Thread: Help needed for a tough angle

I've just started using my straight razor and so far so good. I'm going slow, working on my angles and so far no blood!

I am having trouble figuring out how to get my "with the grain" pass on the left side of my face. I'm right handed and just can't figure out how to get a pass started. I end up shaving straight down, which is perpendicular to my grain. Unfortunately the grain goes from my left ear towards my chin.

Any tips on angles or grips I can try?

thanks

ddv

Teach yourself, very slowly, how to use your non dominant hand. Then you'll not block your vision, and your grip will be easier because you'll be using the left hand for the left side of your face.

It sounds like a PITA, but trust me, it's worth the learning curve.

I can tell you I'm left handed and to do my right side with the grain means shaving straight down. I use my right hand for that. Cross grain for me is from my ear to my mouth and I do that with my left hand usually though I can use either. It's really a very individual thing. You have to initially decide where you have the greatest facility hand wise and then figure how to do the stroke safely. For us southpaws we tend to have better use of our right hands than right-handers do their left hand so it's easier for us.

ddv,
Welcome to the world of straight razor shaving. No blood is indeed, a good start.
Try holding the razor as you see in the pictures.

Thanks all for the tips. I'll give em a try and hopefully something will work.

ddv

Originally Posted by Maxi

Teach yourself, very slowly, how to use your non dominant hand. Then you'll not block your vision, and your grip will be easier because you'll be using the left hand for the left side of your face.
It sounds like a PITA, but trust me, it's worth the learning curve.

Agreed. I tried doing one handed with very weird holds, but really, at the end of the day, I just needed to persevere with training the left hand Rather than trying to stick with the right. However, I DO still use my right hand on my left side for some bits. I'm also learning to utilise the heel of the razor around my beard...

Learning to use the non-dominant hand is key.

Ever since I first started reading posts and looking at photos of razors here, I've wondered about shaving with a Kamisori. Given the way they're ground, does that mean that the same side of the razor is always against your face? And therefore, wouldn't you be shaving with the same hand always (I guess unless you weren't going WTG on one side)? No plans to buy one, just wonodering about the technique to shave with one.