Thread: Shaving geometry

As all this shaving stuff settles in, there are the "most important" things to remember. Each day brings it's own "most important" thing, usually built on a foundation of failing to remember it. One of my current ones is the importance of cutting angle, that is the angle of the blade to the hairs themselves. This gets integrated best with a careful understanding and response to the wandering grain on different parts of the face. None of this is news to anyone trafficing this forum, but it is one voice in the din of information overload we apprentices are trying to integrate.

I tend to understand things best with a picture. So for any other visual learners, I turned my mental picture of the shaving geometry into the crude illustrations attached. Together with the advise and opinions of many on shaving angles, grain direction and multi-passes, this makes it make more sense to me and helps me fine tune what I do on my own face, adopting whatever angle gives the best angle of hair to blade, changing as I stroke.

The most dramatic angle benefits and challenges come against the grain. I don't think the illustrated angles overstate the case of blade-to-hair against the grain (especially in places like the neck where hair "lays down" more). An ordinary 30' angle can put the blade almost parallel to the hair with no chance of cutting anything except the skin. On the other hand, a blade flat against the skin can lift and cut the inclined hairs.

Hope this helps some others and/or prompts some helpful discussion. As always, YMMV.

- Dale