Thread: Shaving against the grain - ouch

Originally Posted by sensei_kyle

Make sure you are really pulling the skin tight. Use a very light tough -- let the razor do it's thing. Experiment with stretching the skin from behind the razor, as well as in front of the razor. Be careful with the latter, because if you slip nothing good will happen.

Stretching from behind the razor when cutting against the grain can cause trouble. Since the whiskers are leaning towards the razor, the stretch is pulling the whiskers down, against the skin. So, if you're able to get under them, the strectch is pulling against the razor. On the other hand, if you're pulling from in front of the razor, you're making the whiskers stand up and you will be able to cut them more easily, at the risk of injuring your finger.

When stretching you always need to think about the direction of the stretch in relation to whether you're making the whiskers stand up or lie down.

Originally Posted by Joe Lerch

Stretching from behind the razor when cutting against the grain can cause trouble. Since the whiskers are leaning towards the razor, the stretch is pulling the whiskers down, against the skin. So, if you're able to get under them, the strectch is pulling against the razor. On the other hand, if you're pulling from in front of the razor, you're making the whiskers stand up and you will be able to cut them more easily, at the risk of injuring your finger.

When stretching you always need to think about the direction of the stretch in relation to whether you're making the whiskers stand up or lie down.

huh, I'd never have thought of that. good point

Joe is 100% correct in his explanation of proper facial stretching relative to the growth of the beard. Stretching in front of the edge, while shaving against the grain, will provide a closer shave... albeit a little more dangerous if you slip. I prefer this method for against the grain, but I realize it isn't for everyone.

I stretch from behind the growth wherever possible. A very keen razor requires little force so I don't heve a problem with aiming the edge at my hand. Plus, I'm always sliding my hand along in front of the razor on the against pass, so it's very safe. No problems so far.

X

I had this same issue. The razor is not sharp enough. I recently got my SRP razor honed by Lynn, and it worked like a charm against the grain. The razor has to be sharp, sharp, sharp, to work against the grain...

So, this morning i woke up and decided today was going to be the day. Since I last tried, I dropped by xman's place and he helped me hone my blade, as well as improve my stropping technique.

Following a hot shower and a waiting period after I had lathered up my shaving cream, I completed a with-the-grain and cross-grain pass with no problem whatsoever. I tried wetting my face thoroughly and stretching the skin, and gingerly laying the blade against my chinline to shave up; as soon as i tried to draw the blade up, I ecountered extreme friction, as if all the tiny downward-facing hair stumps were trapping the blade against my face.

"Fuck it", I figured it was time to see what a complete shave was like. I only started taking hair out after I changed my mentality.. this was a completely different kind of shaving. I started at 90 degrees ad scraped a bit, then started narrowing the angle of attack. No matter what I tried the incredible friction remained; I tried re-stropping several times and it didn't change much. After much work, I managed to do both cheeks and my lower jaw. I didn't dare go for the neck :P

So I'm sitting here at work 40 minutes later and my face is starting to feel a bit less like a thousand tiny serrated daggers are being plunged into it.

maybe my coarse beard and my sensitive skin are conspiring against me

I don't go against the grain very often. I find one pass with, followed by another with at a steeper blade angle, and finishing with a somewhat aggressive across the grain pass gets me plenty smooth. My skin just won't take against the grain. It does get it a bit closer, but it irritates the hell out of my skin. Not just a str8 either, any type of razor does that to me. Not worth the irritation for me, sort of defeats the purpose of my going to a str8 in the first place.

Jeff

Originally Posted by gegtik

maybe my coarse beard and my sensitive skin are conspiring against me

Probably, but you could try getting the stubble a lot shorter before you try the countergrain pass. Long whiskers draw the blade into the skin. THe undersurface of the whiskers is like a ramp. The harder you push to cut the more the force that applied to the skin. Something has to give- usually your face.

You're doing what I call aggressive shaving. It matters more how aggressive your passes are than how many you do. Think gentle, and don't try to cut down to skin until the stubble is really fine.

Originally Posted by Joe Lerch

Probably, but you could try getting the stubble a lot shorter before you try the countergrain pass. Long whiskers draw the blade into the skin. THe undersurface of the whiskers is like a ramp. The harder you push to cut the more the force that applied to the skin. Something has to give- usually your face.

You're doing what I call aggressive shaving. It matters more how aggressive your passes are than how many you do. Think gentle, and don't try to cut down to skin until the stubble is really fine.

thanks for the suggestion joe.. next time I'm feeling brave (read: masochistic) I'll just try doing several more cross grain passes before taking on the toughest of the tough

Originally Posted by gegtik

thanks for the suggestion joe.. next time I'm feeling brave (read: masochistic) I'll just try doing several more cross grain passes before taking on the toughest of the tough

Or you could try it with the grain gently.