Thread: OK - I am SO LOVING this - why did I wait so long???

If your razor is really, really sharp and the lather and possibly some shaving oil you are using are good and slick I think you'll find that that area comes off pretty easily. In the beginning I had difficulty with that area and thought it was technique. I found the solution was using the right 'stuff'. There is no substitute for SHARP! That's my two cents worth.

Originally Posted by ddoblar

If your razor is really, really sharp and the lather and possibly some shaving oil you are using are good and slick I think you'll find that that area comes off pretty easily. In the beginning I had difficulty with that area and thought it was technique. I found the solution was using the right 'stuff'. There is no substitute for SHARP! That's my two cents worth.

Actually I think there is no substitute for technique and there is no substitute for beard preparation, just as well.
Everything is important and for different people at different times the bottleneck is different. One can compensate a bit for deficiency in one component with the others, but that goes only so far.
I think in this case the razor is not the problem. Lynn has more experience than anybody honing razors and the Dovos are pretty decent razors.

Anyways, for many of us this is probably a pursuit of perfection. Glad you're enjoying it.

I think that the length of stroke depends on personal preference and area of face. On my cheeks and sides of my neck I prefer long slow strokes. This seems to work well for me because I end up being more consitent and steady. However, around my jawline and tougher spots to shave I use short strokes because its where my razor usually gets 'stuck' if i take long strokes. Plus with short strokes in the hard places I feel like I am less likely to cut myself.

here's my chin advice. stop
wait until you get good at shaving the rest of your face then try shaving your chin again. that's how i got good at it.

This is how I always thought of a scything stroke, and is what I do. Is it right? The blade is kept level, but the stroke moves to the side.

Excuse the picture - the frown wasn't intentional!