Thread: Another ATG Question

I have been using a straight razor for all my shaves for the last month or so and am gradually improving the technique and results.( Many thanks to Lynn and Glen for their help and great tutorials )
Went from WTG to ATG now trying ATG and achieving decent results except for the upper lip region ( I find it scary ) Have tried but not successfully.
Any advice welcomed please !

Ah, the Fool's Pass (ATG on the lip). Commonly held for dangerous, except that I have never heard of someone who actually managed to cut themselves up, because everyone is so careful when exercising it.

As for common ATG tips: use the smallest angle you can manage, almost have the spine touching your face (and don't worry if it does, that's all fine). You may want to try a scything pass, but practise it first WTG, as that is easier. Softest, gentlest touch you can muster, as if you're just wiping the lather off your face.

Then the upper lip. I believe most people's moustache grows slightly sideways, including mine. As such, I can get an equally smooth shave with a carefully performed XTG pass on my upper lip, with the razor's edge rotated slightly more upwards and making a slicing/scything motion. Short, buffing strokes, I cannot do my upper lip (or any part around my lips) in a single stroke.


Good luck, I hope I'm making sense to you! If not, I'm happy to rephrase.

when i started, and even now, i had trouble getting a clean look on my upper lip. my facial hair is thickest and strongest on my upper lip. i think i was meant to have a mustache, but im just not into that look. instead of going WTG and ATG on the upper lip, I found that going XTG twice works expetionally well. first i go XTG starting from the corner of the mouth toward the nose on one side, and repeat on the other. Then, re lather, and start in the middle and go XTG going out toward the corner of the mouth. Its a little tricky at first, but thats how i get the smoothest and irritation free shaves on my upper lip. hope that helps

happy shaving

You may want to try my solution: a moustache . You may grow to like it!

If you are going to do the ATG pass on the upper lip try making sure that almost all the hair is gone from previous passes. Try to stay with using the last 1/3 of the edge towards the toe. For most new guys that do not have pressure control down it is easy to have the pressure on the heel a little to high. Lastly, try to make sure that the skin is taunt by pulling down the corner of you mouth with your non-shaving hand.

Take Care,
R

Hold the razor with 2 hands and dont move it, just nod up and down slowly. That's what I used to do.

Many shavers, myself included, just don't use ATG on the moustache area.

I usually don't do ATG on the upper lip. Just WTG and XTG passes. Tread lightly.

Just a polite question to the OP...just how close a shave are you looking for? No need to over do it looking for a real BBS.

After a year of straight shaving, I still have problems going ATG on the upper lip. I gave it up after finding that going XTG on that area works great for me. I now shave XTG, towards the center of the nose, in that area. I switch hands while normal shaving, but the upper lip is the only shave area that I strictly shave using just my right hand, slowly and carefully.