Switching Hands

What's up gang? While I'm waiting for my first razor and my first attempt at SRS I was just wondering how many of you use your dominant hand for the entire shave and how many swap hands for the different sides. I have to admit that I don't do very much of anything that requires co-ordination with my left hand. Everything has always felt "awkward" with it (same as everyone else I assume). So the "thought" of putting a straight razor in it and putting it against my face or cheek quite frankly "Scares the HELL out of me". Half the time when I do things "similar" to this sort of thing my brain seems to scream "are you sure that's how you're supposed to hold that". Or, "you've got to be kidding, you expect to do THAT with your left hand????". I keep thinking about it but it seems from what I've read that you're supposed to change hands. Was it difficult for you to just pick up the razor in your non dominant hand and "go to work"? Just one of those things that makes you want to say "Hmmmmmmmmm". Thanks

I started out shaving dominant hand only and continued with that for over a year. Forum member dannywonderful posted on practicing shaving with a razor in the non dominant hand while watching TV. Trying that enabled me to learn to comfortably shave with either hand. Once I learned to shave with both hands I went back to shaving with the dominant hand and I prefer it. YMMV.

I use a combination of movements, including some use of the left hand. You'll probably get a variety of opinion, but I think it personally comes down to doing what you feel comfortable with...you shouldn't be shaking and sweating uncontrollably putting the edge to your face. It is, afterall, meant to be enjoyable!

I do think it's worth trying to learn and adopt some left hand movement as you become more comfortable, and to that end, there are some great videos out there to get ideas for grip, positioning, etc. BUT, it will always be awkward to start. I liken it to picking up a guitar for the first time. Eventually, with practice, the left hand starts to work for you! The cheek is the easiest. Start there and slowly work into other areas once you build that finger dexterity. But, as others will tell you too, it's fine to shave with just one hand and there are many good videos demonstrating that as well.

I use both hands. When I first started to use my non dominant hand I practiced by brushing my teeth with my non dominant hand.

When I started, I figured that it would be better to shave using both hands. After a brief initial period of getting used to the way a straight shaved, I started incorporating my non-dominant hand more and more.

Tip: practice doing forehand and backhand strokes with each hand. If you get comfortable with them, you'll be able to tackle whatever tricky angle you need to without weird arm contortions.

I started using dominant hand only thinking, what the heck it wont hurt anything it will be fine, untill I started developing some bad habbits with different ways I had to try to shave. For example and people will think I'm crazy, I can't remember where but one place while going XTG to get it right I had to take the razor back to where the spine was at the back of the scales and using thumb and fore finger hold the tip of the blade and shave XTG, deffinatly not good, although it worked I knew it was a bad habbit to start and I'm happy now that I stopped.

What I do and I don't know if other people do it to, but with my right hand going with the grain I'll go WTG on the right side of my face, then the same with my left hand going on the left side of my face, then after I re-lather to go XTG I use my right hand to shave the left side of my face and then my left hand to shave the right side, going up (XTG) its easier for me. To hold the razor with my right hand and shave the right side of my face XTG feels so darn weird the way I have my arm its much easier for me to do opposing side. Now if other people do this I'm not completely sure, makes more sence to me.

I say the first time you shave, take your time and don't get discouraged if you nick yourself. But use both hands so you don't develope habbits. You will get the hang of it, the more you do the technique the better you will get, as the same for everything in life practice makes perfect.

Funny thing, the very first time I shaved with a striaght razor I didn't nick or cut myself at all! Sence then there have been very few bloodless shaves. Although most are from bumps on my face but some are from accidently mishandling the razor.

As I was about to quote untill I relized he posted here, look at JimmyHAD's quote.

"An old barber told me to hold the razor securely but lightly enough so that is if it pulls the razor will flex in your fingers and be less likely to nick. He also told me to never force it if it does pull. Following that advice I have rarely gotten a nick"

Practice this while you shave with your non dominant hand ecspecially, as you probably know if you lurk around here, your razor should never pull.

Hope this helped in anyway!

-Zach

Thanks guys been thinking about this my self while waiting on my razor

As Jimmy said, I manged to train myself to use both hands by holding the razor in my non-dominant hand while I wasn't shaving. I held it and did practice strokes while watching TV, reading, using the PC etc. For my first three weeks I had shaved with my dominant hand only, but as I started to incorporate XTG and ATG passes on various parts of my face, I started to see some limitations in being one handed. I'm glad now I trained myself to use both hands, but after being here a while I've seen enough posts from one handed shavers to know I would have adapted to shaving with one hand eventually.

I set out to use both hands right away and have been comfortable since, for me i can get some angles with my non dominate hand(left) better than my other. JimmyHAD mentioned a post from dannywonderful about practicing,while waiting for my SR i used a butter knife on face to get the feel with my non dominate hand,for me that helped.

I started with my right hand only, then after about a couple of weeks started using my left hand also. I now do three passes, 1) with right hand, right side and left hand left side. 2)right hand full face. 3) left hand full face. If any touch up is needed, it is done with right hand.

:gl:

Lu

I started shaving with both hands right from the getgo....I am left handed but use my right hand for some things like: writing on a blackboard...I started shaving my right cheek, then progressed to the jawbone and neck; in about two weeks, I was shaving regularly with both my hands. Good luck.

I think the degree that one can use the non-dominant hand varies among individuals , some may find it easier the others . I'm right handed so I started shaving with a straight using my right hand , only . When I first heard about shaving with both hands , I thought it was a joke . I thought only a fool would try to use a straight razor with both hands . I soon found out that it wasn't a joke , and that many guys used both hands . So , I decided to give it a try . I started with the easy areas first , and pretty soon I was doing the left side with the left hand , and the right side with the right . I can do many things with my left hand , so I found it pretty easy to learn to shave left handed . Some folks may not find it to be easy .

That's true enough, but I am very, very, right handed. When I first started trying to use my left hand to shave it shook like the Waco Kid's hand in Blazing Saddles. :dropjaw:

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Originally Posted by Rolex1979

Thanks guys been thinking about this my self while waiting on my razor

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Told you we'd be learning together lol. Soon........... very soon now ........ Countdown!!!

As I recall when I first started I used my left hand but soon after began using both which I still do now. I'm glad I did because when I use my Japanese razor using both hands is a must.

It's a little tricky at first, but you get used to it. Muscle memory is your friend. Some guys are perfectly happy shaving with only one hand, though.

I'm predominantly right handed, there are some things I can easily pick up with my left hand that I normally do with my right and some things I can do with my left hand that just feel awkward and strange if I tried it with my right hand.

I was hoping shaving would be easy to learn with my left hand, after I had already learned it with my right. So one day I placed the blade on my left side burn with my left hand and thought well that's as far as this is going to go today and it's been a very slow processes since. After four months of left handed shaving practice, I'm only comfortable WTG on the cheek and side burn, soon I will be adding a part of the neck. At this rate it may be a few years before I will be comfortable using my left hand to shave with.


nate

My beard grows from Adam's apple to ear on my neck. I find it much easier to shave WTG by using my left hand to do under my right jawline and my right hand to do under my left jawline.

I know, seems a bit counterintuitive - almost as thought it would require some contorsion. But it doesn't, and it REALLY made it easier - and greatly reduced irritation - in these areas once I made the discovery.

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Originally Posted by Malacoda

My beard grows from Adam's apple to ear on my neck. I find it much easier to shave WTG by using my left hand to do under my right jawline and my right hand to do under my left jawline.

I know, seems a bit counterintuitive - almost as thought it would require some contorsion. But it doesn't, and it REALLY made it easier - and greatly reduced irritation - in these areas once I made the discovery.

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I do the same except on my second pass (XTG + ATG).

I've tried a few times using my non dominant left hand and both times I cut myself. I do agree it's easier to get at any angle using both hands but for me, I can get a BBS shave with just my right. I tried brushing my teeth with the left hand but it just feels too weird.

I use mostly my right hand, except for one place on the right side of my neck, on the wtg pass. (Hair grows up and towards center.) On the other 2 passes, I just use the right hand. I'm definately not trying to tell anyone how they should shave. It just depends on which way your hair grows, and what you are comfortable with.

I use my dominant hand only, my right.

When I started I tried to use both but I didnt really like the way that felt so I worked out a routine that let me use one hand only.

This also allows me to do an XTG pass on my cheeks right off the bat, which gets me a BBS shave there. So its actually all worked out pretty well..! Hehe!