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I have a dull razor that I'm practicing with until I get my straights honed. I have watched some videos of people shaving with straights and they always stretch the skin on the side of their face and start with the sideburns. When I try to do this in the mirror, the blade blocks my vision of what I should be shaving. How can I rectify this?
i have the same problem.. the important thing is to look straight ahead into the mirror.. not over the razor so you can see the side of your face..
my remedy has been to hold my razor so the tang points behind me.
My solution is to lead with the point so hand and handle is above eyeheight
I've had trouble with that too, almost reverting to DEs to get the sideburns done. Thanks!Quote:
Originally Posted by vthomlinson
Hello, breadsticks:
These gentlemen give sound advice. With your continued practice you will resolve this problem.
The general angle for the razor is about 30 degrees and you should maintain that for the cheeks. Experiment with your viewing angle as you stand before the mirror. Improvise and try different positions that are safe.
Regards,
Obie
Shave off the sideburns and you won't have the problem. Just kidding.
I use my finger trailing the blade as a guide. it works for me.
I think visual contact is preferred, but over-rated. I find that paying attention to the tactile feedback from my face is indispensable. Best example so far have been my well sculpted ears, but this all begins at the sideburn. Cutting sideburns straight is the only angle that requires at lead an initial visual orientation - but that doesn't mean that visual contact has to be present for that entire side of the face or even to get the blade very close to the ear. If you can't see the blade as it approaches the ear - stop paying attention to visual and feel the toe end of the blade as it approaches the ear. Whether careful normal strokes or buffing strokes where the edge doesn't leave the skin on the backstroke, you approach the ear until you feel the rise to the ear. Visual or not, it keeps the ears whole, and gives a new and valuable feedback that keeps you aware of what good and bad cutting feels like. By keeping the tactile sensation in mind, you have added early warning when a stroke is starting to go carnivorous.
One of the videos I saw, the guy laid the blade across the side burn in the position he wanted to cut. Then he angled the blade to a shaving angle. Then he kept the blade still and grabbed the skin above the side burn like you would normally do and stretched the skin. This seemed to give him a really good side burn line and a good start to the shave.
YouTube - Cut-throat Razor shave
I think this guy is incredible. He clearly is taking off a lot of growth, and he appears to be doing it very smoothly. He is able to make a WTG pass and continue it right over the jaw line without a problem. Any other comments on this video, one of my favorites? And, by the way, I'm married!
This will sound weird, but make sure you're keeping both eyes open. I notice that if I squint with one eye, naturally the loss of stereoscopic vision means my hand can block my view. But with both eyes open, I have found I have a position at which I can see what I'm doing just fine.
My first thought was:Quote:
Originally Posted by vthomlinson
. . . How do you not cut your ear off?
But I bet you're using the heel of the blade against the sideburn, not the toe . . . . <g>
I'll have to try that -- thanks!
Charles
I pull the skin up, position the razor and touch my jaw/ear with the point. I'm usually right on the mark or very close to it so reposition if needed then apply the proper angle/pressure and start the shave. I can't see squat when I'm working the sideburns, lol.
I look in the mirror but do a lot of my shaving by touch/habit. As long as you are careful about how you place the blade and never drag it when placing it it is pretty easy to reposition until you have it where you want it.
Thanks for all the great advice. I think the method of placing the razor where it needs to be, then pulling the skin and shaving seems to be what might work for me. I just want to make sure they stay straight.
+1 on the above, these days I go by feel myself. And it is even easier to just close both eyes...But that's my own method and not necessarily for the OP.Quote:
Originally Posted by pinklather
Depends on whch eye is dominant, most people close the non dominant eye when they should really try closing the dominant eye instead. Doesn't always work no matter which eye you shut thoughQuote:
Originally Posted by LawsonStone
That's right, and it was a method I used when I frst started, but having sideburns that end at the top of my ear made for a little contortionist skill, so I dropped it in favour of seeing in my minds eye instead.Quote:
Originally Posted by cpcohen1945
Mick
Being military, I can't have long sideburns so mine end about the middle of my ear. They would be a bit longer, but I had shingles when I was a kid and have a scar that goes straight across the passenger's side sideburn, so hair doesn't grow there.Quote:
Originally Posted by MickR
I can relate to that being an old (due not to age but to many years discharged) soldier myself. I always had the hair 'high and tight' to use the U.S vernacular. Got a goatee/moustache these days (mostly kept neatly trimmed in true military fashion, but not always). Still not a fan of long sideburns though.
Mick