Thread: Avoiding Nicks and Cuts

I always put the blade flat against the skin's surface and then I raise the angle ever so slightly. You shouldn't be getting a lot of tug if your blade is sharp. I take it you are using a shavette. Using a shavette with a Feather blade (these are available online and you don't have to break them in half) has been a great learning experience for me in that I became more adept at finding and varying the angle. I have since graduated to my regular straight razor which is another learning curve to get over. Also, don't try to do your entire neck with one long stroke but try a series of very short strokes going over the same place a couple of times but very lightly. On your neck, I use a very light touch so as to avoid razor burn. Also, I don't go beyond three shaves with the Feather blade. Try using baby oil before you lather up.
A little blood (but not a whole lot) is part of it. I sometimes cut myself but most cuts stop bleeding after I finish with a cold water splash. An alum block helps too.
Hope this all helps. I just graduated to a close SR shave with no nicks. It's a great experience. Why do we do it? For me, I like the learning experience and I consider myself a very conservative traditionalist. The old ways are better in most cases and cost less. I want to learn how to hone my razor next.

Thanks Horvath421

I tried again last night with a fresh blade, full prep, really light touch and much smoother strokes and still the same tugs with multiple little weepers

think i'll just ditch the ATG neck pass and stick to my top/bottom > bottom/top XTG pass as that seems to yield almost zero nicks and relatively smooth

just annoys me rubbing my hand up and down my neck its smooth but side to side its rough

It just takes time and experience , your still fairly new, don't worry it'll come , we know it's not the blade, so you need more time with the blade, my beard is very course, but once I really learned how to shave a good edge doesn't pull, and remember to stretch your skin properly. Ntc

would agree with the experience level, i'm only 20 shaves in and only recently went for the AGT neck pass so it is new to me, but baffles me how I can to an AGT pass ont he cheeks no issues but the neck just tuggs

sure i'll get there, but thought worth asking incase im missing something really obvious

Just to throw this out into the mix. Other than quality of the edge, either a straight or a shavette, pre-shave or not or any other considerations (including pressure applied) did you try a cold water shave start to finish. And by cold it can be interpreted as any temp but hot (too hot is truly a detriment). I have found, depending on the weather, from lukewarm to refrigerator cold, almost no irritation and weepers disappear immediately. Worth a thought.

Cold shave?? can see how that would keep pores closed stopping weepers but not how it affects tugging etc?

im guessing you mean using cold water and lather instead of warm water and lather?

Cold water and lather is correct.

As to tugging, in my case, it was a matter of making sure the razor was level was parallel to the floor on down strokes, strange as that may sound. Had no problem in any other direction.

fair enough, will give it a shot

I try to do all passess with the lowest angle i can get, especially anything ATG

Cold water made no difference as soon as i come to a WTG neck pass so left to right horizontally in my case it just sticks/jams/cuts/tugs doesnt matter the angle, stroke length, pressure of grip if tried variations of everything tonight on both sides and my neck just looks messed up

Which is a shame because this will probably lead me to leave the straight edge as a XTG neck pass just doesnt leav it smooth enough or looking good enough for me,

I,m not sure what to say, even if I do a WTG pass I might feel whiskers rubbing ATG. But I sure don't see them,, my razors take it off skin level, So not sure what your doing, what kind of blade are you using in your shavette, this could be the issue also,, some aren't worth the paper they wrap them in,, but to be honest this isn't for everyone, Tc