Thread: How to shave ATG under the chin / throat area when the grain grows to the side?

Hi

I've now been shaving everyday with my 2 Dovo's for the best part of 6 weeks. I am currently captive on a ship and brought one cartidge razor with me as an emergency backup, but I'm proud to say I've never had any need to get that piece of junk out. All I've done is daily stropping and have not noticed any dip in performance of the edges, apart from when I've not stropped enough.

I don't get that much stubble in 24hours and have skipped WTG pass. So now I start with XTG and 2nd pass of ATG. I would certainly go back to WTG if I left it for more than 24 hours but I'm in such a routine of doing it daily I doubt I will allow that to happen. (it's too addictive)

I have no problems with ATG over the chin area, even the upper lip area (they call this the fools pass) where I use both hands for better control to avoid slipping and cutting my nose!

I can get BBS nearly everywhere with the exception of my throat area. I can shave down and I can shave up, but both passes are effectively XTG as the grain grows from left to right.
I just cant seem to work out how to hold the thing to go ATG under the throat area. Any ideas? Or do I have to accept that this area will always feel slightly stubblely when feeling from right to left?

I do find myself constantly feeling my face.

My beard grows the same way on my neck, so I stretch the skin up toward my jaw. On my throat, I lift my chin as high as I can and then pass the blade at an angle. This usually gets the whiskers pretty well.

Well if you can do ATG on the chin and upper lip you've got me beat. For the neck I found that grabbing the skin and pulling sideways, towards my ear on the right side of the windpipe, helped get the hollow next to the windpipe. Oddly enough pulling the skin to the right on the left side also was the answer for the hollow on the left side. If your problem areas are in a different area of the neck I would say experiment with stretching by pulling in different directions. That is how I've discovered what will be most effective for me. YMMV.

I use diagonal strokes for my neck.

The neck area is many a man's Achilles ...um... heel.

Stretching can help a bit, as can trying to twist the skin while you do it, though this is not always practicable or even possible. The other approach is exactly that: approach. No need to go north/south with the passes in that area - why not try SE to NW passes, or even a little more horizontal: ESE to WNW or vice versa depending on which way the hair grows. Depending on exactly where under the chin you mean, you may even be able to do an E to W or W to E stroke, but perhaps not.

Of course, as long as it is clean shaven the idea of BBS is not always a realistic or even desirable goal. It certainly is nice to feel smooth shaven, but I think it is far better to *look* clean shaven than to *be* clean shaven but splotchy and inflamed. But that is just my opinion, of course.

Good luck, practice and persistence will eventually lead you to your ideal technique. But don't be surprised if that might involve some level of compromise in terms of "smoothness" around the neck area.

James.

Originally Posted by Foxhill

My beard grows the same way on my neck, so I stretch the skin up toward my jaw. On my throat, I lift my chin as high as I can and then pass the blade at an angle. This usually gets the whiskers pretty well.

I kind of do the same thing but there is only so much skin you can stretch. The problem is under the central areas on the neck. The problem is to go ATG the blade needs to be pointing in towards the neck. Because the neck is curved it is not possible to do. I dread to think what it would be like trying with a spike. The stubble is not visible, but I can feel it when rubbing across the grain. Also, the hand holding the razor starts to block the line of sight so it all becomes a bit too awkward.

Thanks Jimbo and the others. I've been very lucky so far and dont seem to get rash. When I first started to shave I was doing it twice a day, this was due to the excitement and I was starting to get a bit of irritation around the upper lip area. Now I'm on once a day with no probs. I'm using taylors after shave cream for soothing followed by King of Shaves moisturiser; this really adds to the shiny BBS baby face look. Yes, straight razor shaving is really that good; I literally look younger.
I have tried the sort of diagonal strokes, and I may have to accept I won't get perfection in that area. The stubble is not visible, its more an OCD thing on my part!

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

For the neck I found that grabbing the skin and pulling sideways, towards my ear on the right side of the windpipe, helped get the hollow next to the windpipe. Oddly enough pulling the skin to the right on the left side also was the answer for the hollow on the left side. If your problem areas are in a different area of the neck I would say experiment with stretching by pulling in different directions. That is how I've discovered what will be most effective for me. YMMV.

I've been using this suggestion of Jimmy's, along with going "Polar" (Cold water shaving) with very good results. I still have a problem getting to 100% BBS - small spot on my left jaw and a thumb pad sized patch on the left side of my adams apple.

We all seem to forget sometimes that a DFS straight shave is many times better than a "so called great" Cart POS shave...the evidence being you don't have much of a beard in 24 hours...

There are times when I have to force myself in to "mind like water" and just enjoy how great this is...

And I too check my beard all day long...

Originally Posted by postmastergeneral

Also, the hand holding the razor starts to block the line of sight so it all becomes a bit too awkward.

That's very common I find, especially on the XTG, east/west, on the neck. You will eventually develop a feel for the blade and angle and that will help a great deal and you'll be able to make those passes by feel alone. +1 on the stretching!!

Regards,

Howard

For the center part of my neck I find that if I "swallow" it moves my Adam's apple and stretches the skin enough to get a fairly close shave in that area. Takes a little practice but seems to work for me. Good luck.