I am getting alot better but am still not good at going upward or against the grain.It always seems to want to catch or feel like its going to dig in or hang up.What tricks or tips for going against thegrain does anyone have?
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I am getting alot better but am still not good at going upward or against the grain.It always seems to want to catch or feel like its going to dig in or hang up.What tricks or tips for going against thegrain does anyone have?
try stretching the skin while shaving. you may also want to try pre shaving oil or an exfoliant. also try raising the razor a little so its not flat on the skin that sometimes works for me.
I don't shave directly against the grain. I use an angle and shave towards my ear. All depends on the direction your whiskers grow.
+1 on stretching the skin
Also I found this Jockeys video very useful for the neck espescially the opening the razor scales flat for the "diagonal" pass. (Jockeys video part 2)
Shaving Tutorial V3.0 now with closeups - Straight Razor Place Forums
I have had the same problem, here are three things to consider that help me. one- be sure the razor is not "dragging" because it is in need of honing/stropping. if the razor is starting to dull you will feel more resistance than necessary.
two- I found that even when the razor is very sharp I do notice a small amount or resistance and because I am new to the art I feel unconfident. what I did was just assure myself that I am using the right skill and do it anyway. it seemed to work out for me but keep in mind that I am VERY new at this.
Three- I found that my skin not being used to straight shaving tends to create little flakes of skin that catch the razor. basically dry skin that is trying to flake off. if this is the case I would think that proper preperation before shaving might do the trick because fully moistened skin should have less of these problems
last I have found that stretching the skin does help also. good luck and don't give up.
I say this with caution if you're still relatively new to straight shaving, but you might want to look in the wiki at some advanced shaving techniques. The section on buffing is quite handy when going against-the-grain.
Stretching so that you're shaving a series of the flattest plains as possible is important. In general, the spine should be closer to your face than when you go WTG. The lightest of touches is the way forward. Good luck.
This is what works for me, of course, I've only been straight shaving for about 5 months.
I lay the spine of the razor all the way down. The blade is flat on the skin. Then I think about trying to cut the hair as close to the skin as possible with out touching the skin. Almost like the spine is touching and the edge is floating along the skin. My theory is that when I concentrate on this I am using very light pressure. This is when I get the best ATG shaves. I think the key to ATG is even lighter pressure than what I thought light pressure meant. "Light pressure" keeps getting lighter and lighter. Even with this you do still have to gain the confidence to push through the hairs. It does take a little more push. Hairs seem to have more resistance ATG. And even with the light pressure I still have to lay the razor flat.
So #1 lay razor flat and #2 light pressure.
Just what works for me. Hope this helps.
I've started approaching the mustache area ATG but doing so very lightly. I've experienced the same issue with whiskers pulling the blade, usually pulling it downward into the skin. What I've tried is not letting the blade get down on the skin, but, as sgtuskey says, cutting with the blade hovering over the skin and gradually cutting down closer to it. I sometimes have gotten very close without getting to the skin level. It's hard to shed blood if blade never touches skin.
I've found Chimensch's video to be very helpful with ATG technique. you can see it here: http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...ing-video.html
Lots of skin stretching and low blade angle works for me.
Skin stretch is important doing WTG, ATG or XTG. All my ATG and XTG is in small buffing motions, this keeps plenty of soap under the edge. We all know the edge is sharp, instead focus on where the spine of your razor is while shaving WTG, ATG and XTG.
When in doubt always lay the spine against your skin first and adjust to calculate the correct angle. I apply slight pressure to the spine of the razor which cuases the skin to push up in front of the edge while shaving. this pressure on the spine creates a wake or swell effect in front of the edge. Kind of like the prow of a ship cutting through the water.
Go slow with ATG and pick an area you are comfortable with razor hold and angle. Practice the buffing motion and move to other areas once you are more confident. FYI the chin will always be most difficult because of all the angles. Have fun, hope this helps.
Mike ;)
Just keep your razor light in your hand. Don't try to "push" it through. If you need pressure, you're probably about to get a nick. I have not had any problems since the time I started sharpening my razors. I find a really sharp blade is imperative for a close shavel
Hi! From my experience: stretch, oil, check blade. You can always try to moisture the skin/hairs with warm water for 5 minutes before shaving. The soap matters too. All skins are different and you must find your own way! May the force be with you! :-)
I shave ATG every day and am delighted with the results I get. Here's what helps me:
- ATG will fail big-time with a blade that is not well-honed. This needs sharp and smooth.
- Your stropping needs to be right. We underestimate the impact of even slightly improper stropping
- Angle: yep, a very shallow angle, the spine close to the skin
- Watch the grain itself: my whiskers grow at several different angles so "ATG" is not the same direction everywhere. You'll really learn your face doing this.
- Some of my razors need a little stropping between the WTG and ATG passes. Maybe just 15 light laps on the leather strop. If you feel any resistance, give the blade a few laps on leather.
- I lather again for the ATG pass. In fact, I never move my razor over dry skin.
- Don't force. A sharp blade, at the right angle, will cut without needing to be forced.
Have fun!
Its a bit of trial and error. SRP members give good advice and the SRP wiki gives solid advice. Short repeating strokes and never force the action.
You don't necessary need to go ATG, you can always do a near ATG stroke and get great results. Eventually, you will find out what your face will tolerate. Although I achieved BBS results early on as a newbie, my shaving techique still evolved as the time and the amount of strokes to get a BBS shave decreased until I became efficient.
Keep up the effort!
Pabster
I seem to have a different problem then most when it comes to ATG. on my neck I seem to have the grain going left and right not down for most of my neck. this makes shaving agains the grain very difficult due to the fact that I have yet to find a way to make passes ATG in this difficult area. if I were to attempt it I would most likley be placing the ends of the blade at a bad angle to the neck where it curves leaving me with a HUGE potental of cutting skin. any suggestions?
+1- on buffing, but with CAUTION. The skin stretching bit in this tutorial is great, as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by commiecat
Stretching the skin out will help a lot also, you may want to try a second WTG pass (if your skin can handle the extra attention) and then go to a ATG pass.
I've got a section on the right side of my neck that is and will always be a problem no matter what I do. Sometimes I just hit that area with another WTG pass and then go with the ATG to finish everything up.
Anymore, as the years roll on by I find that I'm not really looking for the perfection of BBS all that often.
Ah, the wisdom of experience;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Rusty Shackleford