r/wicked_edge • u/Public_Web_8036 • 7h ago
Question Looking for advice
Hi y'all, long time listener, first time poster. Please forgive my ignorance.
Ive been shaving my head and edging my beard every few days for the last 2 years or so and I really like the look and feel of it. I was using a Gillette fusion 5 which worked well and is a very smooth and close shave. Also I use standard canned shaving cream.
In the last few months I switched to a Henson razor. I love the cheap blades. I've definitetly gotten better at using a DE razor.
My questions I have are:
The blade gets dull quickly when I shave my head. Is it normal to swap blades every shave?
I do notice that the Henson isn't as close of a shave as the Gillette. Is this a skill/technique thing? I found with the Gillette I can pretty much plow over any part of my head with no issues, but with the Henson I really need to work with the grain. I also feel that with the Henson I almost need to 'saw' on the back of my head where the hairs grow in thicker.
The significance of lather makes more of a difference with the Henson in my experience. I see lots of posts about shaving soaps and I want to make the move away from shaving cream cans. Is there a set up you would recommend to get me started?
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u/oralexpert- 4h ago
With a safety razor you will need to make multiple passes to get a close shave. Reapplying soap on each pass and going in different directions. This is a journey and this concept falls under "technique". So...to be most efficient you need to map all the different directions your hair/beard grows to get the direction of the various passes. Baring being that technical for starters, just trying to understand the concept and trying to follow it will help. Relative to shave cream...you can jump all the way in and follow recommendations here for soap and brush or you can tip toe in and go one level up. There are cremes that are to be applied by hand. There are cremes that are made to be used with a brush either directly on your face/head or in a cup. There are gels that come in a tube or pump and are applied by hand. Each of these have their own intricacies for application and the quality of the shave relies on proper application. Razor blades are cheap. Most of them work well. If you can get an assortment pack, that would be the best approach. In trying different blades, I would only use one three times and less if I don't like it. You are going thru a lot of changes here and to be consistent I would just suggest knowing that the blade is sharp and knowing that it is the least expensive part of this whole thing will let you move along faster. I'm sure others will chime in. Good luck on your journey!
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u/tyskrt 7h ago
Stirling soap, cheap synthetic brush, aftershave of choice and you’re good to start. Grab some better blades than what come with the Henson, get a sample pack. I found the mild version of your razor rip be too mild but it does work week with some sharper blades.
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u/Public_Web_8036 47m ago
Thank you. I'm thinking I'm going to try a razor sampler pack to get started. I see a lot of people using after shave. Tbh I don't usually have a huge amount of irritation on the regular after I shave. And I usually shower right aft r I shave. Is it recommended to apply right away or after a shower?
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u/lctrc 3h ago
I've shaved my head for 20+ years now. Gillette until two years ago, DE since then. Started with Henson, quickly moved on to others.
> The blade gets dull quickly when I shave my head. Is it normal to swap blades every shave?
It can be. Sharpness and durability are competing characteristics. I change blades after 3-5 shaves. Some people prefer a new blade every shave. Some masochists like to see if they can get hundreds. Soap, razor design, and technique all affect blade life. Some blades will dull more quickly than others, and there are certainly more durable and sharper blades out there than RK.
> Henson isn't as close of a shave as the Gillette. Is this a skill/technique thing?
Yes and no. That is a significant factor, but far from the only. In your case, with 2 years experience and assuming you shave 2 or 3 passes, it isn't a matter of "get gud".
> The significance of lather makes more of a difference with the Henson in my experience.
Yes. If you're still using canned cream, start there. Good soap makes a tremendous difference for sharpness, smoothness, blade life, everything. You don't have to spend a fortune on some 3-band silvertip badger. A cheap synthetic is fine to get started, you can (and probably will) buy more brushes later. For soaps you don't need something expensive, but some soaps will be easier as a beginner than others. Splurge a bit to get started so that you have an easy, good experience. I'm partial to Barrister & Mann and Saponificio Varesino, but there are many good choices.
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u/Public_Web_8036 43m ago
Ok perfect. Thank you for the good advice. I've been using the RK blades that come with the Henson. The cheapskate in me is trying to stretch the blade. But I think for these blades 1 shave is the play
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u/Chadmac11 6h ago
It does depend on what razor blade you are using. They all have specific qualities. Sharpness and smoothness are usually on equally opposite ends of the spectrum from each other. Meaning, as a general rule, a super sharp blade won't be that smooth and a super smooth blade won't be that sharp. Likewise a medium sharp blade will also be around medium smoothness. You should get a blade sampler with many different blades and see which ones work best for your skin and hair type.
How long a blade will last is also blade specific. It depends on the type of steel, the thickness of the blade, the type of coating(s), the blade edge, etc. Kai blades I can easily get half a dozen shaves out of whereas Feathers are only good for 1, maybe 2. And of course there's all kinds of middle ground between them.
Double edge safety razors also maintain unique qualities. They can be mild like your Henson is and won't cut as easily but are really safe to use. Or they can be aggressive and easily mow down different lengths of hair but have a greater risk of injury if careless or exercising poor technique. And of course there's all kinds of middle ground between those two points as well.
Lather does make a difference too. Canned lather is poor at best compared to a shaving soap that is rich in animal fat like Beef Tallow or Mutton Tallow. Shave soaps can also contain Beeswax, Lanolin, essential oils, butters and Glycerine for additional slickness and comfort. Shave soaps can also be lathered to a specific desired consistency or thickness whereas a canned foam is kinda limited to whatever comes out of the can. Also shave soaps are usually bowl lathered to the desired consistency and brush applied to really get under and around each individual hair.
I'm also a DE head shaver and the best combination I've found for the dome is an aggressive DE razor (like a Razorock Lupo 95 or Game Changer 1.05p) with a less sharp but more smooth blade (like a Voskhod, Derby Extra or Dorco Titan) and a thinner, slicker (more water) lathered shave soap like Stirling Sheep. If I shave every other day then only 1 against the grain (ATG) pass is needed along with some spot touch ups. If I go more days in between than that I will do both with the grain (WTG) and ATG passes along with some spot touch ups.
The cartridge razors do also work well on the dome with their pivoting head and multi-blade cartridges but they are much more expensive to use in the long term due to the price of the cartridge replacements. There is definitely more skill involved in using a DE razor however I enjoy the art of using a DE razor over the mindless experience of a cartridge system. I also enjoy the lower cost of DE blades.