What am I doing wrong?

G

Grumpy Glasgow Git

Member
Due to the extortionate cost of system razor cartridges I decided to try a double edge safety razor. I got an Edwin Jagger DE89 and today was my first shave with the thing. I used one of the supplied Derby extra blades and lathered up in the shower.

I started very gingerly but it wasn't clearing my face, so eventually I realised I could be more aggressive, by the end I was shaving the same as I would with a system razor. I could press, go fast, make several passes, go against the grain, not bother looking in the mirror. The end result is a shave no closer than with the system razors and it took a faff, lathering up my face and loading up the blade.

What am I doing wrong? I was under the distinct impression that safety razors will cut skin if you're not careful, that didn't happen. I also thought you could get razor burn and irritation from multiple passes, while that might appear tomorrow, I'm really not expecting it. But mainly, I thought these provided a closer shave and I simply haven't got one so I'm thinking as a newbie to the art, I must be doing something wrong, but I don't know what.

Absolutely any help or tips would be greatly appreciated as I really wanted to enjoy this experience but so far I've spent £50 to make shaving more of a hassle with no improvement in the end result. Incidentally, I did consider a straight razor too, but the honing and stropping and other care involved in maintaining the blade and edge deterred me greatly.

I, as probably most men in all of male grooming existence, just want as quick and easy way to remove the hair from my face that doesn't cost a shedload and actually looks like I have shaved.

Please help me
 
Sid James

Sid James

...
A more traditional method of shaving, a straight, DE or SE, brush, soap etc is quite simply going to be more of a ‘hassle’ as you put it. If you thought it was going to be less of a ‘hassle’ than squirting some foam and running a cartridge around then you were barking up the wrong tree to begin with, that’s before anyone tries to help you with your technique.
 
G

Grumpy Glasgow Git

Member
I didn't mind the hassle if it was going to produce a better result. I never used shaving foam to shave with until today. I just run a cartridge over my face after a shower. I've tried an electric razor too, but that just makes my skin feel horrible and oily.
 
Count of Undolpho

Count of Undolpho

Guru
Dude just go back to shaving with a cartridge razor. If you can use a DE like that without ending up with a face like raw meat then you are always going to get a closer shave with a cartridge. I mean you can mess around with blades and razors and refine your technique; do with the grain, across the grain and against the grain passes etc. but why bother if you don't have to?
I DE shave because cartridges and electricals rip my face to poop. Nowadays I get a perfectly good enough shave for work with one pass. It isn't as close as with a cartridge razor but I really don't care and it costs me pence.
 
G

Grumpy Glasgow Git

Member
Maybe...cartridges go blunt on the steel wire growing out of my face though, before I've even finished one shave. Do you think LASER or electrolysis hair removal would work?
 
L

lloydrm

Forum GOD!
You need to find the right blade to face angle: put the razor cap againsts your face (handle at 90 degrees to your face) and lower that handle slowly making short strokes untill the blade engages stubble, then keep that angle all the time. Pressure against the skin will not help at all. It seems to me like you use more pressure to get a better shave with a cart, that doesn't work with a DE.
A different blade might help, I would start with what is more readilly available, like Atras, but there is no stubble tough enough to withstand a DE blade.
 
MPH

MPH

Forum GOD!
@Grumpy Glasgow Git

Derby blades aren't great. Try Astra platinum as a pretty good, not too sharp razor. If you PM me your address ill send you some. Then you need some practice.

When I first started I used a DE but kept with canned foam for a bit, due to the faff involved with soap/brush. Eventually, simply because I wanted to, I got to grips with using a brush and soap, and now I wouldn't have it any other way. There's no reason you couldnt just use a DE with a decent blade and canned foam forever if you just want to save some pennies and don't have a great deal of interest in the hobby aspect of shaving.
 
G

Grumpy Glasgow Git

Member
I had the comb and the cap in line against my face with the blade inbetween them obviously...that's as sharp as it's going to get I thought. I reckon probably around 30 degrees. I could try the Astra blades if you think they are better MPH. I thought about a brush and soap but having never suffered with ingrown hairs and having hairs like a suede shoe brush anyway, I felt I likely didn't need the benefits offered by a shaving brush. I destroy shirt collars, seriously...and that's with shaving lol
 
Northam Saint

Northam Saint

Forum GOD!
lloydrm said:
You need to find the right blade to face angle: put the razor cap againsts your face (handle at 90 degrees to your face) and lower that handle slowly making short strokes untill the blade engages stubble, then keep that angle all the time. Pressure against the skin will not help at all. It seems to me like you use more pressure to get a better shave with a cart, that doesn't work with a DE.
A different blade might help, I would start with what is more readilly available, like Atras, but there is no stubble tough enough to withstand a DE blade.
Click to expand...
Hit on a few points here.

It does sound like too much pressure and the angle being wrong.

First up too, use the sink don’t try shaving in the shower. Make sure you have a good THICK lather. This will help protect your face.

Find the grain all over your face and go with the grain on the first pass. Second pass go cross grain. Then use a final buffing pass. Don’t what ever you do dive in against the grain.

If you don’t come away with a baby bum smooth don’t worry about it ! It will come.

Ditch the Derby !
 
Grishnak

Grishnak

Forum GOD!
Quite a Noob myself, but isn’t a DE89 one of the very mildest, least aggressive razors on the market?
I can’t use my adjustable at the low end of the scale - though this is probably the fault of my technique rather than the razor’s.
I’m sure someone with far more experience can confirm this.
 
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