Thread: Small nicks against the grain

Hello hello friends,

I am getting the hang of things I feel. I take my time and don't rush and am still trying different angles and ways of approaching my shaving. As of late I have been nicking myself against the grain. I know that many do not recommend against the grain but it does work well for me. I think I have tough skin as I have hardly ever felt irritation since I have start. That is apart from a little bit of redness on my lower neck right at the bottom of where my beard starts.

Recently, when I shave against the grain I have been getting very, very tiny nicks. So tiny that they do not persist after I have rinsed. Kinda like just tiny, tiny punctures (that is a bigger word than they are). I wonder is this due to uneven skin or is this because I should be shaving with a much more acute angle (flat to the skin I have been trying to do but perhaps as of late I have been complacent to really enforce this while shaving).

This has also coincided with me taking on my chin against the grain so I think getting the angles here is not that easy. I wanted to post this before I shaved again to get insight from you guys before I try this again. Look forward what you think. Thank you.

check the edge of your blade under bright light.

You may have a small "oops" on the edge.

I checked with a magnifying glass just now. I am not sure what an oops is (I assume a slight serration in the edge) but I could not find anything but a pretty clean line.

Do you use any sort of pre-shave? I can't shave against the grain, but did find that a pre-shave really helped me in being able to go across the grain without the small nicks that we call weepers.

In addition, what sort of strokes do you use ATG? If you're confident in your razor skills then you can look at some advanced shaving techniques, notably the scything and buffing motions.

This is a new problem where you didnt have the problem before.


We need to figure out what has changed in the past few weeks. If there is nothing wrong with the blade as far as nicks, wire edges etc is there anything wrong with your strop? Have you done anything to it to damage it?

Have you changed your stropping style?

New shave cream or soap?

Thanks commiecat, I just checked the wiki. Actually when i go over my chin against the grain I do more a guillotine motion. I say guillotine but it may be scything. The reason I say scything is that is more a diagnol motion as opposed to a diagnol curving motion. This works best over heavy beard on chin and around this area but this is where I have been getting the weepers. While I do go back over the skin that I have shaved atg, I haven't been doing buffing. I don't use a preshave but now will consider getting some to aid. Thank you.

Well I have been stropping many more laps but have checked my edges nder magnifying glass and they are fine. It happens with a variety of different razors (the three I use). i have used a new shaving soap but it is much mroe high quality than any I have used before. I will shave again tonight being especially careful on angle, I may have gotten a little over confident hence the weepers but I'm not sure.

Originally Posted by ganboyi

Well I have been stropping many more laps but have checked my edges nder magnifying glass and they are fine. It happens with a variety of different razors (the three I use). i have used a new shaving soap but it is much mroe high quality than any I have used before. I will shave again tonight being especially careful on angle, I may have gotten a little over confident hence the weepers but I'm not sure.

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.

I will try this. Thanks!

Try do not shave ATG give time to your face to heal.
Then use only wtg and xtg +scything motion(you mention this early). Stretching is very important when you use scything shaving.
See what happens.