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Idlejon - apologies accepted ... although my patience are becoming a little tested.
so .. now it’s more than one handle you say?
i am not saying it’s important - just increasingly difficult to know how many handles you have actually bought ... more than one - then just one - and now, possibly more than one again😣
yes. if you need to, you can bring your shaving products to the cx tomorrow for my approval; that way I could also count how many handles you actually have - and finally help you know how many you have actually bought.
angeldust - did you not read the topic title? If you have no interest in DE shaving why did you click on the topic to read it? And more bizarrely - read the comments🤔
It’s a SHED.
’Man caves’ are for wimps.
I retract my previous comment. The Hi-Fi arguments are entertaining, this is just dull 😜
A little browse through Angeldust forum posts to see what the intellectual forumites discuss ... apparently wanting to know Who is the strongest on STW forum, and a strange post about riding past a dog, and not getting bit are worthy to angeldust🤪 ... glad to say neither got my attention, so they really were completely pointless and desperately dull .. and neither topics have a reply off me to prove it👍
Hi mooman 🐮 How about applying some of that smoothing shave balm to the sensitive nerve I’ve touched 🤪
I may have upset you by not taking your hobby seriously - it wasn’t intentional, but hey, lighten up. I don’t think there is anything wrong with it, or that it is emasculating (?), just desperately dull. To reiterate my point, This is much more deserving of scorn than what we see in every Hi-Fi thread (and I like Hi-Fi). Give me attack dogs and STW’s strongest man (really 😀?) anytime.
Gave the futur it's first run, setting 3, Astra premium. Shaving blind in the shower.... Id have used the mirror as I was at home but it had fogged. It was going ok until I got cocky and careless.... Then it turned quite hurty and my chin, cheek and neck turned clarety.
I can see I'll have to practice. Carefully.
Found the smooth handle very slippery with wet and soapy hands, that might make it a no-no for in shower shaving, hmmm.
Still reading this completely pointless and dull thread then angeldust ... I bet you just too embarrassed to admit your DE fetish; come out of the (bathroom) closet .. and embrace your hidden DE desires (it definitely not a hobby).
neilnevil - steeper angle required - turn it so the edge of top cap touches before the blade.
You'll need "Feather" blades, adust. And remember to make sure your razor is on it's widest setting so the blade is completely loose...
Idlejon – apologies accepted … although my patience are becoming a little tested.
so .. now it’s more than one handle you say?
Ill tell you how many razors I own if you can tell me how many patiences you’ve got. 😛
Have a good race - I’ve got as far as Llandovery and had a contact lens failure. Eating toasted tea cakes instead of racing. I’m disappointed in myself.
So now you not racing! I not surprised to hear that has changed too!!
You very indecisive to say the least ..
How many patiences you ask ... 4 in permanent residential; 2 awaiting discharge ... around 30 open in the community.
A lot more than you got razors, or handles ... I think anyways.
My face is on fire! 'kn' ell. Thouht Id have a shave tonight and skip it tomorrow morning. just a shave, sink and mirror, took my time....got a pretty close shave and no major cuts but lot of little ones and my face feels like it has had chilli sauce rubbed over it.
I can see this will be a long, and painful learning experience.
Dare you to use the alum block!
Neilnevill.
Wind the setting down to 1. At 3 you are exposing a lot of blade, which could be one of the blades that irritates your skin.
DE shaving is not a competitive sport, you don't get extra points for self inflicted skin grafts.
The prep is more important than the rest of it. When shaving, small smooth strokes with no pressure. Shave with the grain. You're not trying to shave baby smooth in one pass. Set the Futur to 1 and do 2 or 3 light passes, soaping up in between each pass. Don't shave against the grain. It will give you a very close shave, but next time lots of those hairs will still be trying to break through the surface of your skin, producing lots of tiny bumps which you will just nick the tops off.
just increasingly difficult to know how many handles you have actually bought
..as a matter of interest what kind of razor is it and where do you buy the handles from?
Wind the setting down to 1. At 3 you are exposing a lot of blade, which could be one of the blades that irritates your skin.
DE shaving is not a competitive sport, you don’t get extra points for self inflicted skin grafts.
The prep is more important than the rest of it. When shaving, small smooth strokes with no pressure. Shave with the grain. You’re not trying to shave baby smooth in one pass. Set the Futur to 1 and do 2 or 3 light passes, soaping up in between each pass. Don’t shave against the grain. It will give you a very close shave, but next time lots of those hairs will still be trying to break through the surface of your skin, producing lots of tiny bumps which you will just nick the tops off.
^^^ This plus using short "chopping" motion without pressure.
...so anyway, how do you lot wash your hair?
(Weird thread. I'd assumed a request for advice on "de-shaving" would be all about growing a beard, so thought I'd a have a look at the piss-taking responses. How wrong I was....)
Bbs, thank you, close shave/bumps/Knicks ahhh. I thought I either did something different to cause it or the blade was blunt after just one shave, but I'd read must people seem to get multiple 3 pass shaves from Astras. I did think about what I did differently and do some more reading and have a few things to try, but interesting to think I may have shaved too soon after my previous days close shave. It did give a very close shave last night, here I am at lunch time with something that is more than acceptable for stepping out the shower having shaved in the morning for work. I may try a close shave on alternate days.
Last night was no shower, hot hot sink wash bit didn't try a wet towel/flannel (will next time). Turned futur up to 4 for with and across grain, 1st pass caused the Knicks. Turned it down to 1 for last pass against the grain, .Felt like that didn't take much off but it did leave a good finish.... But mucho irritation! Have left on 1 for the next shave.
Also need to try a pre shave oil and different soaps. I realised I just used cheapo soap from the dish yesterday, when on Saturday I'd mixed with a squirt of some moisturising soap on the shower shelf, that might have been an important difference.
Definitely shaving at home for a while, to hone some technique..... And glad I'm not needing a shave today!
Best to stick on least aggressive when you start, up the aggressiveness until it's too much then dial back 1. Don't rush it though, like neiln said, it's not a competition. Also try different blades, Astra don't work for me but do for others and blades cost so little that losing a packet only costs £2-£3. I'm sure one of the on line sellers does a mixed pack of blades. Soap also seems to matter - I have a dish of Wilkinson Sword soap - it's crap. I've used Arko (stick - about £3), it's brilliant. Brush matters as well as a softer brush whips up more lather which is better. Some brushes soften after use, depends on what the bristles are
It’s all about finding what’s right for you
i don’t use pre shave oil and use sharp blades in very aggressive razors, two passes, minimal buffing and I get a DFS
Dfs?!
Dfs?!
Damn fine shave.
Also need to try a pre shave oil
Yes. This is probably why you’ve been suffering. The oil will help the blade glide over the skin instead of snagging on it.
A decent soap will do that
The oil will help the blade glide over the skin instead of snagging on it.
Wouldn't it help the blade glide over the hair instead of cutting it?
Never used oil myself, other than as a replacement for soap and that never really worked for me
3rd shave with the futur this morning and wow it's given a good result! Possibly the best shave I've ever had. Set at 1, still super close shave (is assumed aggressive=closer but perhaps not), 3 passes but was excellent after 2, pre shower, hot hot towel on face, used my Dove moisturising soap mixed with cheapo bar of hand soap which does give a better lather although it's not long lasting. 3rd go with the astra blade. I did get a few small bleeders and used the styptic crayon for the first time, but no significant irritation and this shave will last until Friday I think.
Much improved, I'm enjoying this and wish I'd tried it 20-30 years ago!
Not traditionalist as a badger hair brush etc - but try Nivea shave gel. Nice thick foam gives a super smooth shave.
Not traditionalist as a badger hair brush etc – but try Nivea shave gel. Nice thick foam gives a super smooth shave.
Or get the Gillette shaving gel with Cocoa Butter as I think this is better than the one with Aloe Vera extract.
Or you want it really cheap then get the shaving stick soap from Palmolive from Wilkinson, think it is 50p per stick and will last for a while.
thanks for those tips. I'm generally a fan of cheap if its effective...75p soap stick not £20 sandalwood soap. Searching the web Arko shave stick looks a worthwhile value option to try found a box of 12 sticks for under a tenner on ebay....that may be overkill
I've also been looking on ebay for collections of blades to sample...trying to resist for the moment..I could end up with years of blades if I'm not careful! Found feathers at £17.80 for 100 seems pretty good.
I missed the postman today, who left me a card to go collect something and give him my autograph...I suspect its a package courtesy of @Holyzeus. Looking forward to seeing what's there exactly...a few things to try out, some blades, and some lotions and potions, and a razor. I'll try out any bits before buying more.
Has as already been said; some prefer different blades. I only tried Astra Platinum and Feathers .. both felt the same when new, razor sharp!! but the Feathers lost their edge quicker - and dragged a little.
So Astras were cheaper to buy - and longer lasting. I think I got a box of 100 blades for £6-7 ..they will likely last me till well into retirement.
I’ve also been looking on ebay for collections of blades to sample…trying to resist for the moment..I could end up with years of blades if I’m not careful
I got a mix-pack from Connaught Shaving:
https://connaughtshaving.com/popular.html
It's changed slightly since I got it. I would highly recommend getting something similar. I first tried the Astra Platinum blades, as I got a pack of 5 with my razonr & thought they were great - why would I need anything different?
I then went through that mix-pack and found a surprising difference between blades. I now use Wilkinson Sword.
I would personally stay away from Feathers
Crap on the first use, brilliant on the second and then you have to throw away, also slightly more expensive than other blades
right then gents. I'm 4 shaves in and things are settling a bit. my technique is better (loads more room to improve I'm sure) nd I an get a stunning shave with minimal to no irritation. I've learnt, setting 1, and a good soap seems to be ESSENTIAL for me....if i mix a good squirt of my dove soap with the cheapo bar it is smoooooth, if I don;t its guaranteed bleeders a plenty.
4 shaves in with the Astra SP blade doing fine....I'll try it again but know shortly its going to blunt and disappoint. what to do next? try another Astra and refine my technique and futur settings? I'm on #1 now btw and still getting a closer shave than I could get with the mach 3 without scraping away my face. Or do I try another blade? I'll save the one feather and one shark for a while, but could try the personna or the supermax. both less sharp but smoother I believe.
After half a dozen shaves I turn blade in there upside down and it gives a good shave. I convinced it works - others not so. Try it and see.
i think you’ll benefit more by quality thick shave foam than blades at this moment.
mooman, cheers I'll try that (just turn the blade over in readiness for next shave). I'd noticed the Astra blades have the edges/sides numbered 1 to 4 for some reason and had the thought about turning the blade over. Given that the blade blunts largely by the edge rolling over I could see how turning it over could easily affect how it works. Whether its any better and lasts a bit longer....I'll try it.
Good soap is worth every penny for me. A £10 tub from, for example, Taylor’s of Bond Street lasts me a year! Been using them for several years. I shave average 6 days a week and enjoy it. That’s pretty good value at less than £1/month. I don’t need a lot of soap per shave. Though I am going to try Arko too, seems dead convenient especially travelling.
3-4 shaves per blade is also darn good at less than 15p a blade. So I don’t see the point in trying to eek out more shaves than that. Though I’ve found some do last a bit longer, Lord and Astra for example. But this will likely be different for everyone. It’s personal choice. When I started DE shaving the first couple of weeks were poor, but once got the hang of it using no pressure and let the blade work it got much easier and quicker. I have two vintage Gillette razors, a Rocket HD and a 40’s open comb (shaves much closer). Two passes is a decent comfy and close shave, not baby bottom smooth, but very good and feels way better and cleaner than ye olde Mach 3 which would last a week and was pretty disappointing at end of the week. DE shaving is all good, minimal plastic for starters!
I’m generally a fan of cheap if its effective
Palmolive shave stick is what you seek, then. You can get a Gillette shaving brush in Tesco (other supermarkets are available). Both cost pennies.
I started out with the cheap plastic Gillette DE razor and brush. The razor is toilet and almost put me off completely until I got a decent one, but the difference between the cheap brush and an expensive one wasn't as much as I'd expected.
I made it to the post office today and collected the package id missed. it was indeed from the good man @Holyzeus and wow, what a package! 6 or 7 soaps or cremes, ''artisan' no less, one or 2 look unused at all, some 60 or so blades including many new brands for me to try, I'm particularly keen to try the Voskhod Teflon coated, Gillette, and the Wilkinson sword. Most generous of all, a lovely Gillette slim twist/knack. I shall very much enjoy giving the blades, the soaps, and the razor a try! Many thanks, you are a fine gent!
'kin 'ell! Just as I think I'm starting to get the hang of it a bit, I rip my face apart! I am however fairly confident I know why. I did everything right, showered, hot towelled, lathered a lovely slick soap from one of the bars Holyzeus had sent me... and then it went wrong. I think the Astra was probably getting blunt. I expected it to be different, as I'd turned it over...it was kind of aggressive and blunt/tuggy at the same time. I reckon the astra was blunting, and had burred over, turing the blade sort of angled the burr to be digging in....turning the blade, at least after 4 shaves, was a big mistake. I made a rookie error and applied pressure to compensate, but caught myself doing it and stopped. first pass wtg was ok, although not that close, 2nd pass atg gave a fair few weepers....I should have changed the blade ....the 3rd atg pass was carnage.-ish. well I got a fairly close shave but i got a lot of weepers and a bit of irritation.
New blade in now....Wilkinson Made in England next.
that to me is one of the joys of DE shaving - at 10p a blade there really is no need to turn blades over and scrimp - as soon as you even feel it might be going blunt have a new one.
<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ouch!</span>
In 10 years of DE shaving I have never turned a blade and therefore never had a problem like you described.
As noted above the blades are so cheap there is no point.
Applying pressure is not required either, but is something most people do after they have been cartridge shaving for a long time. Your muscle memory will change over time though.
Indeed, no need to, but giving mooman's suggestion a try. trying things is good....not everything works but some things will.
Yeah after something like 20 years of mach 3 use, its hard not to apply a bit of pressure! pfff...20 years wasting money on mach 3 cartridges.
You’re welcome mate, enjoy
I did say somewhere above do not turn a blade, don’t know anyone who does, 3/4 shaves max then bin
Pm/ email me later and i’ll go though the soaps I sent you
Wilkinson Made in England
Yup.
Huge disappointment... my favourite post-shave balm has been re-formulated to an inferior product. Can’t recommend ‘The Bluebeard’s Revenge’ anymore. 😢
I did say not everyone agrees that turning the blade works!
It isn’t to do with cost - more to do with routine.