Thread: So I was chopping up some broccoli, and it got me thinking...

(tl:dr chopping broccoli gave me insights to shaving that drastically improved my technique)

So I was chopping up some broccoli, and it got me thinking, "This reminds me of what is going on with each individual hair while I shave, only on a much larger scale."

Let me backtrack just a minute for some background. I'm quite new to straight razor shaving, just 2 and a half months in. All this time, I've been shaving with very basic strokes. IE keeping my razor completely perpendicular to the direction of movement. I have been working on my technique, but only in lightening the touch, finding new ways to stretch the skin, mapping beard growth so I'm not actually shaving XTG when I am thinking I'm shaving WTG, and playing with razor angles where hair grows out of my face at different angles.

Then came the broccoli.

A few nights ago, while chopping the broccoli, I realized it was similar to straight shaving. I stopped chopping how I normally chop and started chopping how I was shaving. I held the knife horizontally and pushing straight down through the broccoli. This was much more difficult than how I was chopping before, where the tip of the knife is pointed downward between 30-60 degrees, and I also add a slicing motion. This also resulted in a very rough cut on the broccoli.

So then I started playing around with different cuts. First I added a slight angle and cut straight down with no slicing motion. Just the added angle made cutting the broccoli much easier than pushing the knife through horizontally. Adding more angle (still no slicing motion) brought more ease. Then I went back to a shallow angle, and added a slicing motion. Easier still. Steeper angles with slicing motion brought the easiest cuts of all.

Lastly, I held the blade horizontal, and simply sawed through the broccoli. Ultimately, this is an inefficient way to cut as it took more time than using a slicing motion in addition to angle. But, using the saw method I needed the least amount of pressure against the broccoli to make the cut. Of course, I would never shave like this, but interestingly enough this is what led to the fundamental insight that I could correlate to shaving technique.

I realized that the ease and cleanness of the cut was directly related to the ratio between the width of what you are cutting and how much of the blade you use to make the cut.

I have to say this again, because it is really what it all boils down to.
The ease and cleanness of the cut is directly related to the ratio between the width of what you are cutting and how much blade you use to make that cut.

Knife horizontal + no slicing motion = 1:1 ratio Hardest cut
Knife at 45 degree + no slicing motion = 2:1 Easier cut
Knife at 45 degree + slicing motion ~ 4:1 Easiest practical cut
Knife horizontal + saw motion ~100:1 or more Easiest cut, but impractical

*Side note* More accurately, it is the area of the circle you create with the cut in relation to how much blade you use to make that cut, but since the area of the circle you make with the cut is determined by the radius, relating the length of the blade used to the width of what you are cutting (technically the diameter) still works. This just means that things don't scale on an even line, since area will increase at a greater rate than diameter. *end note*

I realized that by moving my razor perpendicular to the edge meant that I had been shaving using a 1:1 ratio, the least efficient possible. This also created the least clean cut on my broccoli, so I imagine the cut on the hairs is also less than ideal. In addition, this is also the hardest on the knife. The easiest way to cut the broccoli (high angle plus generous slicing motion) would give me a generous blade:hair ratio and would obviously cut the hell out of my face, but I saw that there had to be a good middle ground.

In my minds eye, I saw a spectrum. The spectrum had 1:1 blade:hair ratio on one end, and 100:1 blade:hair ratio on the other. On the 1:1 end you had the most safe, but also the most ineffective way of shaving that is the hardest on the razor and your face. On the 100:1 side you had hair cut with the greatest of ease, as well as your face and was very nice to the razor.

Somewhere on that spectrum, there was a boundary where you would have the smoothest cut possible without cutting your face. This boundary would be the most dangerous shave, as well as the smoothest. Now, real life is not as simple as a graph, so if you were shaving near this boundary, you would likely cross it now and again and give yourself a nasty cut. But, there is another area on this spectrum where you are both shaving in a way that is both smooth, and reasonably low risk.

I recalled reading a part of the shaving wiki that stated slicing motions should be avoided at all costs. But i also recalled an image of a razor being held horizontal to horizon, but instead of moving the razor straight downward (as I had been) they moved the razor at an angle of about 30-40 degrees off perpendicular. In my mind, this would have to involve implementing some sideways motion into my stroke, which I was afraid to do because of the warning on slicing up my face.

But I realized that holding the razor at a 30-40 degree angle off horizontal, and then having a straight downward stroke would NOT introduce a horizontal movement to my stroke (avoiding the "slicing" motion) but still achieve the same thing.

So then of course, after all this thinking, I had to test it out. I had a few days growth, so I hopped to it. Did all my beard prep just the same as ever and made my first few strokes the way I always have, just to get a baseline. Then I ****ed my razor 30 degrees, and did another stroke. OH MY GOD what a difference!!!!!! The cut was soooooo much smoother! The difference was night and day. I can only imagine that this is easier on the razor as well.

So today I check out the wiki, find the section I recalled while working the broccoli, and upon rereading it I remembered on my first time through (before I even had my razor) I was slightly confused. Upon this reading, it all clicked. It basically confirmed what I had discovered on my own, but also included barber illustrations where there is both angle AND slight sideways motion, the same thing I was doing when cutting the broccoli.

So now I have to reread the entire shaving wiki to see what else I'm missing.

Here is the wiki section here: Shaving passes - Straight Razor Place Wiki

End note for beginners:
I would not try this right off the bat. 2.5 months of shaving gave me a comfort and familiarity with my razor that I believe is essential to shaving with this technique. I feel that if I tried this when I was first starting out, I would likely cut myself up pretty good.

Originally Posted by markevens

[I]
End note for beginners:
I would not try this right off the bat. 2.5 months of shaving gave me a comfort and familiarity with my razor that I believe is essential to shaving with this technique. I feel that if I tried this when I was first starting out, I would likely cut myself up pretty good.

Great post, thanks.
The only thing I disagree with is not doing this right off the bat. One may as well learn to do this one time. Learning to use a straight is going to lead to nicks and cuts anyways, (at least in my humble experience) might as well learn to do it right the first time.

Anyways, great post.

There's a lady I know...if I didn't know her, she'd be the lady I didn't know...

(sorry... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1-yWIJi-gg