Thread: anyone shaving "blind"?

After ~4mnths of daily use of a str8, I feel like I've done all I can on the side of my face where my mentally-dominant eye is. Seems a perfect shave nearly every time.

It is the side of my face away from my dominant eye where I have problems. My right-eye dominance is extremely strong: if I hold a thumb at arm's length and align it with a distant telephone pole with both eyes open and then close each eye individually, the pole/thumb relationship practically doesn't move at all with the right eye and drastically moves when only the left's open.

So I don't really shave that side particularly close with any regularity because seeing things is so difficult. This morning I dared shave a stroke jawline-and-above going from earlobe to chin corner basically being blind of the razor, using the sense of touch and hearing to guide things. It was scary and worked well. I'm tempted to try the more complex geometry below the jawline, where only aside/against grain strokes will work and where no matter what I try I just can't get a good enough look at things to be safe.

Do any of ya'll experienced vets shave blind and go by feel w/ the straight?

I think when we are blind another senses picks up.Example i have seen blind person without making any mistakes called all the money which was on his hands just buy touching.if humans can do that i am sure shaving will be walking in the park,

I shave single-handedly with my right hand, and I can see what's the edge doing during my entire shave. I recall having issues with that in the beginning, but it was primarily because the scales blocked my eyesight.
If this is your problem, then you can work around it, by using a few alternative grips, that allow better vision.

In direct answer to your question. My boss and his father, both told me independent of each other, a story about a (great)uncle that shaved with a straight razor, while sitting on a kitchen table, without the use of a mirror. He just went by feel. That man was not blind. I guess, if you're prepared to practice it, shaving at the touch can be learned. Most guys that shave their head with a straight razor, do it at least partially blind.

Bart.

I've tried shaving without a mirror a few times.

It takes me alot longer, but I actually get a really good shave.

Haven't got a nick yet ... well, without a mirror, that is. lol.

I just go by feel and I take my time.

Alot of time.

But, it isnt impossible.

Actually, I was suprised at how easy it really was.

Doing this actually helped me map my facial hair growth.

With my cartridges I shaved "blind" all the time -- in the shower without a mirror -- one hand feeling for whiskers, the other following behind to whack them away.

When I switched to safety razor shaving I never got up the confidence to do the same before I recently switched to straight shaving but I expect I will get to that point someday.

As a matter of fact, my last experience with safety razor shaving was with the GEM 1912 SE razor and I am 99.9% sure I could do that blind. Trouble is, I now use a brush and bowl and that is too much paraphernalia to bring into th shower anyway. Plus I heed the straight razor shaving advice "Never shave naked".

My uncle shaves with a straight and no mirror in the kitchen. So it can be done, but be careful.

It is interesting that you brought this up because I was thinking the same thing a couple of days back. I shave under my jaw line from my ear to under my chin in a kind of curved motion and I can not see the blade on either side. It is the only way that I can get at some of my hair that grows at a weird angle just under my jaw line. I shave the back of my neck buy using a mirror to get it started along the hair line and then go by feel on the down stroke. Shaving ATG on the neck is very easy also but I have to be careful that I do not go to high or I will ruin the straight hairline established with the mirror.


Take Care,
Richard

I will sometimes shave in the shower sans mirror. I tend to use a Shavette for added gripability however. It's not very hard, it just takes practice.

I don't shave blind, but I so use my left hand for the left side of my face, and my right hand for the right side of my face. I'm not too ambidextrous normally but I've always done this from the start with shaving. My right eye is almost useless due to a retinal problem after a fight with an air-hose. But I come out ok.

I'm a right handed shaver with a dominant left eye. I can pretty much see all of it but can also go by feel in the couple of areas that are obscured to me.