Thread: Running into bloody problems with 3rd pass ATG

Hello All,

I'm about four weeks into my great adventure of straight razor shaving. I have a couple of razors, but the one I've been shaving with is a nice vintage carbon steel 6/8 that I've honed finely on a Norton wetstone. It's very sharp to the 'thumbnail' test.

I've gotten to the point where I can shave my whole face with the grain without any cuts or nicks. I can usually do a seocnd pass cross-grain without problems.

I have a really thick black beard, however, and I still look shadowy and feel scratchy after all of that. I've now been venturing into a third pass against the grain. The results are pretty amazing - for the first time, my shave on my cheeks feels smoother than it ever has with a Fusion ATG shave.

So, the cheeks are easy, but the line around my jaw is really hard to do ATG. I just can't figure out a comfortable way to hold the razor to make it work. I've found that a technique that works for me in general is to get the razor moving in the direction of the shave before making contact with the skin - thus avoiding the 'first contact' cut. This is much harder when moving around the chin line ATG. The last two shaves, I've ended up putting nasty cuts on my left cheek (I'm right handed) trying to get the lower part of my jaw moving S-N. I look a bit like I've been in a kinfe fight on that side.

I think it's mostly that I can't figure out a great way to grip the razor to go ATG on my non-dominant side. I'm hesitant about using my left hand to do such a delicate job, and it's awkward to try to come 'under' with my right hand.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Matthew

Welcome to SRP Matthew. I also shave with my right hand. When I go south to north on my second pass (I only do two passes) I have the blade and scales in a straight line. IOW, all the way open and not bent. Kind of like a Japanese style razor if you know what I mean. If you haven't checked it out the SRP Wiki here has shaving and honing tutorials that would be of great benefit for you to take a look at. There are videos here as well. Read my sig line at the bottom. It has worked for me to avoid nicks and cuts 99% of the time.

Matt, I was having trouble trying to shave with one hand so I decided early on I was going to learn to shave my left side with left hand and right side with right hand. It took me a minute and it was slow but it really wasnt that hard to learn. Now I cannot shave with just my right hand anymore. I was 4 weeks into straight shaving before I decided to make the transition , it really helped me.

Matt also as Jimmy suggested take the advise of his sig line, it was one of the first sigs I read when I joined this forum a few months ago and I have still yet to even nick myself.

Have you tried stretching the skin sufficiently so you don't actually shave the hair that normally sits on the jawline on the jawline?

I would say go ahead and use the non-dominant hand. It's scary the first time you do it because it feels strange, but you will see the benefits. Myself, I had to use my left hand to go ATG on my right cheek. I just couldn't physically do it with my right. Plus, when I started using the left hand to do the left cheek for the other two passes, it made them less awkward, too.

Also, the advice about a light grip and light pressure is priceless. My left hand naturally applies a lighter pressure, and that's a big help.

And after following the advice about moving the jawline skin off the jawline, my shave improved there.

I'd say these guys have definitely given good advice, and following it will definitely improve your shave, too.

Hey everyone,

Thanks a ton for all of the advice. I haven't been able to bring myself to shave again since the bloodbath the other day, but I'll try to keep all of this in mind and get back to you.

Great advise by all. As Greg said while shaving your cheeks pull the skin taught upward then when shaving your neck pull the skin downward and you'll get that jawline on both passes and it will be BBS.

Is your razor pulling when you go ATG on your neck, even though the blade is flat on your skin including the spine? If so this can be a honing or stropping issue.

It was a stropping issue for me when I first started. Once I learned to strop the razor didn't pull atg.

My advice: Don't do ATG, it is not necessary - see my comments under the 'stropping before atg thread'.