Thread: Sideways on the neck

Originally Posted by medicevans

my neck, specifically in the front is giving me problems. It seems to go ATG here I would have to put the razor exactly vertical and go east to west across the area.

Hi,
My neck was a huge problem for me when I was starting out. Basically, my beard under my jawline grows from my left ear down, across under my chin and up toward my right ear. ATG was never a problem with my Gillette Sensor but I couldn't figure out at first how I would ever do an ATG with my straight. Well, the solution was eventually easy, but not until I had incorporated the next two points of advice I'd like to pass on to you:

First, learn to trust your right brain to lead your hands into the correct stroke, the correct angle, and the correct stretch with practically no pressure of the blade against your skin. This is going to take some time, but before long you won't be giving it any conscious thought at all.

Second, learn to use the stroke demonstrated on pp 33 & 34 of the 1961 barbering manual.

By incorporating the two points of advice above into my shaving routine, the solution to shaving my neck ATG just came to me one day. Please understand that this is what works for me. Don't worry about going ATG under your neck yet. Just enjoy your time in the shave den and work on the two points of advice I mention above.

As I mentioned, it just came to me one day while I was pondering my challenging beard growth. I was holding my razor as pictured in Grip 1 but with the heel of the razor at 10:00 and the toe at 4:00. Starting under my right ear, using the stroke described in the 1961 barbering manual, I was able to go ATG (with zero pulling and zero razor burn) from my right ear, all the way down under my chin past the midline of my face. Keep in mind, though, my actual stroke is a bit more complicated than described. Hold a butter knife to an orange and see how wide a path you're going to shave -- using almost no pressure at all. Exactly what do I do? Don't worry about it. Just follow the two points of advice I offered above and it will come to you when you are ready. Count on it.

Off the point -- the first time I tried the above stroke (and I really felt confident about it) I discovered that my right hand and forearm completely blocked my view of the mirror. So what did I do? I closed my eyes and continued "by feel." That's why I say don't worry about this just yet. When you're ready, your right brain will lead your hands into the correct stroke, angle and stretch and you'll feel completely confident completing it.

Continuing, going ATG from underneath my chin up toward my left ear, I hold my razor in a manner that's maybe halfway between Grip 7 and Grip 8 as pictured here. Again, think about holding that butter knife against an orange using ALMOST NO PRESSURE AT ALL and you'll understand that my stroke is a bit more complicated than I describe above.

Don't make it a goal to try and copy what I do. I'm just letting you know what I discovered works for me. For now, work on incorporating the two bits of advice I offer above. When you're ready (and you WILL feel confident when you are), trust your right brain to lead your hands into the solution that works for you. It'll come to you; count on it.
Namaste,
Morty -_-