My shaving technique

I have been paying attention to how I shave, trying to develop the best technique so I can share it with others.  Here are my findings.  (Please feel free to comment -- pro or con)

I really like SHARP things, including razors, hunting knives, kitchen knives, etc.  The emphasis on SHARP is deliberate: the sharper the better.  My preference, therefore, is for the sharpest blade I can find.  As of now, I prefer Feather blades, Treet carbon blades, and Vikings red blades.  As with knives, I cannot see the purpose of using anything but the sharpest blade to do the cutting.  The purpose of the blade is to cut hair, so I use the most effective tool for the job.  I don't see why anyone would use a duller blade, unless s/he is afraid of cutting her/his skin.  Which leads me to the second point...

The blade cuts the hair!  Therefore, the best technique is to use that blade most efficiently.  Unless you're a masochist, you want to cut the hair and not the skin, so the lighter you press the razor against the skin, the better the results.  Pushing the razor against the skin doesn't help the blade cut better!  The razor's design is to properly angle the blade so that it will sever the hair most efficiently.  All one has to do is -> pay attention to the angle at which the razor's edge meets the skin <-  Downward pressure is unnecessary; in fact it's harmful.

I intentionally haven't mentioned preparation, as I didn't want the subject to become too complicated and take the focus away from the actual cutting.

I would appreciate your comments!

P.S. There is an excellent description of the principles of razor design on Amazon.  You can find it as the first review of the Feather AS-D2.  Its title is "Brilliant executed and unjustly maligned" and is written by Noemata.  It was the motivation for me to write this post.

Blades are totally subjective. Just because a blade such as the Feather is known to be the "sharpest" doesn't mean it will shave the best for everyone. I know it defies conventional wisdom, but there are many other variables at play when it comes to shaving, not just using the "sharpest" blade. I've used many Feather blades and I just don't like them. They are almost too sharp, feel harsh, and only last a few shaves before falling off a cliff. Treet carbon steel are one of the worst (if not the worst) blade I've ever tried. It was tuggy and felt super dull to me. Many folks like you obviously like them. I can't really explain why blades are so "your mileage may vary", but I think it is the most YMMV aspect of this hobby. That's why "blade reviews" are largely pointless and should be taken with a huge grain of salt. You will never know if a certain one works for your skin/beard until you actually use it.

I went down the sharp blade road. They have their place, in milder razors. I much prefer a smoother, less sharp blade in a razor with more gap or more exposure.

I would encourage you experiment with different blades in ALL of your razors. On my face, 3 piece razors can be pretty blade specific because gap and exposure are locked. There is a magic combo in damned near all razors, if you look, that yields a close comfortable shave.

I get into other sharp stabby, slicey, cutty tools as well....and I agree, in all of those, give me the sharpest edge I can get. I want my kitchen knives, folding, and fixed blades to be lasers...and they are. I bought the tools to make it so.

Razors...totally different ballgame. Too many variables at play with the biggest one being, YOUR face. If the sharpest razor blades are your thing and they work for you, enjoy. We can compare kitchen knives cutting the same stuff all day...cutting hair is different. Doesn't seem like it should be, but it is.

All one has to do is -> pay attention to the angle at which the razor's edge meets the skin <-  Downward pressure is unnecessary; in fact it's harmful.

Pressure is a great tool in the shaver's technique toolbox. Don't be afraid to use it to your benefit when the time calls for it. Too little pressure is as harmful as too much is.

While I agree with your selection of sharp blade, I would also suggest a couple of more worth evaluating.

BIC Chrome Platinum from Greece
Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum (black) from India
King C Gillette Platinum, formerly from Russia, but now from China
Derby USTA from Turkey
Treet DuraSharp from Pakistan

I did not even mention some of the Gillette blades formerly made in PPI, but now becoming scarce in NATO countries.

No single country has a lock on sharp blades.

I do agree with your premise of minimizing shaving pressure.

Well.......not necessarily. The goal should be a close, comfortable shave with the least exfoliation. For me personally, an additional goal is at the lowest cost. A super sharp blade is not always the best way to get there. As you have learned, closeness does not come from pressure. As you will learn, or may have learned by now, closeness with minimum exfoliation comes from multiple passes. So, if you want to do three (depending on how complex your beard growth pattern is possibly four) passes, a super sharp blade may not be the way to go. I shave primarily with a SR and I don't maintain it any sharper than I need to make it shave comfortably. One of our Great Thinkers on this site (@ rayclem) said exactly this recently. Moreover, keeping it sharper than that would require probably weekly maintenance, whereas maintaining it just sharp enough to shave comfortably only requires a touch up every six months. I can get to BBS simply by doing multiple passes with minimum pressure. I am familiar with Feather blades as I use a SE razor for my final touch up pass. My beloved Valet Auto Strop takes a Feather SE blade. However, even after years of practice, I still can not use a fresh Feather SE blade and not get a weeper. I only have to change blades very infrequently because I am just using the safety to do the back of my neck and some touch ups that I don't have the dexterity to do in certain places with certain passes with the SR. To "calm down" the fresh Feather blade, I do a full triple pass SE shave with my first pass against the grain. Thereafter I can use the Feather without weepers. So, to make a long story short, Shaving with the sharpest blade possible isn't always the best path. Also, super sharp blades just don't last that long.

One final point. You purposely didn't go into preparation to keep things simple. I will say this: proper preparation with a quality soap worked into the beard with a good brush is just as important to the final results as is the razor.

While I agree with your selection of sharp blade, I would also suggest a couple of more worth evaluating.

BIC Chrome Platinum from Greece
Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum (black) from India
King C Gillette Platinum, formerly from Russia, but now from China
Derby USTA from Turkey
Treet DuraSharp from Pakistan

I did not even mention some of the Gillette blades formerly made in PPI, but now becoming scarce in NATO countries.

No single country has a lock on sharp blades.

I do agree with your premise of minimizing shaving pressure.

The Bic Chrome Platinum and KCG blades are among my favorite right now. They have been great in all different razors from my Overlander to my Dart. Mild to wild. While I know you would agree not everyone needs the sharpest blade, these have also been incredibly smooth for me as well. I just received some 7 O'Clock blacks and will hopefully get to try them soon. I am currently trying to narrow down to a small number of favorite blades and noting what razor they work best with. We'll see.....

wyze0ne (Jeff),

If blade reviews are pointless, what is the value of your review?  I don't consider any reviews (if written in good faith) to be pointless.  That is how we learn from each other.

Too much pressure is what causes skin cuts.  Whiskers are on the surface.  There is no need to cut below the whisker.

Too much pressure is what causes skin cuts.  Whiskers are on the surface.  There is no need to cut below the whisker.

It is absolutely necessary to cut below whisker and the surface of the skin...............................if you want to get ingrown hairs.

Gillette invented an entire system to do this and sold it for over 20 years. It was called the "Lift -N-Cut" system introduced on the infamous Trac II razor.