Thread: Question about Scything...

I think telling Ace he was wrong about using advanced techniques to save the blade was a little harsh. I mean I think for most people the advanced techniques will come, but sometimes they're just not necessary. Some men are blessed with a beard that gets a DFS or even BBS without scything or buffing or anything.

I say more power to them. If you don't mind doing a little extra honing, so what? I can see how two separate schools of thought can exist for this and both would be right.

Originally Posted by mcgyver74

Thanks guys,

The adams apple I can get, it's the neck hollows that still give me a lot of trouble....

I think most guys that have some angularity to their facial features would agree - always the biggest challenge. Those w/ full faces & no concave surfaces have it easy. Throw aging skin on top of that angularity & you have a challenge. Mostly, rather than taking the blade to the stubble, I try to make the stubble accessible to the blade via the stretch. Its still very much a challenge.

For new guys, it was very helpful to hear the experienced guys talk about what still remains difficult or impossible for them to do. One thread had pages of posts of experienced guys that still used a de or disposable to hit their 'problem' areas. I valued their honesty so I wasn't chasing the impossible. The problem areas get better, but very slowly.

I don't want new guys getting discouraged or feeling clumsy or dumb 'cause they think everyone else has this licked and they're the only ones who don't. That's why for now, true BBS, for me, is an impossible illusion. I'd spend 80% more time shaving if I still chased it over something between DFS and BBS. The shaves are wonderful. Savor that. The rest will come.

I enjoy the shaves very much actually Right now for me, I can get close to BBS with the SR, but I need to use the DE to touch up 2 VERY small spots on my neck, once I do that I am BBS

Originally Posted by markdfhr

I think telling Ace he was wrong about using advanced techniques to save the blade was a little harsh. I mean I think for most people the advanced techniques will come, but sometimes they're just not necessary. Some men are blessed with a beard that gets a DFS or even BBS without scything or buffing or anything.

I say more power to them. If you don't mind doing a little extra honing, so what? I can see how two separate schools of thought can exist for this and both would be right.

Perhaps, but that was not the intention. And I personally don't care whether someone employs the scything stroke or not. What I do care about is clearing up factual errors, especially if impressionable newbies are reading and getting conflicting information. You think I'm bad, you should get the scything lecture from Sham, he'll set you straight...

If anyone, especially Ace, took offence then I do apologize.

No apologies necessary. I was attempting to make a point. That point, now perhaps better stated, is that the WTG pass is a beard reduction pass and that scything, while it may remove more whiskers, is still just reducing beard. On the later passes, XTG and ATG, aimed at getting a closer shave, scything can be more beneficial.

As for being more gentle on the blade's edge, I never scythe and can easily get from 40-60 shaves between touch-ups by merely stropping.

In the end, if I have to choose between my blade and my face, I know whose side I'm on.

If that is incorrect, I'm sorry. I've never actually made a mistake. I thought I had made a mistake once, but I was wrong.

As a couple have said, I started doing it without really realising. I mainly use this stroke for ATG on the jaw line, and as described by the OP, pivoting on the heel area...

I also find it most beneficial around the jaw line and chin, although I do it over my entire face. Saving the edge is just a bonus!

Wow, never realized how charged an issue this could be

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

As a couple have said, I started doing it without really realising. I mainly use this stroke for ATG on the jaw line, and as described by the OP, pivoting on the heel area...

Once again things don't come easy to me and straight shaving is one of them. I have had to actively pursue advanced techniques to even approach a DFS on areas of my face, like my chin and under it. Thankfully the wiki addresses this kind of thing in a very helpful way.

I'm still not expert at any of them, but I can apply them enough to where I can get a presentable shave. If anyone needed SRP and this fine community to make this even remotely possible, that man is me.

-Mark

I'm a slow learner too sometimes. I have found that the recommendations given to beginners is a safe starting point but doesn't give the complete story. For instance, I find that the very shallow angle is not very effective unless excessive pressure is used. Otherwise, as Dovo describes in their instructions the whiskers are shredded instead of cleanly cut. This is especially true in the hollow areas of the face and neck. What works very well for me is to use enough angle to feel the razor meet solid resistance from the whiskers. Keeping the edge of the razor just barely in contact with the skin I imagine gliding the razor over the surface, allowing the "butter knife on toast" sound to tell me that the razor is positively removing the whiskers. Doing that I get a very close shave and no razor burn with a single with-the-grain pass. Adapting a quote from hunting writer Robert Ruark, it's important to "use enough angle."