Thread: Problems shaving against the grain

Hi,

I have been shaving with a straight razor about a year now, only with the grain and across it. I have had no problem and get a very good, comfortable shave. A few days ago I tried going against the grain and it was not fun. I started bleeding at quite a few hair folicles and my whole neck and under my chin felt like it was on fire. I seemed to get my cheeks, sould patch area and moustache OK, but under my chin and my neck area was not. Does going against the grain just take some getting used to or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks,
Joe

prepare your face pretty good +soap (depends on it too) + how sharp is blade.
+get used to it(your fase.)
if i won't shave against grain i will not like my shaving.try check your blade sharpness first then soap then try to shave small surface are first then slowly you can increase it.see it cuts blood etc.hope this helps.

I honestly think, that even after years of experience, there are areas on my face that just will not tolerate-ATG. Depending on how the hair is growing,sometimes the angles are so extreme that ATG creates irritation.

That said, prep is crucial as is a VERY keen edge. I found that if repeated passes are necessary, it usually results in razor burn

Going against the grain is tough, but rewarding. Prep and a sharp (and I do mean SHARP) razor are keys. Always save against the grain for last. You might try stropping before the against the grain pass. It might (or might not) help. Also, really stretching the skin taught is very important. You might experiment with differing your attack angle also, probably shallower.

It takes a while for your skin to get used to it.

I, for one, have tried it only once and gave up while I was at it... the blade was sharp, stropped before the ATG pass, the skin was taught, you name it... but the angles are awkward for me and my skin just cannot bare the stress the ATG pass puts on it. Therefore I decided, for the time being, not to do the ATG pass... I find that BBS all over is not rewarding if your face burns like hell. I do some tricks, however, when I go for the XTG pass: I go XTG but, in places, in a upward moving direction. I find that this is almost ATG but the slicing motion (carefuly done, of course...) is an improvement on my XTG pass and makes the ATG, for me, redundant...
Hope this helps. Not all of us were cut (pun intended...) for the ATG pass...

Originally Posted by fpessanha

I do some tricks, however, when I go for the XTG pass: I go XTG but, in places, in a upward moving direction. I find that this is almost ATG but the slicing motion (carefuly done, of course...) is an improvement on my XTG pass and makes the ATG, for me, redundant...

Being not able to do a ATG pass, I also do the XTG pass fpessanha describes.
It works well by not going completely against the grain, thus saving us from the discomfort of a full ATG pass.

I have to adjust my shaving angle against the skin and the angle of my blade through the stroke in order to shave against the grain. Simply shaving the opposite direction just as I would with the grain results in pain and suffering.

For me, it's almost a completely different shave independent of the other passes I've already made. It requires different prep, different techniques, and sometimes stropping again to bring back that keen edge if my initial stropping that morning proved insufficient for shaving against the grain comfortably. It was a lot of practice for me, and I still have a long way to go shaving my neck against the grain.

So, I keep practicing, experimenting, refining, and discovering in my quest for the both close and comfortable shave that I will call complete

You can also stretch the skin in front of the cutting edge, instead of from behind it. I have found this helps pull the hairs up and makes cutting them a little easier. HOWEVER, stretching in front of the cutting edge is dangerous and may not be for everyone.

Thank you all for responses. I just started a new job so I haven't had a lot of time to invest in shaving. And my face is still scared, luckily not scarred. Since shaving with a straight razor, I have never stretched the skin more than just moving my head or jutting my jaw to stretch the skin without my hands. So I will try stretching the skin with my fingers. Also, about the lather: from other threads, it sounds like people use a thinnner later to be able to see what they're doing, but doesn't that mean less lubrication and more pain? Or is the light touch Sharp&Shiny mentioned light enough to not warrant a need for a lot of soap? I will try different combinations of this stuff and the kind of 3/4 pass fpessanha and Leon mentioned and let you know how it goes. But is sounds like shaving ATG is like everything else and just requires practice and experience. And maybe a high pain tolerance.

Thank you all for all your input,
Joe