Thread: Firm hand vs. too much pressure

I have been finding that I am shaving exclusively with my 7/8 1/2hollow FBU. I really enjoy the shave. Anyway, we all preach about too much pressure, let the blade work.

Ok so let it work, but can it work with a firm hand or a soft hand. I am not talking a white knuckle grip just a firm hold on the tang. Would this cause too much pressure to be placed on the face?

I don't think a firm hand necessarily means that you will use too much pressure but my concern would be that grip wouldn't have the flexibility to avoid a nick should you come to a sticking point. My sig line below is what I am getting at.

Your sig line is my mantra, I am just finding that with lighter full hollow blades I use a lighter hand but with the larger blades I find a firmer hand to help.

Originally Posted by singlewedge

Your sig line is my mantra, I am just finding that with lighter full hollow blades I use a lighter hand but with the larger blades I find a firmer hand to help.

I know what you mean. It is sort of a varying amount of grip and pressure with me too depending on the particular razor and what part of the face/neck I'm on. I guess we develop a technique that works for us through experience once we find what works to get a clean and smooth shave without irritation.

I usually have a pretty solid grip on the razor while doing my long strokes, and a light grip for touch up strokes. YMMV, but I find that a good grip on those long WTG strokes are good for consistency of angle and pressure.

Jimmy's sig line helped me out a lot when I started so that I didn't hack my face up, but now that I have a more trained hand my technique is coming into its own. With that said, the sig line is still 100% of my routine when going XTG/ATG. These passes are where the majority of my nicks come from, and the light touch helps prevent it.

I apply my golf grip approach. A light grip gives better results because it allows my hands and wrists to follow the contours of my face unincumbered.

grip strenght.

I tell my surgical residents, you need to hold the scalpel firm enought that you don't drop it, but light enough that you can cut through the skin without cutting anything deeper. This is the amount of grip strenght I use.

How much is that. If you hit my hand the scalpel would fall out.
I hold the razor with that amount of strenght

Crom

I like my 7/8's because they are heavy enough to shave down by their own weight and I just keep the angles firmly held. For all my 5/8's and disposable straights which are even lighter, I need to firm up the hold and guide them around.

After using all of them, I don't think it was a big deal for me as I am more interested in how sharp they can get and how much effort it takes to keep them sharp.

Pabster

Gentlemen,

I keep a firm grip on the razor yet light enough so that I maintain flexibility to react. I think JimmyHAD made a similar point earlier.

Also, a tense grip of my hands tends to make the whole shave tense. Obviously I don't want that.

Finally, both my thumbs, particularly the left, need to avoid pressure if I want to continue using the straight razor. Since I shave left and right, I have no choice but to keep the razor grip light.

Regards,

Obie

Originally Posted by cromagnum

I tell my surgical residents, you need to hold the scalpel firm enought that you don't drop it, but light enough that you can cut through the skin without cutting anything deeper.
Crom

Ok...light enough to cut cleanly through the skin, check.


Aside from the cheap laugh, I just wanted to agree with singlewedge. I noticed this very morning that I was gripping my heavy 1/2 hollow blade much tighter than I usually hold my light full-hollow blades. It's super sharp, and I think that I'm afraid that the weight of it alone could cut me if I let it walk on its own.