Thread: ATG Impossible

Try soften the whiskers more by using a hair conditioner in your prep work. It really helps.
Good advices in here and it only needs practicing.

Trying rubbing some olive oil into your beard before your atg pass.... Seriously.

I have a olive oil/castor oil/ almond essential oil mix i put on before my shave every day.

just clean the oil off your hands before you grab that razor.

i read all the postes and should say nothing to add except patence.good luck you will do it just keep on trying.

I'm going to second the lather suggestion. I don't care how wiry your beard is, a fresh razor should slice right through it assuming you have the proper angle and slicing motions. Work on the lather and possibly beard prep. I'd be willing to bet that if you get a really good lather and rub it in well, you'll slice straight through it, even ATG.

I followed the instructions in Bart's excellent article here: Advanced shaving techniques for the straight razor - Straight Razor Place Wiki. Works well for me. ATG buffing is fun.

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

ATG buffing is fun.

I suspeect that will help, especially if I do a extra WTG or XTG pass first.

Nothing but excellent advice is this thread, imho.

I only wish to add one suggestion...

***momentum***

For an inexperienced straight shaver with heavy beard, it's nearly impossible to start a stroke on the hard chin whiskers.
Stick your chin a bit forward, to stretch the skin on the neck below the chin and take a start slightly under the skin. Use a shallow angle and give the razor some speed. The razor's trajectory ends in the air, off your skin. It resembles a motion like your wife bristles a crumb of your vest. This should take care of the whiskers below the chin. I use the same approach on the hard whiskers underneath my lower lip (the soul patch area).
For the hard stubbles on the chin, you can start the stroke on the cheek bone, riding the razor on top of it for an inch or so, attacking the hairs from a diagonal direction, immediately heading "north" as soon as the razor makes contact with the chin whiskers.

It really helps to practice those strokes with an imaginary "finger"- razor a couple of times, while daydreaming your next shave. My boss likes me doing that very much. .

These things are hard to describe. I hope it made some sense.

Best regards,
Bart.

Originally Posted by Bart

***momentum***
( etc.)

I think I get the picture!