Side Benefit to Light Pressure

Hi Group,

Don't know if anybody else has found this, but I realized this morning that lighter shaving pressure has an unexpected side benefit.

I can feel when I am on the verge of possibly nicking myself BEFORE it actually happens. When my pressure was too heavy, by the time I felt something bad about to happen, it already happened.

So I felt the edge or point about to cut or nick, but because there was no pressure behind it, I felt it in advance and either stopped the stroke, adjusted the angle or whatever else was appropriate.

Anybody else notice this?

David

Now that you mention it I do realize it and it has saved me from many a cut, I just always wondered why it didn't actually cut, is feel it but no blood.

-dan-

An old ironworker friend of mine once told me:

An old barber told me to hold the razor securely but lightly enough so that is if it pulls the razor will flex in your fingers and be less likely to nick. He also told me to never force it if it does pull. Following that advice I have rarely gotten a nick.

Credit to JimmyHAD, of course. :)

Yep. What I also have found is that I'm more likely to overdo the pressure when using my non-dominant hand going ATG, so I watch out for that. Usually, that means I've been applying too much pressure for several strokes and have that "better ease up" moment.

Yes, I've noticed that too. Light pressure also has the advantage not causing the post shave irritation that heavier pressure will leave us with. :)

I also find using light pressure to be exhilirating. Is that weird? The act of deftly skating on the surface of the skin with a blade sharp enough to cut hair is, well, hair raising fun!

Hmm, I always thought you were supposed to use the lightest pressure possible when you shave. Doesn't more pressure always equal bad outcomes?

Once in a while I feel the edge or the razor dig in to my skin. I back off & take a look & see nothing (thank god !)

I've cut myself twice since I started shaving, in the first few weeks when I didn't have the magic feeling that guides my strokes. I haven't cut or nicked myself (knock on wood) for about 3 months now.

The only pressure I apply is to make sure there is good, even contact of the blade on my face. I've been holding the blade the way JimmyHad says in his signature since I started (thanks a bunch JimmyHad !!!).

If I feel the slightest resistance when shaving, or if I get an uncomfortable feeling (fear, nervousness), I humbly take the blade off my face & start over.

I respect my blade and its ability to make minced meat out of my face, but use it with authority. So far this attitude seems to be paying off.

David - I have experienced the same thing that you have with light pressure. I do have to focus to keep the pressure light. Sometimes if I allow my mind to drift, even for a few seconds, I catch myself applying more pressure than I should be applying. One other thing I've noticed. When I'm shaving ATG under the chin I get a very comfortable close shave when the pressure is the lightest and I'm taking my time.

For me (following jimmyHAD's sig of course) its not so much how light the pressure it, but how lightly I hold the razor.

When I started, I had an iron grip and I scraped the razor down my face totally perpendicular to the edge. This, of course, led to cutting the heads off every bump and pimple.

Now I hold it gently, and use a guillatine stroke with the lightest possible pressure and the razors cuts so smoothly it's pure joy. With the light pressure, bumps and pimples are scated over instead of cut off.

After re-reading this thread I realized that I had not been lightly holding the razor when shaving. There's a big difference between light pressure and lightly holding the razor. This morning I held the razor lightly and was surprised at how much easier it was for me to shave and there was also very little to no post shave irritation. I also noticed that I shaved slower when lightly holding the razor. I think that this may be because of the heightened awareness that I have to be extra careful due to the change in how I hold the razor.
This site is a great place to learn those little things that can make a big difference.
Thanks, especially to JimmyHad and markevens for their input to this thread.