I'm doing well, what should I do next

I'm shaving north to south on my cheeks only. Using the DE on my neck. I feel that I am getting the hang of it. What should I start to think about doing next? North to south on the neck? Or against the grain on the cheeks?

I would suggest moving towards a complete shave going N/S only unless there is some area where that would be completely against the grain. Once you get a complete shave under your belt you can start with across the grain and finally against the grain. You should be able to put the DE away as soon as you can do a with the grain pass all over (and the sooner you give up the DE crutch, the sooner you'll improve on your straight shaving). Yes, a single pass wtg might feel rough atg, but your appearance should be good enough to pass for work etc. The more you shave with a straight, the more confidence you'll have and your hands will develop a feel for what's happening at the edge. That will help you when you start going across the grain and finally *if required*, against the grain.

I shave atg because I can, not because I have to for work. The missus prefers the atg of course but being an old cuss, I don't always have to please the missus anymore! :D

Regards

Christian

+1 Agreed. N/S on the rest of the face. I would save ATG for a good ways down the road. Many guys have mastered WTG so well that they don't have to go ATG!

After N/S, I might suggest the "scything" motion. Very smooth.

I also suggest to completing a full straight shave without the use of a DE at all. Go WTG for now. I would not worry about BBS at this point, but rather about completing a full shave without:

1. Irritation
2. Razor burn
3. Noticeable nicks and cuts

Once you have this, I would think that your technique is good enough for going XTG or ATG.

Thanks for the info. Should I go N to S on the neck even though it is against the grain? Or go S to N with the grain.

I would suggest WTG, and be sure to pull the skin REALLY tight. Don't go over the Adam's Apple, but pull the skin to the side.

I'd try N/S all around. If you run into problems at the bottom of your neck where most gents beards switch to a S/N growth, you might have to do the bottom 1/2" S/N for comfort sakes (I sometimes do that before shaving N/S if I've gone a day or two without shaving) but most of us don't have to as far as I know. My left cheek is a rats nest, more like a spiral nebula and it's a real bugger to shave if I'm doing a single pass shave. For the most part I can go N/S but there is a patch that just demands "A little of this, a little of that" to get it done comfortably.

Regards

Christian