Thread: Tractor versus pusher

Having done some shaves now with my DOVO, I've noticed a difference in how the blade works. While my DE is pulled across the beard, a str8 can be either pushed or pulled. I bring this up because my neck area is difficult to shave. I seem to have thick hairs and the blade doesn't want to glide over these areas. Going WTG is no problem and repeated passes don't seem to improve the closeness. Going ATG and the blade stops along with my pulse! My DE will glide right through these areas with no skin stretching needed. I'm using a Feather Blade with great results. No nicks, cuts, or scrapes with the DE unlike lots of guys who advise caution due to extreme sharpness. Lynn sharpened my DOVO and I'm careful to follow his guidelines closely. I don't think it's a sharpness issue. So, in summary, my DE seems to glide and my str8 catches. Does anyone have similar issues with a thick beard, if so how do you manage these areas?

You might try changing the angle of attack. Sometimes you don't go in steep enough (which really isn't that steep) and the razor gets stuck on your skin.

You also might be experiencing a lather issue. I've noticed that with certain soaps and their lather, some can be quite sticky. Add some water to your lather and whip it good- see if that helps. If possible, switch to a different soap or creme and see if that changes anything.

You might also try less pressure and shorter strokes. When I encounter resistance, I make a number of short strokes until I get some beard reduction in the area.

Try stretching the skin across the grain so to speak. You are possibly pulling the skin down on the neck when you shave which for most will do OK, but it can improve the comfort and closeness if the skin is stretched from adams apple to ear as well as down. You test the grain of the beard but you should also test the the way you stretch the skin also. That lumpy and creased skin at the base of the neck can be a b*****. Try different stretch techniques in those areas to see what makes the skin feel the smoothest before you shave.

PuFF

I admit to having the same problem on a couple of patches on my neck. WTG no problem, ATG I can hear it scraping but it is still leaving stubble. With the DE no problem.

I always figured it was because the blade wasn't quite as sharp as it could be in combo with technique.

I've got some new blades coming from e-Bay that I will send off for a good sharpening and see what I shall see when they get back.

It could also be that you simply need more practice wielding the razor. It took me a number of months to make a "confident" stroke against the grain. A tentative stroke is more likely to get hung up.

Jordan

Originally Posted by cabo_sailor

I admit to having the same problem on a couple of patches on my neck. WTG no problem, ATG I can hear it scraping but it is still leaving stubble. With the DE no problem.

I always figured it was because the blade wasn't quite as sharp as it could be in combo with technique.

I've got some new blades coming from e-Bay that I will send off for a good sharpening and see what I shall see when they get back.

That's exactly what I was wondering! Did I strop the wrong way? Did I dull the blade? This is the newbie's curse I'm sure.

Originally Posted by jnich67

It could also be that you simply need more practice wielding the razor. It took me a number of months to make a "confident" stroke against the grain. A tentative stroke is more likely to get hung up.

Jordan

I'm glad to hear that. It's very humbling to have such a simple tool require so much skill!

Even if the razor is sharp there will be areas that will not be as comfortable as others. Along the neck under the chin has thinner skin and tends to have a "chicken skin" characteristic that combined with hair growing in odd directions, makes for problems with a straight. Technique can play its part in how you apply the razor but I feel and have experience that correct manipulation of the skin is really the only way to ease the passage of the razor. This is of course being that the razor is truly sharp to start with. As age takes hold this area becomes more troublesome, but with the correct tension put on the skin and in the right direction, no problem will arise.

Honing and stropping being mastered is really down to focusing in on how they each affect the shave. A well honed razor correctly stropped will give a good shave, though if either one component is badly addressed then a poor shave will be the result. Understanding this leads to the fundamental that, learn one part to faultless consistency then the other. If you master getting a razor to shave ready on a hone consistently but still find the shave is poor, then only the stropping can really be to blame and visa versa.

We are not so lucky that we can master one aspect before going on to the next. We need to shave, so we try to master both at the same time and stumble about trying to figure what part of the process went wrong. All you can do is try to get the razor to the best edge on the hone first then take very special care with the stropping. If you feel the razor could be sharper, keep honing and don't just strop it then shave. Bad experiences will be the only outcome. One of the common pieces of advise posted on here is to get a cheap ebay razor and practice. This is a faultless piece of advise and one that should be taken by all new shavers. getting that initial edge is so important to understanding any faults you have with stropping and the end result, shaving.

OMG that was a rant not a post..I appologise

PuFF

Originally Posted by PuFFaH

Even if the razor is sharp there will be areas that will not be as comfortable as others. Along the neck under the chin has thinner skin and tends to have a "chicken skin" characteristic that combined with hair growing in odd directions, makes for problems with a straight. Technique can play its part in how you apply the razor but I feel and have experience that correct manipulation of the skin is really the only way to ease the passage of the razor. This is of course being that the razor is truly sharp to start with. As age takes hold this area becomes more troublesome, but with the correct tension put on the skin and in the right direction, no problem will arise.

Honing and stropping being mastered is really down to focusing in on how they each affect the shave. A well honed razor correctly stropped will give a good shave, though if either one component is badly addressed then a poor shave will be the result. Understanding this leads to the fundamental that, learn one part to faultless consistency then the other. If you master getting a razor to shave ready on a hone consistently but still find the shave is poor, then only the stropping can really be to blame and visa versa.

We are not so lucky that we can master one aspect before going on to the next. We need to shave, so we try to master both at the same time and stumble about trying to figure what part of the process went wrong. All you can do is try to get the razor to the best edge on the hone first then take very special care with the stropping. If you feel the razor could be sharper, keep honing and don't just strop it then shave. Bad experiences will be the only outcome. One of the common pieces of advise posted on here is to get a cheap ebay razor and practice. This is a faultless piece of advise and one that should be taken by all new shavers. getting that initial edge is so important to understanding any faults you have with stropping and the end result, shaving.

OMG that was a rant not a post..I appologise

PuFF

Thanks for the insight and knowledge. I can handle my lower neck, it's the area just under the jaw line where a little fear kicks in. I know the fear factor plays a large part with most newbies issues, as well as learning what sharp is and the blade characteristics against the face.
Rant away! It's passion, I say!