Why lefty, why?

I just recently switched from DE and started shaving with straights (courtesy of a couple I bought from Coully) and things have been going surprisingly well with only one problem:

Everything goes great in the places I shave with my right hand, nice smooth shave with no irritation, but once I swap the blade to my other hand things start to go astray. Now, I haven't actually cut myself but it is definitely a MUCH less comfortable shave once lefty gets involved. Is their any way to circumnavigate my way around a "retarded" left hand or is practice the only path to take? :shrug: Just for comparisons sake I can't even snap my fingers on my left hand.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

I prefer my right hand for daily activities and used it almost exclusively for a dozen years while shaving with a cartridge. It took me 5 or 6 straight shaves before I started to feel as comfortable with the left hand as with the right, but those first two or three shaves took me nearly an hour. Half of the time was spent trying to tell my left hand to do what my right hand was doing (as my right hand was picking up straight shaving strokes much more quickly.)

Even though I am only one shaver, I am willing to wager that anyone with two functional hands can shave just as well with one hand as the other with some practice. Practice, practice, practice!

It also helps to want it. Want it more than your blood, sweat, and tears. Want it more than you want the air you breathe. Want it almost as much as a good cheeseburger - yes, that's what I'm trying to say.

Thanks Hoglahoo, I suppose I was anticipating that answer and just wanted some confirmation that it wasn't only me who had/is having this difficulty.

Now, I'm thinking about a cheeseburger for lunch...:hmmm:

I prefer to shave with my right hand exclusively. It feels the most natural to me doing it that way.
I believe there are two different solutions for tackling the left side of the face. The first, and probably most advocated on this site, is to use your left hand. The second, is to use a alternative way to hold the razor in your right hand, so that the scales don't block your eyesight and your knuckles don't get in the way of your cheek. Most barber manuals call that grip "the backhand stroke"-grip. For a basic description: you have to fold the scales lengthwise with the edge and hold the razor like you would hold a regular butter knife, with the scales resting in the palm of your hand, and the tang pinched between your thumb and the knuckle of your index finger. It's very easy that way to shave from the left sideburn to the jawline, and over the left cheek to the chin. A little experimentation won't take you very long to figure out what part of your face shaves easiest with which grip. I also use a "reverse backhand", for shaving against the grain on the right side of my neck.

I certainly don't want to imply this as a superior way, compared to shaving both handed. I think in the end it all boils down to personal shaving style and preference.

Good luck,
Bart.

I use my right hand for both sides. There is only a small section of my face, in the upper sideburn area, that is ever out of my direct sight, and I've gotten quite good at blind shaving that area. Shaving my left side with my right hand is as easy as shaving my right hand, so I'm not really sure what all the fuss is about.

Thanks mates. I actually didn't attempt too much to use my right hand on the left side since I had been told that swapping was almost the universal standard and that I should just start that way from the get-go. Bart, I'll give your "backhand" method a shot too, it may just be that I need to get a little more comfortable with different ways to hold the razor for different areas of the face. Some trial and error is in order, now I just need to wait for more hair to grow...

I also just switched from DE to shaving with a straight. Anticipating this move - while waiting for my straight to come - I begun to shave the left side of my face with my left hand, but only the cheek first (just to get some feeling... I am unable to cut a steak with my left hand).

Since my first shave with a straight I used my left hand (btw I cut myself on the jawline, on the right face shaving with my right hand... go figures)... when I feel unconfortable, only on the cheek, when I feel challenging on my jawline too, when I feel like a hero around my goatee... but always WTG (still doing my ATG with my DE... it's only my fourth shave with a straight). Every day with every shave I can feel that my technique is improving. The shave is smooth with the straight but not clean... and after the third pass ATG with the DE it's just wonderful. Tomorrow I'll try to go ATG with the straight: right hand left of the face... and when I feel like a god, right of the face left hand...

I think the whole point for me is to go step by step, gain confidence in my shaving with a straight without rushing it... actually, I've done better when beginning with a straight than with the DE.

Maybe this will help

Ah, if only I was blessed with this kind of patience :hmmm:. Alas, such is not the case so it's BBS or lose blood, whichever comes first. I haven't actually cut myself with the straight other than a very minor nick so it's mainly just an increase in comfort I'm looking for. Also, I told myself when I started shaving straight that my DE days are done (unless I absolutely don't have time) until I feel confident with the straight.

Yeah, I'm stubborn like that. :D Good tips though and I appreciate your input I just don't think I could make that work for me.

It took me quite a few shaves to get comfortable using my left hand; too many years using my right ;). Anyway, I started WTG on my right cheek and then eventually moved to XTG. I don’t do ATG on my face, but I do two XTG; one in one direction and then one more in the other. I then follow up with an ATG on the neck. I still use my right hand for ATG on the neck, because I just don’t trust old lefty enough for that yet.

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Originally Posted by mmccrary

Ah, if only I was blessed with this kind of patience :hmmm:. Alas, such is not the case so it's BBS or lose blood, whichever comes first. I haven't actually cut myself with the straight other than a very minor nick so it's mainly just an increase in comfort I'm looking for. Also, I told myself when I started shaving straight that my DE days are done (unless I absolutely don't have time) until I feel confident with the straight.

Yeah, I'm stubborn like that. :D Good tips though and I appreciate your input I just don't think I could make that work for me.

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Count me in on that one. I did WTG and ATG passes on my entire face, right from day one. Can't say it was a superb shave, but it wasn't that bad either. Most nicks I got during those first few shaves was from putting the razor down on my face, not from the actual shaving.
If your a guy that likes to dive in at the deep end right away, I know no one 's going to stop you from doing so. I disagree on the "BBS or draw blood"-part though.
My advice for you is to do your two passes, and leave it there, regardless the results. They will improve with each new shaving session. Otherwise you'll just mess your skin up, and you'll be waiting for your skin to regenerate longer than you'll want to. No need to ask me how I know this :cry:.
Just for your convenience, I dug up a picture out of a barbering textbook, that illustrates the backhand grip.

Thirty years ago, I broke my right hand (punched a street sign because I was mad at my girlfriend.) With my right hand in a cast, I had no choice but to use my left for everything. I got to be pretty good at it. Like riding a bicycle, I still have the skill to this day. No, I don't recommend breaking your hand, but try using your left more often for eveyday tasks, even writing as long as no one else has to read it. Brush your teeth with your left. Punch the phone keys with your left. Use your key in the door with your left hand. Eventually, it becomes second nature.

It will not take long to become used to shaving with your left. Bottom line is to do what works for you. Everyone is an individual. I don't do much of anything with my left hand but shave but I find that I am sometimes even better with my left than my right.
Enjoy yourself and experiment a little... Don't rule anything out.

This is a real YMMV type of thing but I think if you did a poll here you would find that most think using two hands makes shaving easier than doing it with one hand but if you can shave yourself with facility using one hand then it doesn't matter does it?

Thanks gents. I appreciate all of the feedback and will experiment with using lefty as well as the backhand grip and see what works. And, Bart, thanks for the pic, that makes the backhand much more clear; also I'll take your advice on the two passes for the starting phase.

As always, unparalleled insights from the friendly folks at SRP!