How to get neck BBS with a straight razor?

[BGAndrea]

Hello,
I have been using a Shavette for a few weeks now in combination with a Merkur Futur. Slowly, I have been able to cover more and more with the straight and just use the Futur for touch-ups. I am having problems with 2 areas: my chin and my neck. My chin really isn't a problem, I just have a tendency to go right at my chin with the blade at a 90 degree angle and this gave me a slight cut the other day. I really need to focus on blade angle in this area. My neck is the real challenge. I do one pass straight down then relather and another straight up. However, in order to get my chin BBS, I need to do a sideways pass. How do I do this with a straight? It seems like the blade is too big. What I have been doing is shaving the best I can with the straight, then hopping in the shower with my Futur and finishing up that way. I would really like to avoide having to do this. Thanks!

[MrWalker35]

+1
Same problem here. Im a beginner and although i feel that everytime it gets easier and smoother the neck still is problem. (ill just done this with straights for 3weeks) after 1 pass down and 1up it still needs more. And going sideways seems hard/dangerous??

Also, atleast in my face, the streching of the skin seems to be extreamly important in the neck area.

[Hillie]

I'm actually having issues getting BBS on the neck with a safety where it works quite well with the straight. What works quite well for me is having the blade not going fully perpendicular compared to the edge when taking it over the skin. With good technique (angle!) you'll be able to get a great result.

Also, don't hesitate to grab a flab of neckskin and pull it taught, almost like a strop. Even young guys like myself without any excess stuff flabbing about the place can grab the neck quite well. Pulling up on the cheeks can help as well, there are many options. Most important: Feel how the hair grows (different for everybody) and put a battleplan together. Since doing that, I need far less passes to get to BBS(-ish) shaves.

[Stubear]

As Hillie says, its all down to the stretching and mapping the way your hair grows. It took me months to work this out and to get a BBS shave on my neck.

The cheeks are definately the easy bit! The hair tends to grow in the same direction and its pretty flat.

I mapped the hair growth on my neck and then pulled the skin the other way to make the hair stand up. Then shave with a light touch and make multiple passes if you have to, rather than using loads of pressure and speed.

Annoying as it is, its one of those things that will vary from person to person, depending on how your stubble grows..!

Good luck!

[Slartibartfast]

I use what i guess is a "Scything" stroke ATG on the neck.

Check out the video jockeys made here:
YouTube - Straight Shaving Tutorial v3.0 Part 2

[BingoBango]

OK fellow newbies, I think I understand what the trouble is for you guys - that is, I think you have the same "face map" as me. Jockeys' videos are awesome so you'll have to watch those first. My little advice is only for how to fit the razor vertically under your chin.

I cannot get BBS - or even super smooth - without going right to left on my neck, the hair literally grows sideways from my jawline down to about 1/4" above the hair line. This is a strategy I use to make flat surfaces on my neck. Keep in mind that you will be placing the razor very close to your jugular and using the whole blade - if you mess up you will be in a lot of trouble. Attempt at your own risk!

First, lift your chin all the way up and stretch your shoulders down. For me this tightens the skin plenty, but I still cross my left arm over my chest and pull away from the Adam's Apple. Using the entire blade, I start at the right-most hairline and go towards the left with extremely light pressure following the natural line of the "under jaw." (This is easy to find if you look straight at the mirror - it's where the vertical neck area meets the underside of your jaw. The "under jaw" is that football shaped area above the neck and below the chin/jawline. For bigger dudes - you might call it your "second chin". ) The most important thing here: don't cross that line! Don't straddle the line with your blade or try to sweep up the curve, just leave it! The straight razor will not bend to curves. Sometimes I find myself using the toe-half of the razor most for this.

After going right-to-left in the same manner across the "vertical neck" I will have a line in the shave cream that matches the natural curve where my under jaw and neck meet. To get the under jaw, I lift my chin and stretch my shoulder the same, but this time I place the razor with the heel at the bottom of the "cream line" I just formed. Be careful - the toe will extend past your chin! Stretching with my left hand crossed over my chest and placed on the freshly shaved area, I will use the same right-to-left, ultra-light stroke on this area. Once done, I will have a cream-free (and hopefully whisker-free) under jaw. There may still be a "chin strap" covering the point of my chin, and I use the same general technique here without lifting my chin and stretching with a funny face.

If your hair grows left-to-right, reverse the shave direction and either use your other hand or reverse grip. Everything else would probably be the same. Also, because this it an ATG pass, you will need to shallow up the angle of the razor by bringing the spine closer to the skin. Going ATG on this sensitive area is asking for razor burn, so go extra gentle with lots of good shave cream.

I hope this helps! Good luck and let us know if it worked.

[thebigspendur]

The big problem for many is that if you have a neck that is deeply contoured and narrow and the grain requires a sideways stroke it can be very challenging. You can do all kinds of stretching and do scything motions and all kinds of angles and that will help most but for many it simply won't. I have that issue and if I use a razor with a heavy smile or a Japanese straight I can get BBS on my neck otherwise I don't. I still get a great shave though and don't worry about it anymore.

So how did barbers in the old days do it? I don't know but I imagine shaving another is different enough that you can manipulate the neck differently and use other strokes.

[BingoBango]

In response to Big Spender - I also have a angular neck and face. My Adam's Apple is also pretty big and bumpy. I think having a little more muscle or fat would certainly make things easier. That was the point of my earlier post - or at least what I was trying to make a point of - if there are curves or dimples or big adam's apples, you need to stretch and find the flat facets. Going in and over curves makes the whole process harder. If you're shaving perpendicular to a curve, the razor won't get in there.

I do agree that what works for me won't work for everyone. It's just my two cents and hopefully someone out there might get some use out of it.

[Pabster]

Jockey's video does a good job explaining the neck area. I integrate those movements in my first two passes.

I usually need a third pass to get the neck near the adams apple super BBS and it is a downward stroke with a stepper angle than what is shown on the video, plus I pitch the blade a little differently. You will find what works best for you trial and concentration.

BBS - rubbing wtg or xtg - very smooth
Super BBS rubbing wtg, xtg, atg, - very smooth

Good Stuff!

Pabster

[BingoBango]

BBS - rubbing wtg or xtg - very smooth
Super BBS rubbing wtg, xtg, atg, - very smooth

WTG/XTG = Very Smooth = BBS?

I don't consider myself BBS until rubbing ATG has no rough spots.