Thread: How to hold your razor and what hand to use?

So I have been shaving with a straight for almost three months now. I'm holding my razor like recommended and uses my right hand on my right side and vice versa.
It works somewhat ok for my right side just feeling a little awkward but my left side is a pain overall. I'm getting decent or good enough results on the left side and are quite happy with my right side but I do not feel comfortable holding the razor the way I do.

So after the shave I was trying a few different things. I came up with something that seemed like it could work. I hold the razor like I guess you would hold a Kamisori, the scales in line with the blade. I then only use my right hand on both sides of my face. Without actually shaving it seemed to give me much better control and stability, felt more comfortable and didn't obstruct my vision as much.

Is there any one else that shaves like this or is there a reason why you shouldn't?

In the long run you are probably better off to develop your off hand (non-dominant hand) shaving, but there is certainly nothing wrong with what you are describing. If you just can't get comfortable using your left hand don't worry about it. There are lots of experienced shavers that are in the same boat. Use whatever works for you.

Originally Posted by Bill S

In the long run you are probably better off to develop your off hand (non-dominant hand) shaving... <snip>

Why is that? Honest question.

I'm a one hand shaver, and although I tried to use the other hand with a modicum of success, I still prefer to use my strong hand. If there were something that couldn't be done except by doing ambidextrous shaving, I'd say that he - and anyone, me included - would be better off by spending the time to develop the coordination and skill.

But...

When one goes to a professional barber, (s)he does not switch hands to shave the "other" side of your face; rather (s)he uses a different technique to get the job accomplished. It follows that the same applies to the self shaver, doesn't it?

Somehow I find it counter-intuitive that one should put just about the sharpest thing in the house against the face with a spastic non-dominant hand.

The way I hold the razor is not like a kamisori, but rather flip it around and the blade instead of pointing towards my thumb points towards my (folded) pinky, and my middle and index finger will swap places on the tang and tail. Nothing wrong with your idea, and if it works for you... I'd give it a whirl and see what happens.

The key is what works for you. I personally shave with both hands with a traditional hold. Is my way right or wrong? Who cares...it works for me. Experiment and see what works for you. As long as the end result is a good shave, it doesn't matter.

I have always shaved with my right (dominate) hand and have had no issues, it really is what feels best for you. I hold my razor as you describe when I shave upward (chest to head on both my neck and cheeks), my chin and lips It works better if I hold the traditional way in this direction. If you are getting good results that you are happy with it does not matter if you are doing it the "normal" way. My cheeks I shave XTG, XTG, ATG because that gets me where I want to be, it does not matter if it is the normal three pass shave. Enjoy yourself thats why we do this.

I used to hold the same way as the OP, but I found that when I went to my non-dominant side with the dominant hand I got a blind spot when shaving the sideburn area. Also, and maybe because I was a fresh beginner, I felt like I had too much pressure when using dominant hand for non-dominant side. That could just be me imagining things though. That's the only reason why I decided to try the non-dominant hand on like side. Now, I still shave my neck exclusively with the dominant hand. For the neck I use the Kamisori grib that you discuss.

For me, what everyone else has said is true. Do what works for you. I have played guitar for many many years and felt very comfortable and confident with my non-dominant hand. Shaving with a straight got much easier when I gained confidence running the sharp steel across my face. So I would certainly not recommend using a grip that you didn't have confidence with.

Originally Posted by Snake

I'm a one hand shaver, and although I tried to use the other hand with a modicum of success, I still prefer to use my strong hand. If there were something that couldn't be done except by doing ambidextrous shaving, I'd say that he - and anyone, me included - would be better off by spending the time to develop the coordination and skill.

But...

When one goes to a professional barber, (s)he does not switch hands to shave the "other" side of your face; rather (s)he uses a different technique to get the job accomplished. It follows that the same applies to the self shaver, doesn't it?

Somehow I find it counter-intuitive that one should put just about the sharpest thing in the house against the face with a spastic non-dominant hand.

It's not that there is anything you can't do one handed as opposed to two handed. If you don't use both hands you can most certainly shave your whole face and do a fine job. What you can't do is use the same stroke (actually, they're mirror image strokes) on both sides of your face. I like having control of the razor. If you can shave with two hands you can shave with one hand, but the opposite doesn't hold. Not a huge deal, and certainly if you have considerably less control over the off hand then you might want to skip it.

Your barber analogy doesn't really apply. A barber can just walk from one side of the customer in his chair to the other to shave the opposite side. No need to change hands.

As an aside, one of the things I like about shaving with a Kamisori is using one hand with an asymmetrical blade. Kind of spices things up.

There is no "Straight Razor Police" - do what work for you. Many of us recommend having an open mind and try new approaches, that is part of the fun.

I try to use each hand in a different way during each shave. I don't know if I get better shaves that way, but it does offer me new techniques from time to time, and it makes each shave more fun. I'm not in it for the shaves but for the enjoyment.

+1 on the previous posts. Do whatever your comfortable with. Initially, you may feel more comfortable only using your dominant hand. Later, with experience, you may begin to use your non-dominant hand to shave with.

When I first began straight razor shaving, holding the razor in my left hand to shave the left side of my face (I'm right handed) felt terribly awkward. Now it is second nature. I'm equally comfortable now using both my right and left hands to shave with.