Printable View
Hi All,
New to using str8's but i can shave both sides of my face & most of my jaw.
moving onto throat & under the jaw(feels like i've been slapped with a bear claw but i'll get there as my technique improves) but for the life of me i can't even start the razor on my top lip, is there a stroke which is easier than others & i won't even mention my chin i'll save that for the very last.
Thanks for your input.......:matrix:
check out the videos section for coupe de maitre.. or is that right? i'm unsure.. i'll try to find it and link.
Yep,
found it,does he actually keep his razor at 90 deg while he's scooping????, my razor wouldn't budge at that angle,or i should say i wouldn't budge when i felt it tugging & my razor is well sharp.I'm sure its just my technique but a few more close up videos of lip & chin shaving would be appreciated from you seasoned vets(i don't mean anything to do with animals,i know some of you would).
Thanks....:)
Yup, You start with the razor flat up against the bottom of your nose and twist it to an increasing acute angle as you bring it down your upper lip. It's daunting at first, but it's definitely doable. There is a reason it translates to "blow to the head," or something like that.
:beer2:
Coup de maître isn't that hard, really.
As long as you're paying attention to what you are doing there won't be anything to worry about.
Fool's pass is a different story though.
Hi Morty,
I'm fairly new to this myself, and YMMV, but I like to do a really light pass coming in from my cheek/under my eye at first. That makes the Coupe de Maitre a little easier for me.
Good luck and take it easy!
Hey Morty1, you're not alone. The upper lip shave was, and still sometimes is the part of my shave that I must approach with much caution. Buffering Strokes works best for my face, until I shave under my nose. What has worked for me is a steady pressure, steady speed WTG pass. YMMV.
As I became more confident, I started to see an auto reflex of ever so slightly curling my lip up (like a sneer) towards the razor to accompany the downward stroke of the blade. Good Luck.
Now I know why I love having a mustasche!
Yes I have a full mustache too so I've never actually had to do it though I've practiced the stroke many times. It easier if you have a smaller razor. If I had to do it I'd be using that 2/8s I have.
It is probably the most challenging area to shave though and not for beginners. Like has been said you start with the razor up to your nose and flat and it's really kind of an arcing motion kind of like your pushing mashed potatoes out of a deep bowl.
mustasche! mustasche! mustasche! I let mine grow I don't need to try and cut my upper lip off. I've had a mustasche every since I can remember with the exception of 13 weeks of Marine Corps Boot Camp . and I understand that they are no longer allowed to grow them any more.
I would have trouble believing it if I didn't experience it myself. Over time you develop a feel for straight razor shaving and will find yourself being able to do things you couldn't do before. What you see on the videos are people who couldn't do what they're doing when they were beginners.Quote:
Originally Posted by morty1
Sounds to me like you are doing great and you're well on your way to mastering the shaving game. Just keep shaving.
You get used to it pretty quick. It, along with the chin, are probably the hardest parts for a beginner.
The first time I tried coup de maître I removed the majority of a mole on my lip but I haven't nicked it since.
Thanks for all your input guys, much appreciated,i'll try it with less than 1 days growth.maybe that was part of the problem,like i had 2 days growth or am i just rambling????:)
It's just a matter of practice. Eventually it will be no more challenging than shaving your cheeks.
The way I think doing my upper lip is that the angle of the razor is set by my nose. For almost the entire stroke, depending on the size of razor being used, the spine of the razor is touching the underside of my nose. I do two passes like this and then a fools pass.
By the way, the fools pass is the ultimate test of a razors sharpness.
Try not to get too steep with the blade, and use short, light strokes. Also, make like you're trying to wrap your lip around the bottom of your front teeth; really stretch the skin. It's easy once you get the hang of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by morty1
I had lots of problems with my upper lip.
What I do is curl that area down over my teeth, thereby expanding the area. I then do a north to south pass. It'll take practice to figure out the pressure and angle but by curling my lip in such a way, I automatically am stretching the skin while also giving me more area to work with.
Good luck! If my advice doesn't work out, keep experimenting with different facial contortions till you find one that works for you.
Speaking from experience: If you find it hard coming up with new and interesting face contortions, try putting on a set of wool undies :rofl2:Quote:
Originally Posted by gull
How are you avoiding it? Do you use the heal or toe as a baseline and shave around it, or have you found a way to go over it? I ask because I have a couple of those...cough...older guy red dots on my face and I've shave them off a couple times now and they bleed like crazy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Muscles
Regards,
Bodach
Sounds to me like your razor isn't sharp enough. Especially since your 1st post in this thread also mentioned a lot of razor burn under the jaw.Quote:
Originally Posted by morty1
If you bought it from SRD, Vintage Blades, or one of the SRP honemeisters, then try refreshing the edge on a pasted strop. If not, you should probably send it out for honing.
You can also try leading your downstroke with either the heel or toe of the razor so that the edge is slanted like a guillotine (the spine is still 1-2 spine widths from your face). This works well for me on the tough chin wiskers, and allows me to get another few shaves in when the razor is starting to need a touch up.