Good point!When I first started DE shaving I went for the smooth as a polshed pebble approach and it was agony, now I go for that is a fairly good shave approach.
I don't have a hot irritated face any more after shaving. I have hard wirey hair on my beard. Bugger.
As others have said getting BBS with a DE razor is a challenge - by the time I get there after 5 passes, I usually look like I have been shaved by Edward Scissorhands.Have been DE shaving regularly for about 5 years now and I get good results using relatively mild razors – have got a Merkur 20c and an EJ89 as my regular rotation, with Astra SP blades, which give a close, smooth overall shave. I always go WTG downwards, then XTG in from the ears and then ATG upwards.
The area I have problems with is anything under the chin. The razors I use seem to be shaving the under chin and neck-line OK, but always leave some hard micro-stubble in places there, even after repeat passes.
I have tried sharper blades (Feather) and also a more aggressive razor (Parker 96 Daytona) without any real success. Have tried careful skin stretching too, without any success. I can tell from the razor feedback that the stubble there is really wiry.
The question, for my learned friends, is whether to try a more aggressive razor or an adjustable ? or am I doing something wrong ?
I am confident that my technique is practiced enough to generally leave my skin nick free and feeling good, so wouldn’t recoil at the suggestion of a more aggressive razor like a slant, but just would like some seasoned advice from those that have used a lot of razor types.
I had a similar issue, further complicated by a scar on the right side of my chin. I found that small J-hooks helped, and using some of the blade lather to relubricate for an extra touch-up between passes. I got the idea from one of Mantic's videos – possibly the one where he does a ten minute, three pass shave.Have been DE shaving regularly for about 5 years now and I get good results using relatively mild razors – have got a Merkur 20c and an EJ89 as my regular rotation, with Astra SP blades, which give a close, smooth overall shave. I always go WTG downwards, then XTG in from the ears and then ATG upwards.
The area I have problems with is anything under the chin. The razors I use seem to be shaving the under chin and neck-line OK, but always leave some hard micro-stubble in places there, even after repeat passes.
I have tried sharper blades (Feather) and also a more aggressive razor (Parker 96 Daytona) without any real success. Have tried careful skin stretching too, without any success. I can tell from the razor feedback that the stubble there is really wiry.
The question, for my learned friends, is whether to try a more aggressive razor or an adjustable ? or am I doing something wrong ?
I am confident that my technique is practiced enough to generally leave my skin nick free and feeling good, so wouldn’t recoil at the suggestion of a more aggressive razor like a slant, but just would like some seasoned advice from those that have used a lot of razor types.
Yes the top cap mark is correctly sided with the base plate triangle and it does zero exactly at + without a blade, and a fraction after + when a blade is fitted.I don't want to sound like an A hole, but are you sure your putting the top cap on the right way?
There is a mark on one side, that I didn't notice when I first got my progress and it allows you to wind the blade right down to the + icon but the cap on the other way only reaches 1.
I have never had an issue with alignment since.
Update: After a lot of thought about this problem area, and my shaving generally, i purchased a very fine Merkur Progress 510 long handle from Connaught and have been enjoying (carefully) its potential.
After nearly 2 weeks ownership and about a dozen shaves i am happy that a setting of about 2 (with an Astra SP blade) equates roughly to the shave i get from my EJ89 and if i turn the Progress up to 3, then i get a much closer shave, but it can be a little "nippy" at that setting if i am careless, so max concentration is required. Setting 3 seems to make better work of the original problem area under the chin and around the neckline first pass, so am very pleased about that.
Am still getting to grips with the Progress as it is a heaver razor and the shaving angle is a little different, but am generally very pleased with it and think it will serve me well. A pleasant discovery is that if i turn it right down to the zero ("+") then it gives a very light shave almost comparable to a cartridge razor and ideal for those afternoon / early evening touch ups (the old 5 o'clock shadow).
This is important for me, as 12 hours after DE shaving i have quite tough sandpaper-like micro stubble around the neck, which is rough enough to bobble up the material on shirt and fleece collars - something i have had an issue with my whole adult life, requiring some sort of afternoon / early evening quick shave usually with a cartridge or even electric shaver.
I have noticed there is quite some play in the blade and the head when its fully unwound for blade changing and the process of tightening it up can cause the blade and head to skew slightly and can give either a slight slant, or more blade out of one side of the head than the other.
After a bit of playing, i think the answer seems to be to centre the blade and head, then carefully clamp the head down against the spring using thumb on top cap and two fingers under bottom plate - this allows the tightening screw to be tightened easily and ensures the blade and top cap are always aligned as intended.
I have tried face mapping in the past and have a fairly good idea of what passes to make in which directions for different pasts of my face - generally 3 passes and a few localised buffs does the job. The intention behind this post was just to see if this is a common problem really.I Think the bottom line is a BBS is not achievable for many a person.
Have you ever tried mapping your face with cotton wool ?
Just a thought it might help