Facial stretching vs hand stretching?

Any thoughts if there is a noticeable difference or are they both required..im 6 months in straight razor shaving and am always open to understanding all that I can and what works/doesnt work for everyone;-)

I watch youtube vids from time to time (alotta repeat vids) and I see hand stretching and some facial stretching (also visa versa)..but I guess it depends on the individual and what works for YOU?


pcdad

I do both,puff up my cheeks and lots of finger stretching after i rub my fingers on the alum block for traction. You get alot closer shave when you stretch for sure!!

I do mostly hand I think but there may be a bit of jaw opening or cheek puffing going on. I'd have to shave to really see. :) I'm also a firm believer in whatever works. I know I stretch my neck and lean my head one way and than the other. I have also learned to stretch in directions that didn't seem to make sense until I started doing them.

i used to be pretty serious with the hand stretching.. but i've gotten kinda lazy lately and i hardly do any stretching at all.. other than some puffing out when i'm shaving my around my mouth. and i definitely stretch my neck out..

i think i like going to dfs instead of bbs.. since i get to shave again sooner.

I use both separately or mixed. :) Usually pull up from the ear going WTG on the cheeks, then the mixture as I get near my mouth.

During my ATG pass I lightly pull with my hand. When I started using a straight, I'd pull just as hard ATG as I do WTG and found that I'd sometimes get irritated. Once I eased up during that pass my shaves got consistently comfortable.

I hand stretch in places where the skin generally has more slack (cheeks, neck) and face stretch in areas where the skin is tighter (chin, upper/lower lip). This is what works for me, as I realize that it will be different for everyone,

I do both. When I was shaving with the newest gadget of the month, face stretching was just something I always did without even thinking. Once I picked up the straight, I added the hand stretching (as instructed by the all powerful Wiki) whilst still doing the funny/weird facial contortions, and I get great shaves.

Shaving in and of itself begets innate habits that develop on their own. Weather you use a DE, straight, or 13.5-bladed contraption, you figure out the best way to do it just by repeating the act itself over months/years. After a certain amount of time, muscle memory takes over and thought sort of goes away to a certain extent.

I became a much better shaver when I resigned myself to this: Zen-Out! Stop thinking and start SHAVING!!!! After all, It aint rocket surgery. Or brain science...whatever.

You nailed it right on the head. Do what feels comfortable and right to you.

Sorry for the rambling drunk post :beer2:.

The "grey" are here would be the perfection of the edge after honing and stropping, as opposed to making a bit of a mess with the sharpening process like most of us...ahem, excuse me....just myself do!:boohoo:If you have the skills of a Lynn, JimmyHAD or equal maestro, then I guess the playing field is level.

Now, I'm relatively new to non-disposable straights, but I've been using this technique for about 10 years with my disposable blade straight razors. Maybe I can get a better shave with the non-disposable "real" ones when my honing skills are perfected, but this is how my routine goes:

I do a bit of a combo myself; I stretch the cheeks from above with my hand, just enough to get the skin below my ears high enough to shave from the cheek line, and make the joker facial stretches for the rest of my face. I only shave WTG, and if I want a bit of a closer shave, then I do some more hand stretching of my skin, but only on the cheeks.

If I shave ATG, then my skin gets too irritated.:tameshigiri: Probably the disposable blades' fault at not being as perfect as the honemeister's edge, or quite possibly just my skin.

Anyone care to comment?

The lotus flower blossoms where the seed falls. Like that? I just made it up now. :D

Whatever works for you. I do both. The facial yoga works best around the jaw line while the hand stretching definitely works better elsewhere, but that just me. YMMV.

I use a hand to stretch when it's helpful, but it's not always helpful. It depends how I'm asking the razor to attack the stubble, where the stubble is located, and what the razor can do :)