Thread: Want advice on scything/guillotine stroke

I have been reading in the wiki about the scything and guillotine stroke. I would like to use these techniques. From what I understand scything is a rotational stroke and guillotine is slicing at a slight angle. Would there be any difference in effectiveness in cutting and closeness of shave?

How much of an angle from perpendicular to the direction of shaving can the edge be, as well the angle of the spine from the skin?

Thanks for advice

I'm a guillotine stroke guy. Same angle of spine to skin more or less but slicing from heel to point, or visa versa, as best I can describe it. Not actually that rad a slice but sort of with that motion.

I have always been a bit confused by the technicalities of the difference between the two "Strokes" I do know that it does work, regardless of what you call it..

The object is to "Slice" through the hair rather then to "Chop" through it...

BTW: A smiling blade always Scythes

I think both strokes are the same,Is a downward sideways sliceing motion,IMO the most efficiant way to cut whiskers.
BUT,is a learning curve of sorts,The timeing of the motion has to be perfect or the blood will flow.
Practice with a butterknife,easy to learn.

Yeah, i find that shaving with a subtle kind of "X-stroke" on your face leads to a much smoother shave I don't know what you would call it either, but you can tell when you are doing something that helps LOL

Some really good descriptions in this thread. http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...t-shaving.html The axe vs saw analogy used in that thread really made it click in my mind.

I guess I make a little more distinction between them. If you think of the actual guillotine the blade came straight down with the edge angled. That angle causes a slicing cut on the whisker, not any side movement of the blade. The scything has a rotational aspect to it and some movement of the blade directionally. Of the two I like the guillotine the best and probably because it's the safest. I use the scything some, mostly on AGT, but some of my most memorable blood letting came from the scything stroke misapplied.

Regards,

Howard

A few years ago there was a big "fight" between the scythers and the guillotine strokers ...... About what to call it. Guy posted a video of someone with a scythe cutting a field of wheat and it went back and forth. I like calling it the guillotine stroke because if you visualize the shape of the guillotine blade edge , and the cut it is making, the stroke is sort of like that AFAIC ,,,,,, Referring to the angle of the edge to the cut .

Scything and guillotine strokes are not only more efficient but are easier on the edge and will lead to better edge longevity. Not to mention a noticeably closer shave

Scything does involve a rotation movement, but it is VERY subtle; too much rotation and you WILL cut yourself.

Gullotine strokes do incorporate an angle (either heel-leading or toe-leading, as has been mentioned), but it should be slight. Think of 20 or so from a horizontal plane

For both strokes the spine should be the same distance from your face as any other stroke: 1-2 spine widths.

I hope this helps.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

A few years ago there was a big "fight" between the scythers and the guillotine strokers ...... About what to call it. Guy posted a video of someone with a scythe cutting a field of wheat and it went back and forth.

Yeah, I remember that one Jimmy. It's the reason why I usually don't wade into the scything discussions to this very day lol