Thread: How to get better at the neck?

I have been shaving exclusively with a straight now for six months and am very pleased, overall. However, I have to agree: My neck remains the area that is always least shaved after a first pass. Have solved it by making a second, exclusively neck-focused pass. I re-lather just my neck under the jawline and, holding the blade and scales in a straight line, shave up ATG. That does it. If I want to make another pass over my entire face, I go ahead at that point but the need to do so is rare. SR8 shaving has turned a chore into an adventure. Wouldn't go back!

have you thought about videoing your shave and posting it up so people can critic what your doing? or meeting up with a seasoned veteran in your area for a meet and shave??
its like learning to box.. you can learn by watching youtube.. but nothing beats doing it with a proper trainer

Originally Posted by blackers10

have you thought about videoing your shave and posting it up so people can critic what your doing? or meeting up with a seasoned veteran in your area for a meet and shave??
its like learning to box.. you can learn by watching youtube.. but nothing beats doing it with a proper trainer

Good idea. Might try that. FWIW, I'm in Illinois, at the intersection of interstates 57 and 70. About 90 miles east northeast of ST louis.

Yesterday's shave was about 20% better. Experimenting with using just the heel helped out, along with different facial contortions.

I'm really glad I stumbled onto this concept. Beats the other kind of shaving with a stick. Thanks again for the input fellas! Much appreciated.

Confucius say-"man who shave face beyond his level of ability receive steel wool facial and pain beyond ability to tolerate"

Slow down and smell the shave cream.

Understood, spendur. My thought was to get a few tips on how to improve from the collective wisdom here-precisely so as to avoid the pitfalls of intolerable pain and steel wool exfoliation.

Going slowly and taking time to indulge the senses are a couple of the main attractions for me for sure. That said, if I can pick up (and apply) a hint or two, and can therefore get a better shave a little earlier on in the learning process, I'm all for it. Makes the other enjoyable bits that much nicer.

Apologies if asking for hints about techniques to improve in this area so early on in the process came across as hubris on my part. Not at all intended that way.

I had to accept a less than desireable shave as a newbe. Experience has improved the situation, but I still have trouble with the neck area. I have a lot of straights and I hone my own so I can tell you from experience that the razor itself makes a big difference when It comes to a problem area. Most any razor, even if it is not perfectly honed, will shave the cheek area for me pretty well.
I do the best at shaving the neck area with a sharp but very smooth blade using very little to no pressure. I have also found that a slightly angling or slicing razor stroke to be effective. That is pretty tricky because any slicing motion really really wants to cut meat. When using a very smooth blade I can get away with more than with I can with a less smooth one. Also, regarding the direction of the stroke, the closer I can get to cutting ATG the better because those whiskers lay very flat.
Anyway I hope this info can be of help to someone but be extra careful if you try the slight slicing stroke. Finding the limits might be bloody!