Thread: question: angle of approach

Originally Posted by fritz

You have to turn the blade edge up, thumb on top of the spine and fingers on the bottom. Razor in right hand, toe pointing to your left, use your left hand to stretch your upper left lip to the SW. Then carefully use the toe of the razor to go ATG towards the nose. Reverse for the right side.

WARNING! This is called the coup de buffon, or the Fool's Pass. You can cut a big chunk of your nose off this way.

Normally, you should not use a full hollow ground carbon steel razor to do this. It's much safer to use a 1/4 or 1/2 hollow razor, which is much stiffer and has less tendency to "stall and jump". (A FHG stainless razor is usually stiff enough, also.)

In any case, you should do the coup de maítre (the Master's Pass) first WTG and then if possible XTG first, to reduce the length of stubble you have to cut ATG.

Be extremely careful with this! It's probably much better if you simply cannot get an acceptable shave in that area to use a DE for that touch-up, until you have lots more experience.

See xman's demonstration here:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/video...technique.html
His 2-handed grip at that area was what scared me most when I first saw it, but it gives a lot of control I found.

If you try the fool's pass you shouldn't be forcing the blade at all. If you get any resistance, if you feel anything less than 100% in control, just stop. You can get great results going sideways without the same risk.

With that disclaimer out of the way...

Originally Posted by Rajagra

See xman's demonstration here:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/video...technique.html
His 2-handed grip at that area was what scared me most when I first saw it, but it gives a lot of control I found.
...

Yes, great videos by a shaver with tons of experience. You will also notice that he switched to a FULL WEDGE for the Fool's Pass. A FHG is just so flexible that even two-handed I suspect you would have a lot of trouble.

I use a Wapi or a DA for that pass, unless I'm already shaving with my Dovo Renaissance, which is FHG, but SS and as stiff as a wedge.

I was impatient, I guess, because I shaved against the grain from the outset because I wanted a close shave, and there didn't seem to be any other way to get one. I just learned to go both ways. As far as the nose thing, I've never felt my nose threatened because I'm going pretty slow and short at that point, but I do tend to get nicks in some sensitive areas around the corners of my mouth with a full hollow, which will catch on irregularities and bumps more than a quarter or half-hollow or a wedge. I think basically the learning curve is a little steep, but once you have got something comfortable, it's just minor tweaks after that. Habit serves one well not getting crossed up and moving these instruments of destruction the wrong way.

Don J.

wow great vid, you can see the angles of the blade perfectly a few times.

i use that same 2 handed thing when doing under the nose, and when goin ATG under my jawline. adds control in places where it wants to skid

For your neck, I have a similar deal going on, and I do what is sometimes called a sythe. That is, I do a S-N pass with a lateral slide, in your case you'd wanna go W-E. It's almost as good as ATG, almost.