Thread: Small nicks against the grain

Try to use the shallowest angle possible on your atg and dont force it.

When going from the neck to jawline/chin it is really easy to have a very aggressive angle, IMHO.

Sham - Thank you. I've been giving my face a rest for a couple of days. You are right, if I did not the same weepers came up again. I've also tried to alternate and only do a with the grain pass after I do a shave with a couple of passes. I haven't really been stretching the skin so much with the chin but have just gone through the motions and can see I can do this well the same way I do my neck by pulling the skin down from the bottom of neck / top of chest. opposite my upwards motions. Very good pointer.

Slartibartfast (that is a mouthful of a name!) - I think you are right and that ius my initial reasoning for these weepers, getting the angle right from neck to chin I think is a tricky. I need to keep an eye out and pay special attention to this. Thanks!

scything motion is very helpful. When using ATG pass (Which some guys don't even need to do because they're very experienced), make sure your blade is flat on your skin. Later on you can add an angle to get more hair as you learn how to ease pressure on the razor.

What was your razor honed on? I am sure you bought it shave ready from someone else so you can ask them. Some finishing hones may work for others but not for you. Everything is preference in this art.

Disburden - That is interesting about certain finishing hones working for some people and not for others. I shaved again this morning everyone and much better. Still only a couple of weepers chin area. i thnik paying closer attention to the slightest angle possible using a scything (guillotine ?) motion helped as well as keeping skin more taut than usual. I am getting the feeling that I cabn remedy it with technique but yes still a couple on chin area. Thanks everyone for your help.

I have tough whiskers and until I got my honing technique perfected I couldn't shave "up" against the grain on my chin. The strength of my whiskers would drag the blade down into my skin. So the only place I shaved up was on my neck where the angle was easier.

Keeping the angle as flat as possible helps no matter what, and the chin is a challenge because the angle changes so fast. But when I finally was able to make a truly scary-sharp blade, I found I could shave up along my chin at any spot and it was as easy as wiping lather off my fast with a butter knife.

So the question I would ask is, have you got a backside of your strop treated with at least half-micron diamond or chrome oxide for refreshing the edge of you blade? Personally, I can't get that buttery-smooth shave without the use of my balsa lapping blocks as well as my good latigo leather.

Originally Posted by Desdinova

Just on a whim, use your old soap for a week and see if the nicks go away.

Maybe the new one is more slick or less slick or whatever.

+1
Yes, isolate and retest the change.

Soaps and other stuff used yesterday can
wreck todays shave so you will notice it
tomorrow.

I have a tender face that reacts to some fragrances
and products. These products give me small almost unseen
bumps/rash. I notice them the next day when they get attacked
by a razor, especially if my lather is not 100%...
or the edge is not up to snuff.

A week is about the right time....