I just discovered the guillotine stoke!

I've been having some trouble with the sideways neck growth and found out about the guillotine stroke. Supposedly it slices the hair more efficiently. I also found out the hard way tonight exactly how sharp my razors are. I made a nice slice into my chin and had to "cut" my shave short to stop the bleeding. So I went back a little later and tried again for a neck pass. Slowly and carefully I performed the correct guillotine stroke and it actually took out those pesky neck hairs. I think I'll wait a few days for my chin to heal before I shave again.

I think I was straight shaving a year before I finally got it but what a great stroke it is. As you say, take it easy until you really get the feel for it. No pressure is a given IMO.

I honestly can't remember any "ah-ha" moment when I stumbled across it for the first time, but I do remember thinking that a heel or toe leading stroke seemed to work much better than a straight cut. Then I found out it was called the guillotine stroke and I didn't feel so original after all :rofl2:

You're right - it's a great technique! If it weren't for the encouragement from reading about the guillotine stroke from several fellows here on SRP, I probably wouldn't have tried using it. I'm so glad that I did.

So there is a name for it ? I been calling it " just another lucky pass."

Anyone care to help me understand this stroke? Perhaps a video?

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Originally Posted by unit

Anyone care to help me understand this stroke? Perhaps a video?

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Like when you slice a tomato as opposed to chopping an onion. Or as applied to whiskers instead of a straight on attack a slight slicing motion gliding over the stretched skin and slicing the whiskers off rather than chopping them head on. If that makes any sense.

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Like when you slice a tomato as opposed to chopping an onion. Or as applied to whiskers instead of a straight on attack a slight slicing motion gliding over the stretched skin and slicing the whiskers off rather than chopping them head on. If that makes any sense.

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Yup! I thought that was called sithing strokes. Basically you impart a slight draw or push to your stroke?

I need to figure a stroke to get the odd-angle-growth hairs in the depressions on either side of my esophagus.

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Originally Posted by unit

Anyone care to help me understand this stroke? Perhaps a video?

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Here you go.

Shaving passes - Straight Razor Place Wiki

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Originally Posted by unit

Yup! I thought that was called sithing strokes. Basically you impart a slight draw or push to your stroke?

I need to figure a stroke to get the odd-angle-growth hairs in the depressions on either side of my esophagus.

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I have the hollows on either side and what I found was (i am a right handed shaver) I pull my right side of the neck to the right to flatten the area out and oddly I need to pull the left side to the right too. Pulling across my wind pipe. I tried pulling my left side to the left and it didn't get it but going to the right did. A matter of figuring out the best stretch to flatten it out and get rd of the hollow.

my first every straight shave is when I done a guillotine stroke. Not intended, it was with my left hand only (non dominant hand).
Noticed my left hand felt smother than the right. Who would have thought the hand I feared using the most would show me a advanced stroke on day one.

I need to try this my self.

A related thread I started a few years ago:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...le-attack.html

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Originally Posted by honedright

A related thread I started a few years ago:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...le-attack.html

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Very interesting and kind of nostalgic for some of the participants who are no longer around.

I too would like to see a full on video of the guillotine in action. It's one thing to see it diagrammed, but I want to see some live action

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Originally Posted by lakechuck

I too would like to see a full on video of the guillotine in action. It's one thing to see it diagrammed, but I want to see some live action

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Guillotine in action on you tube at......Straight razor shaving SCYTHING MOTION - YouTube

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Originally Posted by drwextra

Guillotine in action on you tube

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That's a scything stroke, not a guillotine stroke. The scything stroke works extremely well, but is even more advanced technique than the guillotine because it involves a "pivoting" motion WHILE you are shaving. By contrast, the guillotine could be best described as a heel or toe leading stroke, just like the old death machine :)