I read the shave wiki; I read hundreds of posts; I watched the videos. But a lesson really took hold during this morning's shave.
From the Library: "The easiest way to move a razor over the skin, is to guide it in a direction, perpendicular to the edge. As a result the razor “chops” the hairs, much like an axe chops a young branch off a tree, with one blow. Out of a physical viewpoint this way of severing something requires the most force and is the hardest on the cutting edge. By adding a slight rotating motion to the blade, the cutting action becomes more effective. For ages, farmers have been harvesting wheat with this very effective style of cutting with a tool called scythe. Adding a little scything style to the razor will allow a smoother cut, helps the longevity of the edge, prevents pull, helps to prevent the blade form being stopped by stubborn whiskers, and might do more for your shaves’ closeness than boosting the actual keenness of the blade. A word of caution: scything in combination with a too steep cutting angle, is a perfect recipe for slicing into the skin."
I consciously focused on scything and what a difference it made. The passes felt smoother, cleaner, more fluid and efficient. The motion helped with some of my problem areas, around the Adam's apple, and under the chin. I didn't use too much lateral motion, but allowed just my thinking about it to ease the blade slightly. It even helped, though it was much trickier, ATG and XTG. I still have to do a little clean up with my cartridge razor, but this was my closest to complete shave yet.
Cheers,
Jack
P.S.: Razor: Mastro Livi New Grind, Bois de Rose scales (honed on Yaginoshima J-Nat, stropped on 2" wide steer hide); Prep: Hot Shower, Truefitt & Hill Pre-Shave Oil, Hot towel; Cream: Truefitt & Hill Sandalwood Shave Cream; Brush: Crowely & Toft Silver Tip Badger; After: L'Occitane Cade Juniper Shave Balm.