Thread: advice for a noob....

dedicate a month to not using an ATG at all and see your results. I lost interest on making an ATG pass a few months ago when I decided to try something a friend suggested. I only stretch very tightly and make short scything or slicing strokes on a WTG and XTG pass. I may go wtg, XTG, WTG for a shave but I stopped going ATG and my skin likes it much better. After about a month or so my technique with this way improved and the shaves are pretty damn close to as smooth before I stopped using the ATG. I think that with more fine tuning I will have shaves equal to or better than I used to have.

If you look at old books on technique with a straight it's almost mentioned to not use an ATG pass. There is an istructional video on youtube somewhere that shows a professional barber, using a straight on a customer/other student and explains different strokes plus their effect on the face. He explains and demonstrates how ATG is not recommended for shaving with a straight razor. I always ask someone to take a month not using the ATG pass and using slicing motions instead and report back on the forums but it's not often done since it somewhat asks an experienced shaver to start learning all over again.