Thread: WTG pass seems like the only one i can do..

Originally Posted by shorynot

Been at it for a bout a month with my straightblade that was sharpened by hl bud. I am getting pretty decent results going wtg...but I just cant seem to get any other pass down at all. Ive read all the artciles on the wiki and peoples description of different techniques. But XTG and ATG doesnt seem to agree with my face.

Is it possible that i can achieve a very close shave with multiple WTG passes? I know its not my blade because its very sharp. Basically i only shave a small spot on my cheeks and then my chin and lips. I just do 2 or 3 wtg passes and get a pretty close shave. My cheeks dont have hardly any grown, and my chin hair grows in the typical direction. I love shaving like this, but by the end of the day the close shave feeling is long gone.

Yes, it is possible to get a great shave, even bbs using a once over techique. The keys are:

1) A sharp razor - sounds like you are already there
2) Proper stretching of the skin - you really need to pull the skin tight, this lifts the hairs so they can be cut close to the skin. You also need to keep the stretching hand as close to the spine of the razor as you can through out the stroke; this means you will need to move your hand as you go.
3) A proper stroke - The stroke needs to have a proper scything motion, this means that the blade does not move linearly, but pivots about the point where you hold it. A proper scything motion requires wrist action. It is not "leading with the heal (or point), nor is it a slicing motion (which will probably give you a nasty cut. To me it is a natural motion, I started this way years ago.
4) Do not be afraid to go over the same section twice or even three times. There is sufficient lubrication left behind after a single pass so you do not need to relather. I would say I cover every square millimeter of my face at least three times in a typical shave.

Start the stroke WTG, but since a proper scything stroke is curved, you will end up with a hybrid WTG, XTG stroke in most cases.

No matter how close you shave, your beard will grow during the day so don't expect to be BBS in the evening. Done properly, however, you will probably still look clean shaven at the end of the day, an possibly well into day 2 if you should choose not to shave the next morning.

Originally Posted by fccexpert

Yes, it is possible to get a great shave, even bbs using a once over techique. The keys are:

1) A sharp razor - sounds like you are already there
2) Proper stretching of the skin - you really need to pull the skin tight, this lifts the hairs so they can be cut close to the skin. You also need to keep the stretching hand as close to the spine of the razor as you can through out the stroke; this means you will need to move your hand as you go.
3) A proper stroke - The stroke needs to have a proper scything motion, this means that the blade does not move linearly, but pivots about the point where you hold it. A proper scything motion requires wrist action. It is not "leading with the heal (or point), nor is it a slicing motion (which will probably give you a nasty cut. To me it is a natural motion, I started this way years ago.
4) Do not be afraid to go over the same section twice or even three times. There is sufficient lubrication left behind after a single pass so you do not need to relather. I would say I cover every square millimeter of my face at least three times in a typical shave.

Start the stroke WTG, but since a proper scything stroke is curved, you will end up with a hybrid WTG, XTG stroke in most cases.

No matter how close you shave, your beard will grow during the day so don't expect to be BBS in the evening. Done properly, however, you will probably still look clean shaven at the end of the day, an possibly well into day 2 if you should choose not to shave the next morning.

The scything stroke has always confused me a bit. Is it really as cut and dry and just doing small arcs with the razor? I really am just going north to south throughout the shave according to the contours of my face. I have a dovo blade coming in the mail, and it has a rounded end and i think this is going to assist me greatly in my shaving. I have to admit im a bit reluctant with my current blade to use the tip on certain parts of my face.

But overall, youre saying ATG is not 100% needed to achieve a really good shave..?

The scything motion is not an arc. Rather than going north to south as you said, think of it as northwest to southeast.

Originally Posted by Utopian

The scything motion is not an arc. Rather than going north to south as you said, think of it as northwest to southeast.

Hmmmm, yeah im not quite sure on this.

Originally Posted by Utopian

The scything motion is not an arc. Rather than going north to south as you said, think of it as northwest to southeast.

I'm sorry, but you are wrong. There is an excellent illustration of how a scything motion is done in the wiki. Just going at an angle is not different than going up and down or side to side.

Originally Posted by fccexpert

I'm sorry, but you are wrong. There is an excellent illustration of how a scything motion is done in the wiki. Just going at an angle is not different than going up and down or side to side.

See, that illustration confuses me because i can see someone actually shaving. I dunno i cant explain it...the main thing is all these different passes got me a bit confused. WTG seems to work for me on like 80 % of the area i shave.

My soul patch is so hard to get close at all, if i try multiple passes i cut it.

The explanation of the motion may complement the 2D drawing. Imagine that you are slicing bread. If you cut towards the cutting board, the bread is squished, right? If you cut towards the cutting board but simultaneously, add a forward motion, the bread cuts nicely. This is why there is a note of CAUTION:if your angle is too step, you WILL cut your face. If I were you, I would refrain from using this for now and concentrate on laying down the foundation of good shaving technique. Usually, a with the grain pass in combination with an across the grain pass is just about enough to remove most pesky whiskers. And as I said before, the aim should be on comfort not closeness. As your confidence develops, you can try more daring stunts ;-). If you are concerned with the longevity of the edge, this about this: Almost anybody can fix a dull blade, it takes a plastic surgeon to fix a scared face ;-) (this should be taken as a way of illustrating my point).

Al raz.

Originally Posted by shorynot

See, that illustration confuses me because i can see someone actually shaving. I dunno i cant explain it...the main thing is all these different passes got me a bit confused. WTG seems to work for me on like 80 % of the area i shave.

My soul patch is so hard to get close at all, if i try multiple passes i cut it.

Originally Posted by Alraz

The explanation of the motion may complement the 2D drawing. Imagine that you are slicing bread. If you cut towards the cutting board, the bread is squished, right? If you cut towards the cutting board but simultaneously, add a forward motion, the bread cuts nicely. This is why there is a note of CAUTION:if your angle is too step, you WILL cut your face. If I were you, I would refrain from using this for now and concentrate on laying down the foundation of good shaving technique. Usually, a with the grain pass in combination with an across the grain pass is just about enough to remove most pesky whiskers. And as I said before, the aim should be on comfort not closeness. As your confidence develops, you can try more daring stunts ;-). If you are concerned with the longevity of the edge, this about this: Almost anybody can fix a dull blade, it takes a plastic surgeon to fix a scared face ;-) (this should be taken as a way of illustrating my point).

Al raz.

Yeah what you said makes sense. As far as developing confidence goes...im headed in the right direction for sure. Im not worried about cutting my face anymore like i was at the beginning. My comfort level is pretty high when im shaving also, i dont have razor burn anymore and i dont feel any discomfort when im actually shaving.

My shave basically goes like this. I put some conditioner on my beard when im in the shower and leave it there. I soak my face while im in the shower before getting out. I put some more conditioner on my face while making my later (stropping before the shower). I apply lather and do a quick wtg pass of my whole face. Then i begin applying lather to individual parts of my face. Cheeks first with a ATG pass just to get the little amount of hair that grows there. Then i do my lip...i normally do a couple WTG passes on my lip (starting under my nose and moving downward), this is normally a prettly close shave, but i can still feel some stubble. I then do my chin, basically just doing a WTG pass (starting under my lip and moving downward). I shave all the way to just above my jawline then stop, apply a bit more lather and work under my chin.

The overall outcome turns out to be a decent LOOKING shave that feels pretty smooth above my jawline, but below my jawline there is a spot on the right side (just above where you would check for a pulse) that i can never get close.

Overall my two biggest problem areas are that (pulse spot) and my soul patch, which i seem to cut if i use more than 2 passes. I know this has been long winded but i wanted to give you guys an idea of what i been doing here.