Thread: Hard to shave areas........

Okay............it's getting better, the shaving with a str8 that is. But I still find the chin; the jaw bone line; and the upper lip (mustache) area to be a challenge still. Tried different angles but still a chore. I know it will get easier once my face adapts to a str8 and my technique gets better.

Still my face gets sensitive in these areas after shaving but I will adapt. I am going to try a new soap this weekend. Opening up my Mitchell Wool Fat soap and see how it does next.

Hi Michael: First, love your quote, and yes, He certainly does! For the upper lip, put your fingers near the corner of your mouth and pull the upper lip skin toward your ear. Using VERY little angle with your razor, shave across the lip with the skin taught, not up and down. Sometimes I do shave up and down, but I paid my dues, particularity shaving up - couple times I thought I'd bleed to death! For the jaw bone line, I pull the skin down and away for the jaw line, and with the skin very taught, gently shave up against the grain with almost no razor angle with short strokes. When first starting out, I thought I might have cut my jugular I was bleeding so much! Over time, I got the hang of it. I've been shaving with a straight for a long time, self taught, before SRP and the excellent You Tube Vids, and made lots of mistakes. I remember calling every barber in the area that wasn't a long-distance phone call to ask for advice and none of them used straight razors anymore. For the chin, pull the skin at your jaw line toward your ear and shave across the chin, half way across, then do the same on the other side. Sometimes I go straight up against the grain, but more risk of gouging!!! Also take into consideration the direction of the grain of your beard. I'm no expert, many on hear know much more than me, so just take what I say as another opinion, not "gospel". Joe ><>

Originally Posted by wildfirejoe00

Hi Michael: First, love your quote, and yes, He certainly does! For the upper lip, put your fingers near the corner of your mouth and pull the upper lip skin toward your ear. Using VERY little angle with your razor, shave across the lip with the skin taught, not up and down. Sometimes I do shave up and down, but I paid my dues, particularity shaving up - couple times I thought I'd bleed to death! For the jaw bone line, I pull the skin down and away for the jaw line, and with the skin very taught, gently shave up against the grain with almost no razor angle with short strokes. When first starting out, I thought I might have cut my jugular I was bleeding so much! Over time, I got the hang of it. I've been shaving with a straight for a long time, self taught, before SRP and the excellent You Tube Vids, and made lots of mistakes. I remember calling every barber in the area that wasn't a long-distance phone call to ask for advice and none of them used straight razors anymore. For the chin, pull the skin at your jaw line toward your ear and shave across the chin, half way across, then do the same on the other side. Sometimes I go straight up against the grain, but more risk of gouging!!! Also take into consideration the direction of the grain of your beard. I'm no expert, many on hear know much more than me, so just take what I say as another opinion, not "gospel". Joe ><>

Thank you wildfirejoe for the tips I will try those to see what happens. Yes I tried the chin area against the grain and the razor started to bite into my flesh so I stopped!!!! Went straight down the face line but was just not taking the hair off. So I quit in that area before totally irritating my skin.

Yes...............He lives! I did not think anyone would understand that but your certainly a keen eye and scholar of the word! God Bless!

For myself one of the biggest things to focus on for those hard areas is the angle of the blade against the skin. Some areas of my face it doesn't seem to matter but on others unless I have that angle just right the razor really grabs and irritates. Something to work on anyway.

Trying to manipulate the skin from curved areas to flat areas makes life easier. I generally do the opposite of Joe and pull my jawline up onto my cheek, tilt your head towards the side you are shaving and pull upwards.
for your chin you need to figure out the direction of growth and how to use your muscles (working in conjunction with your fingers) to make the skin smooth and tight. I generally come into my chin with the blade on a diagonal and shave around the sides and then down the Centre.

I have to stretch the moustache area tight, tight, tight. No matter how sharp my straight is, that is the key.

Originally Posted by edhewitt

Trying to manipulate the skin from curved areas to flat areas makes life easier. I generally do the opposite of Joe and pull my jawline up onto my cheek, tilt your head towards the side you are shaving and pull upwards.
for your chin you need to figure out the direction of growth and how to use your muscles (working in conjunction with your fingers) to make the skin smooth and tight. I generally come into my chin with the blade on a diagonal and shave around the sides and then down the Centre.

You are right Ed. I find this works best and I just need to learn the techniques obviously better. Going to take all this advice and put into practice for sure.

Originally Posted by Wayne1963

I have to stretch the moustache area tight, tight, tight. No matter how sharp my straight is, that is the key.

I have never done this. I would always use my face muscles to stretch without manipulating with my hands. Going to start using my fingers to stretch it tight! Thanks and could not help to notice your avatar.......you got a AC Cobra? I keep looking at kits that have been built up to buy but I feel like my wife would divorce me if I came home with a expensive toy like that!

Originally Posted by Michael70

I have never done this. I would always use my face muscles to stretch without manipulating with my hands. Going to start using my fingers to stretch it tight!

You may get help from rubbing alum on your stretching fingers to keep them from slipping on your wet face.
Good luck