Thread: ATG a No-Go For My Neck

Originally Posted by slipangle

Just to the left and right of my Adam's apple, my hair grows directly toward my earlobes. WTG just doesn't cut it. XTG and ATG in that area are more or less impossible for me to pull off without feeling like I'm about to chop an artery.

A N-S scything pass might do it. N-S should be easy in that area with a round point, the lateral movement should help and reduce the risk of irritation.

Originally Posted by gregs656

A N-S scything pass might do it. N-S should be easy in that area with a round point, the lateral movement should help and reduce the risk of irritation.

I actually have a round point on the way (thanks gugi).

I'm hesitant to try it with my square points, as I'm a new shaver. Perhaps the shave-after-next will be with a round, so I'll get a chance to try that technique.

The hard thing about my neck is that I need to tilt up the chin to stretch the skin properly. As a consequence, I get tendons and muscles sticking out, which makes it hard to get proper contact.

I guess I'll figure it out eventually. Thanks for the advice.

Originally Posted by Ryan82

.... I've come to the conclusion that ATG is a no-go at least for me as my neck just can't hack it. ...

Can't hack it. Heh heh, heh heh, good one. Sounds like your neck really got quite the hacking.

Gotta hate trial-and-error learning sometimes, hey?

Originally Posted by VeeDubb65

One thing I have found useful on my neck, PLEASE BE SUPER CAREFUL IF YOU TRY THIS, is to move the blade at something like a 45 degree angle. Now, I'm not talking about the angle of the blade to your neck, but I mean that the toe would be leading by 45 degrees. It gives the blade a narrower path, and work like a guillotine.

I have been using my DE merkur slant bar for a while and I have discovered that keeping the blade parallel to the floor but moving the blade diagonally down or up gives me the smoothest shave.That and a shave cream/soap combo.I don't know if my method would be a good idea with a straight razor though?I used to get irritation on my neck every time and still not get a smooth shave but I've found that a thick lather and the diagonal movement does the trick every time and no irritation.I'm afraid I still cannot get anywhere near as good a shave with a straight as I can with a DE.

One of the you tube shaving videos discussed "advanced" techiques that included this type of technique, along with the "J stroke" (not for canoeists), and the "rub" technique, which I find useful on the chin where the hair is most dense and hard to get BBS.

Originally Posted by VeeDubb65

To do a "true" ATG pass on my neck, I would need to use a very short blade with a very big smile.

The vintage sheffield MAB razor works for this. It's a 2" long 4/8 at the toe and 5/8 at the heel blade with a slight smile that gets in those tougher spots. It's still tough to do a true against the grain, but it provides for a much truer approach against it than most other straight razors

It's been a while since I've read this old thread of mine and I thought I'd dig it out of the archives. And for a good reason too.

Earlier this week I tempted fate with my neck again. I have tons more experience since the original post (and I was getting great shaves back then too BTW) and I figured what the hell. I just received my new razor, which is top shelf, honed by Lynn so I know it has a decent edge, the usual prep with premium soap, the works. I was getting a great shave from a sharp razor, so I went ATG on one side of my neck (again) just to see what would happen. The result.....

A great shave but with irritation on my neck, on the one side of course. Angle was shallow, as in almost flat, pressure was almost non-existant, and although the blade cut smoothly, and painlessly, irritation was still the result.

Let that be a lesson for you boys and girls. Some peoples' skin just can't take it, no matter what other members may say. Shoot for comfort and be happy with that DFS that you got. And if it looks good just remember that that only you will know it's not BBS all over.....

I cant do an ATG pass at all, it just ruins my face. Some peoples skin is just not up to it, so dont keep going at it hoping it will come right. Down that road lies pain and bloodshed..!

I get a BBS shave with a mixture of WTG and XTG passes, combined with a prep that uses hot towels and some well thought out skin stretching.

You dont need the ATG pass to get BBS, and a master barber at Trumpers actually told me never to do the ATG pass as it damages the skin. Certainly he did not do one when he shaved me, and its still probably the best shave I've ever had..!

I stand corrected, guys. Perhaps it's not for everybody.

But, ATG doesn't ruin my face

Originally Posted by Ryan82

It's been a while since I've read this old thread of mine and I thought I'd dig it out of the archives. And for a good reason too.

Earlier this week I tempted fate with my neck again. I have tons more experience since the original post (and I was getting great shaves back then too BTW) and I figured what the hell. I just received my new razor, which is top shelf, honed by Lynn so I know it has a decent edge, the usual prep with premium soap, the works. I was getting a great shave from a sharp razor, so I went ATG on one side of my neck (again) just to see what would happen. The result.....

A great shave but with irritation on my neck, on the one side of course. Angle was shallow, as in almost flat, pressure was almost non-existant, and although the blade cut smoothly, and painlessly, irritation was still the result.

Let that be a lesson for you boys and girls. Some peoples' skin just can't take it, no matter what other members may say. Shoot for comfort and be happy with that DFS that you got. And if it looks good just remember that that only you will know it's not BBS all over.....

This is a great thread, guys! The neck is a problem area for me too.

Thanks you for sharing your experience, Ryan. I'll keep trying to perfect my technique to get a BBS shave on my neck, but there might come a time when you have to leave well enough alone and realise that BBS on the neck is not for everyone. When I get BBS on the neck with my DE, it always comes with a certain amount of irritation. I will see if this is something a can correct with my straight.