Thread: Leading with the point

Watched a fantastic shaving tutorial video today @

http://www.tidewriter.com/QT_large/B...x480_large.mov

Notice he mentions the art is to lead with the point opposed to straight up and down. This is a concept I have not yet tried.

Any further thoughts on this technique?

Graham

I've seen this recommended -- kind of like a slant DE, I guess. I generally find it easier to lead with the heel, but I would guess the effect is the same.

Nice video I haven't had service like that ever in a in a barber shop most all the BS around here your lucky to get a smile. I told one guy two weekends ago he should find another profession if he hated to come to work and give haircuts.

I was told the same about leading with the point by an old barber friend.

Originally Posted by Damon

I told one guy two weekends ago he should find another profession if he hated to come to work and give haircuts

Ha! I love doing stuff like that too. Always nice to get a little dig in when people dont think anyone would be forward enough to say a word to them

Well done man!

I think I'd be a little timid of the slicing motion created when 'leading with the point'

Thoughts?

Graham,
Can't seem to get the link to open... But, since I used Dr. Chris Moss's guide to straight shaving to learn the basics, I was aware and made the effort to lead with the point. The main reason that I see for this is to produce a scything motion yielding a better cutting action. The same thing would happen with a heel first motion. The only reason I can see for stressing a point first motion is that as a professional barber it would be even more important (than for a guy at home) to be aware of the point - lose track and you'll cut your customer ! Tough on repeat business, ya know.

What do you think, any other reasons for this?

Leading with the point or the heel goes a lot better than going straight down.
Te reason is that you are then slicing through the hairs instead of chopping through.

Compare it with cutting a raw carrot. If you slice through it, it goes reasonably easy. But try pressing your knife straight down and you'll notice that it is much harder.

On my cheeks and throat I lead with the toe. On my chin with the heel. simply because of the ergonomics involved.

Angle of the blade is one of the key points in my shave.
Outside of the sides and upper lips, every stroke is slightly angled.
Unless I go with the grain, I take very careful steps in my routine.
My current shave is this; right side WTG; left side WTG; upper lip both sides 3,1/4 WTG.
Then I shave my chin and neck in this pattern(even though some areas are contrary to standard grain pattern, this works for me, and I have yet to find another that works ok.

Left side chin. Angle point towards right ear and stroke goes parallel to the floor. Right side opposite.(For me this is half between WTG and XTG)

Neck; pull chin upward and shave directly down (again half grain as hair grows diagonally)

Second Pass
ATG Right and left cheek(on a 3 pass shave I will put an XTG pass on cheeks only at this point, followed by this second pass repeated but directly against the grain, usually not too comfortable but very smooth.)

Left side chin. Angle point towards left ear and stroke goes parallel to the floor. Right side opposite.(For me this is half between XTG and WTG)

Neck; pull chin upward and shave directly up (again half grain as hair grows diagonally, but this is the most comfortable to directly ATG as I can go)

As said earlier I will sometime add a third pass which is a mix of my normal 2nd pass with a direct ATG pass.
For me this is not comfortable, but yields the closest shave(only with the perfect razor absolutely honed to perfection)

So, most of my shave is a blend of grains, and I find this the best way to work. This is my interpretation of the edge leading technique.
Please feel free to debate whether this is really the edge leading technique as it is impossible to describe without video. at all time on the mixed passes the blade goes in a slicing motion rather than perpendicular to the angle of the blade.
Hope this is not too confusing

I think that is one motion I will always have to work on especially around the bottom of my chin.

I rarely go straight, always lead with toe or (more often) heel. I usually can get a one-pass shave done real well by alternating toe-first then heel-first in ministrokes.