How to get better at the neck?

[Bullpen7979]

I have three straight shaves under my belt. Two types of soap, soon to be three as my other one is in the mail.

One razor with works kit from Larry A. On the first try, I was just glad not to donate much O+.

My neck is still rough after several passes, particularly under jawline on both sides. I have tried varying the blade angle of attack, the axis and direction of the stroke.

Prep by way of hot shower, hair conditioner, lather, steaming hot towel for a minute or so, relather and start in. I find myself having to relather three or four times, going back after the same area under the neck, to the point of irritating the the skin, but not cutting the hair. still doing no to little pressure on the blade.

I've read that it's a good idea to stick with the same gear (scientific method and all)
And I can get behind that idea, but I guess I don't know how I should be changing my
methods to get better results. I wonder "is it the razor"? . Realizing that it came from Larry, and his reputation being a fairly good one I'm guessing that can't be the case.
Did not strop at all first shave, did so very lightly before second one. Prob 20x up and back.

I am committed to learning the craft, as long as at the end of it, I get at least as good a shave as I get with cartridges now. (smooth pretty much all over).

I am inclined to get another razor or two, known to be honed by experienced hands, just to be sure it's not the gear. I know there are those who have been doing this for years who would not say they have it perfect. At the same time, I am feeling fairly comfortable with the razor on my skin. Regarding it a bit like riding a motorcycle. About the time I take my experience for granted......

Being that I am making several passes and still not getting the results I'm after, what else might I try at this point? Another razor? I have no problem with that.

My wife theorized that my face might "grow into" being shaven this way (in terms of how the hair grows?) Don't know if there is any truth to this?

Thanks in advance for your wise words.

[gooser]

i have a goat and i was having a lot of probs on both sides of it under the chin .. i could get it but not like the rest or as smooth as the rest .. the last few shaves i have been able to get it like the rest ...

im sure more experienced shavers will give you better tips but as of late ive been getting it with the heel of my blade while following the goatee down under the chin.. now with my bigger blades with a smile ive been getting it with more of the toe of the blade ..

i dont know if there is a certain way to do it and im waiting to hear more responses as well or the "right" way but i know the more i shave the easier things get and the more i figure out ... P.S. if you try my way and get cut dont blame it on me ... lol

[JimmyHAD]

I would suggest a couple more pro honed razors would be a good thing. A rotation, back up, whatever. If one out of the three is giving you a better shave stick with that one and get the other two dialed in. BTW, three shaves ? I used a DE for the tougher areas my first two dozen shaves.

Don't flay your hide trying to get bbs. It takes time to learn this. It ain't like buying a Gillette 'Good News' and going for it. Takes skill that only comes with time and practice. TBH I think you are going too fast as it is. If you have a DE don't feel like using that to finish the tough spots is cheating. All the pieces of the puzzle will come together but it takes repetition to begin to get it second nature.

Try different stretching angles on the nooks and crannies of the neck and jawline. Sometimes pulling in a different direction flattens it out just right. Main thing is relax and let it happen. Keep trying and it will.

[Grazor]

Getting superb shaves now, but it has taken over 60 shaves to get there and my technique is far from perfect, i did read early on 100 shaves, and i reckon that is about right. One of my early mistakes was trying for bbs shaves, but i just started trying more to improve just a little on the last, and it paid off. Another razor or more will help to judge what is really shave ready, you have something to compare each one with. It's not easy, but worth the effort.

[MJC]

+1 to JimmyHAD's comments. It's a Marathon, not a sprint.
Signing up to learn how to shave with a Straight Razor is not only about learning a set of skills that have almost died out....it's a state of mind.
Assume that it could take you 100 shaves to get to the point were this is routine.
You might want to limit yourself to one pass for the first 10-15 shaves and finish with a DE (and you can cut/nick/slash/gash/burn yourself with one of those BTW) or something else.
There are so many variables to this that its like playing wack-a-mole with a hatchet.
It's a wonder that anyone gets through the process - but they do and its worth it.

The state of mind thing is a reminder that this is a return to a much slower pace of life.
My theory is that King Gillettes early 1900 invention (the DE as we know it) heralded the beginning of our current "disposable world". It was about saving time...no more stroping or honing and the time to learn and do these tasks.
Learning to use a Straight means turning back the clock in more ways than one.
Not only do I enjoy the results, the process has become an important part of the day, a mental time out.

Enjoy the journey...you are amongst friends...

[Bullpen7979]

Ok, roger all that. Another razor or two. The slow part I can totally tie into. If good results take 45 minutes, that's alright by me. I enjoy the process. I just wanna make sure Im gaining proficiency as I gain experience.

Thanks kindly for the replies, all.

[carlmaloschneider]

I get the best shaves on my neck when I truly go ATG, as in directly opposite the direction of hair growth. Normally I'm a bit lazy and just got essentially N to S, which always leaves spots I can feel on my neck. Quite often I don't get all that precious about it, but I do get the feeling of satisfaction one gets from feeling completely smooth all over the face.

I use the heel too like gooser does around my goatee, I favour razors over 5/8 presently as narrower razors mean my thumb gets in the way of the heel.

When I started it was taking me a long time to shave, now it's ten minutes from beginning to end with a good result. As has been said, the skill comes; for me it took three months before I was prepared to say I was 'good' at shaving with a straight.

[Minnebrew]

I was actually waiting to read why you were shaving a goat...

i have a goat and...

[Tzar]

Bullpen, take what I will say with a grain of salt as I have myself only about 10 shaves under my belt :-) But you have only 3 shaves, so my first piece of advice is give yourself a break man. My last shave was much better than my third one, but the 20th will be better and hopefully after a few months and over a 100 shaves, I will be able to do it correctly and comfortably. Until I get to this point, I know I will have to use the DE to finish up my shave and that's OK. It's all the same for us beginners.

Growth pattern: If you haven't figured it out yet, map carefully how the hair grows on your neck. Most guys report weird growth pattern of hairs in the neck area and if you are not taking this into account, it plays havoc with your shaving. In my case for example, the bottom third of the neck grows south to north (upward), while the top two thirds grow north to south (downward). On top of this, most of the hair is also growing at an angle, from right to left. So I end up doing different strokes at different angles in the neck to accomodate all these growth patterns.

Stretching: stretching helps raising the whiskers above the skin and makes it easier for the razor edge to cut them down. So stretch as much as possible in the opposite direction of growth. Use your fingers, pull up your jaw as high as possible, turn sideways, do whatever it takes to get a good stretch.

And finally, don't overdo it either. It will just result in razor burn and irritation.

Of course, having a properly honed razor is a must so getting another razor honed by professional hands could give you a good point of reference too.

[gooser]

I was actually waiting to read why you were shaving a goat...

cause the sheep kept runnin away !!!