Thread: Sweaty Hands

Originally Posted by LawsonStone

With all due respect this advice is crazy.

And shaving with the off-hand on the other side does not feel natural, but it's far better than reversing your strong hand.

Not to nit-pick but there's no truth in this statement. If you feel it is so it's because you have not practiced enough / learned how to do it properly.

Originally Posted by Frankenstein

Not to nit-pick but there's no truth in this statement. If you feel it is so it's because you have not practiced enough / learned how to do it properly.

Well, as an update I've started using both and my off hand is not too big of an issue.

I did 3 passes this morning WTG/WTG/SOXG (that is sort of across the grain). No nicks or burn but horribly not close. I finished (because I work in an office) with 2 ATG DE passes. So the finish was nice but man I have a long way to go.

Originally Posted by volleykinginnc

Well, as an update I've started using both and my off hand is not too big of an issue.

I did 3 passes this morning WTG/WTG/SOXG (that is sort of across the grain). No nicks or burn but horribly not close. I finished (because I work in an office) with 2 ATG DE passes. So the finish was nice but man I have a long way to go.

Is this with the 4/8 razor? Do you like them? And how did that Finck work out for ya?

Originally Posted by Frankenstein

Is this with the 4/8 razor? Do you like them? And how did that Finck work out for ya?

Hey there Frankenstein...yes it is with the 4/8...the reason it's taken so long is that I ordered that Philly strop from RupRazor and somehow he forgot to ship it so it's taken like 4 weeks to get.

Anyway, I have been using one and keeping the other for comparison and it's all so new I assume my technique needs some work. I'll give it a couple of weeks and then try the other razor for comparison.

I like the size of the Finck but haven't had a chance to try and hone it. My thanks again, as I would rather screw up a razor that is already screwed up then the ones you gave me.

Originally Posted by Frankenstein

Not to nit-pick but there's no truth in this statement. If you feel it is so it's because you have not practiced enough / learned how to do it properly.

I should have said, in the context of this thread in "BEGINNERS," that shaving with the off-hand does not at first feel natural. My bad. It surely does feel strange at first, but with practice it comes to feel right and actually I'm a little scared to try to shave the other side with my strong hand. But it took some time working at it, as any beginner at any task usually finds.

Funny how right technique often does not feel natural in the beginning, but later it seems that there really is no more natural way to do the thing?

Originally Posted by LawsonStone

I should have said, in the context of this thread in "BEGINNERS," that shaving with the off-hand does not at first feel natural. My bad. It surely does feel strange at first, but with practice it comes to feel right and actually I'm a little scared to try to shave the other side with my strong hand. But it took some time working at it, as any beginner at any task usually finds.

Funny how right technique often does not feel natural in the beginning, but later it seems that there really is no more natural way to do the thing?

Oddly enough it felt pretty natural to go with the non-dominant hand. I think it's because I can see better then trying to cross over...one thing I have noticed is that I need to be very careful giving the razor from one hand to another as a couple of times I've narrowly missed cutting my arm or....eeek....some other body part with Lazefaire (spelling?...don't pretend like you know) handling of the blade.

Originally Posted by LawsonStone

Funny how right technique often does not feel natural in the beginning, but later it seems that there really is no more natural way to do the thing?

Well said. I call this the counter-intuitive step. You can find at least one in every practical endeavor humans do.

So glad! You made a stronger start than I did. Oddly, though, the initial unnaturalness of the left hand worked well for me. It made me seriously pay attention to angle, touch, etc. and I think it actually made me realize I was prone to be careless with the right hand.

One should never, ever handle a straight without appropriate intimate coverage, er, as it were...

Originally Posted by volleykinginnc

Oddly enough it felt pretty natural to go with the non-dominant hand. I think it's because I can see better then trying to cross over...one thing I have noticed is that I need to be very careful giving the razor from one hand to another as a couple of times I've narrowly missed cutting my arm or....eeek....some other body part with Lazefaire (spelling?...don't pretend like you know) handling of the blade.

Originally Posted by Frankenstein

Well said. I call this the counter-intuitive step. You can find at least one in every practical endeavor humans do.

It's SOOO true. Most easy things start out hard. I've learned a lot of things, being a bit of a hobby freak. Golf, rock climbing, firearms, drystone masonry, jazz guitar, modern languages, ancient languages, field archaeology…and your comment here is abundantly and fully vindicated: we start off with everything feeling counter-intuitive, but then once mastered, it feels natural and you wonder how it could have ever been otherwise.

Just relax when you begin your shave. Concentrate on what you are doing and your nervousness will likely go away. Focus all of your attention on your shave, distractions will end up in cuts. I don't think anyone has died from the straight except for Sweeney Todd's victims, but that might be just a myth! Best of luck to ya'.