Thread: First time against the grain

I am no longer an ATG Virgin. I have been shaving SR style for about 3 weeks now and just went for the larger ares of cheeks ATG. I shaved WTG, then at a very slight XTG and then re-lathered and went for it. I got my right cheek without problems, but the left cheek the blade wanted to skip a little bit. I have trouble with the proper pressure when crossing my face and the left hand feels terrible. Practice makes perfect.

Do you veterans find that you end up shaving twice? I always shave, clean up and then find missed spots so I re-lather and hit the entire face again and end up with a great shave. I usually got WTG on both cases though, I guess it's time to go ATG on that second shave.

Originally Posted by Dirt4dinner

I am no longer an ATG Virgin. I have been shaving SR style for about 3 weeks now and just went for the larger ares of cheeks ATG. I shaved WTG, then at a very slight XTG and then re-lathered and went for it. I got my right cheek without problems, but the left cheek the blade wanted to skip a little bit. I have trouble with the proper pressure when crossing my face and the left hand feels terrible. Practice makes perfect.

Do you veterans find that you end up shaving twice? I always shave, clean up and then find missed spots so I re-lather and hit the entire face again and end up with a great shave. I usually got WTG on both cases though, I guess it's time to go ATG on that second shave.

PERFECT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

SHAVING TWICE IS UP TO YOU. WHATEVER YOUR COMFORTABLE WITH AND WORKS FOR YOU

Originally Posted by Dirt4dinner

Do you veterans find that you end up shaving twice?

No. (Not that I'm a veteran.) Some people do a final touch-up after rinsing off the face and feeling for missed spots. The water and remnants of soap are enough for this phase.

But I wouldn't go to the trouble of mixing up new lather if you've noticed some stubble. In fact I found it very useful in the early days to make a point of accepting that some stubble will remain. It helps you learn where the trouble spots are, and at the next shave you know where to make improvement.

My beard grows downward on my cheeks. What works for me for ATG in that area is to use my opposite hand (right hand for the left cheeck, and left hand for the right cheek). I get a lot more control, and no contorting my body and wrist. YMMV...

Originally Posted by Dirt4dinner

Do you veterans find that you end up shaving twice? I always shave, clean up and then find missed spots so I re-lather and hit the entire face again and end up with a great shave. I usually got WTG on both cases though, I guess it's time to go ATG on that second shave.

No, I am a proponent of the once over shave and believe that this is what we should be striving for. When done correctly, there is no need for additional passes and in fact, additional passes will have no beneficial effects.

Originally Posted by fccexpert

No, I am a proponent of the once over shave and believe that this is what we should be striving for. When done correctly, there is no need for additional passes and in fact, additional passes will have no beneficial effects.

I prefer to aim for the same, yet I noticed some areas get quite a few passes + patch-ups. So as of tomorrow I am starting a testing regime to be very strict on the single pass and to think about the passes I need. In general going ATG works well for me, especially on the "easy" areas (cheeks for me). Now the neck, that'll be a BIG challenge.

Originally Posted by fccexpert

No, I am a proponent of the once over shave and believe that this is what we should be striving for. When done correctly, there is no need for additional passes and in fact, additional passes will have no beneficial effects.

I realize I'm not a seasoned vet, but I'm not sure how you can say "in fact", here. I would say "in fact" ATG will get you closer than WTG. If you run your hand ATG over your face after a WTG shave, you still feel stubble. If you run your hand over again after an ATG shave, the stubble is gone.

I realize some guys choose not to go for BBS, but in my case there's no other way to get it.

Originally Posted by fccexpert

No, I am a proponent of the once over shave and believe that this is what we should be striving for. When done correctly, there is no need for additional passes and in fact, additional passes will have no beneficial effects.

Striving to get a good, presentable shave with
a single WTG pass is a great way to work on
technique and sharpness/maintenance of your
straight.

That being said, some folks will experience
further reduction of the beard by shaving again.
In barbering, this is called a `close shave' and
was often done XTG and with light lather or
water only.

Is your statement based solely on personal
experience shaving your own beard, or do you
have a source that advocates this that you can
direct us to?

- Scott

Originally Posted by fccexpert

No, I am a proponent of the once over shave and believe that this is what we should be striving for. When done correctly, there is no need for additional passes and in fact, additional passes will have no beneficial effects.

You post this with some frequency. I've noticed you say this a few times, and it's always troubled me (and annoyed me to be honest) the way you put it across. I've made a point of saying 'what works for you, might not work for any one else'.

Personally, I do WTG then ATG, and that works for me. If you're doing two WTG passes than that works for you, then keep on rocking.

Originally Posted by Oglethorpe

IIf you run your hand ATG over your face after a WTG shave, you still feel stubble. If you run your hand over again after an ATG shave, the stubble is gone.

This happens not to be the case for me. I have done this test several times with the same results:

1 )There is no stubble WTG, XTG or ATG

2) Additional passes do not increase the smoothness of the shave

3) Additional passes, especially ATG passes, always cause irritation

Keep in mind that a proper once over shave is not the same thing as a single WTG stroke. There are multiple strokes over many areas, and the scything motion insures that the orientation of the edge relative to the direction of hair growth is highly variable both during each stroke as well as from stroke to stroke. Essentially, each stroke is a hybrid of WTG and XTG.

Also, my stretching hand is constantly being adjusted to maximize tension, this means that it is regularly in contact with just shaved portions of my face. This gives constant and immediate feedback as to the quality of the shave; allowing for adjustment and touch-up action in the middle of the pass.