DE Razor Clogging

dave79

dave79

Messages
753
Location
England
Just come off a couple of weeks of cart shaves and back to DE. Whilst cart shaving is a bit boring, I kind of like that its idiot proof, I am very unlikely to hurt myself, and very likely to get less burn and irritation afterwards. It does mean I have to shave (at least once) daily though. Anyway, back to ATT M1 today and I noticed that it clogged quite badly (2 days growth only) between the blade and the base plate. Is it normal to have to disassemble a DE razor between passes to get the gunk off? I did it after the second pass too, then after the third to clean it all. Though there wasn't as much clog gunk after pass two, there was a lot after the first, and its rather annoying to have to take the razor apart 3 times during one shave.

Before anyone asks, yes I try to keep the strokes short, and rinse it well between each stroke, yet somehow the gunk buildup remains after pass one. I always scrape the glue bumps off the blade before use, so its not that. Any ideas? Is it related to the blade gap with it being a mild razor, or something else perhaps? Thanks.
 
Sounds to me like your lather might be too thick. Also, fill your sink with enough warm water to safely shake the razor head in, and do that every few strokes when a fair amount of lather has built up on it. (This also has the added benefit of "heating up" the razor.) I don't rinse my razor at all, I just shake it in sink water and pat it dry with a towel afterward. All that's left inside is a thin lather residue, like spray paint, which I remove when I disassemble it to change the blade (so, after a couple of uses, depending on the blade) by letting the razor parts soak in shampoo water and then using a soft toothbrush.
 
owlman said:
Sounds to me like your lather might be too thick. Also, fill your sink with enough warm water to safely shake the razor head in, and do that every few strokes when a fair amount of lather has built up on it. (This also has the added benefit of "heating up" the razor.) I don't rinse my razor at all, I just shake it in sink water and pat it dry with a towel afterward. All that's left inside is a thin lather residue, like spray paint, which I remove when I disassemble it to change the blade (so, after a couple of uses, depending on the blade) by letting the razor parts soak in shampoo water and then using a soft toothbrush.
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I do put plenty of water in the sink (generally cold as this irritates me less) and give the head a good twist with each rinse. The gunk just stays there though and I end up pushing it off gently with a finger. Can't figure out how it won't just disperse into the water when I rinse it!
 
You could do a test run with your soap (or cream), to find out how much water it can take before the lather gets bubbly. Better "waste" a little but get to know it, than having unsatisfying shaves every day...
 
dave79 said:
I did it after the second pass too, then after the third to clean it all. Though there wasn't as much clog gunk after pass two, there was a lot after the first, and its rather annoying to have to take the razor apart 3 times during one shave.
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IMO, this sounds like your lather is fine for pass 2 and 3, but not for your first pass; that you've loaded too much soap to your face which is causing the blade to gunk up.

Like what others have said, I'd say your lather just might need some more water. IMO, I find it's better for my lathers to be a little thin opposed to being too dry, ie I'd rather overhydrate my lather then under hydrate it.
 
The only time I've had a DE razor clog up is when I've used one with a narrow blade gap and neglected to swirl it in warm water every now and then, as the lather has built up on its head. Some cartridge razors I used in days gone by were much more prone to clogging.
 
I'll echo @TobyC re pre-shave oil, and go further to say avoid any type of shaving oil. Any one I've ever tried has clogged my razor to the point where shaving has becoming a chore - constant rinsing, oil everywhere, etc. And the clean up process is a real bugger as well.
 
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