Originally Posted by
ace
Don't give up yet, but don't expect the ATG pass to come easily and with little experience. The ATG pass stacks all the odds against the new shaver. The blade has to be sharp. It can seem sharp when doing WTG and XTG passes, but it may just seem sharp because many whiskers get bent over during these passes instead of cut. In the ATG pass, either the blade is sharp and cuts the whiskers or it doesn't and shows you that it is lacking. The ATG pass shows this because the whiskers don't bend over if they don't get cut. They don't because their grain is literally "against" the direction you are shaving, and either they are cut off or they guide the blade into the skin. The blade may not be sufficiently sharp to cut them, but it will be sharp enough to cut you.
As for how long it takes and how much technique, knowledge and skill are required for an efficient, blood-free ATG pass, I can only say that I dabbled with it as soon as I started, but it was not until I was about three months in that I gained the ability to do it well and get good results. Your results may vary. If you get it quicker than I did, more power to you. If you expect to be able to accomplish it within the first few shaves, or first twenty or so shaves, then I think you are asking for too much too early. The ATG pass is the money pass, and, when done well, it leaves you with a smooth face. But, being the money pass, it requires a lot of experience and technique to get it right. A sharp blade makes the battle easier, but it doesn't guarantee success.
A 6 speed 427 cubic inch Corvette should do a quarter mile in less than 13.5 seconds, but in the hands of a driver who has never driven one it is likely to result in spin-outs, a blown engine or poor performance. It's not much different with straight razor shaving.
