Thread: Dominant Hand

When shaving, which hand do you typically favour?

I'm right-handed, and I'll do the left side of my face entirely with that hand. When it comes time to do the right, I'll do as much of it as I can with the right hand, only using the left here and there. Surprisingly, though, when it comes to my throat, the left hand is much more stable, and I'm comfortable shaving with or against the grain. Not so with the right hand, which stutters and gets caught.

I'm not ambidexterous in most things, but I don't really favor either hand with a str8. My first pass is done N-S with an imaginary line down the center of my face running down the center of my chin and throat. Left hand does left, then right does right. For my crossgrain pass on the cheeks and jaw/chin line, I go from ear to chin using the opposite hands. Left does right, and vice-versa. Never noticed much difference with either hand. I don't go against the grain, but for my final spot touchups, I just use whichever hand seems to be more handy for that spot. I should say, I use whichever hand is in the worse position for pulling the skin tight. That's more the deciding factor in hands for me.

In my life the 5,000 or so disposable shaves were all done with the dominant hand and the left hand always stretched. Consequently my right hand took to the straight very well allowing me to do 3 full passes by my 3rd shave.

In all the 30 or so straight shaves I have done, the first pass down the left side of my face and neck must be the left hand. I just can't reach well enough to feel comfortable with it the other way. I'm still trying to get used to it though. Those are the strokes I pay closest attention to during the shave. I don't care if I do have to use two hands, I still want my great shaves. Musicians' hands should be agile anyhow and I play hockey left handed too.

X

PS Isn't this guy GREAT?

My biggest problem is when I actually set the blade to my face with my off hand. I feel so uncoordinated and it digs a little. So far, I am using one hand with a series of contoritons, but I have only had aobut 40 or so shaves myself. We'll have to see.

Well, I'll tell you I had to think about this because my shaving has become so instinctive I had to figure it out.

I shave the left side (of my face) with the left hand and the right side with the right hand. With the against the grain stroke I switch hands. For my neck I use the left hand for the right side and right hand for the left side. For against the grain on my neck I use the left hand on the right side and vice versa. being left handed has certain advantages. Most of us southpaws are much more ambidexterous then most right handed people.

With the grain, I use my left hand for the left side of my face & neck, right hand for the right side. Against the grain is typically all with the right hand. My fine motor control skills against the grain aren't quite as good as I'd like, but I keep working at it. I usually reverse the above where possible. For my final "picking off the strays" pass, all right hand all the time. The final pass is mostly the chin.

A lot of you seem to use left hand for left side and right hand for the right side. For the most part, I'm the exact opposite. I have no idea how you could shave one side of your face with that side's arm.

I'm still working this out, but what I have found is that when I use my right hand to shave the left side of my face, which is what I have been doing, my right arm blocks my view of what I am doing in the mirror. That is a very discomforting situation when you have a straight razor in your hand, at least at my level of experience.

Yeah, my vision is blocked only when I'm making my initial downward stroke at the base of the sideburn. I have to adjust it so I can see, but it's mostly done by feel. After this, all is fine.

Originally Posted by ajg

when I use my right hand to shave the left side of my face, which is what I have been doing, my right arm blocks my view of what I am doing in the mirror. That is a very discomforting situation when you have a straight razor in your hand, at least at my level of experience.

I am so with you there. I did it once and like Blade Weilder says it was done by feel and no problems occured, but boy oh boy did it feel uncomfortable not seeing anything.

Blade Weilder; try taking the razor in your right hand and put the toe toward your ear and the tang toward your nose. That's edge down and it's how the sideburns and cheek are generally approached.

X