intro and question

Gene Charleton here in College Station, Texas. I've just started learning how straight razors work. I've been shaving with a DE for quite a while and mix up a pretty mean bowl of lather. I've been shaving with the straight for about a week.

Now, the question: I am right-handed and use my right hand exclusively. When I reach across to shave the left side of my face, I have cut myself (short, vertical cuts) directly in front of my ear. Three times. What's frustrating me is that I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. Any ideas?

Thanks.

Gene.

hello and welcome!

are you stretching the skin enough? i like to pull up just above my side burn area and some pull back on my ear a little, anything to get the skin flat. if you are getting a cut then the skin can't be flat right. what type of razor are you using? also, is the cut in a place where hair grows or is it closer to the ear. how are you holding the razor?

so there, i answered your question with 3 of my own :w

Hey hey Welcome!!! well the knicks you're getting are probably coming from your hand moving with the direction of the blade. I'm pretty sure that will disapear once you're more comfortable with the razor, no sudden movements! What I'd suggest you do if you're adamant about shaving with one hand would be to check out some shaving videos. Xman has a couple videos up on you tube I believe he shaves with only one hand and there's some techniques you can learn from watching. Some good stuff there. I've learned a lot in the short time i've been straight shaving by watching these videos!

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

- Tam -

Practice with both hands. As mentioned before stretch the skin. Nothing wrong with using a dull edge (butterknife) to practice with an off hand. Just an idea. Its more about conditioning yourself to use the off hand much like the conditioning it took to go from DE to Str8!

The reach around you describe will yield a MUCH higher blade angle when it gets to the other side of your face. You will also tend to pull into your face verses along it. I went through the same thing myself. It will pass as you watch yourself in the mirror, realize you are cutting skin instead of whiskers, and know what the blade feels like in your hand and on your face as boo-boo’s happen. You will stop quickly enough when you recognize “the feel” of a cut in progress. Soon it will be second nature to adjust for all of the above before you actually bleed. This is right about the time you will start thinking “shaving with either hand would be a very nice skill!”. It will come with practice.

Thanks, guys. After reading your answers, I suspect that I'm not stretching the skin enough. The cuts are pretty close to right in the middle of the ear.

I never thought of using a dull blade to practice left hand with. Duh! It's not that I'm all that sold on right hand only, it's just that I've never been particularly coordinated with my left. I will check out Xman's video and try practicing with something dull.

The razor, by the way, is a nice old Boker.

Gene.

Charleton, welcome. I am also just starting to use my left hand. I am trying it on only the easiest places at first. No xtg. I put a nice slice in my cheek this am just like you describe. Too steep an angle I think. After 3 months I am getting pretty good shaves but only a few days in the week without at least one nick. Good luck!

Happy shaving.

Mark

Welcome to SRP! I am a dominant hand (right) shaver. I had tried to do the left hand thing and gave it up since I do fine with the right. I suspect you are using a square point ? You have to keep your eye on the end of the blade. With a square point going a little too far towards the ear and getting a short vertical nick is not uncommon. I've done it more then once.

Good that you are a seasoned DE shaver. Less to learn in making the transition. There is a lot of great info here in the SRP Wiki. Also many videos on various related topics here. To avoid nicks and cuts read my sig line below. Really has worked for me and at least one other member that I know of. :gl:

welcome gene