Thread: How do you shave against the grain at the mustache level ?

Most of my shaving I am already achieving a high level of closeness, so I am great with that, just that at the mustache area, I don't know how to go against the grain to get the closeness. In his videos, geofatboy says that he prefers not to go against the grain there as he likes where his nose position is! Can any shavers here give me a few pointers ?

Since against the grain on the upper lip is usually doable by shaving from the cheek toward (but not touching!) the nose, one way is to use the other hand to stretch the skin by pressing on the cheek just to the side of the lip and gently pulling toward the ear. Do the same from the other side. A very flat angle with the razor is probably what you would want to use. The video by WILLIPETER99 on YouTube demonstrates how to do this.

Edit: I've used this method, and it does work well, but I actually prefer to avoid shaving against the grain to keep from getting irritation and ingrown hairs.

What Geo says is all I have ever heard about that move I have a mustache but I don't think I would ever try that one. Maybe guillotine or scything but not straight up at the nose.

Stretch with your off hand or better yet do what I do and stretch the lip skin over your upper teeth and use short, deliberate scything motions on the XTG and then use a steeper angle to go straight up on the ATG allowing your angle to follow the curvature of your lip.

As always Make sure your razor is shave ready.

lowks,

As I've gotten older my hands aren't as steady as they once were so I used my Mach III for ATG on the upper lip for a long time. I finally decided that I wanted to master this pass and tried a number of ways to do it.

First, a sharp razor. Also I use the same hand for the razor as the side I'm shaving. Center of the lip, either hand. I found that if I put my off hand on my chin kind of like you see when someone is portrayed "thinking", then I can use it to rest the razor hand against. By doing that you take the arm flex out of it. It gives a very steady rest and then you can use a short, and maybe modified scything stroke (not sure what else to call it).

Anyway, even if you have steady hands and reflexes, give it a try and see if it doesn't give that little extra stability, and you'll find the stroke that works best for you.



Regards,

Howard

I use both hands, one in normal position and the other at the toe of the razor. This avoids the possibility of the razor getting out of control and hitting the nose. Also, I make a point of going parallel to the skin and just above skin level. Because the whiskers are being shaved ATG, they will tend to "guide" the blade into the skin, so shaving parallel to the skins helps avoid this. This technique results in a very close shave in the upper lip area without the usual problems. Sometimes I will even hold the blade steady while moving the upper lip area downward through the blade to get more closeness. This technique takes the 'fool' out of the Fools Pass.

I don't do against the grain in that area. it's usually only with the grain, occasionally I'll do across the grain.

I never do ATG on the upper lip. I get plenty close WTG XTG.

A couple of times a week I'll do a S-N on the upper lip.
Generally, when I do it, I hold the razor still (supported with my off hand), and then move my lip against the razor, holding the razor steady and my nose as still as possible (kinda like rolling your upper lip over your teeth).
Take very small swipes at a time.

There was a member here back in the day called xman, he did a great video where he demonstrated this feat and called it the Fool's Pass. I'll see if I can dig it up....

EDIT - I found it here...

Go to the second video and fast forward to the 1min 50 second mark for the Fool's Pass.