Thread: Jawline

Hey all,

I am pretty new to straight shaving, but I have read a ton of material from this site. No matter how much I read on here I still cannot find a way to closely shave my jawline and just underneath the jaw.
I have a really sharp-edged jaw, and even if I stretch the skin I cannot get it to a place where its flat enough to shave.
As a result, I get a very good shave on my whole face, and then two patches beside my jaw (one on either side) where there is still visibly long hair.

As I said, stretching up or down does not do the trick. Are there any guys like me out there that have a hard time with behind the jaw (below the ear sort of) and under the jaw? If so, can you give me any pointers?

Thanks.

i have a simular problem and a atg pass ever so gently holding the razor with the scales straight in line with the razor like a knife cleans up behind the jaw and the jawline for me . left hand right jaw right hand left jaw . it took a while to get it right. just keep the touch super light. hope this helps

Here's how I do it...

If I'm using a blade that doesn't want to fit into an area that needs to be shaved, ie. the underside of the jaw, I can usually use my middle three fingers and push up toward at the bottom of my jawline and it's usually just enough stretch in order to more the skin from underneath that jaw up onto the cheek.

The second technique I use is to get the heel of your razor into that 'pocket' just under the jaw and more the blade from the chin back toward the ear. I usually do this during the XTG pass as that is the way that the hair grows on my jaw.

The third technique I use in this are is during the ATG pass, I will usually use the 'slicing motion' as described here: File:Slicing motion.jpg - Straight Razor Place Wiki This motion spooks some folks but you can do it with a bit of practice. Usually this move goes from the adam's apple toward the ramus of the jaw and this usually gets the stubborn hair both on the neck as well as directly under the jaw.

With all that told, I can usually get nearly everything during the ATG pass. It took me about six months to get comfortable changing the angle on the blade, but I've learned that I can go from the bottom of the neck all the way up to my eyeball if need be in a single swipe. The key here is practicing changing your blade angle to fit your face while you're in motion on your upward swipe.

Under the ear behind the jaw I pull from below the razor lower on my neck and flatten the area as best I can while simultaneously craning my head in the opposite direction. Coming from either direction that is the stretch that works for me. YMMV. Takes many shaves to figure out angles of attack for the blade and stretching techniques that will work for your particular map but you'll get them eventually.

I have a technique that works very very well. It makes it soo much easier. I also have a hard jawline and a narrow dome piece so it took me some months to get the jawline down. My right jawline was the hardest and I would always give myself razor burn. Here is what I do and it works very well.

As I am shaving my WTG pass on my RIGHT cheek I will then pull the skin WAY up so that the skin that was on the jawline and just under the jaw will be on the flat surface of my cheek. Now my jawline hair grows towards the back of my jawbone. So what I do is take the downstroke from the cheek and swoop it around in a clockwise motion so that the cutting direction goes ATG on my jawline hairs. This motion is moving the razor towards my chin. You follow me? Now a light touch is key, and watch that angle as you pivot the blade! BTW I shave with my right hand on my right cheek.

Doing this made it soooo much easier on my jawline. I was pretty geeked when I discovered this technique. Try it out!

Try this technique. Donuts. Make sure you add at least twelve donuts to your daily diet. Within three months your Jawline should temper slightly in its pronouncement and you will get sweet shaves like you see in Jockeys videos!

Hello, Old67:

As JimmyHAD and others have pointed out, proper stretching will help you along. Keep trying different angles. You'll get there little by little. Have patience. We've all been through it.

Regards,

Obie

Originally Posted by MykelDR

Try this technique. Donuts. Make sure you add at least twelve donuts to your daily diet. Within three months your Jawline should temper slightly in it pronouncement and you will get sweet shaves like you see in Jockeys videos!

I was just going to stay out of this discussion until I saw this, because my jawline has been repeatedly treated with donuts and pizza. It's really pretty easy to shave now...what a deal.

I find it easier to instead of stretching and turning away from the spot I am trying to shave, I bunch the skin up by twisting towards the spot I am shaving. It is kind of tricky to get the razor into the tight spot that is left, with my head turned towards where I am shaving and my other hand stretching a little, but it makes for a good flat spot to shave. Use a really light touch as the skin is not stretched as taught as it is otherwise but it has never caused me too much trouble. IME it causes far less irritation than trying to shave over the jaw bone, no rigid hard areas, just flat fleshy areas that are easy to get the razor to and keep the correct angle. This works really well on the outer ends of the jaw towards the ear, not so much the closer to your chin you get, but on my jaw the angles are far less pronounced towards the chin than towards my ears and are fairly easy to shave normally traveling over the jawline.

One caveat, I dont do ATG passes so I dont know how the looser skin will react to that pass.

I too have a sharp, Clint Eastwood-like jawline. It took a little time and practice to find it, I've discovered that if turn my head just the right way it makes the very corner of the jaw (near the earlobe so to speak) flatten out enough to get over fairly easily. Maybe it'll work for you too...

1. While keepng your chest and shoulders parallel to the mirror, try turning your head as though to look up at the corner of the room
2. If that alone isn't enough, while still looking up at the corner of the room, drop your ear down toward your shoulder
3. Then, if it's still giving you a little trouble, use your free hand to stretch the skin upward a little while in this position

Good luck and let us know how it goes.