Thread: XTG Question

When I first started straight razor shaving I pretty much used my dominant hand for the whole shave. I knew damn well that I should have been training my left hand to shave but I was lacking patience and wanted to see how well I could get a decent shave done. Eventually after the fear factor of the blade subsided and I got some confidence then I focused on left handed shaving. I do see the advantages of ambidexterity in str8 shaving there are going to be spots on your face that are just easier to get using one hand or the other. Certainly you will be able to see what you are doing better by using both hands. Even after saying this I still don't see anything wrong with using the hand you are more comfortable with to shave, after all the goal here is to actually finish shaving and enjoy the result. I think that its just a choice. I believe many ways to skin a cat. Explore them all see what sticks and whats enjoyable and make it yours.

I'm pretty new (30+ shaves with straight). From the start, I tried using both hands. Similar to others, using the hand on the side of the face with WTG. Now that I'm doing some XTG and ATG, I'll use the alternate hand on the neck, and for ATG, the alternate hand on the cheek/sideburns. I still use my dominant right hand for detail areas around the chin amost exclusively. Don't trust my left.

However, I do find that, although I don't seem to have as good of control and handling with the left (yet?), I do find a much lighter touch. I use less pressure with that hand. Go figure!

I do what I'm comfortable with, but have been forcing myself to try to increase using the non-dominant hand.

PCM:

I'm finding the same thing with my left hand, lighter touch and less pressure. I actually feel much more comfortable with left hand on left side for WTG and ATG. Tried right hand on left side once for a WTG and stopped immediately as it just didn't feel right.

Originally Posted by apipeguy

PCM:

Tried right hand on left side once for a WTG and stopped immediately as it just didn't feel right.

Yeah I get those feelings too, usually just before I nick my ear...