Thread: Which hand?

Here's an old post by me a few days ago in another thread:

"Muscle memory is huge . practice practice practice. I have just recently started to do more work with my off-hand. Like a baseball player that takes a few practice swings with his bat before the pitch, I do the same with my razor. When I use my off hand, I'll mimic the motion of the stroke Im going to do above the skin first 2-3 times.Then Ill put the blade on the skin and continue. This will help your muscle momory. As you get better your hand will just do what its suppose to"

I have to agree muscle memory is so important. So (and I do suggest like other before do what is natural to you, there is no set in stone way of doing it and many as you've already heard shave their entire face with one hand - Japanese straight razor shaving is the same) if you do want to use both handes I think the advise on using a bread knife or something dull first just to warm up and let your hand get into the groove so to speak is a really good suggestion. Good luck and it sounds like you are alreayd on the way.

Originally Posted by Obie

I am right-handed, but I alternated hands from the first day. My shave guru was Lynn Abrams, who uses both hands. I also liked his style and technique. My own technique evolved from his.

I often wondered if Lynn had something to do with the pursuit and/or obsession over shaving with both hands. I'm in the "do what works for you" camp.

BTW - I shave with both hands, at least in certain spots

I shave one handed,my right.I have learned to be a contortionist I guess.

I'm a newbie and have been straight razor shaving for about a month. I am also right-handed and find it very difficult to do anything with my left (sports, writing, etc). My first couple shaves I tried to keep the razor in my right hand and go over the left side of my face but it came out horribly wrong. Cuts, nicks, inconsistencies in pressure...

I figured that it would be easier to switch to the left hand for the left side of the face and use the same technique, rather than having to learn a new technique and keeping the razor in the right hand. This seems to be working OK.

However, I tend to only use the left hand for the left sideburns, cheek, and neck. The left side of the lip and chin I still do with my right.

Im just gonna quote this if you didnt see it already

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I shave with my dominant ( right) hand and whenever I tried the left I would become discombobulated upon looking in the mirror and trying to work with the thing in my left hand. Then a fellow member (danny wonderful) posted that he practiced shaving left handed while watching TV or at his computer screen. I took a dull razor and tried this .... carefully .... and darned if it didn't make all the difference in the world. With very little practice I found that I could go to the shave (in the mirror) and manipulate the razor with my left or right hand.

Just saw this thread and read through it. You saved me a lot of typing. The Danny Wonderful method really did work for me.

Thanks once again for all the constructive comments. They really do help!
I went back and found the Danny Wonderful method, and a number of similar threads along the way.

In a way, I'm glad is not an easy skill to master.. Facing, and overcoming a new challenge is what life is all about.

Update!

Today's shave, #5, went extremely well! The left hand is coming along a bit, and I got a great shave with no new nicks..
So, while it's premature to declare total victory, I won today's battle!

Basketball, keyboard/piano, violin, hackysack (both legs), guitar. Good to know and good to grow (neurons, that is).

I quickly took to using both hands for str8 shaving as well. In fact, when I experimented with using just one hand (dominant) I found myself having difficulties with getting proper blade placement and comfortable strokes, awkward second-hand stretching too. I'd hate not to use my left hand. In fact, with the ATG pass on my cheek, the most important hand is the left hand because right-to-left is the closest cut, left-to-right is kind of like a WTG for my beard growth pattern. I've taken to using the opposite hand for each side of my face, even as the dicey task of around the mouth. Easy to get close shaves on the upper lip when using the opposite hand and going in diagonally WTG in towards the center (philtrum). For my face I basically use the non-dominant hand about two-thirds of the shave so really have no choice in the matter.

The suggestion to brush teeth, open doors, etc. is right on. I see it as investing in more than simply cleaning your face of those pesky whiskers. It's like people who learn more than one language, or older people who actively engage their minds in puzzles and/or keep challenging themselves and learning new skills, it has a well-known protective effect on senility/dementia. People who've seemed normal, not suffering much cognitive deficit who've had their brains autopsied have shown some curiously strong evidence of alzheimer's, yet didn't exhibit the symptoms.

Like, dudes. Learn it. It's a better shave and a better life.