From the Mailbag: Weishi-adjustable Settings?

A reader asked a question regarding my use of the Weishi Adjustable DE:

Doug, I finally moved up from a setting of 4 to 5. What settings do you find yourself using the most?

These days, I generally do a variation on a three-pass shave using different razor settings for each pass.

The first pass is generally done with downward strokes irrespective of beard grain. Depending on the brand of blade and its point in its overall life cycle, I generally set the razor somewhere in the 2 to 3 range.

In the second pass, I pay more attention to beard grain, and generally shave against it. For this pass I typically increment the razor up a notch, so it would be set in the 3 to 4 range. I will usually employ simple as well as more complex razor strokes including J-hooking and skewed (where the blade edge is not perpendicular to the stroke direction) techniques.

For my final full pass, I again increment the razor one unit more aggressive, and again shave against the grain. Like the second pass, I will use varied stroking technique combined with the slightly more aggressive razor setting to try to "sneak up" on a very close shave, without crossing the line, getting too aggressive, and thereby injuring my delicate dermis.

I will also usually add some water to my face after the third pass and take some clean-up strokes -- usually without further changing the razor setting, but this may vary depending on the factors and quality of the shave to this point.

Thanks for asking, and happy shaving!

The Joy of the Perfect Razor (for One's Face)

The affordable Weishi adjustable razor is providing benefits beyond merely getting a close, comfortable daily shave. Before I elaborate on those additional benefits, let me tell you why this razor provides them:

• It adjusts to be mild enough that I can use the sharpest of blades, without that razor-blade combination being too aggressive and thereby injuring or irritating my skin.
• It adjusts to be aggressive enough that I can use a blade at the end of its life cycle and can still get a close, comfortable shave.

These bulletted features above have also provided an unexpected and welcome additional benefit: because over the course of a shave I can dial in the shave character very precisely -- not too mild and not to aggressive -- and because I use this razor daily (all others being relegated to a bedroom closet), I have been getting a real sense for the different shave characters of various blades.

Never before have I gotten such a clear impression of how the various grinds and coatings on different brands (and models) of razor blades feel on my skin. This is because the adjustability of the razor tends to limit (or, essentially, eliminate) the variables that can confound a true understanding of a blade's impact on the shave.

Another unforeseen benefit comes from the ability to dial in the closeness of the shave with precision. The process to accomplish this is to first consider the blade. Is it new and a very sharp brand, or less so due to its manufacture or position in its life cycle? Then set the razor for the first pass according to those blade conditions. Then dial up slightly (as appropriate) the aggression of the razor for the second pass. Likewise for the third and clean-up passes.

By "sneaking up" on a close shave using the razor's ability for both mild early passes and more aggressive finishing passes, optimal shaves occur with great regularity and consistency. This allows the impact of the blade to be more easily evaluated.

For me, the Weishi adjustable razor is pretty much the perfect razor for my face. And it's a joy for me to use.

Happy shaving!