- Joined
- Wednesday July 6, 2016
- Location
- NW England
I probably won't be saying anything that others haven't already said, but I had similar problems in the past and also still find it difficult sometimes to get a smooth shave under the back of my jawline...the bit that ruins collars. My suggestions are:I'm in a tough position with against the grain shaving. Using an adjustable razor and going down in increments ive worked out that my 2 options are either
A) have a great shave with an WTG pass and possibly a XTG pass with no irritation but still have what looks like a 5 oclock shadow all over which is smooth when I run my hand with the grain but rough (sandpaper like) when I run it against the grain because the hair is so short. Or
B) complete a third pass ATG and be BBS and wait 10 mins after the shave for my face to burst into flames with razor burn.
There doesn't seem to be any in-between for me. My stubble is very coarse and I've yet to try a blade that doesn't drag when going ATG.
Any ideas out there?
Do I need to go up a setting for my WTG passes and forget about the ATG pass? I'm still going to be left with a shadow like stubble I think either way.
Abit disappointing if I'm honest but I don't see any other option.
For reference this is the case for all my razors. Going against the grain on standard non adjustable razors seems to drag my face off and ignite a furnace.
1. Try one of the most often mentioned less aggressive razors - either Merkur 34C or EJDE89 (Personally I like the latter but the Merkur is still very good)
2. Get some sample blades including Derby's for the least aggressive, moving up to Feather for the sharpest. The latter should cut through tougher bristles more effectively but you need to take a little more care. The Derby could leave you needing about 20 passes! This is where the less aggressive razors come into their own...they won't hold the sharper Feather blades at too aggressive a gap. Middle of the range blades like Personna, Voskhod and Nacets should give you a good balance of sharpness and smoothness. My point is that blade choice might be most relevant to your issue, rather than the razor.
3. You could then try a slant - Merkur's 37c is basically a 34c slanted. Use it like you would a normal razor WTG and it might take care of more stubborn bristles.
4. Consider using a couple of different razors and different blade combinations. First pass with. say an EJ89 and a Feather, and a second with a slant and Nacet...or some other combination.
5. Adjust your pre-shave routine and give a little more time to prepping your beard and re-wetting with hot water etc between passes. Don't use water that's too hot as it will dry your face too much.
6. Try different shaving creams, soaps, oils etc.
7. It may sound daft, but try your first pass against the grain when your face is most prepped...the first pass can actually de-hydrate the face, so an ATG 2nd pass can feel rougher.
8. Make sure you are not over-shaving where there is no cream/soap. What you might think is a first pass could actually be a third or fourth in parts of your face where you have shaved where there's no cream. A 'pass' is not based on the first time you've removed all the cream from your face the first time...it's when you have shaved each part of your face only once with the blade. Razor burn is probably most often caused by over-shaving rather than the razor or blade choice.
9. Never shave against the grain if it continues to cause problems.
It may take some experimentation but there are lots of factors to consider and it's what makes wet shaving so fascinating, it's also what makes it so maddening, painful and bloody expensive, so don't get too hung up with trying every razor and blade etc. Borrow, and get samples, but work on prep and technique first!
Oh...and if all else fails, you could always buy a 'Leaf'
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