Thread: I look like a crook

You might try longer soak time, adding more cream before you shave. You can shave every other day and let the longer whiskers that are softer help. Getting the razor really sharp and stropped well is a big key. Using no pressure against the skin when shaving is a bigger challenge than it looks. Make sure you're using the base of the blade too, the razor shaves differently at the base.

What makes the upper lip complicated are the compound curves of your face and the fact that you nose is in the way of a flat angle of attack.

One of the things you must remember is to shave with only 1/3 of the blade, do not try to shave with the whole blade. You may remove shaving cream with more than 1 inch, but shave with just 1 inch.

Shave the moustache first. Place the razor spine flat on the tip of your nose, edge down, so the center of the blade is resting on the Columella, the skin between the nostrils. Slowly move the razor down the Columella until the edge touches the skin. Now instead of pushing down on the spine, slide the edge down toward the upper lip. Keep the spine on the Columella and rotate the blade as you move the edge downtowards the lip.Transition the spine from the Columella to the upper lip, maintaining the least amount of shaving angle.

Using 1 inch of the toe end, shave the next area to the right side. Overlap the shaving area about a half inch, again use lite pressure. Continue making passes until half of the upper lip is shaved. Now move over to the left side using 1 inch of the heel end of the blade or tip. Continue until the left side is clean.

This method uses only 1 inch of blade and the rest of the blade is away from the skin and less likely to cut you. You can make 2 passes, re-shaving the same area after each stroke, there is enough moisture on your skin and beard, to make 2 passes with lite pressure.
I do one pass with the grain and one against the grain and a cleanup pass, across the grain with just water.

Re-lather and begin the, against the grain pass, lay the blade flat on your lips the razor edge just above the upper lip, spine on the lower lip. Using two hands, the left on the tip slowly push up with both hands (lite pressure against the skin). Use the heel end of the blade with overlapping passes to shave the right side. Reverse for the left side.

You will only cut yourself by using too much pressure, too much angle, digging the heel or tip in to the skin or moving the blade horizontally and not forward. This method removes many of these pitfalls.

Pressure is the most difficult to learn and will only come from experience. Use the least amount of pressure on the skin. As you become more experienced you can adjust the pressure and angle to perfect your technique for your beard and skin.

This is one learning curve I have had the fortune to miss out on. I think if I did go there and took off my handle bar I would try it with a smaller blade first. 4/8 or so. I bought this itsy bitsy blade and I keep it just in case :<0)
3/8 by 2"

I did my mustache area this morning and it was tricky for me to get a good smooth upper lip, however, I did get it in two passes. My first pass was straight WTG, then me second pass was almost a hybrid of WTG and XTG. I wouldnt ever take it straight across my upper lip as I tried that once and still have the scar from where I took a nice chunk out of the skin between the nose and lip. I cant do ATG on my upper lip though. I found that for me, WTG with an ever so slight cant across the grain of hair growth seemed to produce a nice and smooth upper lip.

Hi Matloffm,

Thanks for your feedback. May I ask what kind of quarter hollow razor you use? And do you (dare to) go AtG?

Wow, that sounds really professional. I do like your advice very much and I would love to see this on video so that I fully understand each step that you'r taking to work the upperlip. I can imagine that you don't have a tutorial video of this on Youtube, but I know for sure that it would be very interesting to see for a lot of newb's like myself.

Many thanks.

Originally Posted by Powerreserve

Hi Matloffm,

Thanks for your feedback. May I ask what kind of quarter hollow razor you use? And do you (dare to) go AtG?

I was using a Hart Shorty. I recently purchased it used and like the blade so much I am getting a full size Hart. I used it against the grain on my lower lip (never on the upper lip) and an ATG pass on both cheeks and neck.

I never will even try an ATG pass on my upper lip. Too scared. I get a good bbs going with then ATG. I do however find an ATG pass under my lip.