Thread: Sheffield razor grinding and a shave !

Originally Posted by BobH

At around 12:16 in the video of Billy shaving he uses a stroke the comes down and sideways at the same time. Like the old Gillette glide stroke I suppose. You have to be pretty competent to use that stroke.

Bob

Which is why I don't use it.

Originally Posted by JP5

Which is why I don't use it.

Well, it is doable, obviously, and I have used it but also tend not to as it is way to easy to slice yourself.

Bob

I love reading ingredient lists on labels. If you look at some hand soaps, you will find that the ingredient list is quite similar to triple-milled shaving soaps. They can contain stearic acid, tallow, shea butter, cocoa butter, etc. I have found a couple of such bar soaps that give a good shave. They are Yardley of London, and Irish Spring Signature for Men. However, the ingredient listing of plain Ivory soap is similar; I just never liked the scent of Ivory.

I have tried Castile soaps based on olive oil and do not like the performance of those for shaving.

Bu the way, these soaps for just for experimenting. I have a shave den full of great shave soaps and creams with more on the way.

Originally Posted by BobH

Well, it is doable, obviously, and I have used it but also tend not to as it is way to easy to slice yourself.

Bob

I know. I've noticed the blade going across sometimes on longer strokes, but I'm not really confident enough to do it on purpose yet.

I wonder if he was shaving with that little mirror so the other guy could film better or that was how he normally did it.

Yes, the scything stroke is one to use at your own peril, get it just a little bit wrong and a long red line will appear on your face.

It works for me South to North, ATG from my lower ear area to the under the chin, I have some omni-directional whiskers that grow there, only move that will take them out, but the way he did it, I flinched, but it works for him and he obviously knows what he's doing.....great video.

Where he tells about the guy pulling a hair out of his head and cutting it while holding it always reminds me this:

https://youtu.be/BZk-nIy9RY8?t=44

Originally Posted by Phrank

Yes, the scything stroke is one to use at your own peril, get it just a little bit wrong and a long red line will appear on your face.

It works for me South to North, ATG from my lower ear area to the under the chin, I have some omni-directional whiskers that grow there, only move that will take them out, but the way he did it, I flinched, but it works for him and he obviously knows what he's doing.....great video.

I used to do this scything stroke with great success until one day that little red line you talk about appeared. I haven’t used that stroke since and don’t figure I will again.

I always thought the scything stroke was when you rotated the blade around the pivot pin and the Gillette Slide was the simultaneous down and across movement of the blade.

Bob

I also use this kind of stroke on my neck. I have tried a million other strokes but only this particular one gives me a BBS.

The stroke you guys mention is the proper stroke for a straight razor.

Never shave by hitting the edge straight into the hair...slice it