Still learning after one year...
Today, after one year of straight razor shaving, I made yet another personal discovery leading to further improvement of my shaving results.
I have always been doing ATG passes. During my very first shave, I just couldn't stop after my WTG-pass. Too much fun. And I expected to be nicked, which hadn't happened at that point, so I relathered and continued ATG. Oh yes, I nicked myself then, twice, if I recall.
Stretching the skin, together with a proper shaving angle were the first things I concentrated on.
I always stretched with my hand behind the blade. WTG, pulling the skin up while shaving down. ATG, pulling the skin down, while shaving upwards.
Today, it occured to me that, while going against the grain, pulling the skin down might not be the best approach for me. Although this stretches the skin very well, it does nothing for lifting the hairs up. If I place my hand before the blade, which may sound just a bit awkward, that really sets the hairs upright. So I started going ATG at the top of my cheecks, instead of down at the neck, following the blade working its way down with little upward "scoops" with my strechting hand pulling up the freshly shaved skin.
The difference for my shave is incredible:
1. I have a few spots on my jawline and near the carotid, that previously only got BBS with a smiling blade, in its prime on the honing scale, on a good shaving day. Most of those spots are completely smooth now.
2. The titillating freshness of a close shave lasted 6 hours longer, till the evening, instead of noon.
3. I experienced none of the usual mild irritation by multiple passes over the aforementioned difficult spots.
This technique might be completely obvious for many of you, and completely worthless for others, but for me it has been one of those epiphanies that seem to mark my straight shaving learning curve.
I felt it might be worth mentioning.
Best regards,
Bart.