Thread: Shaving Across the Grain (XTG)

When shaving across the grain, do you shave from ear to nose or nose to ear? Or does it not matter?

I do nose to ear. Just feels more natural that way. That being said I sometimes will also do ear to nose under my jawline if I think it needs it.

Left to right, right to left, it doesn't matter. However, my beard doesn't grow perfectly north-south, kinda north-south on one cheek and north-east on the other. In the latter case, I have to shave diagonally and I choose an up-down stroke as opposed to a down-up stroke for no reason at all.

(Does that make sense?)

Christopher

My first pass begins N to S at my sideburn and scythes down my jawline to my chin.

My XTG is always nose to ear, however, as I've found that I have issues with angle and tend to cut myself if I go the other way. I'm still learning, though.

Nose to ear. If you were to do ear to nose, you have to use the opposite hand. (ie: right hand for the left side of the face?)

For me, that seems unnatural, but I have seen videos where people do it that way.

For me (and I suspect for many others), nose to ear would be WTG on my cheeks and ear to nose would be ATG. The natural stroke for me on the sides of my face a curving stroke starting at the hair line and ending at the corner of my mouth. Thus, the natural stroke for this area is a combined XTG/ATG one. I never do more than one pass, at least not in the sense of relathering and going over an area with a different stroke, but if I were to do so on this part of my face I would probably do something line start at the corners of my mouth and curve down to the jaw line.

For me, discussions of ATG, XTG and WTG are distracting and encourage the dangerous practice of forcing an unnatural action, and unnatural actions are likely to cause cuts.

I personally like a N/S first(wtg?) Then S/N(atg?) then ear to chin along jawline(l/r)(xtg?)(definatly opposite hand). then usually need a little diaqonal schthing(?) across neck to clean up stubborn rough patches.

My stubble grows in all different directions all over my face & neck so my XTG passes are in all different directions depending on what part of my face or neck my razor is in contact with. I've more or less allowed my right brain to lead my hands in the proper direction.
Namaste,
Morty -_-