Thread: Pinch & Squeeze (PS) Maneuver

While experimenting to obtain BBS in my difficult areas, I found a method that works for me, and I was curious as whether what I found was common knowledge amongst experienced shavers.

For me, the jaw line and down the entire neck region is difficult to get entirely BBS, no matter what razor I use or how much I stretch skin, ect.

If I pinch and squeeze 1-2 inches of loose skin in this area between my thumb and forefinger, I find that strokes then obtain BBS. Does anyone else do this? Is this just a common practice that I stumbled upon? Thanks.

I dont believe its commom but I have seen it done.

Do you mean you're shaving the skin that is pinched up off your neck or the areas around the pinched skin? I am finding this interesting, since I have the same problem areas.

Yes, shaving the skin that is pinched up. Direction of stroke may vary depending on grain of the area.

Great idea, I have to give this a shot. The whiskers below my jaw line (all the way down to my collar bone, but that's probably TMI. ) all grow from the center out. Hmmm... that's not very clear.... think of it like this... doing a North to South pass, or even a South to North pass on my neck is XTG. To do an ATG pass, I'd have to start back at the ear, and go toward the chin. This is very hard to do with most straights, as the blades are just too long to pull this off. I have to settle for an XTG scything motion, which gets *close* to BBS, not not quite.

I'll give this a shot tomorrow, thanks for the tip!

Hope it helps. Agree that a str8t is difficult to use to pull this off. I often must resort to a double edge or similar to get this done, but that has worked for me.

Sounds interesting. I'll have to give it a go. I wonder if there's more risk of cutting oneself though? Only one way to find out!

Just one thing: if I do this every shave would I end up looking like this?

I would think shaving the pinched areas would prove difficult with a straight and can cause a pretty bad cut. The reason being the skin is no longer flat and is now a raise up piece of flesh being shaved by an incredibly sharp instrument. I will still try it though. What I was doing was shaving around the areas I was pinching up and stretching because the pinch and stretch got the skin tighter.

I agree. The pinched up arears are certainly not flat, and there would be a well founded fear of significant bloodshed. I have not mastered this technique with a straight or even attempted much due to these reasons.

I use this technique during end stage touch-up with a Merkur HD and Feather Hi-Stainless platinum coated blade. Have even done it successfully with a Quatro if push came to shove, G_d forbid.

For me and my beard, it is the only thing I have found to consistently give BBS in these difficult areas.

I don't get how you can do this with a lathered mug. Wouldn't your skin just slide right from your grip? And if you're not lathered, how are you getting proper lubrication for an ATG pass?

I need to be super slick for a good ATG pass or else I get extremely irritated. Maybe that's just me.

Good luck!

Ogie