advice for a noob....

**snick** · 03-07-2011, 04:23 AM

Hi all!

I've been lurking for a bit, trying to learn. My first straight razor arrived a week ago, and I've been able to get in 3 shaves since. I'm still a bit nervous, trying to get a good feel for how to hold the razor, depending on the area of face I'm working on. I think I'm doing alright, only a couple of nicks total, and the shaves have been well worth it.

This post is to ask advice for how to do the chin, and just under the jaw line. I've been ok with a WTG pass, mostly, but the ATG pass is kinda rough. The razor kind of seems to want to stutter across the skin. I've been re-lathering between passes. In the end, the area is irritated and I'm mostly smooth. I'm looking to avoid that irritation....and the styptic.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

-snick

PS: shout out to Don and the whole SRD crew. Their customer service is amazing. They had a minor goof with shipping(first order, never know how it'll work out) and they acknowledged and apologized and made it as right as they could all without me complaining! I have already recommended them to others and will order again.

**nun2sharp** · 03-07-2011, 05:04 AM

For the chin and any other area of the face you have to imagine and break the contours down into smaller flat planes, adjust your strokes accordingly. Under the jawline, the best thing that I know of is to use your free hand to pull that area upwards onto the jawline and then shave. I do not do ATG on the neck. I hope this helps, if you have any more questions please ask on the forum or shoot me a PM.

**Disburden** · 03-08-2011, 06:28 PM

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.

**Maxi** · 03-08-2011, 10:08 PM

+1 to nun2sharp. I have to pull my jowls up above my jawline and then I do short and meaningful strokes. I let the skin go, and I'm now about 1" below the jawline, which allows me to make my neck a reasonably flat surface.

I never do ATG on the neck. Too much discomfort. I find that set of W and X passes work extremely well for me. I'll do an ATG pass on my cheeks if the lady and I have fancy dinner plans or such one evening, just so I look nice.

Hope this helps. And I agree with your SRD comments. Those gentlemen have excellent customer service and communication. It's always a pleasure to purchase from them, or shoot them a quick email with a question.

**ace** · 03-08-2011, 11:45 PM

I've recently attempted to minimize the chin and jawline as problem areas by shaving down over the jawline and chin on my WTG passes, going from the cheek and chin/lower lip down and continuing over the jawline/chin area to get as much of the whiskers on that pass as I can. If I do it well, there are not as much chin and jawline whiskers to fight with. I get pretty good results with ATG passes and have been able to work those from the neck up over the jawline and chin to get more of those whiskers so I won't have to "touch up" those areas as much. This has speeded up my shaves because I don't have as much area to fool with as I used to have. I rarely do XTG passes except in touching up the chin area.

I got the idea from this guy's video on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQLgR...eature=related

**Gibbs** · 03-10-2011, 04:24 AM

Kind of looks like he has a shaving scar on his left cheek. But, does an admirable job.

**MaritimeFanatic** · 03-10-2011, 12:39 PM

+1 on all the above. It takes time, but every shave you will improve more and more until you finally find "the touch" that works for you.

**ace** · 03-10-2011, 01:26 PM

For the first time this morning I was able to get the chin shaved the way I have wanted to for weeks. I have been attempting to eliminate it as a problem area by shaving over the chin and jawline on the WTG pass and then shaving over those areas on the ATG pass. I had hoped that I might be able to shave most of it clean so that I would not be left with my usual problem touch-up areas, the chin and jawline. This morning it worked. I had no touching up to do on the jawline and only a tiny bit on the chin. Another benefit was that I was able to cut my actual shaving time to 6:30.

**Durhampiper** · 03-10-2011, 02:58 PM

You might want to take a look at this thread: http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...-neck-xtg.html

There's a helpful diagram at the bottom of the first page in the thread, and some good discussion of technique on the following pages.

Because of whisker growth patterns, I wind up doing three (!) passes on my neck: North--South, South--North, and then SW--NE (left side)/ SE--NW (right side) (directions as I look in the mirror). And on the initial N-S pass, except for going straight down the front of my throat, I generally do like the diagram in the thread I mentioned and go from just under the chin back toward the back of my neck. That makes it a real WTG pass. If I were to shave just straight down from my jaw line there, it would really be XTG.

**bolly** · 03-11-2011, 02:57 AM

Originally Posted by Gibbs

Kind of looks like he has a shaving scar on his left cheek. But, does an admirable job.

you watch so clearly,I also find it.cannt help admiring him

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