Thread: Avoiding Nicks and Cuts

Originally Posted by MikkoK

I am having trouble shaving my face around and right under the jaw bone. The face seems to curve inward under the jaw bone and I end up not having a smooth shave over there. Any tips?

how are you doing at keeping your skin nice and tight while you are shaving?...for that area, this may be a key component...hope this idea helps...

taking the razor to a knife shop?...I hope he didn't mess it up...get in touch with one of the other guys in here who hone razors professionally...I sharpen most my straights but...I send my newest Boker and my Dovo to Lynn...I'd recommend you go with one of the established gurus in here so that you can get the best idea of what the best honemeisters can do with a blade...they are the best at fixing/restoring razors in general and resetting the bevels on the blades...there's more experience in this chat forum than anyhwere else you can go...

I have yet to use my razor. I just got my first for Christmas, and it was not shave ready. I sent it to Mainaman to have it honed, and I should get it back any time now. I am a bit nervous reading some of these posts, but I am very excited as well.

Originally Posted by JAGNeuse

I have yet to use my razor. I just got my first for Christmas, and it was not shave ready. I sent it to Mainaman to have it honed, and I should get it back any time now. I am a bit nervous reading some of these posts, but I am very excited as well.

It came as second nature to me. If you ever used a Str8 Razr to tape or clean the edges of your beard you should catch on real quick.

Originally Posted by JAGNeuse

I have yet to use my razor. I just got my first for Christmas, and it was not shave ready. I sent it to Mainaman to have it honed, and I should get it back any time now. I am a bit nervous reading some of these posts, but I am very excited as well.

Just go slow,If stefan honed the blade,it will be perfect, you can be assured of that.
Do not strop it,just use it,you have alot to learn.Have fun with your new quest.

Not that I'm an expert...I have about 15 shaves under my belt. Try using alum on your hands and on the face where you're going to place your fingers and just stretch the dickens out of your skin so that the area you wrote of is no longer in the "hollow" of the jawline. Good luck.

Capt. Morgan & Coke? Guess I'm not the only one that likes a nightcap with his shave!

I'm pretty new here and to the sport as well. My best real nick was right at the corner of my mouth on my left side. A week later I thought it was healed enough and snagged it, opening up a real good one! My nicks come from sloppily touching the blade to my face before I'm ready to move. Like it touches skin before I'm ready and Bang, I'm hit. Because of my injury I've head to go VERY slowly around that area, and its taught me the importance of speed, or rather the lack thereof. Around my chin and jaw area just go nice and slow. Deliberate strokes. And I like to get really close to the mirror to see just what those little hairs are doing. This is a great thread. Thanks everyone!

I'm just a beginner but I've found that the first pass is critical, especially as I reduce my angles with each pass, 30, 15, 5. Fail at pass #1 and its hard work avoiding nicks from there. Stretching, sharpness, buffing and a slick lather are also my allies in front of the mirror :-)

Originally Posted by MrShatters

I'm pretty new here and to the sport as well. My best real nick was right at the corner of my mouth on my left side. A week later I thought it was healed enough and snagged it, opening up a real good one! My nicks come from sloppily touching the blade to my face before I'm ready to move. Like it touches skin before I'm ready and Bang, I'm hit. Because of my injury I've head to go VERY slowly around that area, and its taught me the importance of speed, or rather the lack thereof. Around my chin and jaw area just go nice and slow. Deliberate strokes. And I like to get really close to the mirror to see just what those little hairs are doing. This is a great thread. Thanks everyone!

As a welder, I receive more burns from my job than I get nicks from shaving with a straight razor. Some how shaving is much safer than going to work.