Thread: Blade Angle

I'm still a bit of a newbie at straights. My shaves are getting better, but I'm still reading and watching pretty much everything I can get my hands on to further refine my skills. In my quest, I came across two pieces of data that I'm either interpreting wrong or just plain having a hard time reconciling.

First, from the SRP ShaveWiki, is the picture below of blade angles for WTG, XTG and ATG passes. According to this, the best angle for an ATG pass is about 5 degrees.

Second is this thread on razor dimensions that, if I read it right, as a byproduct seems to indicate that the angle of a razor from the edge to the spine is around 15 to 17 degrees.

So, if I'm reading both of these right, on an ATG pass, you should actually push the spine into your face a bit? That doesn't sound right. I must have something wrong. Can someone point out what I've missed?

I think the angle is calculated with the edge against the skin and the spine lifted the requisite number of degrees. To be honest I don't pay that much attention to the numbers. I do what feels right and it probably is within the parameters of that Wiki article but I've never really checked it. Do what works IMO.

Do what feels right for you. When I go ATG, its not always at 5%. I think everyone varies a bit based upon what they feel is working for them the best.

Good Luck,

Pabster

That works perfectly. The idea isn't to push the razor spine into your face.

Think of it more like using a more shallow angle. With the grain you need more catch and cutting power, so 30 degrees. Against the grain you have all the closeness and cutting you need, what you lack is smoothness of motion. So, 5 degrees.

Lower angle, better motion. Higher angle, greater cutting power.

30 degrees against the grain is a recipe for irritation.

I'm afraid those angles are two different things: The honing angle describes the edge geometry, and the ATG picture the blade's angle to a surface, namely your face.

If you lay the razor flat on a level surface and you lift the spine (keeping the edge on the surface), the surface, edge and the spine form a triangle. The ?TG picture correspond to the angle of that triangle. 0 degrees means flat on your face.

I adjust the blade angle until I feel the razor start to cut nicely with little or no pressure. I find angle has more to do with which part of my face than which direction the beard is growing.

Originally Posted by welshwizard

I adjust the blade angle until I feel the razor start to cut nicely with little or no pressure.

so do I. And I'm always making slight adjustments throughout the shave to accommodate that feel since the feel changes throughout the shave for who knows how many different reasons