Thread: Tips for ATG

Have patiently worked my way up to where I'm shaving mostly my entire face WTG without major incident (still fumbling around the chin, but...) and am preparing to start doing additional passes with the straight. daunting!

i feel like it tugs right out of the chute. Tips gents?

If it tugs that usually indicates a dull razor. I would NOT attempt Xgrain or against the grain if that is the case. Since you are still a novice you might want to recheck your strokes and the pressure and angles because that can cause tugging also but if you think you're shaving skills are up to snuff then you need to hone that razor.

If your Blade is in perfect order and you feel you have masterd a with the grain stroke.
Learn a XTG stroke scything,total BBS every time (be carefull)

If I go completely AGT, I usually will do 3 passes on my face - one with, one perpendicular, and then ATG. I find however that often the AGT isn't really necessary except for on my neck. Going across the grain gets me a really good shave on the cheeks. For my neck, it's one down and then one up, followed occasionally by an additional pass around the center of the neck.

As a novice myself, I can't claim to have mastered the ATG stroke. However, I've learned two crucial techniques that have made all the difference for me:

1. Learn proper skin stretching; "proper" means that you've mapped your beard's grain!
2. Flatten your blade angle; I couldn't believe how low I had to go with some blades.

I often go against the grain, but that's just the way i do things. I can't disagree with what has been said. You may also find there are areas you just can't go against the grain, because you whiskers will pull the blade into your skin every time.

I have a very tough beard that grows in many directions. I have to do 4 passes or I do not get a BBS shave. I start at the top and go down, then at the ear and come across to the nose, then at the nose across to the ear, then I start at the bottom and go up. On the neck I sometimes do 6 because I have to use a wiper blade stroke to get the hairs that grow in a curly direction. As long as the blade is well sharpened and stropped, I do not get any irritation

Maybe the razor is a bit dull.. check for that.. if not, i think Dzanda got it right! I had the same problems, but don't have anymore because i learned to stretch the skin properly and learned my beard growth in all directions+learned to keep that perfect angle. No more same problems anymore, hope that helps, Stick

Definitely learn the stretching as advised.

It could be your lather also.

Ahhh, the lather.... I could go on for many threads about that piece of the equation.

Thanks for all the tips. I think the stretching is a definite area of future focus. I saw something recently where a fellow gave his fingers a little alum rock love to increase stickiness which I am eager to try. Never would have occurred to me. But it seems that the "really know your growth" is the primary objective. Sage advice.

I also know there's work to do with blade angles yet. Needless to say a sub optimal shave is like a sub optimal haircut only better: it always grows in for another chance, except it only takes a day or two!