Ah! I'm blind! I'm blind!

Sorry for the Cheech and Chong reference, but it seems apt.

I shaved with a straight for many years. More accurately, I used it for "weedeating", as I've always worn a beard. I dropped my Grand-Uncle's straight (you know how the rest of that goes, it hit the faucet), my only straight, and went to multiblades and electrics since there was no Internet and no place locally to buy a new one. So, in part because of this forum, I decided to return to straights again as I remember it fondly.

I can't shave my sideburns, I'm blind! No matter how I position the razor either it or my hand is in the way. I don't remember ever having this problem, but I then had a full chin-strap and not the goatee and mustache I have now. I've twisted and turned and I can't seem to find a way of shaving from sideburn to goatee while seeing what's going on, and I've been shaving blind. That's not a comfortable feeling, and it doesn't often yield a nice crisp lower edge to the (almost non-extant) sideburn.

Now I know that the obvious solution is to switch hands, but like Gallagher often queried "why is it that this (right) hand works just find and the other isn't worth a shit?" Add advanced arthritis to that, and I have only a strong-hand ability. Oh, I can shave, after a fashion, holding the razor in my crampy left hand ... but the result would be a Ume Boll movie without the hot chick.

Is there a way, a hand position, a way of setting the mirror, that will help me around this little inconvenience? I can indeed shave blind (I expect most of us shave the back of our neck that way), but I feel strongly that there's a better idea.

What's the trick, guys?

I too suffer from this issue while shaving my sideburns. I have tried both hands on either side and yet I can't seem to see. I've gone as far as sitting on my sink and aiming the medicine cabinet's mirror towards the sinks forward mirror (this makes my hand-eye very confused).

It sounds like it might be an issue with how you hold the razor (like actual finger positioning not angles of razor on face). I also have a goatee, and I can get it angled right so I can see what I'm doing fairly easily. I can't think of how to explain the way I hold it, but it's the same as most of the videos I've watched, and I would suggest you look at the demo videos here and on youtube for ideas if you haven't already.

The bad left hand does seem like a bit of a problem, because I use my left hand for my left side, and I haven't tried my right hand on that side so I don't know how to make that work. I imagine it can work, but I don't know from experience. Again, videos might help you out there.

I thought about this issue based on others trying to find answers..for me..its all about felling the blade and knowing the blade.."be one with the blade"..Young ShaveHopper!
Also about knowing yer facial angles and the like..it may take some good experimenting but it will go well!...

good Luck!
pcdad (BTW..Happy 4th) :mexwave:

What's the trick? Practice and experience. After doing it for a while you will get a feel for position of the blade even when you can't see the edge. You can also try contorting your head into different positions, as well as your skin stretching hand, to see if that helps.

This isn't really a problem for me at the moment as I currently have long sideburns. They are below my earlobe, so that first stroke is very visible and very easy.

BTW - it's funny that you used that Cheech & Chong reference. About 5 minutes before I typed this I spotted Up in Smoke on t.v. and parked it there. In fact I'm still watching it now, no BS......

I use one hand as well and for the life of me I can't figure out how to explain how I do this. I don't know if you can see it in my videos but that may help a little.

YouTube - 1800's SotD Pt 1

Right about 4:20 I'm doing the cross the eyes rutine.

For your blind side, if it is only on the one side and not both, I would suggest turning the razor so that you have the heel positioned nearest the ear, arm coming up from below the chin. If you have a blide side on both, I would suggest holding the razor with the fingers positioned in the OK symbol to hold the razor on the strong hand side of the face, see above for weak hand side, thus giving you a small peep hole to see through on the strong side.
I am still fairly new to this cut-throat business myself (pun intended) so maybe wait to see if someone calls my ideas sheer madness first. However, it works for me.


Mick