Thread: Anyone else have whiskers like these.

Well after shaving for a few days with my straight I can to a sudden realization. I've been trying to shave like many of the you tube videos I've been watching, where the guy shaves in one motion from his sideburns on down. Most people do this. Then it hit me I can't shave like that. My whiskers are too tough. Even with my DE which gives me my best shaves (not for long), I have to use very short repeated strokes to mow them whiskers down. Even with my mach 5 I have to shave in short strokes.

So today used these short strokes and got a much closer shave, I think I still using a bit too much pressure but that will come. I was starting to wonder why I could not just pull the straight in one stroke and see a clean face. I using a 6/8 Dovo Bismarck honed by Lynn so I know it's sharp enough.

Just asking I'm I alone with this and doing something wrong or are there others like me.
Are there any other stroke techniques for the guy with a strong beard?

Jaydawg

The problem with long strokes is that it can be difficult to keep enough of the blade in contact with the face throughout the stroke without using pressure. Also you can't really move your stretching hand mid-stroke.

There is nothing wrong with using shorter strokes. I think you'd be surprised how many people do that, me included.

But every now and again I do find myself doing one long stroke from the top of my cheek to the bottom of my neck. If everything falls into place and it feels right, just go with it.

I imagine that the longer you use a straight, the more you learn the paths that can be done in one fell swoop.

Actually when I first started shaving with a straight I found it hard to do those long strokes, so I did short strokes. But as I got better at my technique, I was able to do longer strokes. I attribute that to my shaving angle, and having a really sharp razor of course. I think as you practice more and more, you'll find it easier to do longer strokes without any tugging or discomfort.

You should try shaving with the toe of the razor leading, closer to the ground at an angle, for the side burn area. That gives the razor more of a slicing motion. I find that cuts through the hair a bit easier. It's easier to cut through a tomato when you slice with the knife rather than just push straight down, right? Same goes for the razor!

But, if you do have exceptionally touch hairs, there's nothing wrong with using short strokes. Everyone has their own way of doing things.

Once you've mowed them down a bit with the short strokes you can always go back over with a long one to ensure you've not missed any, & for the simple satisfaction of it!

I can't go more than a centimeter at a time when shaving ATG either and it's hell on my blades.

Yeah I find face mapping to be more important with straight shaving than with DE shaving. Another problem I have is with the XTG around the chin area, I've been pulling the skin so tight I believe the whiskers are now facing the blade in an ATG fashion. There is so much to learn with straight razor shaving, I love it.

Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

another thing that really, really helps is also mapping the face. Once you learn which direction each whisker travels in, the shaves get that much better.

Of course it's easier for some people than others...

Originally Posted by StraightRazorDave

You should try shaving with the toe of the razor leading, closer to the ground at an angle, for the side burn area. That gives the razor more of a slicing motion. I find that cuts through the hair a bit easier. It's easier to cut through a tomato when you slice with the knife rather than just push straight down, right? Same goes for the razor!

So how do you keep f rom cutting yourself, going side to side?

To the OP. I couldn't do long strokes with the Mach 5. Maybe down the length of the blade. With a shart straight, I can do significantly longer strokes. But the key is sharp blade. Before I had them honed, I had similar problems.

For the 36 years that I have been using a straight razor, I still use short strokes for the initial pass and a little longer for my clean up strokes.

Lynn

Originally Posted by stdreb27

So how do you keep f rom cutting yourself, going side to side?.

You have to be very careful. You have to have downward motion as well as sideways motion. Too much sideways motion and you WILL get cut. It just has to be a very smooth diagonal stroke.