Quote Originally Posted by Wildtim View Post
First: You can shave with the toe leading. It just take a little practice. It is worth the effort to learn to do too, it does give a smoother shave than either going straight down or with the heel leading. Don't ask me why or to explain how to do it, I really can't. All I can say is give it a shot.

Second: Serrated knives don't have a angle to them because they aren't knives at all but really saws for food. It is the teeth tearing through the surface that provide the cutting action for these cheap knives. Good knives are smooth and cut just like a razor does because they are sharpened similarly using an X-pattern on a hone.
That's a good point, Tim. I didn't think of a serrated knife in that way; when you put it that way, I agree, a serrated knife if more like a saw. I'll say though that a razors edge viewed under extreme magnification (electron) often shows a toothiness or serration which I visualize as the toothiness of such razor edges being really like micro-saws slicing through whiskers (maybe that's why a scythe motion toe or heel leading lends more to slicing/sawing whiskers rather than a head on chopping motion).

I will try to figure out the toe leading approach. To me it would seem very easy for a barber standing above, in my mind it seems awkward, but that's probably only because I haven't tried it and am used to heel leading.

Chris L