slippery skin, odd razor grip

I have a few questions and was wondering if you all had any advice.

When I am trying to stretch my skin I some time find it is too slippery from the shaving soap. Is my technique wrong, should I just lather up in sections, wipe it with a towel?

I don't always feel comfortable just holding the razor with just my fingers and sometimes almost grip it with more of a fist. This is especially true when I am shaving with my non dominate hand. Should I give myself more time or just use whatever grip I find more comfortable?

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Originally Posted by WanderingNinja

I have a few questions and was wondering if you all had any advice.

When I am trying to stretch my skin I some time find it is too slippery from the shaving soap. Is my technique wrong, should I just lather up in sections, wipe it with a towel?

I don't always feel comfortable just holding the razor with just my fingers and sometimes almost grip it with more of a fist. This is especially true when I am shaving with my non dominate hand. Should I give myself more time or just use whatever grip I find more comfortable?

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I lather in sections; left side, right side, and below jawline. When I do each side, I'll pull from right above my ear by the temple for the first stroke. Then I'll stretch from spots that have already been shaved.

When I do my across-the-grain pass I'll usually do a very small stroke first, and then use that spot to grip for stretching. On occasion I'll just wipe away some lather so that I can get a good grip, and then go back over that spot later.

Hope that helps!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WanderingNinja

I have a few questions and was wondering if you all had any advice.

When I am trying to stretch my skin I some time find it is too slippery from the shaving soap. Is my technique wrong, should I just lather up in sections, wipe it with a towel?

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You can wipe your hand with a towel, sure. You can also rub Alum Block on your finger tips. Or you can use a little piece of paper towel or toilet paper to grip your face. It'll just take a little time to figure out what works best for you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WanderingNinja

I don't always feel comfortable just holding the razor with just my fingers and sometimes almost grip it with more of a fist. This is especially true when I am shaving with my non dominate hand. Should I give myself more time or just use whatever grip I find more comfortable?

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Certainly do what feels comfortable and is safe. OTOH, you may want to practice carefully using other grips just to see if you can't improve your technique. But that's not mandatory or anything...

If I am just out of the shower, I wear a towel around my waist while I shave. That way right after I lather I dry my hands on the towel and then I can grip easier. I just keep drying my hands on the towel. If I haven't showered I dry my hands on the towels on the dry rack after I lather for each pass.

Simple.

If you have more than one razor, and one of them might be a dull one, take it and go through the shaving motions while watching TV or sitting at your computer. Thanks to a tip from a forum member that is how I learned to manipulate the blade with my non dominant left hand. If you have a replaceable blade shavette type straight using that as above without a blade would help you develop the muscle memory.

For stretching I do a down sideburn pass pulling up above where I start the pass. As the razor displaces the lather I place my stretching hand there. Always keep your stretching hand dry and if possible your other hand too. A towel close by is a handy thing to have. One hangs to my immediate left where I shave.

I am new to straight shaving and can relate to your question, i have found now that i have a good few shaves under my belt things are getting a bit easier and as mentioned you will find the technique to suit you, i have to say that i watched all the videos on here and my technique is a bit of everything at the moment, see how it goes over the next week or so and i bet you will fall into some sort of technique your comfortable with.

+1 on the alum block.