Thread: Hair to Coarse for WTG?

Originally Posted by hotreffys

Hi everybody. I'm new to straight razor shaving and I'm having a little trouble. The thing I'm most concerned about is whether I need to start going XTG to truly get the close shave you get from a straight razor. I'm still using my dominant hand and shaving from my sideburn to my jaw. I've gotten to the point where my WTG stroke is slightly better than my Mach 3 WTG stroke but I still have to go back with my Mach 3 and go ATG to get a really close shave. I know ATG is not preferred but I have to go ATG with my Mach 3 to get a close shave.

If I understand you correctly, you think you only need to do one pass with a straight razor for a BBS shave. That is just not going to happen. A good shave is gotten through gradual stubble reduction using multiple passes. Generally the first pass is WTG and removes the most amount of stubble. Next the XTG pass removes some more stubble and the final ATG pass should take care of the rest for a DFS, sometimes a BBS.

If you try to do it all in one pass you will likely be applying too much pressure and will be well on the way to a razor burned face.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

If I understand you correctly, you think you only need to do one pass with a straight razor for a BBS shave. That is just not going to happen. A good shave is gotten through gradual stubble reduction using multiple passes. Generally the first pass is WTG and removes the most amount of stubble. Next the XTG pass removes some more stubble and the final ATG pass should take care of the rest for a DFS, sometimes a BBS.

If you try to do it all in one pass you will likely be applying too much pressure and will be well on the way to a razor burned face.

Bob

This is how I read it too.

I suggest watching a few 3 pass shaves on utube.

BobH has pretty much nailed it, you wont have a really smooth finish after one pass.

Generally 100 shaves is about where people figure out the basics repeatably.

You can make practice lathers, shaving soap isnt so expensive that this is cost prohibitive, make and ditch a lather a few times until you get something good and repeatable.

Map your beard, direction of growth isnt to a template.

learn good stretching, use the stretch to pull skin to a more practical area or direction to shave.

it takes quite a few shaves till you get the technique down, don't get frustrated , one day it will just click and then they,ll be good shaves coming. tc

Originally Posted by feltspanky

Some good shaving videos to develop your technique.

Best How to Shave with a Straight Razor Tutorial for Beginners Straight Razor Designs.com - YouTube

http://youtu.be/r24ar_SSGVo

http://youtu.be/XIM0Coix6Gg

Thanks for the videos! I've watched the Lynn Abrams one but I'll check the others out.

Originally Posted by BobH

If I understand you correctly, you think you only need to do one pass with a straight razor for a BBS shave. That is just not going to happen. A good shave is gotten through gradual stubble reduction using multiple passes. Generally the first pass is WTG and removes the most amount of stubble. Next the XTG pass removes some more stubble and the final ATG pass should take care of the rest for a DFS, sometimes a BBS.

If you try to do it all in one pass you will likely be applying too much pressure and will be well on the way to a razor burned face.

Bob

You understood me correctly. I was under the assumption that one pass would give me that super smooth shave but clearly I was way off on that. I still have some practice to go according to the beginners guide before I can start going XTG and ATG. I can't wait to get to that point!

Originally Posted by hotreffys

You understood me correctly. I was under the assumption that one pass would give me that super smooth shave but clearly I was way off on that. I still have some practice to go according to the beginners guide before I can start going XTG and ATG. I can't wait to get to that point!

Just take your time and go at your own pace. Things will get better, there is no rush. Good luck.

Bob

I improved the closeness of my first pass when I increased my stropping to 100 round trips. So many things to learn��. It will happen!

I have pretty coarse whiskers as well. Skin stretching is key as it will stand the whiskers up so they get cut closer to the skin. I usually can't feel stubble on my cheeks after a WTG pass if I stroke them with the grain but I can against the grain. That's normal. I usually don't get neck and jawline that close because it's hard to stretch those areas well.

I've found that many of the videos of dudes doing quick passes with super long strokes just don't apply to guys like us with coarse whiskers. So don't set the bar too high. I get a BBS shave every morning in about 35 minutes which includes building lather, shaving, and cleanup and there's a whole lot of 'buffing' strokes and some areas where I do 4 passes. It's all part of the journey to learn your face, whisker growth direction, sharpness of the blade, special strokes to get to those difficult areas, blade angle, blade type, ad nauseum. But when it does come together you cannot beat it. My face feels like glass when I'm done and I can't go back to any other type of shaving. I'm addicted!

Originally Posted by edhewitt

Map your beard, direction of growth isnt to a template.

.

This might help with the mapping
http://www.pbjsite.com/shave/whiskarmap/