Thread: ATG is too technical for me yet

Originally Posted by Howard

ATG doesn't work for everyone. It all demands on your beard. Consider the possibility that you're doing things right but your beard is telling you how to shave it.

This is what I came here to say. Everyone has hair that grows in different directions, at different angles, and at different thickness' and consistencies. Sometimes finding the right grind and size of razor can help with those types of problems, but I have always been a firm believer that technique will always prevail over the tools. I recommend spending a good deal of time studying how your hair grows in the mirror, and practice different methods of stretching your skin to pull the hair upwards (thus making it easier to achieve optimum shave angles). Once you are comfortable in doing that, and do it almost instinctively when you shave, you will find that you will get much better shaves as a result, regardless of the razor. That's how it went for me. Then when I finally did get a new razor, shave ready from the classifieds here, my technique was there to back up the great razor, and, for the first time in 3 months, I got a great shave.

The long and the short of it: a great razor with an immaculate edge isn't even half the battle of shaving with a straight razor. Focus more on YOU than the razor.

The long and the short of it: a great razor with an immaculate edge isn't even half the battle of shaving with a straight razor. Focus more on YOU than the razor.

+1 on this. I was wondering why my shaves were going down hill and getting some razorburn, even though the razor could've been sharper, it was still sharp enough so I concentrated on my lather and it made such a difference.

a nice thick lather and keen edge will save you from razorburn and give you a really good shave after XTG.

you'll be surprised how much the lather contributes to a close shave.

regards alex

I can do ATG everywhere, but it gives me trouble on my upper lip. Yes, yes, I know I shouldn't, but I learned that way, and done it for a long time.

Anywhoo, since it has been giving me trouble, I decided to skip it until the skills come back to my tired hands, and I do WTG and two XTG there and I get the same results I get elsewhere with a WTG and ATG. That is, not BBS, but a decent shave.

This 18 year hiatus really sucked the skill out of me.