Thread: ATG: Balancing Pressure & Force

Originally Posted by Ryan82

You really need your razor to be as sharp as can be to shave ATG comfortably. 75% of ATG issues are likely caused by a razor that isn't optimally sharp. Keep it mind that a razor can still be sharp enough to shave very comfortably WTG and XTG, but for a lot of us a good indicator of a well honed blade is ease of ATG.

That being said, I have whiskers under my neck that grow flat to the skin, which gives grief to even the sharpest straight razor. That's where the other 25% comes in: technique

I hear you... Most of my whiskers on my neck are flat on my skin... This probably explains why its a lot harder for me to get smooth strokes ATG. Guess I'll try some new techniques my next shave this weekend. Will be only shave #5

Well, I just shaved and I am pleased to announce that the ATG pass went much, much better... I think pulling the skin was what really helped the razor slice through the whiskers cleanly.

I have yet to undertake the process of honing, so I guess it will be a while before I tackle the sharpness issue.

Sometimes a bit of a strop before the last pass is helpful. Depends on the razor.

Yeah, as Robert Heinlein wrote, "specialization is for insects."

I've found, too, that AGT passes go better with low angle, but not so low the spine of the blade touches my face. It acts like a brake when that happens. Also, I cut the shaving cream with water, so that it's very watery and slick. It lubricates the blade and the skin and helps me push through the whiskers, all the while anchoring the skin so that, as someone earlier said, it doesn't bunch up. I can get ATG with all of my straights (i.e., all three) as smooth as my old Gillette Fusion for all of my face but the upper lip and just under the chin. I'm still working on those.

Cheers,

Jack

I tend to not go with the ATG pass, I've done it a few times and yes, the angle needs to stay low and you need to control the blade, not let it control you.

Also as noted above, sharpness is key here.

I mainly don't do it because that would mean not enough to shave the next day

Originally Posted by ZeroCool

I tend to not go with the ATG pass, I've done it a few times and yes, the angle needs to stay low and you need to control the blade, not let it control you.

Also as noted above, sharpness is key here.

I mainly don't do it because that would mean not enough to shave the next day

I'm the same way! I feel like I get close enough with WTG so I haven't found the need to go ATG. XTG may be a good thing to learn eventually....One thing at a time though; I'm just starting out!

I envy you zerocool and jpcwon. When I don't do the ATG (which I will skip when I am pressed for time), I can feel a mean 5:00 shadow.... Even when I do ATG and get a BBS shave, I'll feel some prickly bits poking out before bed.

I find that a bit of a scything motion really helps ATG. Seems to help cut the hairs in more of a "one at a time" manner, rather than letting a bunch of them build up at the edge, where they suddenly get cut as a group. Which releases a lot of skin tension at once and the blade suddenly accelerates. I think that's part of the "skipping" phenomenon.

Of course there's a fine line between scything and slicing, which I am still trying to learn