Any chin shaving tips?

Okay, basically no problem cutting anywhere else (aside from a few small hard-to-reach areas I'm still figuring out), but the chin is still driving me crazy--after 2 XTG passes, I sometimes have to do a WTG pass w/ my old DE to make it look acceptable. Everywhere else is smoother/closer than ever.

What I do: Lots of prep, plenty of stropping, lead WAY w/ the point/heel (>45 deg.), 1.5-2 spine widths angle. I try to use super light pressure (just wipe the shaving cream off) and it works great everywhere else, but pulls to the point of no cutting on my chin.:rolleyes: I've already given myself a few nice cuts from pressing harder. Any tips? Razor is a 5/8 full-hollow spike point, FWIW.

I wont be of any help, I had similar problems early on. I dont know what I did, but now it works fine for me. I guess maybe its just a "hang in there" problem... Until we can get a traveling SRP representative to go door to door and assess problems, we'll never know. Good luck though, I'm sure you'll figure out what works.

just a thought....watch the videos out there, such as Lynns DVD or any of the youtube vids. Pay atention to what they are doing and look for things you are not doing. I caught a number of guys performing facial gymnastics that were never mentioned. One thing that is mentioned oer and over is stretchinng the skin. I use the technic where you roll you bottom lip over your teeth, and sort of stick your chin out. This helps a buch for me, though I have had a razor stop dead on a single hair on my chin.....

I use to have a lot of trouble with the chin. I always do 3 passes on the chin even if I do only 2 everywhere else.

Pass 1; North to South
Pass 2; From ear to center of chin
Pass 3. From center to ear.

My chin has hair that has a beard that grows both ways from the center line out. YMMV

Later,
Richard

Excessive pulling to me sounds like you may have an edge
that is not as sharp as you may want. Try 100 strokes on
the linen side of your strop, or go back to the hones if nec-
essary.

- Scott

+1 Scott has it right.

Richard

I have found that if your blade is sharp enough. a South to Northwest pass starting at the center of the chin works well. then move east and repeat along the sides of the chin and mouth. That has worked the best for me when I started doing it a few weeks ago.

I have also found that shaving the chin goes best with my sharpest razor. I have also found that short light strokes work best.

bj

I usually move my chin not the razor and it works great for me. For example, I place the blade on my chin and use my facial muscles lifting my jaw to move the skin past the blade. I have yet to nick my chin when using this method. I also move the razor along the jawline while pulling the ear to stretch the skin. You will have to be careful as you get to the point of the chin with this technique.

I STILL haven't started shaving with a straight but this is my suggestion from my experiences with a DE (works for me)

1st pass. Down. longish strokes without stretching the skin much if at all, from the lip to just under the chin, 25 degree angle on the blade. As per method shaving except for the blade angle.

2nd pass. Right to left xtg, buffing type strokes (half inch, lift blade, another half inch) with the skin held a little tighter but not excessively taut 30 degree blade angle. Small strokes down (again) in the crease in the chin (0 pressure) at 35 degree angle

If that isn't close enough (and it usually is for me unless I'm going for bbs)
3rd pass. Left to right xtg as with second pass.

Under the chin I usually do the opposite (xtg R->L then down from top to bottom)

Notes:
1/Aim for beard reduction, not beard elimination. Comfort first.
2/Relather the area before you touch it - eg shave everywhere else except for the "goatee" area then relather that area before you go over it as it will probably have dried a bit.
3/Squeeze the shaving brush before you lather so you get ultra foamy lather for the area, that way the razor will glide smoother across it and is less likely to catch or cut.

I had a very close chin shave on saturday.
1) Sharp
2) Sharp
3) Sharp
4) Short gentle strokes rather than mowing the lawn.

-Bob
:w

Grow a beard?

It's what I do.
(Actually, I've sported a beard for a good 6+ years now, but now I'm glad I do.)

I bite down on my lower lip and pull my neck skin down to keep it taught, and small strokes at varying angles.

My chin is very thick like most of us, and i've found that I really cant do a true ATG pass on my chin just yet. What works best though is if I really angle my razor at a 45 degree angle or more and go straight up. I dont mean the spine is 45 degrees away from my face... thats kind of hard to explain.
^
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the slant bar represents the angle of my razor

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shaun

My chin is very thick like most of us

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who you calling thick?! :rant::rant::rant::rant:
:D

The chin and upper lip tend to be the most difficult places to shave with a straight.
The method that works best for me in both of these areas is to stretch the skin, and do very short scything passes.

The best explanation I can give of scything would be to allow the nose of the razor to drag or trail behind the rest of the razor by a small distance.

this is a bit of an advanced move, and one needs to be very careful to make a scything motion and not a slicing motion.

On the chin I always start with a basic north south pass. this doesn't remove a lot of hair, but it helps.
next pass I do is from the tip of my chin working outward. again this is more of a WTG or XTG pass, and won't get the tough ones.
3rd pass I work from the outside in, this is where skin stretching and small strokes start to get important.... I don't shave more than an inch at a time, and keep my fingers almost under the spine of the blade while stretching the skin tight. (Working from the sides like this makes it easier to maintain your blade angle.)
4th and final pass... Here's where it gets difficult to explain, you need to look at the remaining hair. this is a direct ATG (against the grain) pass, which means you will most likely be going from south to north, but not always. Skin stretching is critical for a close shave here, as is a very sharp razor. (I usually restrop my razor before this pass) pay close attention to the angle of your blade, go directly ATG, very tight skin stretching, and I usually do a 1/2 inch patch at a time using a light "scrubbing" pass.


The upper lip is similar, in principal, as I go from outside in, inside out, and finish with the ATG.

Well once ive selected the appropriate chin from my personal collection..lol...seriously , i usually sport a goatee and have been removing every few months for practice, i find that like some of you the hair changes direction, so i go down and then across the grain, making monkey faces to flatten out my chin...but i do approach it very carefully as i still worry about the nicks i have made in the past.

basically i take most care on my chin , so go slowly but a good prep and a keen edge is the best way for the stubborn bits and a wee bit of patience and youll get it, cos none of us shave with str8's for speed, do we now. In a world of convenience and speed this forces us to slow down.

good luck, simon

Worked better yesterday--I did a follow up pass w/ my old DE as a test (XTG) and it didn't cut anything additional. Progress. I did do about 4 passes total, though. Think I've figured out my neck, though--smooth, clean and no irritation/ingrowns!:D Passed the Bay Rum test perfectly! (WTG, 2 XTG in both directions)

See avatar. Tho' the beard has been steadily shrinking over the past couple months. At the end of April I'll be playing John Adams in the Wm. Gibson play American Primitive and by then it will all be off; so these chin shaving tips will come in handy.