Shorter strokes technique

Hey guys,

Whenever I've shaved in the past with short strokes I always ended up with irritation. Before, I used to consider "short strokes" to be a certain length - 1 inch for instance and use that length as a rule of when to start a new stroke. Lately I've been experimenting with doing many short strokes and using "blade pull" as an indication of when to start a new stroke - i mean even the slightest pull (my face is very sensitive and gets irritated like mad often). I'm curious as to how you guys measure when to start a new stroke so as to avoid razor bumps/irritation. Sure, using the blade pulling example seems like common sense but up until now I never looked at it that way.

Thanks!

I use whatever it takes not to irritate my face. That means short strokes around the upper lip and chin areas.

It can also mean taking a day or two off from straight razor shaving if that's irritating my skin or if I have nicks that need to heal.

I generally use longer strokes except in the chin/upper lip areas.