Thread: Moustache area - anyone else find it easiest to use heel area of blade?

Been at this about a month now. I'm learning which grips work best on which areas of my face. I'm using both hands. Right hand for right side with the grain. Left hand for right side against the grain, etc. Just finding what I'm most comfortable with. I've noticed that it seems much easier for me to shave my moustache area if I use the area near the heal of my blade. Anyone else find a preference for heel/toe in certain parts of your face?

Hello,

I don't have a consistent preference for one end of the blade or the other; I shift as necessary. Rather than get really good with my off hand, I've gotten pretty good with odd backhand passes using my dominant hand. Often I use the toe on the left side of my mustache, and sometimes on parts of my chin; it depends on which razor I'm using. If it's a spike point, I do very little with the toe except watch it with trepidation, and wonder why I haven't sold that razor yet.

For folks who are early in their honing practice, the heel is often the best-finished section of the blade, because of uneven pressure on the stones. It might also be better-cared for if your stropping is a little heavy at that end of your strokes. If your preference for the heel is based on it shaving better than the rest of your blade, you should examine your honing/stropping regimens.

If you just like it because it's easier to control, that's cool. We all do what works for us, then maybe later discover something that works a little better. After four years of this, last week I discovered a better way to shave my neck. There is joy in the refinements.

I'm pretty consistent about using the heel when I start the pass down from my sideburns, but about a week ago that meant I lost track of the spike point somewhere just inside my right ear. That led to a slow-healing misfortune, and the start of the Cut of the Day thread. May use the toe there instead, in the future. Again, refinements. Endless refinements.

Best wishes to you

I use the heel of my blades a lot, especially when trimming around my sideburns and goatee.

Another thing to consider is that the heel is the most stable part of the blade, less prone to micro vibration than the toe. So yes, what you are saying makes a lot of sense.

I use the heel some on the 'stache, but often on the concave surfaces next to the jawbone. When I started out, I had trouble w/ flex in a blade, and found the heel was much less flexible - like Ryan said.

Absa-bloody-lutely.

I use only the heel for all around my moustache, soul patch and goatee (all separate 'islands'). At times when I spy the razor's angle around my chin on the boundary of the goatee I'm astonished at the steepness of the angle. It's easy for me to control the heel (instead of dealing with a long pivot point or whatever one may call it) and it's visible in the mirror. I'd like a razor with a REALLY square heel; I've seen some custom one like that but few vintage ones (and I only buy vintage). In fact, I find the toe heavy razor design of the early razors interesting; the ones with the narrow heel, wide toe and no tail. It tells me people back then used a razor differently in the hand than I do now...

Originally Posted by SirErlton

Been at this about a month now. I'm learning which grips work best on which areas of my face. I'm using both hands. Right hand for right side with the grain. Left hand for right side against the grain, etc. Just finding what I'm most comfortable with. I've noticed that it seems much easier for me to shave my moustache area if I use the area near the heal of my blade. Anyone else find a preference for heel/toe in certain parts of your face?

Sounds like you have found your way

I do it quite the other way around.
Especially going ATG on the upper lip, I tend to use only the tip of the blade, while using a scything motion.
Right hand for left side and so forth.
When going ATG on the area just under my nose, I tend to use the middle section of the blade.
A guillotine stroke works best for that little spot on my whiskers.

I guess there are no right or wrong way, just whatever floats YOUR boat

My process is the exact same as Birnandos above.

Oh, are you talking shaving around it or shaving it? Sorry, I was talking shaving around it (edges) :-)

Yes. For example, if I'm holding the razor in my right hand, I'll shave the right corner of my lip with the heel. (the point where my lip meets the corner of my mouth). Opposite for the left side. I tend to get less nicks when I use the heel in hard to get places, especially if I'm using a spike or spanish point.