DE shaving Learning curve

I have been DE shaving for about a month now and it seems like I get a close shave in most areas but there are some areas around my jaw line that I can never realy get close on. If I do get it close there I always get irritation. Can anyone give me some pointers. I'm using the maggard mr18 with the v3 head
Thanks

How many and what type of passes are you doing? For example, most every time I shave I do a with the grain pass, an across the grain pass and touch-ups after that. Normally, if I try to go against the grain, especially on my neck, it results in irritation. It could also be an angle or pressure issue. I'm sure you know that the idea is to use as little pressure as possible, so maybe when you're trying to get close in that jawline area, you're inadvertently applying too much. Also, too steep of an angle can result in a "scraping" effect as opposed to cutting. Of course that all depends on the razor you're using. Another question would be what blades are you using? Hopefully this helps a little. I'm sure others will chime in with their suggestions. Good luck!

Hey there and welcome to DFS, Jeffreyba! This is a great group of shaving folks who I'm sure you'll find to be helpful and friendly.

The jawline is tricky because you've got both a curve (for some of us it's a pretty dramatic curve), and the jawbone right there. It's easy to lose the correct angle of your razor when going around that curve, or unintentionally add extra pressure, both of which will lead to irritation. My way of handling the jawline is to pull up on the skin from above, which shifts the skin up to the flat part of my face above the jawline, then shave it while held there. When you release, you'll see you've shaved the area normally covering that tricky jawline area.

The areas at the back of my jawline can still be tricky, so I just take my time there, focus on angle, and use a very light pressure. Generally though, fewer passes over an area is better than more if more means irritation and damaged skin.

A good DE technique takes time, for sure, so don't get too frustrated as you continue to practice. Generally speaking, you'll keep getting better and soon it'll all come together in an excellent shave much more often than not.

Hi Jeffreyba , there was a thread a while back where some of the members discussed this - I have a tendency to try to get every last bit of stubble off of my jaw line and chin area and there always seems to be some left. If I go at it too aggressively I get some discomfort and irritation or worse. The trick is to not obsess about this bit of stubble but to just do your 3 or 4 passes (whatever your practice) and then finish up. What I've noticed and several other members as well is that after you finish up with your post shave routine that stubble won't even be noticeable - its gone. I'm not sure why I can still feel it with the lather but it will be gone after you rinse / alum / splash or balm it. The trick is knowing when to stop so you end up with the BBS shave and no irritation. Try it next time and see what you think.
Marko

Hey there and welcome to DFS, Jeffreyba! This is a great group of shaving folks who I'm sure you'll find to be helpful and friendly.

The jawline is tricky because you've got both a curve (for some of us it's a pretty dramatic curve), and the jawbone right there. It's easy to lose the correct angle of your razor when going around that curve, or unintentionally add extra pressure, both of which will lead to irritation. My way of handling the jawline is to pull up on the skin from above, which shifts the skin up to the flat part of my face above the jawline, then shave it while held there. When you release, you'll see you've shaved the area normally covering that tricky jawline area.

The areas at the back of my jawline can still be tricky, so I just take my time there, focus on angle, and use a very light pressure. Generally though, fewer passes over an area is better than more if more means irritation and damaged skin.

A good DE technique takes time, for sure, so don't get too frustrated as you continue to practice. Generally speaking, you'll keep getting better and soon it'll all come together in an excellent shave much more often than not.

+1.

Also, be sure to adjust the razor angle as you go up or down the curvature of your jawline and chin. Be careful to keep the pressure light as you adjust for the curvature. Takes time & practice - a month, even if you shave daily, is just not enuf reps, imho.

I do three passes down and across the face in both directions then a tuch up. And I always have the jaw line area I hint no if my technique is off or angle around the jaw line but there is allwats a few missed areas there. Is this razor a good starting razor or should I look at somthing like the Mukar 34c

I do three passes down and across the face in both directions then a tuch up. And I always have the jaw line area I hint no if my technique is off or angle around the jaw line but there is allwats a few missed areas there. Is this razor a good starting razor or should I look at somthing like the Mukar 34c

I'm not familiar with that razor in particular, but I suspect it's just fine. In the beginning (and one month in is still the beginning), it's much more important to focus on technique and practice than to worry about equipment, assuming you have a basically good set-up. Apart from a few duds, most razors can give you an excellent shave; it's all about technique. Same with blades: apart from a few which just aren't very sharp, most will do their job just fine and until you really have your technique down, the difference between them won't matter much.

I wrote up a post recently which you may find helpful, too!

I do three passes down and across the face in both directions then a tuch up. And I always have the jaw line area I hint no if my technique is off or angle around the jaw line but there is allwats a few missed areas there. Is this razor a good starting razor or should I look at somthing like the Mukar 34c

I started out with a Merkur razor (can't recall which) that was recommended on the vendor's site as a good beginner and for me, it was awful - lots of burn, irritation and bleeding - actual flow! I quit for a year just using carts and soap and brush. Then my son took up the DE shaving and shamed me into giving it another go. I did more research beyond just comments on the vendor's site and wound up getting a EJ DE89 and it made all the difference. A very comfortable and forgiving razor that I would recommend for any beginner as well as seasoned wet shavers. Many veteran wet shavers on DFS use that razor or razors that have the same head geometry if the SOTD pictures are any indication.

Jeffrey, I agree with Marko.  Don't obsess about the jaw line.  For most of us it is the most difficult area to get BBS, especially without irritation.  As Marko suggests, get it as close as you can, comfortably, and I think you will find that several minutes after you have completed your shave it will all fall into place.  Don't look for perfection but, rather, what looks and feels good.

Thanks for the help and advise I will try it tomarow and let you know how it works