Please Help. Newbie to the forum and going desperate for some help

I just did a speed-read and there is some great advice given. Some members advice is completely opposite to other members advice (of course).
I've only been DE shaving for 50+ years now so I'm sure I don't know it all either.
But I have always liked a sharp blade. Blunt is not the same as smooth.
I have always liked a smooth efficient razor. Aggressive is not smooth but certainly may be 'efficient'.
Among my current 9 razors I have a Tech, a Fatip (mines a Mk2 Picollo), a Mamba (mild and smooth for sure and well worth while you trying one), a NEW SC, and a Timeless .68 OC.
My smoothest most efficient razor is the Timeless followed by the Fatip and the NEW.
The Tech, NEW, and the Fatip (is yours version 1 or 2?) require a wee bit of work to set the blade square. You can't just drop a blade in, tighten up the cap and go for it.
Maybe some of your problem is also due to an out of alignment blade?
Also agree about your excessive prep routine. Whoa! No way.
Hot shower, dry off, run basin of hot water, lather up, shave...5 minutes and gone out the door!
I used a few razorock soaps until I bought the Timeless and Fatip. The soaps were a bit thin and lacked 'slide and glide'. Not a problem with the Mamba, Fatboy, or Black Beauty but not so good for the closer performing razors.
Now using Arlington, Fenchurch, and Body Shop Macca Root with Aloe soaps.
All good soaps. You may need to get away from relatively cheap soaps too.
Fatip's like a decent blade. Feather is good! Personna Lab Blues, Gillette Nacets, Rubies, Silver Blues maybe worth trying too.
Please let us know how you get on in sorting this out.
 
I just did a speed-read and there is some great advice given. Some members advice is completely opposite to other members advice (of course).
I've only been DE shaving for 50+ years now so I'm sure I don't know it all either.
But I have always liked a sharp blade. Blunt is not the same as smooth.
I have always liked a smooth efficient razor. Aggressive is not smooth but certainly may be 'efficient'.
Among my current 9 razors I have a Tech, a Fatip (mines a Mk2 Picollo), a Mamba (mild and smooth for sure and well worth while you trying one), a NEW SC, and a Timeless .68 OC.
My smoothest most efficient razor is the Timeless followed by the Fatip and the NEW.
The Tech, NEW, and the Fatip (is yours version 1 or 2?) require a wee bit of work to set the blade square. You can't just drop a blade in, tighten up the cap and go for it.
Maybe some of your problem is also due to an out of alignment blade?
Also agree about your excessive prep routine. Whoa! No way.
Hot shower, dry off, run basin of hot water, lather up, shave...5 minutes and gone out the door!
I used a few razorock soaps until I bought the Timeless and Fatip. The soaps were a bit thin and lacked 'slide and glide'. Not a problem with the Mamba, Fatboy, or Black Beauty but not so good for the closer performing razors.
Now using Arlington, Fenchurch, and Body Shop Macca Root with Aloe soaps.
All good soaps. You may need to get away from relatively cheap soaps too.
Fatip's like a decent blade. Feather is good! Personna Lab Blues, Gillette Nacets, Rubies, Silver Blues maybe worth trying too.
Please let us know how you get on in sorting this out.

Solid gold post! (y)

Folks tend to over sensitize the skin before they shave with too much pre-shave ritual.

And then go to dull blades "mild" razors which just makes matters worse.

Keep things simple,... and remember dull doesn't cut.
 
Amazing advices here. I will try my 34C and even though the voskhod is know to be a mild blade I will give it a try since it was the only time I had a decent shave. Not even close to a DFS but at least no irritations.

Hopefully after that if all goes good I will keep at it for like 2 months until I get my technique locked down. I'll definitely improve with my preshave and keep it simple.

I'm guessing the way the face is healing that my Sunday I could shave again.

Will definitely keep you guys posted.


Thanks again for all the great advice


Max


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Amazing advices here. I will try my 34C and even though the voskhod is know to be a mild blade I will give it a try since it was the only time I had a decent shave. Not even close to a DFS but at least no irritations.

Hopefully after that if all goes good I will keep at it for like 2 months until I get my technique locked down. I'll definitely improve with my preshave and keep it simple.

I'm guessing the way the face is healing that my Sunday I could shave again.

Will definitely keep you guys posted.


Thanks again for all the great advice


Max


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Voskhod aren't "mild" blades, rather they are smooth.
You might like to try Gillette Silver Blue and Astra SP and SS blades too at some point.
 
Voskhod aren't "mild" blades, rather they are smooth.
You might like to try Gillette Silver Blue and Astra SP and SS blades too at some point.

Actually on my 34C, which was my first razor, the best blade was the astra sp. it still gave me razor burn but I was just starting. But on the Gillette tech the astra was extremely sharp and felt aggressive to me.

I'll give the voskhod a try on the 34c, hopefully get a good shave. If not, and if the irritation is not that bad after, I would try a GSB


Thanks


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Actually on my 34C, which was my first razor, the best blade was the astra sp. it still gave me razor burn but I was just starting. But on the Gillette tech the astra was extremely sharp and felt aggressive to me.

I'll give the voskhod a try on the 34c, hopefully get a good shave. If not, and if the irritation is not that bad after, I would try a GSB


Thanks


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Again, everything is subjective, but blades react differently in different razors. You may find that eventually you use different blades in different razors. Not uncommon. This is why there are so many different blades.
 
The best bit of advise someone on here gave me was 'learn yourself and learn your face'

Before you start with the actual shave spend a little time finding which direction your facial hair actually grows. There is nothing worse then trying to shave against the direction of growth on your initial pass. The first pass should in essence be with the growth.

You will be rather amazed to find your hair doesn't all grow in the same direction.

If you're happy with the first pass I would call it a day at that. The rest of the passes, across and against the grain will come in time.

Everything will fall in to place

Don't try too hard and don't beat yourself about it. You will get there.
 
Amazing advice - I agree with @Paul L sentiments - do not over think the shave. When DE shaving clicked for me the day after I watched a few Youtube videos by Mantic59. When I stopped over thinking the shave and was relaxed, all was good.

The only other advice I can offer is one pass at a time - DE shaving is all about removing stubble in layers - when I got my head round that things improved also.

I had been btain washed by years of cart shaving - expecting a perfect shave with a few strokes.

I'm sure things will work out for you.
 
@Paul
Lather looks good BTW. Keep it wet wet wet. Dry and pasty is pretty but delivers sub par shaving experience to most people.

I'm sure despite all the learning issues, you're enjoying good part of this traditional shaving thing. I took few day breaks to rest my skin when I was getting in the routine. Skin needs to adjust, especially if it was under a beard for years. Keep it up.

(y)
 
Hello Steve Bowels. Correct I pretty much take around 1 and a half hours to shave. In my opinion it is pretty long as well but would do it if it gets rid of my chin irritation and a smooth shave. Obviously it's not the case.

I shave every other day to let the irritation on my chin heal. It used to be worse. I used to shave at the beginning 1 a week because of the chin irritation.

Thanks


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If you're spending up 1.5 hours your method is going very wrong! It should only take 20-30 mins max. I would recommend a pre shave lotion like Edwin Jagger Hydrating Lotion, a shaving soap containing Tallow like OSP and for blades Gillette Silver Blue which are sharp but none irritating. As an after shave balm to sooth things down there is none better than Edwin Jagger Moisturising Aftershave Lotion Aloe Vera for sensitive skin. Check out YouTube videos for shaving techniques for your DE razor model.
Good Luck[emoji106]

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Paul,

How are your shaves going ?

Hello. I had to let my face rest last week because of the bad cuts and irritations I had. I was supposed to shave yesterday but over the weekend I ended up cutting my right thumb and it got infected[emoji2357][emoji2357][emoji2357]

Si I haven't been able to shave just yet. I'm thinking of maybe putting a latex glove and try and shave but my thumb hurts when I even hold a pen. So just waiting maybe to let it heal a little.

Either way want to confess that I'm scared as hell to shave again and end up with irritation and burning again!! Hahaha




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Hello. I had to let my face rest last week because of the bad cuts and irritations I had. I was supposed to shave yesterday but over the weekend I ended up cutting my right thumb and it got infected[emoji2357][emoji2357][emoji2357]

Si I haven't been able to shave just yet. I'm thinking of maybe putting a latex glove and try and shave but my thumb hurts when I even hold a pen. So just waiting maybe to let it heal a little.

Either way want to confess that I'm scared as hell to shave again and end up with irritation and burning again!! Hahaha




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Shaving shouldnt be uncomfortable or scary!

Is your skin any better for the break?
 
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