Not the size of the nose but the size of the blade. Would a 4/8 blade be easier there or doesn't it make a difference?
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Not the size of the nose but the size of the blade. Would a 4/8 blade be easier there or doesn't it make a difference?
Personally, I do prefer my 4/8 under the nose. Anything larger and I tend to cut off my upper lip. I hate it when that happens.
A 4/8 would be easier to start with, but with experience it doesn't matter. I don't have a particularly large upper lip and I find the coup d'maitre just as easy to accomplish with a 4/8 as it is with an 8/8. It's practice, that's all.
Actually the size of the nose can make a difference :D but anything I can do with a 4/8 I can do with a 5/8. There's no room for an 8/8 under my honker :p
I've done the coup de maitre with a 4/8 and I've done it with a 10/8 and all of them in between. Haven't cut my upper lip yet..... knocking on wood. :) Then again, it depends on the nose, some guys are better off raising a mustache. ;)
Durante's grandfather ? :D
Cyrano De Bergerac played by Joseph Fiennes . I should have thought of Durante. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by onimaru55
I think Cyrano wins the "Schnozzola" contest :)
I am with Jimmy, I use everything I have under the nose. A very scant 4/8 to a very large c-mon blackie that is 9/8.
But I don't have a nose like the picture above. Once you learn the stroke under the nose I don't think the blade width will hinder you.
I think it's more a question of your technique and your nose. I can use an 8/8 to shave under my nose, but (I like to think) my shave technique is pretty good. I have a longish nose, but it goes straight out.
A smaller blade helps you get to your normal shaving angle at a point on your face closer to your nose than would be possible with a larger blade.
3/8 or 4/8 are a lot better option then 8/8
I do fine with my 5/8 and 6/8 blades.
I have a full mustache so I don't have that problem however if I did I would use my 2/8s. I agree though it's technique more than the size that's important.
I realize now that I probably asked the wrong question. I've been trying to shave under the nose with a downward stroke. Of course, that left hairs just under the nose untouched. I'm guessing that if people are using wide razors there, they're shaving across as they go under the nose. I tried that today and promptly applied the styptic after a nice cut.
Any suggestions about the under the nose technique?
I learned about shaving under the nose with a downstroke when I tried it with a Dove Shavette. The blade went down and promptly into my skin. I do use a downstroke WTG pass still, but I no longer make the mistake of starting right under the nose. I then go XTG from the middle of the mustache area to the right and to the left.
I've also re-started going ATG there to get closer. I've learned, though, that I can do a light ATG stroke there which works well, not really going all the way down to skin level. That has seemed to work fairly well. My whiskers in that area grow downward, and going too close to the skin allows the whiskers to guide the blade downward into the skin, a thing to certainly avoid.
There are whiskers right under the nose, right up against it, that I just cannot get with a straight. I use a DE every three days or so to get those.
All this takes practice and it's a matter of finding strategies that work by eliminating those that don't. You'll know when you have the wrong strategy, trust me!
Good luck!
Under the nose has never been a real problem area for me. Going WTG is easy, ATG a bit tricky, but totally doable with both 5/8 and 6/8 (don't have a 7/8, that might be harder).
I would say to start with use a 4/8 . As you become more proficient with the stroke, you could use a larger size such as a 6/8. I have used 5/8 and 6/8 for this area.
Size of blade makes no difference for me...what I tend to do though is to push my nose to the left and shave the right side (under nose) and do the opposite. Works great and it's one way to make sure skin is taught and pulled.;)
Well it really depends how close the whiskers get to the nose, it varies from person to person. For most people it's impossible to cut them all with a downward stroke and the razor at the recommended 30 degree angle even with 3/8" razor (that still requires 5/16" clearance). So the solution is to use really steep angle, or cut them from the sides or with an upwards stroke.
All of these are tricky, really sharp razor helps a lot.
What you're doing with a DE razor is you're using a really steep angle as well, but it's probably easier for you to avoid cuts because of the guard on the razor.
i used to have alot of trouble with this area. i start right under my nose with the blade coming in at a 90 degree angle then kind of roll it down, it seems like such an easy task now but then i remember all the blood the first few times i tried it. try the video here
http://straightrazorpalace.com/video...de-maitre.html
hope it helps
I prefer at least 5/8 for any purpose. My only 4/8 is not my favorite razor. Whether Coup D'Maitre, stropping, ATG, WTG, honing, whatever. IME, it's more difficult to determine the angle of attack or whether the blade is flat during those processes. The extra 1/8 going to a 5/8 makes all the difference in the world, IMO. Another reason might be that my 4/8 is a spike point and when I first started I was bitten twice by the nasty bugger. I still haven't fully forgiven it.
:tameshigiri:
Thanks for the advice and video. I'll keep trying.
What he said:beer2:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan82
Ithin konce you see it done and gingerly do the move under the nose a few times, you will find that it is a good easy stroke to use and it does a great job.
I am able to remove the whiskers all the way to the lower nostril by using the technique mentioned.
One thing I do that is not mentioned yet is to tense the lip and slightly open the mouth, kind of a scowl with mouth opened to stretch the upper lip down and away from the nose. it will allow you to have tight skin and will help to get the nose out of the way.