trouble with the curve of the chin...feels almost like a dull blade

Hi all,
I've watched several videos and read posts on dealing with the chin so hopefully this is a slightly different question. I'm more trying to see if this has happened to others.

I'm still only doing 1 pass on the chin as I learn, and so far haven't done much with the sides of the chin. However, what I'm noticing is that even just WTG as I approach the curve of the chin, I get some real pulling. Almost as if the blade is getting seriously dull.

I'm pretty sure it's an angle problem - the chin is rounding out there, after all. But does anyone have suggestions on how to best maintain the right angle when moving around like that? I can handle the jawbone pretty well now (not perfectly, but a lot better than the chin) so moving the blade to maintain angle doesn't seem to be a skill I am lacking.

it's the severity of the sudden tugging and pulling that is surprising me, to be clear. If it were a little, and it was better some days than others, I'm sure it's just the angle. But it's always been tough...

Hi kaiyen,
Don't worry too much about the pulling-it's as you said- the wrong angle.
Keep going as you are WTG,it's quite a difficult area to master but as you gain in experience you will gradually learn to adjust the angle as you shave .All will be revealed in due course-so keep at it !!
Regards

Noggs :)

Be sure to stretch your skin when shaving your chin.

Take a butter knife and go through the motion of spreading a thin layer of frosting on your chin as though it was part of a cake baked in a mold. Feel how your fingers, hand, wrist and arm move to keep the blade of the butter knife as flat as possible against your chin.

Practice like that for a while and then keep the same angle while applying just the edge of the butter knife to your chin. Then do the same while keeping the butter knife at less than a 10 degree angle with the chin.

That practice should get your brain well on the way to controlling your blade on the complex angles of your chin. Remember, if your razor feels like it's starting to pull, reduce the angle of the blade some more until it stops pulling.

Trust your right brain and be patient. Each time you shave your skill level will improve, so long as your basic technique pretty much follows the recommendations found in the Wiki. Be confident that "this is something I can do."
Namaste,
Morty -_-

PS: Are you doing a good pre-shave prep?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by noggs247

Hi kaiyen,
Don't worry too much about the pulling-it's as you said- the wrong angle.
Keep going as you are WTG,it's quite a difficult area to master but as you gain in experience you will gradually learn to adjust the angle as you shave .All will be revealed in due course-so keep at it !!
Regards

Noggs :)

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+1 on the above.

Do shorten your strokes. Think short 1/4inch strokes
and small areas...

You can take a wash cloth and clear all the lather
from your face then grab the brush and put a spot
of lather on your chin.

With the lather gone from the rest of the face you
can better pull and stretch left, right, up, down making
small flat areas. Shave each three times each time
with a slightly different angle. Always with a LIGHT
touch.

Pay attention to the portion of the blade you are using.
It is possible that you are using the heel on your chin
and the toe and middle on the rest of your face. If the blade has
different levels of sharpness from toe to heel that alone
will account for what you are feeling.

My chin is more bristle like than whisker like and as
such it does feel different and may need more or
less prep.

I found jockey's videos to be very helpful for the chin part. they can be found in the wiki.
He's demoing a straight shave.

The videos by jockeys are great indeed - especially with the grips. But I do not get a good idea of the actual angles he is using from them, personally. Maybe it's the way I'm watching them.

Thanks for the tips on both the butter knife (I had heard that before, but hadn't thought to try it) and about using just small dabs of lather to practice stretching the skin out. It's really tough so far for me to find an efficient way to stretch the skin.

My pre-shave prep is first pre-shave oil while I get ready to create the lather. Then after I make the lather I put it on my face. Then strop, then more lather, then shave.

Is that a reasonable process?

oh, and these are all short strokes. This isn't even from, say, the lip down to beginning of the curl of the chin. This is _just_ the curl of the chin. So 1/4" is maybe the entire distance that I'm talking about :-).

Thanks also for the direct info that lower angle is the answer if hitting resistance. I have not yet seen that specific move. I just try different ones but didn't know that if I hit resistance I should lower the angle.

As for using different parts of the blade then yes, I do that throughout the shave, but there doesn't seem to be any dullness with the part I am using. I use it for much of my neck, for instance, and for my cheek. I will, however, try the tip of the blade, which I definitely use on the edge of my cheek and I know to be sharp.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kaiyen

The videos by jockeys are great indeed - especially with the grips. But I do not get a good idea of the actual angles he is using from them, personally. Maybe it's the way I'm watching them.

Thanks for the tips on both the butter knife (I had heard that before, but hadn't thought to try it) and about using just small dabs of lather to practice stretching the skin out. It's really tough so far for me to find an efficient way to stretch the skin.

My pre-shave prep is first pre-shave oil while I get ready to create the lather. Then after I make the lather I put it on my face. Then strop, then more lather, then shave.

Is that a reasonable process?

---

It is a reasonable process.... and works
wonders for some folk.

Pre-shave oil does not help me. For me the pre-shave oil keeps
water from soaking into my whiskers and it
makes my face too slippery (mayonnaise on glass
feeling). My method is to splash cool water on
my face once or twice while building a lather. I
just rub my wet hand on my face.

When the lather has come together I paint it on
or scrub it in depending on my mood and depending
on how clean my face was. Then I let the
lather soak for 30 seconds or so and begin to shave
applying more lather as needed should a bit of face
begin to get dry.

We are all different... There are numerous basic ways
of lathering and infinite subtle variations....

Take your time and enjoy life.

Yep, its the angle! You want to ensure that the angle is 30 degrees or less.

The chin area is definately the hardest part to get right and unfortunately it all comes down to the P word. Practice. :) Just keep at it, take your time and enjoy the process and you'll get the results you want in no time..!

When I want to test a razor for being shave ready its the bottom of my chin that I use. it's the hardest area and if the razor goes around the chin as smooth as butter then I know the razor is up to snuff.

You need to practice that area and ensure your razor is properly sharp.

Well, today I tried again with the chin, figuring that if the tips already indicated didn't help I'd go to the butter knife method.

Generally successful - did the entire chin, WTG, and even tried different parts of the blade to see if I had a generally sharp blade all around. So thanks, and here's to continued improvement...

Its good to hear of the improvements and to go with the other tips suggested heres my tip to help you with the angles. When you look at the contours of your chin envision them as smaller flat planes and then adjust your strokes and angles accordingly. I hope this helps!

One more tip.(as if you didn't have enough)Start each stroke on an area that is whiskerless or already shaved and move onto the area of trouble.We all had trouble learning to go "round the corner" on the chin area.

By now I'm guessing you've decided it's the angle that's the trouble. Here are a few tricks you can use to keep a good angle:

1. Use the spine as a guide. Keep the spine about 1.5 spine widths off your face. It's about 30 degrees or less when you do that, and using it as a guide makes it easier to "see" the right angle.
2. If you're going N-S, don't worry about the spine touching your skin. If the spine is on your skin it means the angle is less than 30 degrees and that is just fine.
3. Imagine the chin in different "facets" like a diamond. Most whiser maps actually split the chin up this way, and if you try to shave each "facet" separately you don't have to worry about "rounding the curve" of your chin. This might make it easier at first.
4. If you have trouble goig N-S, try E-W. I feel like my chin is rounder going top-to-bottom, but flatter side-to-side. I use the toe when I do this kind of pass. Start where the chin meets the jawbone (and it's easier to find the right angle) then carefully swoop it around in shorts strokes.

:gl: