Thread: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Most conventional pass would be to hold the blade horizontally and shave downward.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by sunsnow

It's still strange to me to actually look forward to shaving! I was on vaaction and then doing some packing/moving of stuff so I didn't actually shave for about 2 weeks, but How sweet it is! I still haven't had a chance to get that shave ready blade yet but it should be coming soon. I've started to pay closer attention to the direction of the hairs on my face and WHAT A FRIGGIN MESS! Just on my right cheek alone I have about 5 different directions. How on earth am I supposed to do anything with or against the grain when it changes direction every inch and a half? I just don't get it...

If I'm shaving just under my sideburns like a good little newbie, do I start at the top holding the blade horizontally and sahve downward? Or do I hold the blade vertically and shave horizontally moving towards my chin?

Its been my experience, with hairs all over like yours, that you find happy mediums. It does not have to be perfectly against the grain or with the grain to get a great shave. My personal experience for comfort and good shave (not saying super bbs but good) and I will stick with MY cheek routine, yours may vary. WTG cleans nice on a straight down pass. ATG for most of it is like 45 degrees, follows the line from corner of jaw to between the eyebrows. with a little straight verticle for the sideburns.

Point being, with time, attention and practice you will find 2 or 3 lines that will clear the hair like you want.

Originally Posted by LameBMX

Point being, with time, attention and practice you will find 2 or 3 lines that will clear the hair like you want.

Time, attention AND practice? Oh jeese.... I'm screwed! hahahahahah

So I found this page in the wiki -

Shaving passes - Straight Razor Place Wiki

And it breaks down the starter shave stroke by stroke. Do y'all agree pretty much with that kind of a set-up? How far does your personal shave differ from the illustrated?

Nope. Those drawings are no less approximate than if you published a diagram of THE human fingerprint.

Your only solution is to faceturbate. Hate to be the one to break it to you. Start with a clean face and wash your hands first, or you'll give yourself pimples.

Seriously, you're gonna have to map out your own face. You can start by stroking it in the directions illustrated in those drawings, but don't be surprised to find that your own grains are completely different. Several of my own are 180° off from the drawings.

Best wishes

Originally Posted by roughkype

Your only solution is to faceturbate. Hate to be the one to break it to you.

If I faceturbate will I go blind?

Seriously though, my facial hair is all messed up. It's all over the place. I've got areas about one fingerwidth wide that are next to eachother that are at 90 degree angles. I figure I'll just try to start out with a pattern like I normally do and modify from there. Small question though... Is it generally better to make a second pass at a 90 degree angle to the first pass or 180 to the first pass?

Originally Posted by sunsnow

If I faceturbate will I go blind?

Yes, if you rub your open eyes you will probably go blind.

Seriously, though... the conventional approach to a multi-pass shave is that the first pass is with the grain, the second is across the grain, and the third is against the grain. But that's conventional. If you've got an omnidirectional face you'll just have to tinker and find the passes that work best for you. Some might be across the grain on the first pass--that's how I do the front of my chin--and others might be against the grain on the first pass--which is what works best on my neck. To almost paraphrase James Brown, It's your face, do what ya gonna do...

Originally Posted by roughkype

To almost paraphrase James Brown, It's your face, do what ya gonna do...

I don't mean to be a musical snob but it was the Isley Brothers, but "I won't tell you who to sock it to..." I'm just glad you didn't reference James Brown's 'Hot Pants' after your faceturbation comment!

So basically what you're telling me is that against the grain and with the grain, while accurate descriptions of how the blade hits the hair do very little when talking about whole passes or even a single stroke. And to shave each individually directed patch of hair first with the grain and second against the grain would be prohibitively difficult and time consuming.

Originally Posted by sunsnow

...So basically what you're telling me is that against the grain and with the grain, while accurate descriptions of how the blade hits the hair do very little when talking about whole passes or even a single stroke. And to shave each individually directed patch of hair first with the grain and second against the grain would be prohibitively difficult and time consuming...

Hi, I think you're absolutely right, in my opinion. I really just did N to S and W to E when I started; for quite a long time. But lately I really HAVE been checking out the differences in pattern and trying to come completely opposite to it on the second pass (I only go with and against the grain). I'll only do this when I have time, though (about every second or third day) and even if I had all the time in the world I'd only do two passes every second day, as I think I would suffer some irritation and I don't want that. For me, I only get a really perfectly excellent shave if I do this. I do, though, find it easier to get this result with a DE, due to the manoeuvrability...

So really, I often just do the second pass 180 to the first, with a bit of a touch up on the neck...

The great thing is I still keep finding new ways to shave!