Try this link Shaving passes - Straight Razor Place Wiki I think this is what you're talking about. It calls it a guillotine stroke and then in the next paragraph, if I read it correctly, it calls it a slicing stroke and not a recognized shaving stroke, but the description and diagram don't seem to match. If the diagram, I agree with the slicing description and its not a stroke I care to use, but I know some do. A guillotine stroke, too me (IMO), and I've read some debate on this.... is a stroke up to down and I suppose down to up in a straight line with the blade slightly canted so that the edge is contacting the whiskers in (a slicing way) making it a more efficient cut than just hitting them straight on and chopping. I have read some old razor instructions though that seem to call for the depicted slicing stroke. So, I guess, which is it.....:shrug: I guess it's up to the shaver and their face.
I think the straight up and down is the safest stroke, for sure, in the beginning.
i.e.
:chop:
Howard :)