Thread: Straight Razor Chin Stubble

Hello all,

I have been shaving for a while now (5 years), usually with n electric razor and normally have no troubles. I normally don't use talc, but do at times and usually get a very close shave. Not perfect, but to the point where the small amount of stubble i have is practically unseen. However a little over 6 months ago i was talking with a friend, he had the smoothest shave i had ever seen. Did some research and saw that straight razor is preferred because it can produce the closest shave. So i bought a 5 blade Gilette razor and even has a battery to add some vibration (not sure if it has any real use) For about 3 months i have used the straight edge first, and have no problem with the sides of my face. I use a very warm towel, and pad my face for about a minute, put the cream (edge sensitive skin) on and start shaving. The part that drives me crazy is the tip of my chin and underneath my nose (above my upper lip) There is millimeter stubble evenly within these areas. I had initially thought more pressure was the key, until it looked like i was in a fight with a cat. I then tried light, gentle, gradual force, and saw some improvement, but very little.

I am really annoyed because i would like to learn to use a straight razor efficiently, but always have to use my electric to finish the job. (which is a bummer cause my face is on fire at this point) This is a preference, so please do not advise me to stick with the electric, as I would prefer to use both in an effective manner.

Does anyone have any tips? The stubble is VERY noticeable, and at times i wonder if my manual razor shave even did anything! i have replaced my blade twice thinking it dulled quickly, but still with no improvement.

Thank you in advance for any advice anyone may have.

Welcome to SRP.

Don't worry, you'll be hard pressed to find someone here that will tell you to stick with your electric razor , though I admit I'm not sure where the Gillette Fusion comes into play. Anyway, you've come to the right place to learn how to use a straight razor.

A few questions though. What type of straight are you using, and was it professionally honed? Do you have a good strop, and how do you think you are progressing in the stropping department?

Hello. I think I would suggest first to get a shaving soap or cream that was meant for use with a straight. What you are using now was designed for use with the multi-blade cartridge razors in common use today and do not work well with a straight. I use Mama Bear, but have used Proraso as well. Getting comfortable using both hands while handling your razor and then getting comfortable going wtg, xtg and then atg will allow you to get to every spot on your face. Just keep at it and don't give up. It hasn't been that long that anyone that shaved had to use a straight - it isn't that hard. Read some posts on honing. Get a few razors so you can practice. If you haven't had one honed for you to get started, it really is worth it so you can have a baseline to compare to. Be persistent and your efforts will pay off! -Scott

Sounds to me like you are confusing a straight razor with a cartridge razor. The Gillette 5 blade is NOT a straight razor.

DirkDD, you are right. My apologies, I meant a cartridge razor. See the link. below point 4 has a pic that is VERY similar to the razor i have. A Master Class on Razors: Grooming + Health : Details. I imagine this may change the questions some of you may have to understand my predicament.

Originally Posted by Fonce2387

I meant a cartridge razor. I imagine this may change the questions some of you may have to understand my predicament.

I see. In that case the solution is simple: get a badger brush, strop and a real straight razor. Stubble will be a fading memory

The best thing I can tell you is that I had the same issues and with practice I got it down. Once I got the experience and perfected the shave, I occasionally found myself going too fast and feeling a lot of irritation. When that happens, you tell yourself, "Hey, slow down" and you regain the closeness and comfort.

This video helped me the most. I have probably looked at it hundreds of times and the longer I looked at it, the more things I picked up. Eventually I found better ways for me to get the job done, but it all originated from this clip.

The trick to shaving the chin is simple but it takes time to master.Your chin is all muscle,you have to learn how to tense the muscle under the blade,you also need to use your tongue to stretch the skin on the upper aspects of the chin,practice doing so,it will all come in time.

So would you say light gentle but firm strokes while "tensing" and relaxing my chin is the way to go? Even at the base of my chin, the sides seem to be very stubbly. I guess even though i have been shaving for 3 months it seems I have made 0 progress, and in fact there are days where my shave is horrible! I wouldn't be so irritated with it all if i would see a little progress, but it seems that when i use my cartridge razor, that i just get massive razor burn, and nothing to show for it. Aside from the video, which is very informative, would anyone have any other advice? Some have said that over time you mastered your technique. Can you label what some of the things were that you learned over time that may not have been so obvious at the start?

Google human jaw.you will see that the jawbone becomes concave from the chin area towards the ear,thats a hollow just past the chin area,you cannot get into it with a WTG stroke,you have to go ATG towards the ear to get a close shave in that area.