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Thread: I'm stumped

  1. #1
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    Default I'm stumped

    I've made an effort and said to myself that I will now ONLY shave with my straight in order to try and learn how to use the thing. Well today I had a really good shave with it. Just two WTG passes that gave me similar results to a Mach 3. But, there's still one area which I just cannot do and end up having to revert to the DE for a touch up - my chin. Is there something I'm missing? I understand that getting and changing the blade angle is half the problem but it feels more like I need to stretch the skin. However, I don't see how I could achieve this. The other area I find hard to stretch is the skin at the sides of my mouth. Does anyone have any tips for this?

  2. #2
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    The chin is just tricky. Don't feel bad about touching it up with your M3 while you're learning, with experience and practice you'll get better at it. Mostly it's a matter of a really sharp blade and knowing how to come at it. It just takes practice and experimentation. But there's no reason to suffer with bad shaves while you're figuring this all out, so clean up with the M3 as needed.

  3. #3
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    The chin can be one of the last areas to conquer.

    What I do is take the skin around my cheek at the jawline and stretch it backwards. Then I take the razor and hold it in a vertical position with the tip point slightly toward the center of the chin (so it might look like the razor is in the 1 o'clock/7 o'clock position) and shave from left to center. I do the same thing on the right side of my face and shave from right to center.

    As for the area at the corners of the mouth. I don't stretch those usually. I just lay the razor flat with the spine on my skin and take very light and short strokes. If I have to stretch it, I puff up those areas instead of stretching (use extreme caution in doing this though).

    Another way to stretch the chin is to place fingers of one hand on both sides of the chin, say right at the corners of the mouth, and gently stretch back toward the ears on either side of the face. Be careful of the hand position relative to the razor on this one.

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    More critically - if you insist on shaving it clean with the straight only, then you'll wind up screwing up your technique, using too much pressure, too steep an angle, etc, in pursuit of that goal, which will cause razor burn there and elsewhere. So focus on good technique in your shave, and make adjustments each day to your chin area, and if it's not clean after 2-3 passes then stop and clean it up with the M3. But if you push it with the straight you can set yourself back for months.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mparker762 View Post
    More critically - if you insist on shaving it clean with the straight only, then you'll wind up screwing up your technique, using too much pressure, too steep an angle, etc, in pursuit of that goal, which will cause razor burn there and elsewhere. So focus on good technique in your shave, and make adjustments each day to your chin area, and if it's not clean after 2-3 passes then stop and clean it up with the M3. But if you push it with the straight you can set yourself back for months.
    Listen to the man. He speaks true!!

  6. #6
    I'm Back!! Jonedangerousli's Avatar
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    Confession time:

    After 3+ months I still feel like I'm just starting to learn what I'm doing. Although it is probably retarding my progress with the straight I'm still cleaning up after the straight with a feather blade in a Merkur slant DE.

    Not ashamed about this. I'll get there eventually. While I'm getting there though I get a BBS shave every time. One day though...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonedangerousli View Post
    Confession time:

    After 3+ months I still feel like I'm just starting to learn what I'm doing. Although it is probably retarding my progress with the straight I'm still cleaning up after the straight with a feather blade in a Merkur slant DE.

    Not ashamed about this. I'll get there eventually. While I'm getting there though I get a BBS shave every time. One day though...
    Ah ha!! I knew it!! Finally, J admits to coming out of the medicine cabinet

    JK, J.

  8. #8
    I'm Back!! Jonedangerousli's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by steve View Post
    Ah ha!! I knew it!! Finally, J admits to coming out of the medicine cabinet

    JK, J.
    Well, you know what they say: If you're bi you have a 50% better chance of getting a date.

    /wait, wrong forum
    //never mind

  9. #9
    A Newbie....Forever! zepplin's Avatar
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    That'sreally funny!!!!!

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    Senior Member EdinLA44's Avatar
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    The chin and jaw line area for me are the most difficult. Keep at it though, it will eventually get better.

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