Thread: Neck shaving

The grain of the hair on my neck, under the jaw, is angled from the ear direction to the adam's apple. I am a single right handed shaver (just cant quite get the two handed technique) and can go XTG but cant really do ATG. At the end of the shave I have reduced the beard but dont really have a close shave as I do on my left neck, which has a totally different grain.

Anyone have any tips on how i can get a closer shave?

I hear you. I have the same problem. The right side of my neck the hair grows from ear to adams apple. Left side is ATG. I can get left nice and smooth but right side I get it as close as possible. I, on the other can use both hands, always have been in just about anything I do. But, this is a very strange growth pattern. I almost feel like I need a very, very small (in length) blade just to get to it. I've tried stretching and all different head positions till I end up with a headache... lol just can never get that 1 spot. So I've delt with it. But, yes anyone that has any suggestions on this would be wonderful.

Peace out

I am over a year in shaving with a straight almost daily and my neck still gives me trouble. The issue is the hair usually grows in crazy directions as you describe and the skin is typically looser. The only advice I can give is to find creative ways to stretch the skin so as to raise the hair. I sometimes look like a contortionist while shaving and many times, I give myself a cramp, but making sure the skin is taut is the key.

In order to get close shaves on the neck you need to practice a slicing or scything stroke, this is the stroke straight razors were meant to be used with. Stretch very tight so the hairs stand up, not lay flat, and then slice while you stroke across the grain after the WTG pass.

You shouldn't need ATG to get good shaves, it just takes time.

I have a few spots that are tricky also and just shave WTG for the most part some XTG. On this scything stroke are you shaveing down and across at the same time. I have thought about that but cant get myself to move my razor in a slicing motion. Is there a good video to see this type of stroke.

Glenn C

I don't know much of the shave videos, but a while back I saw a picture where a guy tilted his head forward until his chin was against his chest, then he grabbed the resulting "second chin" in a sort of pinching way that you see many professional barbers stretching. He then lifted his head and the skin from his neck was on his jaw where he was able to move from adams apple to ear. It looked funny and I don't remember where I saw it, but I'll try looking for it tomorrow.

I have a tricky area on the neck and to get it BBS, it does take some stetching and specific strokes to get it. It took a while to figure it out, but got it done.

Pabster

I like to get things BBS, but my neck is an area that I will often leave short (or long?) of that, and it really doesn't bother me later in the day. The whiskers in that area are not as thick or stubbly as they are in the chin area.

My neck has been giving me trouble too, of course.
I think I'm going to skip a day this weekend so I can see the grain easier. That helped me a lot when I was having the same issues with a DE.

The neck gives many many folks trouble. After you've tried all the stretching routines and fancy strokes and angles you might just find you have to live with it. With me I find it's more being able to access certain areas more than growth pattern and some razors that are shorter or have a strong smile enable me to get into those areas better.