My first "proper" DE shave - debateable.

baggister

baggister

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15
Not first time ever - i tried shaving with the black wilkinson plastic razor (fiver, boots) - but didnt really enjoy.

So, got my brand new Edwin Jagger DE89 (DE8911DB5), chrome plated. It came with some Derby blades, so I fitted the blade. It looks beautiful!

Also ordered a new shaving brush : Muehle 33 K 252 Silvertip Fibre Horn 23 mm.
A lovely brush - much nice than my bodyshop wooden one.

So reading around forums etc, put very hot water in basin, and put brush in, let it soak for about two minutes. Took it out, gave it a gentle squeeze to get some of the water out. dipped the end in to Bodyshop shaving cream, and applied lather.
Got razor, gave it a good shake under water, took it out, a quick flick of the wrist to throw off water, and began shaving.
some parts of shave were ok, but others not so good, especially neck/under chin / chin. Tiny bit of bleeding on neck, even shaving with the grain - think my skin becomes bumpy when hair gets too long (hair curls back in and irritates the skin, or something like that).
Chin was very difficult - but then again, it has always been difficult all my life, always leave a few straggly long hairs. All about patience.
After the main shave, I did a second pass against the grain on various parts (cheeks, neck/under chin) - very gently, no extra bleeding.

Overall, my skin was sore, whew! It didnt feel very smooth on certain parts, but very smooth on other parts. DE89 comes with a sample of aftershave balm, so put this on (which the wife liked the smell of ). I'll try again later.

In terms of looking after the kit, after the shave, the razor is wet from head to toe. should I take the blade out of the razor and dry everything properly? Or leave it in, give the razor a quick rinse under hot water, let it dry naturally?

Last time I used by wilkinson black razor, the blade got rusty, and it wasnt very nice.

The brush - I gave a good rinse under water,squeezed all the water out. The brush handle was also wet from head to toe - should I dry it?

I was also wondering - the derby blade had numbers on both sides (1,2,3,4) : what is this for? Is there some kind of correct way for loading the blade?

And finally, I have quite a tough stubble (I'm mediterranean by descent) - how many shaves (ball park) would you expect before changing the blade?

Thanks
 
It's kinda unnecessary soaking a synthetic brush as its bristles don't absorb the water. And yeah, sore skin? Start with throwing away the Derbys and getting something decent - Gillette 7 O'Clocks or Astras.
 
For most people the method is 3 pass

WTG
XTG
ATG

I just towel dry the razor avoiding the blade and give a good rinse and clean when I change blades.

Apparently the number on blades is a manufacturing quality control thing

I rinse the brush, squeeze water out towel dry handle and leave to dry (on drip stand)

Another yes for astras and gillette yellows.

I change blade every two to three days when it starts to tug, cheap blades such as supermarket and supermax I only use once.
 
No one gets it first time, no one, in a couple or three weeks you might become proficient so don't be disheartened.

You don't mention any prep like hot towel/shower, it's crucial for softening the beard.
Not many folks like Derby blades...get the TSR blade sample pack from Connaught shaving.
Avoid shaving against the grain at least for now, comfort not smooth is your aim.
You have a synthetic brush, the handle can certainly dry on its own.
The numbering on the blade is for the manufacturing process.
Three shaves per blade is adequate for most.

Study the guides...again.
 
Helveticum said:
It's kinda unnecessary soaking a synthetic brush as its bristles don't absorb the water. And yeah, sore skin? Start with throwing away the Derbys and getting something decent - Gillette 7 O'Clocks or Astras.
Click to expand...

totally agree. My first razor was an EJ with a free pack of Derbys. ditch them. Much better blades out there and they allow you to get better and smoother shaves.

gillette 7oclock sharp edge, astra or personna platinum in particluar but with looking at Racer or Asco which will give you a better shave and are far smoother in the EJ head than the Derby.
 
It will take a couple of weeks for your skin to adjust, and several more to hone and practice your technique in both shaving, lathering, etc. We've all been there and had crap shaves when starting out.

DE shaving is not for the impatient but if you stick with it you will be well rewarded.
 
Listen to the above posters, they know what they're talking about.

Wash for at least 30 sec in hot water preferably with a pre shave wash as this is designed to soften the stubble. You can do this while your brush is soaking in a bowl or something.

Chuck the Derby's. if I had any 7 O'Clocks or Astras left I'd send them to you to try. They are sharp enough to get the job done.

Forget against the grain. You're not going for baby smooth at this point and its arguable whether you should at all anyway

Right now it sounds like you may be using a relatively poor blade on hard stubble and against the grain. It's not a surprise that you will get irritation. Patience will be rewarded.
 
baggister said:
So, got my brand new Edwin Jagger DE89 (DE8911DB5), chrome plated. It came with some Derby blades, so I fitted the blade. It looks beautiful!

some parts of shave were ok, but others not so good, especially neck/under chin / After the main shave, I did a second pass against the grain on various parts (cheeks, neck/under chin) - very gently, no extra bleeding.

Overall, my skin was sore, whew!

And finally, I have quite a tough stubble (I'm mediterranean by descent) - how many shaves (ball park) would you expect before changing the blade?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Hi there,

Either plan on using the Derby blade for at least a few weeks, or switch to something else right now before your next shave. Do NOT change blade brands after only a week of trying one.

Doing the ATG pass after just one previous pass is gonna be tough on almost anyone. That pass is usually saved till the third or fourth go around.....certainly after the XTG direction. No wonder your face was a bit sore. Hah, I just saw what the member right above me posted about that. What a smart guy.

Change blades after 3 shaves.
 
Brilliant, well that all sounds very helpful from ALL of you, thanks v much.

Sorry, forgot to mention: I also did get Connaught's sampler pack - for some reason, I read somewhere
(in this forum) that some people liked Derby, and since it came included with razor ... etc

Right - I can see that 7oclocks (what a cool name) and astras (named after the vauxhall car? hehe) is
a firm favourite with many, so will give it ago.

Also, my first proper shave - I washed my face thoroughly with hot water and soap, scrubbing the
face with my hands.

OK, another go tomorrow. I'll investigate the hot towel technique.
 
baggister said:
I read somewhere (in this forum) that some people liked Derby.
Click to expand...

You are correct! Some people do like em. Best thing for right now though is to go with a blade with more universal appeal. Better odds of it being a good fit, and you can always try a Derby down the road after you've tried others to compare it to.

Martin
 
I'm one of those few perverts that likes Derby blades Martin, but I can probably tolerate a less than perfect blade seeing as my technique is so damn good. ;-)

Just keep going Baggister, if DE shaving was ultra simple and gave perfect results right from day one then everyone would be here. It's a skill, and part of the enjoyment is learning it. It doesn't take long to become competent, maybe ten shaves as an average? Then you just get better as time passes.
 
Canuck said:
I'm one of those few perverts that likes Derby blades Martin, but I can probably tolerate a less than perfect blade seeing as my technique is so damn good. ;-)
Click to expand...

See now, I had you in mind but didn't say anything. I thought it was handled very diplomatically. I could have instead said something like "You got a few crazies like Johnus and The Canuck, but Derby fans are few and far between". But I didn't.

Now the thing is, this new member doesn't know your deal about not being all that particular about blades. True? From what I remember, many of em are similar to you. The Derby fits in the mix somewhere.

So, there we go. I got to point out how polite I was, just in case you missed it.....
 
I also get on we'll with Derby blades, but we have different skin.....

Keep the strokes short and use no pressure. Plenty of preparation is really important too...
 
Yeah Martin you got me pretty good there, it's true that I've admitted I might not be the most discerning blade judge here.
But I do rate yellow and green 7 o'clock, Astra and Rapira SS as my top 4 so I can't be all bad.

I've only had 2 or 3 really shitty blades, Treet being worst, so you see I'm not immune to knowing some really bad steel! Derby are middle of the road, not the horror that we sometimes make out.
Don't forget that they are a super popular blade on that there 'merican site you'll be aware of.
 
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