4 fav blades, all in the same general quality range: Astra (Russia), Crystal (Israel), Personna Blue (US), Wilkinson Sword (Germany). Of course, Feather is the sharpest blade in the world I suppose, but not necessarily the smoothest or the best for x number of shaves.

Best advice on blades is to get some sample packs, then you can buy your fav in 100 counts quite inexpensively.

- OS
 
Hey guys, thanks for the answers, i finally got my Futur and i just finished my first shave ( not the head yet ).
Let me say im really satisfied, i just whacked down 4 days of growth in 2 passes and im BBS with just a small spot of razor burn on the left cheek, i went WTG at setting 1 and found it to be too mild so i went up to 2 and went ATG.
I used a Merkur blade and didnt feel any pulling or discomfort.

Thanks for the blade sample offering but i live in Europe so dont bother, ill get some on the net once i blazed thru a pack of each brand i can get around.
I also read a few reviews about Dorco and yep they seem to be hated by a lot of peeps.
 
Try a bunch, and don't get hung up on what other people say should work. For my face, all of the blades recommended by Ohshoot, are not great for me. I'd put up with Astras, if I had to, but that's just me. Give each blade a few shaves, as you may find that for your needs some blades will dull faster, or last longer. That way you can also get a good value estimate in your blade selection. I use each blade for a week, so 6-7 shaves depending if I skip one. So part of my selection process is how a blade shaves on the 4th and 5th shaves. Right now I use the Russian Gillette 7 o'clock black/blue package blades, but I've also used and enjoyed the Bic yellow pack. I can get two weeks out of a feather blade, but have to be so gentle with them on the first few shaves, that it just doesn't fit me well.

As part of that value equation, you might find that a cheaper blade does the job on your head, depending on how often you shave, and how often you want to replace the blade.

Keep us informed on your progress and what you find as far as the skull shaving goes, I'm interested as I may find myself there before too long.
 
Agreed, the Feather blade just gnaw and claw at my face giving me several nicks. However, should I strop it then it gives a smooth shave. I think it not refined enough. Try several brands. DM
 
I went for the head shave yesterday and it went relatively smooth, with 2 nicks and beheaded a couple swollen follicles ( which arent related to shaving as i get some here and there even when i dont shave, i also behead them with a mach3 anyway...).
I didnt apply any pressure yet the weight alone is sufficient to scrape my bone lol, gotta learn to restrain the weight when doing the top of my head however i feel very happy with both the process and the results especially for a first time try, i kept the setting at 1 and it still felt rather aggressive with lotsa sound feedback.
Judging by how well it cuts through 4 days of hairs, i guess i can obliterate a week worth of grow ( which frankly was the bane for any cartridge crap i used ).

Well not much more to say yet except that i am happy camper.
 
Awesome! Sounds like you are on the right track. Did you find your razor plugging up much? or was it not too bad. I'm assuming it was better than a mach 3.
 
Not sure what you mean by plugging up but rinsing the razor is very easier compared to multibladed cartridges and i only had to take it out after the job to make sure it was in fact clean, only a small buildup of soap and hairs under the blade, the comb was actually pretty clean which is interesting as i used olive oil as a preshave and poured a bit of it in my Wilkinson blue bowl during the lathering.
In fact i find a DE to be superior in every way possible even with the possibilities of getting a cut or two it is so much faster just by the fact you dont have such a hard time dislodging the soap & hairs slurry each short stroke.
I wish i tried this earlier but if i had i wouldnt have a straight razor right now...

I usually shave my face twice a week and shave my head once yet i cant restrain myself to use it everyday since i got my DE ;p
 
DE shaving is way more satisfying than shaving with carts although it can get out of hand when you you hang around sites like Badger & Blade. The savings are negated when you find yourself with multiple razors, brushes, blades, creams soaps, aftershaves & other frags. At least it keeps shaving from being just a mundane task.

I rotate brushes & software on a continual basis, but out of all my razors I prefer an Edwin Jager DE89 with a Bulldog handle. That heavy handle makes a big difference. I also favor the various Gillette 7 O' Clock series of blades as well.
 
I went wild today and shaved everything that was shavable... No kidding !
I tried a Dorco st301 and frankly they seem more appropriate for my skin than the merkurs, they feel sharper and smoother and i didnt have to scrub my jawlines to get rid of stubborn stubbles, no razor burn no cuts (on the face).
I avoided ATG on the top of my head due to the scabs of those damnass swollen follicles...
I was rather anxious about doing my neither zone but it went smooth and was real quick with just a few blood spots.
All was done at minimum setting because the Dorco felt very effective.
I tried the sharpness of the blade after all this mess and it still treetopped arms hair yet a very fine reflection on the edge is visible under heavy lighting ( i just kept my right arm with hairs for sharpness testing sake hehe ).

I have a question for head shavers, how do you deal with the hairs growing on the top borders of your ears ? Its very tight and curvy and i got hairs in the valley, i cant use the corner of the blade because the head of the Futur protudes a lot and its not easier from top to bottom i actually lightly gashed myself there during my first shave by trying to follow the curve while folding my ear.
Should i still use a clipper for that ?
 
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