Good Technique - How will I know when I have it/What is it?

Badger410 said:
Thanks for your reply. :)

I will be sticking to the Astras but haven't yet decided how mild to go. I have spent some time mapping my growth with my fingers and will be picking up some cotton wool balls on my next trip to the shops.
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Better yet, buy some salicylic acid skin toner and some cotton pads (like women use for makeup removal) and use a damp one post-shave to aid in exfoliation and prevent ingrown hairs. There will be some fibers left clinging if you have a spot you missed with the razor. The salicylic acid will improve your skin and erase fine lines with repeated usage. I swear by the stuff!! ;)
 
Bogeyman said:
Better yet, buy some salicylic acid skin toner and some cotton pads (like women use for makeup removal) and use a damp one post-shave to aid in exfoliation and prevent ingrown hairs. There will be some fibers left clinging if you have a spot you missed with the razor. The salicylic acid will improve your skin and erase fine lines with repeated usage. I swear by the stuff!! ;)
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Johnson and Johnson Clean and Clear is the main brand in the UK.

Shouldn't you use the product pre-shave to remove bacteria and oil to prevent in grown hairs?
 
Sabre said:
Johnson and Johnson Clean and Clear is the main brand in the UK.

Shouldn't you use the product pre-shave to remove bacteria and oil to prevent in grown hairs?
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I use a facial wash in the shower before exiting to shave. Oft times it's a salicylic one. I often use one post shave when I reenter the shower to wash off the shave soap as well. However, after drying I always use a toner with a cotton pad all over my face.
 
Cotton wool ball mapping confirmed my beard growth pattern.
I used plate #2 and have stuck with the Astra blade, resulting in my best shave to date. Happy days.

Should I use a new blade after 2 shaves?
My thoughts are this would ensure consistent sharpness while I build on my technique, taking out the possibility of me confusing a dull blade with a bad shave.
 
Ice Tee said:
Liking this forum as I am a newbee, using a Gillette black beauty and have tryed five differant blades, I got a mix of blades but no feather or astra. Any sugestions on what site to get good trial packs on ?
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Hi,
No, I don't sorry. You'd probably get more replies if you asked the question in a new thread, in either the general or the blade sections.

HTH
 
Badger410 said:
Cotton wool ball mapping confirmed my beard growth pattern.
I used plate #2 and have stuck with the Astra blade, resulting in my best shave to date. Happy days.

Should I use a new blade after 2 shaves?
My thoughts are this would ensure consistent sharpness while I build on my technique, taking out the possibility of me confusing a dull blade with a bad shave.
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...depends...consider for the near future only usinga blade for 2 shaves...in due course, once you tune-in to how a blade deterioates, you will be able to better judge for yourself how long you want to keep a blade going...
 
I'm now 10 shaves into my DE journey and finding I need fewer pick ups. I'm still stuggling with the left hand side of my neck (I'm right handed) which requires almost a 4th pass. I'm assuming this is caused by angle variations caused by reaching around my neck. I'll try focusing on this part of my technique in future shaves and maybe try using my left hand, although I think this may be the more difficult solution.
 
Missoni said:
Good technique should come with time, you will likely adjust sub-conciously to get a comfortable, smooth and effective shaving angle and intuitively know what direction you facial hair grows and adjust accordingly. New Shavers often find more aggressive razors easy to get a close shave with, because such razors often cut through a wider range of angles. A milder razor will often have a narrower cutting angle (the Feather ASD2 being a fairly extreme example of such, it is akin to an on / off switch) and therefore requires good technique in maintaining the correct angle. Razors such as the R89 and 34C are both relatively mild and have a wide range of cutting angle and are therefore great for new and experienced shavers alike. You will often see advice asserting no pressure when shaving, the reality is each razors requires a different amount of pressure, albeit subtle and still a light touch, to get the best from them, this will also come with familiarity. The old adage one brush, one soap, one razor, one blade (e.g. not swapping and changing for period of time) will help in nailing technique.
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For me, (after 15 years or so of using DE razors), I realised I was getting better shaves when I understood I wasnt shaving with a cartridge anymore. The biggest issue was pressure (you dont need to apply any (big learning curve). The other advice is reducing the number of different items. Finding the right blade is also key initially. This is a great hobby, where you will 'meet' so many fantastic people so embrace the ideas, watch some videos, and shave slowly. Trial and error will show you tell you what you need to know. The earlier advice on using one razor is key. Get to know its weight, and how it works for you, then go from there. Definitely take your time, and dont look for perfection in those early days. Pre and post preparation is also key in my opinion. Good luck!!
 
Badger410 said:
...I'm still stuggling with the left hand side of my neck (I'm right handed) which requires almost a 4th pass...
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FOUR PASSES!!

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Relax & stop "faceturbating" with your fingers looking for BBS!! Since you're new at this do at most a two pass shave, WTG & XTG. No ATG, especially on your neck as that is just asking for trouble, Wait until you are better at this before you go "rogue" and forget all the BS about BBS.

Remember the wet shaver's maxim: it's beard reduction, not elimination.
 
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