Thread: Frustrated with my square jaw line and butt chin :(

So I had my 5th shave today. Shave results were pretty good, with no nicks or irritation, but its still taking me forever. My wife got home, after an hour, and was like, "You're still shaving?!" It really is getting frustrating. I tried 3 passes today, and almost took me like 2 hours... My knees were killing me. I feel like an idiot, seeing people do a pass in like 5 minutes. I could probably do with just WTG and ATG actually. I was almost going to be like, "Screw this... Just gonna switch to DE." But no, I don't want to do that. Even though I have had some great shaves with a DE, and its so easy for me. So anyways, today I really realized what's making me take so long... on top of my coarse full beard.

1. My square and cut jaw line
2. My big and very angular "butt" chin
3. Skipping of blade sometimes

My jaw line is pretty square and very low in fat. So I really have to stretch the skin above and below to get it to a position where I can shave it without having any awkward angles. Sometimes I find myself making the weirdest grips and positions. I've even been holding the blade upside down with my opposite hand, to get that spot under the corner of my jaw, below the ear. Again, I have very little fat there, so the muscles are really pronounced. There is a concave area because of that, if this makes sense. You know... that thick long muscle along the side of your neck. I keep getting a few razor bumps around there too... maybe because I'm going over it too many times? Or pressing to hard? I'm trying not to use any pressure really...

My chin area is soooo annoying!! Especially under my chin, between the bone where it becomes concave. I had to go around that area so many freakin' times tonight, just to make sure I had all the whiskers... I do stretch the skin in ways that makes it easier. I try different grips. But I feel like I'm not getting anything solid to use consistently in terms of technique and stuff. Guess I still am experimenting. Anyone with the same issue have any tips that have conquered theirs? I took a picture of mine for reference. (End of post)

Tonight, for the first time, my blade was really skipping more. Even sometimes going WTG. And the blade has only been used twice, and was really nicely honed when I got it. Maybe I didn't strop well enough? Because of this, I found myself adding a bit of pressure, which I knew wasn't right. Thankfully not really any irritation, at least that I noticed. Do you guys see any in the picture? I do notice some really slight and light bumping around my mouth area. Do you? My ATG was pretty good though... Used the "vacuuming" motion/technique that some people have told/written about. Worked well for me. Maybe that's also considered buffing? Anyway, maybe it was my lather being too thick/dry? Pretty sure I had a good lather though, with enough water. Guess I'll find out next shave...

Sorry for the long post, and venting about my frustration, sigh... I usually write a lot when I post, lol! Thanks for any help, I really appreciate everyone.

Sounds to me like you are just getting started and are still in the baby giraffe stage, clumsy, not comfy with the blade etc. It's normal. Don't over think it. And my advice is to just do one pass with the grain shaves for the next month or even two. If you miss spots go back and touch them up after your finished.

You mention wanting to pick up the DE but refusing to do so. Why?

Right now the DE is your friend. Trust me on that.

You have like three or four really tough parts of your face that you are tackling here. Learning them all at once is too tough.

Just shave the easy parts of your face and ONE of the tough parts with the straight. The rest you can clear out in five minutes with the DE. Later when you start to feel comfortable, add another part to shave with the straight. Eventually you will do your whole face with the straight.

There is no time frame on learning to shave with a straight. It took me months before I was shaving my whole face. Now I just use the DE for touchups after I have rinsed my SR.

Save yourself all this frustration and start enjoying your shaves. Make things a little easier on yourself. And you WILL have success if you keep at this!

Michael

I'll echo what others have said here. Don't even worry about getting a close shave at this point. Concentrate on safety. Looks like you're doing fine compared to myself at the same point in the learning curve. Don't get frustrated, straight shaving proficiency will come on its own time, almost magically. And if your blade is skipping at any point in your shave, it's time for more soap, more water and more lather.

Judging by the pics we have a similar jawline and chin. Seems we also have similar hair texture, rough and wiry. So we are dealing with a double whammy in those areas.

I am not sure which direction you go on your chin area but I do a East to West pass XTG. I still cannot get it perfect but I am not looking for perfection yet. For under my chin, I do a ATG North pass. That is hard. But when done right I can get good results.

IDK, I wish I could give you some better advice but I am still trying to nail those areas down. Sometimes I can get really good result sometimes less than stellar. It will get better and right now it looks like you are doing a good job.

It sounds like you are too early in to this to have the technique you need for the chin. It takes time, and you have to allow yourself that. I wasn't good at the chin for over a month, minimum. I will add, though, that a really sharp blade will solve lots of otherwise perplexing problems.

You'll get there. It just takes practice. I've got a friend with the same issue. He uses a DE to catch the spots he missed with the straight. Blade skipping is a result of either too light of pressure coupled with improper angle, or just a drastically incorrect angle. That same friend came to me when his razor was skipping. This probably isn't the same for you, but this was his problem. Check pics now. AnywaIys, he'd watched all the videos he could find, but still came away thinking he should hold the razor that way, and hold to blade to his face that way. However unlikely it is that you're doing that, I thought it might be helpful to have you look at it, and remember what you're looking at is wrong. If you're doing that, re-evaluate the videos and such. Hope this helps. And I truly hope you don't take offense.

Originally Posted by Scookum

Sounds to me like you are just getting started and are still in the baby giraffe stage, clumsy, not comfy with the blade etc. It's normal. Don't over think it. And my advice is to just do one pass with the grain shaves for the next month or even two. If you miss spots go back and touch them up after your finished.

I think that's what I'll do Thanks! Keep in mind everyone that I shave only once every 5 days or so. But I think I'm going to make that more often, and naturally will have to if I just do one pass.

Originally Posted by mjsorkin

You mention wanting to pick up the DE but refusing to do so. Why?

Right now the DE is your friend. Trust me on that.

You have like three or four really tough parts of your face that you are tackling here. Learning them all at once is too tough.

Just shave the easy parts of your face and ONE of the tough parts with the straight. The rest you can clear out in five minutes with the DE. Later when you start to feel comfortable, add another part to shave with the straight. Eventually you will do your whole face with the straight.

There is no time frame on learning to shave with a straight. It took me months before I was shaving my whole face. Now I just use the DE for touchups after I have rinsed my SR.

Save yourself all this frustration and start enjoying your shaves. Make things a little easier on yourself. And you WILL have success if you keep at this!

Michael

I'll be doing that for sure. I was thinking about that last night actually. Thank you

Originally Posted by Mephisto

Judging by the pics we have a similar jawline and chin. Seems we also have similar hair texture, rough and wiry. So we are dealing with a double whammy in those areas.

I am not sure which direction you go on your chin area but I do a East to West pass XTG. I still cannot get it perfect but I am not looking for perfection yet. For under my chin, I do a ATG North pass. That is hard. But when done right I can get good results.

IDK, I wish I could give you some better advice but I am still trying to nail those areas down. Sometimes I can get really good result sometimes less than stellar. It will get better and right now it looks like you are doing a good job.

Cool I appreciate any advice now. I actually go straight down first and get as much as I can. Then go WtE. Then I also try and go ATG north too like you. But carefully

Originally Posted by regularjoe

You'll get there. It just takes practice. I've got a friend with the same issue. He uses a DE to catch the spots he missed with the straight. Blade skipping is a result of either too light of pressure coupled with improper angle, or just a drastically incorrect angle. That same friend came to me when his razor was skipping. This probably isn't the same for you, but this was his problem. Check pics now. AnywaIys, he'd watched all the videos he could find, but still came away thinking he should hold the razor that way, and hold to blade to his face that way. However unlikely it is that you're doing that, I thought it might be helpful to have you look at it, and remember what you're looking at is wrong. If you're doing that, re-evaluate the videos and such. Hope this helps. And I truly hope you don't take offense.

Nope I definitely don't hold it like that haha! Ouch Thanks for the tip!

Everyone thank you so much! I really appreciate it! :

My wife told me this morning too, "Don't be so hard on yourself" I tens to do that since I'm a bit of a perfectionist. Being an artist contributes to that too LOL!

I'll be buying some more safety razor blades today and some nice new George H Trumpers after shave. And getting back some more self esteem

Continued advice is more than welcome FYI. Don't consider this thread closed Thank you again

I've read this thread with great interest, for I have the same problem. All I can add is that I try a little more each shave, then clean up with another razor. I can't think of anything worse to start my day than being frustrated with a straight razor in my hand. No good will come from it, and I don't have time to bleed. I give it about three tries, then stop. It's getting better, slowly. I was glad to read that skipping is the result of too light pressure. That will help next time.

Cheers,

Jack