Thread: Head Shaving

I have only recently started shaving with a straight razor. I started with a disposable straight and now am using a Boker King Cutter purchased from Lynn. I know the razor is sharp because it shaves my face with ease. With either razor I have had trouble shaving the sides of my head where my hair is the thickest. I shower and use a hot lather before my shaves, but I never get a close shave on the sides of my head. The blade always seems to jump and struggle to move against my head. Do you guys have any tips?

If you do long strokes, use very short strokes (like if you where buffing something). Don´t lift the blade inbetween the buffing though, if you do it´s a much higher risk of nicking yourself.

Originally Posted by PuntSpeedchunk

I have only recently started shaving with a straight razor. I started with a disposable straight and now am using a Boker King Cutter purchased from Lynn. I know the razor is sharp because it shaves my face with ease. With either razor I have had trouble shaving the sides of my head where my hair is the thickest. I shower and use a hot lather before my shaves, but I never get a close shave on the sides of my head. The blade always seems to jump and struggle to move against my head. Do you guys have any tips?

What direction are you going on the sides? I usually did my first past downward (from crown to ear), and then second pass across the side (from eye to ear).

Do you just have the one razor? I found that head shaving really wore down my edges, as I have thick hair everywhere but my crown.

For the way my head is built, it is the skin on the sides that needs to be stretched moreso than anywhere else. I put my thumb on the bottom (in front of my ear) and my middle finger on the top (near the crown) and stretch it from both directions.
A sharp razor here is an absolute must. I have razors that are passable on my face, but absolutely will not work to do the patch of skin that you're referring to.
Try stropping between doing your face and your head. That often helps too.

One thing I found usefull when head shaving was to think of the razor like a comb when trying to find the best angle of attack.

To do the sides I just hold the razor with the shoulders piched between thumb and fore fingure and comb straight from temple to crown, like I used to do of yore when I still needed a comb and didnt shave my head.

Sharp razor is essential, I find that the heavier grinds are better for head shaving than full or extra hollows.

Like HNSB said, stretch a lot. The temptation on the head is to not stretch the skin as much as you would the face, but you really do need to stretch to get those hairs standing up straight. On the sides above the ear, I always pull the skin up toward the top of the head. This not only makes the hair stand up straighter for me, but it also moves the hair away from the top of the ear thus preventing getting too close with the blade and inadvertently nicking the ear attachment, which can tend to bleed a lot.

Also, try playing with the angle of the blade in that area. As funny as it sounds, a steeper angle can sometimes help. Not ridiculously steep, but if the blade is skipping perhaps your angle could go a bit steeper.

Again, this might sound a bit reckless, but I have also found that you need to use a fair bit of pressure on the sides - not downward pressure, but pressure, or perhaps force, behind the razor to move it through. You have to use confident strokes - know where you want the razor to go and make it go there. Within reason of course. A one inch stroke is all that is required initially - you can go longer later when you develop your technique more fully.

Finally, try locking your forearm in place and moving the razor with your wrist - this limits the length of stroke and adds stability and control. Also try using only part of the edge as opposed to the whole edge when doing those areas to cut down the resisting force of the hair.

Good luck.

James.

Originally Posted by commiecat

What direction are you going on the sides? I usually did my first past downward (from crown to ear), and then second pass across the side (from eye to ear).

Do you just have the one razor? I found that head shaving really wore down my edges, as I have thick hair everywhere but my crown.

I only have one razor besides the straight razor with disposable blades. I have tried both shaving from crown to ear, from front to back and at a 45 degree angle between the two. I think that shaving at the 45 works best.

I will try all of the suggestions everyone has been offering up.

As to how quickly the razor begins to dull, what kind of honeing schedule can I expect when shaving my face and head both? Right now I only have a strop, but am thinking of getting a barber's hone to help maintain the sharpness because of the added wear everyone is talking about.

Thanks for the help.

It is easy to be frustrated. Beard hair is much coarser, so the impression would be it should be "easier or quicker" to shave the head.

If you're like me, my head has a far greater density of hair follicles, in a given area, than beard hair.

As mentioned above short strokes and stretching are key. I think this was also pointed out above, but the face accepts a large span of the blade. My head is hard and round, so a much narrower cutting swipe occurs on my head than my face. This requires more passes side by side.

Sorry, can't really answer how many shave to expect between hones. Between always rotating, and adding new ones in, I don't really pay attention.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Like HNSB said, stretch a lot. The temptation on the head is to not stretch the skin as much as you would the face, but you really do need to stretch to get those hairs standing up straight. On the sides above the ear, I always pull the skin up toward the top of the head. This not only makes the hair stand up straighter for me, but it also moves the hair away from the top of the ear thus preventing getting too close with the blade and inadvertently nicking the ear attachment, which can tend to bleed a lot.

Also, try playing with the angle of the blade in that area. As funny as it sounds, a steeper angle can sometimes help. Not ridiculously steep, but if the blade is skipping perhaps your angle could go a bit steeper.

Again, this might sound a bit reckless, but I have also found that you need to use a fair bit of pressure on the sides - not downward pressure, but pressure, or perhaps force, behind the razor to move it through. You have to use confident strokes - know where you want the razor to go and make it go there. Within reason of course. A one inch stroke is all that is required initially - you can go longer later when you develop your technique more fully.

Finally, try locking your forearm in place and moving the razor with your wrist - this limits the length of stroke and adds stability and control. Also try using only part of the edge as opposed to the whole edge when doing those areas to cut down the resisting force of the hair.

Good luck.

James.

These are very important tips. I have been shaving my face for many months now without any incident, but want to make the movement to shaving my head.

I have not had much luck shaving my head with a straight. Been using a DE or injector for it.