Shaving Progress: Advice needed on remaining stubble

I've been plugging away shaving every morning (for about 1.5 weeks now), taking things slowly while learning the best grips and angles for my face. I shave my entire face now WTG, and it's becoming noticeably more comfortable and "natural" (muscle memory starting to kick in a bit?). I also just received some Bald Frog shaving soap that is making shaving much easier and more comfortable than the Williams drugstore stuff I used to use with my safety razor.

Part of me wants to start going XTG, but I'm going to heed advice here and continue WTG for a couple more weeks. Stropping has also become much more comfortable, I've noticed, whereas before I was more apprehensive and felt the blade roll from away to toward me was awkward where it's now more natural. I've noticed a sharper blade, which I attribute to the stropping.

I could use some advice on if what I'm seeing is common for WTG. Two passes on my checks leaves things smooth with just slight visuals of stubble that aren't going away without going XTG or ATG. However, my neck has slightly more visible stubble, although it's smooth to the touch going WTG. This stubble remains with three passes and with angle experimentation, but I'm going to start really burning things up if I try any more WTG passes every time. Is this visual stubble going to be the case with WTG shaving? It is for me with a safety razor, but to a lesser degree, but I wanted to see if it is normal with a straight. Because I'm still learning, I just hit my face ATG with the safety to clean it up, but I wanted input to see if I'm on track with what's normal for two WTG passes. Thanks!

My first and only WTG pass does leave some stubble. I then go ATG to remove it. However, I think you're doing the right thing by sticking with WTG for a while. Your technique will improve gradually over time, and you'll know when to start trying ATG passes, at first on the cheeks. It takes some time, more than one and a half weeks, to get this right. I would advise you to be patient and learn while you go. You'll get there.

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Originally Posted by Annixter

I've been plugging away shaving every morning (for about 1.5 weeks now), taking things slowly while learning the best grips and angles for my face. I shave my entire face now WTG, and it's becoming noticeably more comfortable and "natural" (muscle memory starting to kick in a bit?). I also just received some Bald Frog shaving soap that is making shaving much easier and more comfortable than the Williams drugstore stuff I used to use with my safety razor.

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Williams soap gave me hurdles to overcome.

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Originally Posted by Annixter

Part of me wants to start going XTG, but I'm going to heed advice here and continue WTG for a couple more weeks. Stropping has also become much more comfortable, I've noticed, whereas before I was more apprehensive and felt the blade roll from away to toward me was awkward where it's now more natural. I've noticed a sharper blade, which I attribute to the stropping.

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Muscle memory is kicking in....it only gets better as you go. It is all about results and if the blade is getting sharper you are making great progress and after less than two weeks. It took me much longer.

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Originally Posted by Annixter

I could use some advice on if what I'm seeing is common for WTG. Two passes on my checks leaves things smooth with just slight visuals of stubble that aren't going away without going XTG or ATG. However, my neck has slightly more visible stubble, although it's smooth to the touch going WTG. This stubble remains with three passes and with angle experimentation, but I'm going to start really burning things up if I try any more WTG passes every time. Is this visual stubble going to be the case with WTG shaving? It is for me with a safety razor, but to a lesser degree, but I wanted to see if it is normal with a straight. Because I'm still learning, I just hit my face ATG with the safety to clean it up, but I wanted input to see if I'm on track with what's normal for two WTG passes. Thanks!

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You couldn't be doing better. The ATG is dependent upon angle and skin stretch. The angle can be a real difficult variable to solve if your whiskers grow out close to parallel to the skin. Stretching the skin can force them more upright and keep the razor from digging in under the hair and cutting skin. WTG passes always leave something behind on my face.

You are doing great.

I agree with the others, you are doing great. What you are describing is what we call "directional BBS" - that means it feels completely smooth when you run your hand in the direction you shaved.

In my experience, with my face and whiskers, the results of WTG are limited. I couldn't do a quick WTG pass and leave the house without visible stubble; in other words, in inadequate shave. Maybe my beard is too heavy, who knows? Anyway, additional passes are required to achieve a great shave, and this is likely the case with you as well. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that if you've been using a SR for a week and a half (approx 10 shaves or so) you should most definitely branch out and try XTG. It sounds like you are quite comfortable, so XTG shouldn't be a problem. I hesitate to tell you to go ATG at this point, but do whatever feels comfortable.

Good advice all above... also concentrate on stretching your skin. This is especially helpful on the neck. The best suggestion I've seen for a full neck-skin stretch was to put one hand on your neck along the collarline and act like you're trying to choke yourself. Then, lift your chin a little and there you are, stretched neck skin.

Also be wary, as I think you already are, of how much pressure you're shaving with. You shouldn't try to do any more than swipe away the lather. As long as your blade is properly sharp, the whiskers will just magically disappear along with that lather. If you aim for the whiskers you'll court razor burn.

As everyone else has said, for the time you've been at this, you're making fantastic progress! I spent several months transitioning from disposables to straights, just expanding my straight-shave territory as I got more comfortable with the equipment and the terrain.

Best wishes to you.

You tell that you do two WTG passes. Try tilting your second pass gradually against an XTG pass. Even with a 45 degree pass or less, you will notice a big difference compared to two passes in exact same directon. Good luck!


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I am going through the same thing...my cheeks I am getting pretty smooth going WTG then ATG. My neck is giving me fits though...cant seem to find the right angle, my hair grows away from my throat towards the back of my neck. I usually end up going XTG both directions, and its not giving me the results I want.

Thanks for the great advise and encouragement everyone. I've been experimenting with stretch techniques and find that if after shaving my cheek I take hold there and pull up, then tilt my chin upward to stretch the neck even more, I get just about the tightest I can on the neck; this technique also flattens out the valley around my esophagus to allow for an easier time shaving while stretching with the "choke yourself" technique doesn't quite flatten that area or allow for as much stretch for some reason. Anyway, I'm tweaking the techniques and having fun doing so. Roughkype, I have been using very light pressure, and thanks for the reminder because it's easy to get so focused on an area that other aspects of technique slip away at times.

CowanX7, you might try stretching from the cheek like I just described and see if that works better for you?