Thread: Most valuable and UNCOMMON tips and advices

Ok, lets think a bit outside the box. Every newbie or experienced shaver appreciates and follows (ok, sometimes even forgets and pays with blood) the traditional shaving advices (stretch the skin, first WTG, never shave the whole face when starting, etc)

what about those unusual things that sometimes you think works only for you, but can make others life easier?

here is mine:

-Start from the chin and upper lip area : this goes against a typical advice that says that letting chin and upper lip fully coated with lather as last in the game will make the hair softer. This is indeed true, but my razor is sharper when I start from this nasty hairy area and then move to the others shaving places that are not so tricky and with thinner grain.

Originally Posted by biazottipaulo

Ok, lets think a bit outside the box. Every newbie or experienced shaver appreciates and follows (ok, sometimes even forgets and pays with blood) the traditional shaving advices (stretch the skin, first WTG, never shave the whole face when starting, etc)

what about those unusual things that sometimes you think works only for you, but can make others life easier?

here is mine:

-Start from the chin and upper lip area : this goes against a typical advice that says that letting chin and upper lip fully coated with lather as last in the game will make the hair softer. This is indeed true, but my razor is sharper when I start from this nasty hairy area and then move to the others shaving places that are not so tricky and with thinner grain.

I guess mine is kindof unique due to the way my facial hairs grow, but ill give it a shot anyhow. Since i have just small patches of hair that grow on my cheeks, i do a WTG pass stretching the skin like normal. But when i go ATG to get smooth results, instead of stretching my skin..i actually blow and puff my cheeks out and shave the small area like that. No matter what ways i have attempted stretching my skin, i seem to get the best results doing this.

Im still new though, so its possible i will find something more effective in the future.

Mine isn't uncommon, I guess, but to pay very close attention to the grain of your hair. The hair on my neck grows up towards a point on my right jawline. The easiest strokes from me on my neck are S to N, with some scything angles- this is mostly WTG, and somewhat XTG. ATG (mostly N to S) is very difficult, because of the way it grows sideways underneath my chin.
J.

Integrate the non dominant hand to shave.

Pabster

I've actually found that moving my hand down the contour of my chin is much more difficult than placing my razor above my chin and using my mouth to stretch the skin in such a way that the skin moves beneath the razor. This effectively makes that challenging turn without even moving the razor (and it works really well for me.

I have no idea if I explained that in a way that makes sense, but it works for me

LOL!
shorynot if I skin stretch anywhere but my chin I get ingrowns, and the solution was exactly what you do! Gently blowing means my cheeks are concave out, but since its gentle it flattens them perfectly when a razor goes over them... and I though I was the only one...
and richmondesi another coincidence! Moving your face is a lot more stable than moving your hand. I did this at first. though once you learn the angles its faster and easier to freehand it.

But my contribution is these two things-
-Newspaper works like CrOx though not as well- needs more laps more often and I don't will KEEP a blade, just prolong its dulling. Newspaper was my only strop for 2 weeks, and a touch up thingy for 3 months til I got a barber hone.
-Buy the best your budget can afford. (within reason... a Dovo Redwood is the same as a Dovo snakewood, the $80 price difference is in the scales...)

A general list.
-Experimenting yields good results
-Ask specific questions, asking general questions often leaves out the most specific helpful answers
-Ask lots of questions

I guess my little "quirk" would be that when I shave my cheeks I dont go WTG then XTG, I just go straight to the XTG pass. IE: I start my stroke by my lips and make the pass going back across my face towards my ear on both sides. This results in a BBS finish with only one pass, so I get less irritation!

This started because I was finding it hard to shave WTG (from sideburn down to jawline) on my left cheek when I started using a straight. I found I got better results on this cheek so I just started doing it on both sides..!

My piece of advice is learn to shave with distractions. If you can only concerntrate with complete silence, then at the first noise you will slice something off. I often shave with my in-laws arguing a few feet behind me, my father in-law singing (or doing what he thinks is singing) and sometimes even with people standing beside me cooking (I have to shave in the kitchen).

Stretching is very important but sometimes your face is wet and soapy, or it's very humid and you're sweating, and you can't get a good grip. If you rub your wet fingers on an alum block it acts like rosin and you will get a very good grip on your skin for stretching.

Until you get a close shave WTG don't start an XTG or ATG and expect good results or comfort.
Strop lightly.
Water and good lather is your friend.