Thread: Blade Pressure While Shaving

Okay, this might sound dumb but it occured to me this morning that I might be using too much pressure against my skin while shaving, and tried lightening up a bit. Seemed to work much better, still removing stubble while gliding much more comfortably. Kinda had a Homer Simpson moment (DOH!) or that feeling when you've been looking for your sunglasses for the last hour until you finally realize they're sitting above your forehead.

So, what's the general concensus on this? How much pressure do you guys typically use? How does it feel when you use too much? Do you get a closer shave with more or less pressure?

Dan

Less pressure works most of the time, although you MAY need to adjust the pressure for different facial areas. That said, a sharp razor should not require very much pressure at all - either for shaving, or when honing it.

Part of the learning process is to find-out what works best for your own face, its contours and beard makeup.

A truly sharp razor is the key. Too much pressure, and one can get razor burn, or worse, a cut, pretty easily. Too little, and you will glide over some thick hairs without cutting them, or cut them too high off the skin.

A trick for me - that I use now - is when I get to some of the tougher areas where I might be tempted tp press a bit too hard, is to intentionally hold the razor with the lightest possible grip to control it. From that point, the pressure aspect seems very controllable. Still takes some time to adjust to each area, depnding on days of beard growth, hair type, etc.

Now that you have seen some results - explore that!

Best -

Guys here will tell you that they use little or no pressure, but they may not have a recent basis for comparison. I recently started using a str8 after shaving with a DE for a long time (I'm still using a Merkur that was given to me 40 years ago), so I learned pressureless shaving with the DE. If you try it with a regular str8, the razor will not cut. You definitely need to use some pressure, but it's not a lot. Too much pressure can only lea to problems, like razor burn and cuts (not just nicks).

I suggest you try it with no pressure and see for yourself. Then add avery alittle pressure at a time until the razor just starts to cut well. That's where you want to be.

The only str8 I can shave with wothout using pressure is the Feather.

Guys here will also tell you that the angle of the blade should be about 30 degrees. It's to your benefit to minimize that angle. The reason is that the flatter that angle is, the less pressure you'll need to shave and the lower the chance of cutting yourself. With a sharp blade you should be able to use a flatter angle. See what works for you.

Don't overlook a good, flat stretch of the skin you're shaving. That affects pressure too. A sharp blade will cut anything in its path, including bulging skin.

Originally Posted by dschoen

Okay, this might sound dumb but it occured to me this morning that I might be using too much pressure against my skin while shaving, and tried lightening up a bit. Seemed to work much better, still removing stubble while gliding much more comfortably. Kinda had a Homer Simpson moment (DOH!) or that feeling when you've been looking for your sunglasses for the last hour until you finally realize they're sitting above your forehead.

So, what's the general concensus on this? How much pressure do you guys typically use? How does it feel when you use too much? Do you get a closer shave with more or less pressure?

Dan

I don't know Chaaz, I think you mean pressure against the face. If you mean pressure in gripping the razor, I'd be concerned about it moving in a way I didn't want (if it caught something) and cutting me.

Originally Posted by Chaaaz

A trick for me - intentionally hold the razor with the lightest possible grip to control it.

I'm going to side with Chaz on this one. I find that a really light grip forces me to be light (pressure on the skin) with my cutting action.

Regarding a firm grip (and keep in mind I'm a novice). I usually keep a light grip, but have used a firm grip for some going against the grain, but I use my other hand to stretch and brace my shaving forearm against the stretching forearm for stability. I think it's because I have trouble with the off-hand shave, especially against the grain.

[quote="Joe Lerch"]I don't know Chaaz, I think you mean pressure against the face. If you mean pressure in gripping the razor, I'd be concerned about it moving in a way I didn't want (if it caught something) and cutting me.

Joe - I did mean pressure gripping the razor, although I did say you had to have full control of it, so it doesn't inadvertantly move where you don't want it to. I think a heavy grip produces forearm tension - which is a no-no for golfers, drummers, and I think shavers too! that said, each person will eventually find his own comfort zone with both grip, AND blade-to-face pressures. I just think that a death grip on a sharp object is asking for styptic.

I agree. I didn't mean that, just a controlled grip, and so did you, so we're obviously saying the same thing. That controlled grip shouldn't affect how much pressure you're applying, although a hard grip might prevent you from feeling the pressure you're applying.

[quote="Chaaaz"]

Originally Posted by Joe Lerch

I don't know Chaaz, I think you mean pressure against the face. If you mean pressure in gripping the razor, I'd be concerned about it moving in a way I didn't want (if it caught something) and cutting me.

Joe - I did mean pressure gripping the razor, although I did say you had to have full control of it, so it doesn't inadvertantly move where you don't want it to. I think a heavy grip produces forearm tension - which is a no-no for golfers, drummers, and I think shavers too! that said, each person will eventually find his own comfort zone with both grip, AND blade-to-face pressures. I just think that a death grip on a sharp object is asking for styptic.