Thread: Against the grain: you gotta' be kiddin'!? I hope!?

Try you ATG passes with full blade contact i.e. even feeling the spine on your face. You can adjust angle a bit but it will likely be in the single figures. If that 'stops' your blade, it ain't sharp

Newb disclaimer...


but I found that laying the blade almost flat and using a slow diagonal motion really helped me.

Of course... the razor has to be REALLY sharp!
Still... it seems much easier with a smiling blade than a straight straight. Also... I'm finding that the thinner the blade, the more serious your technique has to be. I have the nicks to prove it hahaha.

I like a Torrey "the Artist" with a narrower blade, (like 4/8,) and the smiling profile to hit those areas. Have you tried a smiler like "the Artist"? There are some German-made "the Artists" out there too, and they look very similar in profile, though I've yet to try it.

I figure, eventually we n00bs will find a blade that works for us with minimal irritation and a clean shave. Fun process though, huh?

Okay, I'm more n00b than you are! what's a "smiling" profile?

Thank you for the reminder about a light touch! That helped a lot!

Haven't yet ried things cold, however. It makes me nervous thinking about my beard stiffening up. Is that anything to worry about?

My recommendation, that had worked for me, it to get as close a shave as possible with WTG shaving. Then once you're smooth relather and now retry to shave ATG. This way you have the Practice without the Resistance. Once you feel comfortable then try with a little stubble.

Smiling profile is usually a slight swayback on the spine and the blade curves with the center protruding more than the ends.

Like this one.