Thread: Finer points

I have been shaving with a straight for about 4 months, and am happy to say that I am down to only two passes! I can manage to do only one sometimes if I only have about 24 hours growth, so I feel like I am moving along nicely. After a good shave I just can't stop touching my face. One concern is that my results are not always consistent. Some times my face (cheek area) feels BBS when I run my hand with the grain, but I still feel light stubble when I run my hand XTG. Also I was having a problem with my neck until I opened up the angle a little bit. But still on the lower part of my neck I still have some persistent hairs that I just can seem to get.

One more thing that frustrates me is the area around my lips. It feels perfectly smooth to my fingers, but not when I rub my lips over it. What can I do to get just a little closer?

In my experience, if you want a BBS shave -- no stubble in any direction -- you'll have to do at least one pass against the grain. Sometimes two passes!

A DE blade is a lot handier (IMHO) on hollows in the neck than a straight razor. Not as pure, but effective.

. Charles

I agree with also going ATG. Stretching your skin and tilting your head can make a huge difference as well. Are you using a pre shave oil? If not I would suggest it. It helps me get better shaves. Also a little glycerin or even a drop or two of the pre shave oil in your scuttle helps a lot. I notice that I am able to get a better shave under my nose and on my chin with a smaller blade. A 3/8 seems to work better for me in these areas, but that is just me.

I'm just getting this stuff down myself but regarding the fine stubble that you're feeling just above your lips I can relate.

I had that issue but no longer do. It sounds obvious but you just have to start higher up on your lips with the blade.

It's not really an issue of getting closer. You are just missing it by not starting high enough in the first place.

That's my experience anyway.

It took me ages to get really BBS in all directions, but I don't shave my top lip, chin and 'soul patch' area. Basically I realised for a lot of the time I wasn't really following the grain; either with, across or against. My hair grows in a LOT of different directions, esp on the neck. A lot of the time, if I really want a 'perfect' result, I need to use a DE, as there is no way a straight could ever get 100% up against the direction of hair growth on my neck.

I think face-feeling can be a 'problem' at times. I'm a bit OCD-ish, and if I get too wrapped up in stuff I can end up taking it way beyond a reasonable level. For instance, last night, I must have trimmed by beard and moustache etc with the electric clippers no less than ten times within a one hour period, sometimes I did it no more than literally 15 seconds after sitting down after trimming it. I don't get a REAL lot of people feeling my face, generally they look, and if it looks OK to me it's OK. In the past, when I used a plastic piece of rubbish to shave with, If I started feeling my face, I'd pull over to the side of the road while driving to work, grab the plastic razor out of my glove box and have a touch up. In hindsight, that's probably a bit extreme...

However, having said all that, feeling your face does give you a sense of your skill, and it sounds to me that your skill is pretty good, really...

I'm finding that there are pros and cons to every method of shaving, so a combination is probably necessary if you want to get every little bit. I like my Atra Plus for catching what very little I miss, and I don't even need it with every shave. After just a couple of weeks of this, I've pulled off at least a couple of excellent shaves that have proven to me what's possible with a straight razor. The greater potential for the best shave is why I've gone to the straight razor, but greater potential certainly doesn't mean it's the most practical choice. When I'm blowing in from a workout with only 10 minutes to shower and shave or when I'm underway, I have to use the Atra Plus, which will be necessary on some days, at least until I retire from the Navy. It is eminently practical, however, to save on cartridges and develop skill with the straight razor as much as possible, since more skill = more options and actually manifesting that greater potential.

Good advice, gentlemen. In the interest of clarification: I typically do one WTG pass and one XTG pass. The XTG pass is difficult along the neck because my hair grows almost horizontally and with the curve of my neck it is really hard to get in there. If I only have one days growth and I am in a hurry I just do a single XTG pass and it is usually good enough. I don't like to resort to a DE, unless the shave is really embarrassing (for months my shaves were so bad I didn't want people to know I shaved with a straight...lol). It just feels like I am cheating with a DE, but if I am really in a hurry I do use one. I am a head shaver as well, but haven't gotten to the point where I am shaving my head with a straight just yet. I completed two passes on my head a couple of days ago with a straight and cut myself about 6 times, but we are moving in that direction!

Originally Posted by mloyd

I have been shaving with a straight for about 4 months, and am happy to say that I am down to only two passes! I can manage to do only one sometimes if I only have about 24 hours growth, so I feel like I am moving along nicely. After a good shave I just can't stop touching my face. One concern is that my results are not always consistent. Some times my face (cheek area) feels BBS when I run my hand with the grain, but I still feel light stubble when I run my hand XTG. Also I was having a problem with my neck until I opened up the angle a little bit. But still on the lower part of my neck I still have some persistent hairs that I just can seem to get.

One more thing that frustrates me is the area around my lips. It feels perfectly smooth to my fingers, but not when I rub my lips over it. What can I do to get just a little closer?

I routinely go ATG on the second pass for a nice smooth cheek area.
I have hair that grows extremely close to my bottom lip and the only way I can effectively deal with it is to go across the grain with the skin stretched. Two passes if needed.
The below the jawline area of my neck is my biggest challenge.
I do best there with an extremely sharp blade using a very light pressure and going very slowly, traveling as close to ATG as I can get.
In desperation I have even used a slight slicing motion which, although effective, is quite risky.

Originally Posted by mloyd

Good advice, gentlemen. In the interest of clarification: I typically do one WTG pass and one XTG pass. The XTG pass is difficult along the neck because my hair grows almost horizontally and with the curve of my neck it is really hard to get in there. If I only have one days growth and I am in a hurry I just do a single XTG pass and it is usually good enough. I don't like to resort to a DE, unless the shave is really embarrassing (for months my shaves were so bad I didn't want people to know I shaved with a straight...lol). It just feels like I am cheating with a DE, but if I am really in a hurry I do use one. I am a head shaver as well, but haven't gotten to the point where I am shaving my head with a straight just yet. I completed two passes on my head a couple of days ago with a straight and cut myself about 6 times, but we are moving in that direction!

If your hair grows horizontally then XTG would be up and down, I believe. I know it sounds "duh" but you could be missing this point, I did. Just something to point out

Originally Posted by ccase39

If your hair grows horizontally then XTG would be up and down, I believe. I know it sounds "duh" but you could be missing this point, I did. Just something to point out

Thanks, Man! Your observation, made me realize that I have made a big mistake! I had to check the wiki and I realize that I should be saying that I make one pass WTG and one pass ATG. The ATG pass is difficult across my neck because i'm trying to move the edge east to west. Sorry guys...dumb mistake.