Thread: "West East"-growing throat hair & disappearing lather

Hey everyone,

I have had my second razor shave experience today. I hope to hear your experience with the two following issues:

1) The beard on my throat grows West-East (i.e. shaving down-up or up-down is XTG). Has anyone any tricks of how to avoid cuts along the neckline if I shave this part West-East (WTG)?

2) My soap lather disappears very quickly from my face and is in general not as thick and foamy as synthetic "Gillette products". I have not achieved meaningfully better results with less/more water. Breaking an almond-sized piece of soap out of the bar and use this piece directly in the bowl to make lather neither made any difference. Is it safe to assume that the quality of the soap is just bad?

I assume the two above points cause the pulling/nicking etc. that I felt. The shave is very uncomfortable right now.

Thanks,
Arch

What type of soap are you using? Sounds like your not loading it up enough and or it's too watery.

As for the west east pass, I have the same problem. I do a from the top center (below chin), towards the bottom left (for the left side), angle. It's not quite wtg or xtg more like diagonal the grain pass then I follow up with the xtg.

a true east-west pass on the throat is for most folks not possible i also attack it on a diagonal so my 3 passes are top to bottom, chin to sid of the veck then botom to top. works well for me but my hair grows in all sorts of weird directions.

about the lather very hot and/or very hard water could also be issues try using cooler water to make the lather with.

enjoy,
jim

Shaving the throat area is tricky for many.
I don't think there is a magic cure, you have to try a lot of different pass/angle/pressure combinations to get something that works, and if you stay with it and take your time the solution seems to come out a little at a time.

For me, it seems to help to angle the blade and shave bottom to jaw on Pass 2 and 3. Think of a snow plow with an angled blade. if you take your time you will probably find a setup (head turned, chin up and out (full Mussolini I like to call it) making sure that you maintain skin tension and constant light pressure.

The other thing that seems to help is "buffing" Blade almost flat, good tension and short forward backward strokes that advance.

Note of Caution - suggest that you work your way in to the angle and buffing thing - not something to try before you are completly comfortable.

You might also try either starting with or ending with a DE shave - its Wet Shaving- and a good way to get to BBS and not spend all day and a transfusion getting there. Either way works (DE first or DE finish) and they each offer different paths to becoming one with your SR...

And one day you will look in the mirror, touch your BBS Straight Razor shaved face and say to yourself: "I can sorta remember that is was hard in the beginning, but I'm glad I stayed with it"

Good Shaving...

Thanks guys.

I don't know the brand of the soap. It was included in my TI "starter kit". Hence i guess nothing fancy.

I'll try to soften up the soap with one or two drops of water and then vary the amount of water to build the lather.

I detailed a few things that work for me going ATG on the neck including a grip on the razor that works for me here http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...ml#post1028821.