Thread: Goatee and learning.

Hello All,

So today I shaved my right cheek, kind of shaved my left cheek, then I rubbed my neck with a shaving "like" motion on my neck.

This resulted in a fairly poor shave so I did another pass with my DE to finish up.

I found that near my goatee I have given my self a few nicks. I think this is because of the awkward/limited blade positions I have at my disposal at this early stage of the game.

I have the following 2 ideas I think might help...

1. Shave off the goat until I learn the ways of the blade a bit better.
2. Shave everyday so there is not so much stubble to go through.

While adding the chin and upper lip I think if I do these 2 things I will be able to shave easier and more comfortably to start out.

What do you think?

I had this problem as well with the goatee. I have the rest of the face covered with the straight pretty well. But the goatee trim and shape can be tough. I have been using cream to cover up the goatee and proceed slowly with the trimming and shaping. I think if you take your time it get better with each shave.I have yet to get perfect results with the straight alone and do some touch up after, just make sure that it is well moisturized and the results will come with time.

I had the same problem when I started, so I shaved off the goat and got just as many nicks on my bare chin! The nicks stopped through time and experience. If you're getting nicks on the side of your goatee, try holding the razor VERTICAL to the edge of your beard, and shave crossways toward your ear. This seemed to work for me, I think the nicks were caused by the tip of the blade. good luck.

I have a goatee as well and it used to give me problems to the point where I was more proficient with a cartridge razor, I am sure there are posts where I say that. I have since learned "the art" of trimming a goatee with a straight but it takes some patience and practice. What I do is to shave around it but not try to trim the edge. When I have shaved the rest of my face, then I work on the edge of the goatee. If I try to shave too close around the goatee, I end up cutting some hair from it. However, I must admit that this is much better than cutting myself for trying to hard to shave it around it. With a bit of patience you will soon master this too, especially if you use both hands.

Al raz.

Originally Posted by Shoki

Hello All,

So today I shaved my right cheek, kind of shaved my left cheek, then I rubbed my neck with a shaving "like" motion on my neck.

This resulted in a fairly poor shave so I did another pass with my DE to finish up.

I found that near my goatee I have given my self a few nicks. I think this is because of the awkward/limited blade positions I have at my disposal at this early stage of the game.

I have the following 2 ideas I think might help...

1. Shave off the goat until I learn the ways of the blade a bit better.
2. Shave everyday so there is not so much stubble to go through.

While adding the chin and upper lip I think if I do these 2 things I will be able to shave easier and more comfortably to start out.

What do you think?

Shoki,

I know how you feel. When I started shaving with a straight about 5 mos. ago, I had a goat. As you have found, it can be challenging getting good results around the edge, and as Alraz mentioned it's easy to accidentally cut away at the edge of your goat.

I too had the same thought - why not shave the goat. Surely it will be easier. Well, yes AND no.

See http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...e-apology.html for the full story.

Have fun whatever road you decide to travel - goat or no goat

Greg

Originally Posted by Firefighter2

If you're getting nicks on the side of your goatee, try holding the razor VERTICAL to the edge of your beard, and shave crossways toward your ear. This seemed to work for me, I think the nicks were caused by the tip of the blade. good luck.

I think that is the issue. I think I will shave it off and see how the chin and upper lip hold out comparatively. Then if that dosen't work I will give the vertical a try!.

Thanks again,
--Shoki

I am very new to straight razor shaving, and after my first shave, I decided to lose my goatee. I regretted it of course as I always do when I shaved it off, but more than that, the chin is incredibly difficult to shave. Had I left it alone and just learned to shave around it, I would have avoided having to shave my chin, which for me is easily the most difficult place to shave. Probably 90% of the nicks I end up with are on my chin, that chin skin just doesn't want to get stretched very far, its not easy to pull up like the skin that rounds the sides of the jaw.

I'm new at this too, but I'll be hornswoggled if I shave off my goatee. I just kinda work around it, very carefully. I stretch the skin as best I can and rest my shaving hand on the hand stretching. It kinda takes some of the awkward angle out of the procedure. I don't seem to get as many scrapes or dings as a result.

^^What he said. Stretch that skin. It'll help. I managed to "reshape" my goat during my first shave. Now I have a healthy respect for the back edge of the blade by the tang. Just go slow around the edges, you'll be fine.

Originally Posted by Shoki

...
1. Shave off the goat until I learn the ways of the blade a bit better...


What do you think?

I'm fairly new to straight-razor shaving, and I, too, have a goatee. What I do for now is cheat.

I just shave along the jaw, from the ear to the goatee, and stop just before the goatee. I then shave up, from the jaw to the cheek, but that doesn't get everything. I'm slowly--very slowly!--trying to get in closer and closer so that I can get everything, but that takes practice and time. I cheat by then taking a disposable eyebrow razor that my wife uses, and I touch up the edges of the goatee.

My goal is to eliminate the need for the eyebrow razor. Barring that, I am seriously considering getting a Japanese-Western hybrid razor for touch-ups around my goatee and on my neck.