Thread: Shaving Accross Neck

IMO, a lot of us might be looking at this in the wrong way.
If you are coming from DE or SE shaving, I think it is important to understand that a straight is NOT a DE. It is much wider, and for most people the typical E/W, usually thought of as a cross grain pass, is not possible on the neck. You are going to have to alter your technique, and toss the idea of a strict E/W pass normally done with a DE. MHO.
They are completely different tools. I've been straight shaving for about 18 months. I do two S/N passes on my neck, and ignore E/W there. Works just fine for me.

I have the same issue described by the OP, and find a N-S, and the some "windshield wiper" strokes work best for me. Essentially, my second pass is diagonal, but more circular, holding the heel end mostly still, and rotating the toe end in a circular motion. It gets a lot of my strays, but I'm not a perfectionist in that area most of the time. I can live with a few "semi-shaved" stragglers.

My two cents are, I have not been doing this very long but I have a big "erics'" apple as I like to call it : ) due to the way my head sits on my shoulders my erics apple sticks out more than most guys and makes shaving my neck a pain. The hair grows more or less all the same direction which is from center out towards the back of my neck. So what I have found works is reaching with the opposite hand of the side you want to shave around the back of the neck and stretch the skin off to the side as best I can. It takes a bit of getting used to but with my SR it is all I have found that works and then from there I can usually get a decent pass N to S. Best of luck gents

Originally Posted by CaliforniaCajun

The following video is what I try to emulate east-west. I've been straight shaving two years and occasionally get all the hair there, but most often close. This guy has used a straight over 30 years and admitted in forum conversation that it wasn't until the last year or two leading up to the video that he conquered the jaw line and other trouble spots.



Note that over time you can reach spots you couldn't reach before. It's just a matter of practice.

That video is great for guys with rounded, fat necks, and chins, but some of us have a more prominent, square jawline, with tendon stretching necks, where we have to take a little more care with speed, pressure, long strokes, and the like, we just have to take more care in what we are doing.

Originally Posted by jic007

well done. I like the way you do across the nick passes. for me I do "the frog face" and do almost true east to west

Across the "NICK" passes, is that a Freudian slip of words?

I'll throw in another word for (what I assume is meant by) guillotine strokes. Simply canting the razor 30-45 degrees while taking N/S strokes can get a different angle on trouble spots. Scything strokes can help too - where the blade is moved in an arc across the skin. As always, be careful with that one. It does take practice. And one thing I haven't seen mentioned here - simply having access to a blade with a different shape can also help immensely. One of the 3 'straights' I own has a smile shape to it, the curved blade works wonders for getting into areas that a straight edge has trouble getting at.

This might help, or not. It helps some guys.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...ml#post1028898