Thread: Why bother ATG and XTG?

Hi -
I'm struggling to understand why people bother with ATG and XTG if they're going to go so far as WTG. What difference does it make what's attached to the "tip-side" of a hair if you're shaving it off at the root?

Thanks for any insight -
Shuka

Welcome!

I can't speak for everyone, but personally I don't get all that smooth with just a WTG pass.

Sometimes I get decent results with WTG, then 2x XTG.

Still haven't pulled off a complete BBS shave due to a couple of problem areas, but the only way I've gotten as close as I have is using ATG. It just seems to get the closest because of the angles.

Imagine a skate boarder heading towards a ramp.

WTG = approaching the ramp from the side where it is flat on the ground. When he reaches it he will ride up the ramp and fly upwards into the air.

XTG = approaching the ramp from the side. When he reaches it he will crash into the ramp, the board will stop and he will topple forwards.

ATG = approaching the ramp from the elevated side. When he reaches it, not only does he crash into it, but the board and his feet get rammed under the ramp, so he gets jammed and breaks his ankles.

Now imagine he fixes an axe to the front of his skateboard. Whichever way he approaches, there is a chance he will cut straight through the ramp. But if the axe isn't perfectly sharp:

WTG = he will fly upwards as before. This is like the razor skipping over the hair.

XTG = increased chance of cutting, but the ramp may collapse without being cut. This is like folding the hair over at 90 degrees to its growth direction and failing to cut it.

ATG = the cutting edge has nowhere to go. It will wedge under the ramp and either cut it very low down or lift it away from the floor completely. This is like a "close" shave. The blade is not really given a chance of not cutting - the chances of folding the hair back 180 degrees against its growth is very slim.

For me to get a close and smooth shave, I have to go with the hair, across the hair, against the hair, beside the hair, below the hair, under the hair, next to the hair, above the hair, into the hair, become the hair, every which way I can get to the hair and the hair always win. Juan.

Originally Posted by Rajagra

Imagine a skate boarder heading towards a ramp.

WTG = approaching the ramp from the side where it is flat on the ground. When he reaches it he will ride up the ramp and fly upwards into the air.

XTG = approaching the ramp from the side. When he reaches it he will crash into the ramp, the board will stop and he will topple forwards.

ATG = approaching the ramp from the elevated side. When he reaches it, not only does he crash into it, but the board and his feet get rammed under the ramp, so he gets jammed and breaks his ankles.

As a former skate boarder (knees and hips are paying the price now) I got a real kick out of this post. I remember the first home-made launch ramp we tried. I can't believe we didn't kill ourselves on it, no pads, no helmet. Man, we were dumb punks...

Doh ! I mixed things up. I guess what I meant was why not do ATG first, and not bother with the other "preliminaries". The skateboard metaphor makes sense to me... if I don't have a sharp razor. But if I do have a sharp razor, can I skip WTG and XTG and just do 1 ATG?
Sorry for the bungles, thanks for the hints!
Shuka

Originally Posted by shuka

Hi -
I'm struggling to understand why people bother with ATG and XTG if they're going to go so far as WTG. What difference does it make what's attached to the "tip-side" of a hair if you're shaving it off at the root?

Thanks for any insight -
Shuka

Just a little insight. If your shaving off the ROOT you have a very mean CUT on your hands.

Joking ya know

Originally Posted by shuka

Doh ! I mixed things up. I guess what I meant was why not do ATG first, and not bother with the other "preliminaries". The skateboard metaphor makes sense to me... if I don't have a sharp razor. But if I do have a sharp razor, can I skip WTG and XTG and just do 1 ATG?
Sorry for the bungles, thanks for the hints!
Shuka

I have a theory, let me know what you think... if you go ATG first, you'll have many many hairs that the blade needs to cut through on 1 pass, which will lead to irritation as hairs get pulled vs. cut as the blade hangs up due to cumulative resistance of the hairs. But after doing WTG and XTG passes, I suspect there are less actual hairs intersecting the blade during the ATG pass-- there are slight curves all over the face, and only the ones that are really close to "tangent" intersect the blade (many others pass under it since they are really short now). So less resistance and less irritation.

But I'm just speculating...

-Chief

I am sure I am not the only one. There are places on my face that I can not get a clean cut and it makes no difference which razor, size or hollow I use. I can go WTG, XTG and ATG and any which way you want. I have tried every way to shave and finally I gave up and shave the best I can on these areas. Throat, tip of the the chin and under the jaws. Even with a DE, which is a lot easier for me to shave than a straight razor, it is hard to do. Any body, if you have a method of shaving these areas let me know. Juan.

Originally Posted by shuka

Doh ! I mixed things up. I guess what I meant was why not do ATG first, and not bother with the other "preliminaries". The skateboard metaphor makes sense to me... if I don't have a sharp razor. But if I do have a sharp razor, can I skip WTG and XTG and just do 1 ATG?
Sorry for the bungles, thanks for the hints!
Shuka

You can...

Most people don't becasue it takes a steady hand and a damn sharp smooth razor...
I use that as my test shave after honing razors, if the ATG stroke is good right off the get go, then the razor passes....

It can however lead to irritation, on many people....