Thread: Do I need a new razor?

Originally Posted by Java

I don't pretend to know near as much as Glen, but I accomplish it by switching hands. I'm forced to, because my wife wouldn't buy the "I need to buy another razor with the handle on the other end" gambit.......

Right..so play this out for me. My current razor has two identical sides: side A and Side B. The 'with the grain' stroke on my left side cheek is done with Side A, using my right hand. The "ATG" is done using side my side B, with right hand. If I wanted to use side A for both, I'd have to use my left hand for the ATG stroke, which would make my fist run into my ear...or something.

This is what I don't understand. I think I know how a barber would do it...but doing it to myself seems like Yoga or something.

I sported a big ole mustache for years then grew chin whiskers. Until one day while shaving my razor was really doing it. I mean it was going too nicely to stop. It took a while for my upper lip to get use to being shaved again but, I'm starting to get use to the new me look. Anyway, I've never thought of that needing a particular shape blade excuse for razor acquisition. Let me know if it works and maybe I'll try it.

Regards

Chasmo

People walking by my office door are getting a big kick out of watching me "air shaving" trying to figure this out........

On the right side of my face: left arm over the top of my head pulling up on the sideburn, razor in my right hand, blade towards the ear, on the down stroke on my cheek. On the beard side ( left side of my right cheek?) I pull up on the cheek with my right hand, razor is in my left hand, blade towards the beard side, trimming around the beard. Hands are reversed on the left cheek. I seem to remember that "geofatboy" has a YouTube video shaving with a kamisori style Feather razor. Video is way easier than reading me fumbling through a description!

Originally Posted by jgjgjg

Glen:

Kamisori: how do you handle the phenomena of shaving both sides of your face when only one side of the blade can contact?

I went to Google and typed in "Kamisori shaving" then hit Videos, I watched what each person did, then I figured out what would work best for me, and tried it out... Jim Rion's is a really good one for Traditionalists









Then I cheated and used the "Wrong" side in a couple of spots


You just have to be rather careful doing it and flatten out the razor angle, or you can use the Non-Traditional honing methods and make the edge a bit more Western user friendly, myself I just go very carefully using the wonky side in two spots


PS: Honestly if I had had the opportunity to use a Feather AC oh so many years ago, I probably would have and been very happy, this is what they are designed for, making perfect lines in facial hair and designing razor cuts for hairstyles...

Hey! I misread post #11 and thought both faces of your razor wear identical. If its asymmetrical like a traditional kamisori, you're going to want to disregard everything I've said!

Let me help you spend some $: Robert Williams Custom Straight Razors – Introducing the “Purist”

Hi ho, hi ho! Off to youtube I go!

Originally Posted by shooter74743

Let me help you spend some $: Robert Williams Custom Straight Razors – Introducing the “Purist”

Most awesome! Bet they're expesive....

Not really, there are a LOT of other customs that are more expensive.

I find it quite easy to keep the goatee in check by first going WTG fairly close to the whiskers I wish to keep and then XTG from the edge of my goatee to my ear on my second pass. I have a variety of points and blade widths and grinds in the collection and they all do a great job of trimming.