Switch hands?

This is my first post, and I apologize in advance for being so naive. I have looked at several YouTude videos, read a bit about straight shaving, and ordered my first razor. In some of the things I have read or seen, the shavers switch hands; in others the shavers use only their dominant hands. I am not sure I could shave with my left hand. What do the experienced shavers think about this?? Is it better to use both hands or only one? I am an experienced DE shaver first starting on straight.

Michael

I'm not great with my left but I find it awkward to use my right on the right hand side of my neck. Just use whatever feels the most natural.

Im practicing using my left.but boy its akward. Ive noticed people that shave.....use the right hand for the right side...and the left for the left..but like i said i find it difficult to use the left hand.

I'm interested in what the senior members have to say about this. I'm not great with my left, but I can't see anything when I use my right...Let's just say my right cheek gets an amazing shave, while my left kinda gets hacked up.:(

I use both hands as I shave. I tend to nick myself if I just use one hand. Due to my roundness, I can't reach around to shave the other side of my face easily. Somebody here once referred to hand switchers as shaving jedi's. LOL!
Ernest

learn to use both hands. it will feel awkward at first but muscle memory will make the motions easier and eventually it will be second nature. want to speed up the process? use your non-dominant for other things ie brushing your teeth etc. get's those pathways used to being stimulated

You will be a better shaver if you learn to use you left hand!!

I've always concidered myself very right hand dominant, but before long I picked it up quite easily.:D Just hang in there and keep practising.

Steve

I think in the long run it's beneficial to be able to use both hands when shaving. Although there's nothing inherently wrong with one handed shaving, it can be cumbersome and awkward occasionally, particularly if you do against the grain or south to north passes. At least in my experience :shrug:

James.

Although I use my dominant hand only, I only do so because my sideburns grow very sparsely and my cheeks and neck sides not at all, so I always recommend learning to shave with both hands. It's safer for most fellas and many find it easy to make the leap. Here are the results of a poll which was taken several months back.

X

I am a one handed shaver. It is ok. If you don't feel comfortable hang in with one hand until you want to try switching.

Sometimes when I'm using my left hand I feel a bit like Dr Strangelove fighting with his unruly, gloved hand but since I only really need it for the upwards, with the grain stroke on one side of my neck it's all over and done with quite quickly. :)

For myself, I am a left handed Shaver. This is my dominant hand for writing but I play sports and do everything else right handed (though shooting is left handed)

I mostly use just my left hand but I am wanting to try out my right hand in the next little. When I first started shaving I was trying out both but ended up just with my dominant hand.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I think in the long run it's beneficial to be able to use both hands when shaving. Although there's nothing inherently wrong with one handed shaving, it can be cumbersome and awkward occasionally, particularly if you do against the grain or south to north passes. At least in my experience :shrug:

James.

---

I agree with James. And you might as well learn to do it now before new habits/muscle memory forms and you have to re-train later. I don't even realize I'm using my "off" hand anymore.

Jordan

I'd give my left arm to be ambidextrous:confused:. I too hack myself up on the left side if I stay with just my right hand. It's pretty easy to teach the left hand, just take it slow and easy.

What a wonderful forum this is! Thank you all for your very helpful answers.

Michael:bow

Question....

Now you do the right side of your face with your right hand and vice versa correct?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by IsaacRN

Question....

Now you do the right side of your face with your right hand and vice versa correct?

---

That is correct if you are wanting to follow the correct way with both hands.

One day....one day..

I started out trying to use my dominant hand exclusively, thinking that I would have more control. What I found out was that I couldn't get the correct blade angle on certain portions of my face and I was getting irritation and nicks in the same spots every time I shaved. Then I decided to try using the other hand on those spots and the irritation went away, and I rarely nick myself anymore. It took a couple dozen shaves to get used to it, but now I don't even think about it. It just sort of comes naturally. I don't, however, "mirror" my strokes, meaning I don't use the same strokes with one hand on one side of my face and then do the exact same strokes on the other side with the other hand. Instead, I use a slightly different set of grips and strokes on the right side of my face, where in a couple spots the whiskers grow in many different directions. The left side is a bit easier since the whiskers tend to grow in a more uniform direction, and I don't have to switch grips as much.

The bottom line is that even though it feels awkward at first, it generally works better for most of us if we learn how to switch hands.

I'm also just getting started, and was worried about using my left (non-dominant) hand. Strangely enough, I feel more in control with my left hand than my right.

Right with right and left with left. Found it easier than I thought it would be.

Check out Lynn's video online, it's a great wee tutorial on how to shave.

Graham.

When I shave, the face get bisected and I use the right hand on the right side and the left hand on the left side. On the neck, for the upwards strokes, I switch and use the left hand on the right side and vice-versa. Downwards strokes on the neck continue with the bi-section method. Not complicated just something I had to work out for myself through experimentation.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jimmyman

When I shave, the face get bisected and I use the right hand on the right side and the left hand on the left side. On the neck, for the upwards strokes, I switch and use the left hand on the right side and vice-versa. Downwards strokes on the neck continue with the bi-section method. Not complicated just something I had to work out for myself through experimentation.

---

That's how I do it , too . :tu

Yes, I should have said that its common to use the right for left and left for right on the upward neck strokes.

I use my dominant hand for shaving and the other for stretching!
Somebody made the comment along the lines that if you don't learn with both hands you will somehow be an inferior shaver, or get inferior shaves. Horse cocky!! I've been shaving for fifteen years with a straight and I do just fine!

Do it how it works best for you. I usually do a full three pass shave and then some touchups. I use both hands:
1st - N-S pass with Right on Right and Left on Left sides.
2nd - Ear to Mid-Line pass with the Right hand on Left side of Face and Vice Versa
3rd - S-N (ATG) angling toward the Ears this time Right hand on Right side of Face and Vice Versa.
Couple of Touch Ups as needed.
Thought changing hands would be hard but found it came pretty naturally after just a little practice.

I am also a new person to the wet / straight shaving world.

About a month or so ago when I 1st put a razor to my face I tried it both ways, first pass trying both hands eg. right hand for the right side and left hand for the left side. Well, for me that left quite a lot to be desired. Even though I can use both very well ( left as well as the right) I tried to just use my right hand (my dominant) for the second pass and felt that I had better control over the razor. Of course it required that I change the way I held the razor and at one point holding it much like a knife using my index finger and middle finger / Thumb on the tang to get the required control over the blade.

For me it was just a personal choice and one where I asked the question, where did I feel I had the best control of the razor. Its a bit of a head stretch too and at times I feel as if I am studying to be a contortionist but hey, I'm having fun , the real hard part though is not breaking out laughing at myself in the mirror at some of those contortions !:eek: I almost really nicked myself bad one morning doing that.

I have only been shaving with a straight for the past couple of weeks, the last shave I did swap hands for each side, and found with a little thought as things are in reverse you can do it, but you will be a lot slower to start, seems the whole thing is a lot about gaining confidence as you persivere . cheers

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by heelerau

I have only been shaving with a straight for the past couple of weeks, the last shave I did swap hands for each side, and found with a little thought as things are in reverse you can do it, but you will be a lot slower to start, seems the whole thing is a lot about gaining confidence as you persivere . cheers

---

This is very true!

Since I started using Straights I've always used both hands. Right side of face, right hand and so on. Right hand to trim left side of mustache. Right hand to shave against the grain on left face. Keep at it, it will get easier.

I use both hands. For WTG, I use my right hand for my right side and left hand for my left side. For both XTG and ATG, I use my right hand for my left side and my left hand for my right side. That's what's most comfortable for me.

I've since gotten used to using both. It's extremely awkward at first, but it didn't take me long to get used to it. I'm not ambidextrous at all either.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mholt

I'm also just getting started, and was worried about using my left (non-dominant) hand. Strangely enough, I feel more in control with my left hand than my right.

---

Exactly the same experience for me. Both hands initially felt very awkward but after watching Lynn's video, I decided up front to learn to use both hands and never looked back. In fact, right now I actually cross over when going up my neck, using my right hand on the left side and my left hand on my right side. Never saw that coming but (at least at this stage) it's working for me.

While this is all still VERY new to me, I think the long term benefits will prove out.

Good luck!

Ken

I found after 3 or 4 shaves I could use my left/left quite easily. I'm interested to try out that left/right for ATG.

In the short time I have been straight razor shaving, I initially started right hand (dominant), but now seem to be moving naturally to using both hands now with out thinking about it too much.

I suppose it’s what feels right for you, and get you the best and most comfortable shave

A good execise for gaining better motion control of your left hand is to start brushing your teeth with your left hand. It will feel very awkward at first, but if you persits for 2 weeks, you will notice a very significant improvement.

the toothbrush trick... i'm working on that for a week now, it's kinda messy at first though :o
Yesterday, second shave: had more control and confidence.:cool:

I use both hands. Think of it this way. When you use both hands you get twice the ammount of angles you can use to attack the beard. You also have more grips to play with. It is absolutely true that this entire wet shaving thing is experimentation. The more you try to the more you learn, and become a more proficient shaver. I actutally shave better with my left (non-dominant) hand. I can only guess it is because I pay more attention, and use a softer touch. It is a bit akward and scary, but it all works out. All of the bigger nicks I have sustained have been with my right hand. It is just the oppisite of the left. I think I have more confidense so I end up using more pressure, and I am less careful sub-consiously. :tu