Hello guys,
Just finished my 13th shave. On the chin area especially going ATG, i feel a tugging sensation. Its hard see the angle of the blade goin Atg on the chin. Any suggestions?
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Hello guys,
Just finished my 13th shave. On the chin area especially going ATG, i feel a tugging sensation. Its hard see the angle of the blade goin Atg on the chin. Any suggestions?
My advice is go at it with very short buffing strokes.
Shaving passes - Straight Razor Place Library
Skin stretching is always a must for me. Having shaved the sides of the chin, I grab the sides between thumb and forefinger of my stretching hand, and push toward my ears. This tightens the knob of the chin, and makes it a bit easier to get those pesky whiskers. A sharp blade is also paramount, needless to say.
What I found is the key to the chin is having complete facility with the razor and confidence in your skill. When I started even after i thought I had it down, as the razor approached my chin my blood ran cold and I thought I would slice it off and out came the DE.
Then one day I just did it and all that dread was for nothing.
For those corners on the face where I just can't pull the skin around to flatter areas, I found that tightening the skin as much as I can and short strokes (with a small amount of lateral movement) work best.
Also, cutting across the grain here is easier than cutting against the grain and the feel for following the curvature of the chin with the blade during against the grain strokes comes only with time.
I believe it is safe to say that this will be the area that you will master last.
B.
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After a while you'll be able to more or less know the blade angle by how it feels in your hand. Corners of the tank & whatnot.
When doing rather short strokes while shaving with a straight, I've found it very helpful to never pull the blade off the skin until I'm ready to go to the next area. As you drag the razor backwards it will leave a bit of lather behind. This will help keep it lubricated instead of going dry in a place that's already difficult enough on its own. Just be very careful doing it like this. The blade has to keep moving. If you let it stop & sit still for even a moment you'll cut yourself. It you somehow let the blade slip sideways you'll cut yourself. That windshield wiper motion we talked about in a different thread can come in handy here. Anything to help the razor shave more easily.
I'd recommend practicing these things on a cheek to make sure you have it down first.
It also helps me to hold it at a shallower angle on the chin. On a couple of my razors the spine is pretty much touching when I go up the chin.
When I first started SR shaving I found the chin a hard area to shave. So what I did was a first pass on the chin with a DE or SE and then a second pass with a SR. Once I developed the muscle memory and a light touch on the chin I didn't need to do a first pass with a DE. As for ATG...I only do one pass WTG and one XTG.
The entire center of the face was the last bit of my straight shaving to come around. Just keep working on the edges of your trouble spot, gradually working to the center of it. Don't rush your technique, finish up with an alternate shave method. If you're like me, one day you will have an "aha" moment, and all will fall into place. It's got a lot to do with confidence, which you will gain in time.
I'm having trouble with this also. The whiskers there are very thick and tough. After the abuse my chin suffered last weekend I'm growing a goatee for awhile to let my chin recover and will revisit it in a week of so.
The shape of your chin and direction of growth dictate what will and won't work. For me, very light passes at about a 45 degree angle from vertical work best,
I never do atg on my chin, instead I do two xtg's with a little vertical added in. First pass is straight down, if we call that 0 degrees then my 2nd and 3rd passes are at 120 and 240. That way a full circle of direction is covered, eliminating the need for a true atg pass.
Because of the extreme angle changes needed at the chin, it of course is more of a challenge. One thing that you can do is to use the heel end of the blade. This will give you more control because you have less leverage on that end of the blade.
All good advice. But please remember to look at the counters of your chin and try breaking those contours into smaller flatter planes and just your strokes and angles accordingly. Hope this helps.
Yes the chin is hard!
Never even contemplated trying ATG there.
I'm glad everyone is adding such helpful advice. I'm a complete newbie and have enjoyed reading all the suggestions.
I tend to just do WTG on my chin. After a couple of passes it is pretty close and more than acceptable. I have to say that I chase comfort rather than BBS. It works for me, I don't think there is a need to get hung up on doing all of the passes WTG, XTG & ATG. For me enjoyment is paramount and any discomfort detracts from that.
Maybe that doesn't answer your question, but it works for me.
Yea, the chin is one of if not the hardest part of your face to shave because of the constantly changing angles and possibly the most stout whiskers on your face. This where you will find out if your blade is sharp enough and any tugging suggests that it is not. Using too much pressure to compensate will leave you sore and cut. A good slick lather doesn't hurt either. Stretching the skin, as mentioned, is also a must. It just takes time and we all get there eventually.
Bob
My dad has a goatee, I call it straight razor training wheels.
The chin is tough, but it's no different then anything else with a straight...it just takes time. Once you figure out the angles you're good to go.
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Just break it down in sections that can be kept flat. If you try in one stroke from chin line to lower lip it can be tough. I do mine in about 7 little sections when going ATG
I took this advice and the advice to try a little "thinner" lather and it has really helped with the chin region.Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
After a few bloody months when I first started, I decided to grow a goatee till I got better at it. It seemed to help me outQuote:
Originally Posted by brandaves
I didn't have the option of growing a goatee (military) so it was trial by fire so to speak. Either get it or quit it. It took a bit of practice, but it all came together in the end. I treat my chin like the rest of my face now. The only exception to that rule is that I don't shave across the grain on my entire chin, just where it's comfortable.
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