Thread: It's not your razor. It's you.

I meant to write this post forever ago but forgot. For the longest time I thought my razor and the honing I did was faulty. Every time it hit the mustache against the grain I would get this pulling and skipping feeling. Like the blade was bouncing across the area all the time. Eventually I gave up and start using my DE again. One day I realized my DE, even with a new feather blade, was giving a very similar feeling. Not the bouncing due to its weight, but the catching, pulling feeling. It was just less noticeable because a DE has more weight and less feedback than the straight. So if you are concerned your blade on the straight isn't up to snuff try the DE. If it's the same feeling in general it's your technique that's at fault not the blade. I found skin stretching, proper angle and good forward pressure helped fix my issue.

You've got a good point there. (no pun) So many guys think 'it just couldn't be me, it must be the razor ..... strop .... whatever'. I've been shaving for 50 years, the past 7 mostly with straights. I couldn't do an ATG on my mustache for love nor money, with any razor known to man. If you're able to do that with any razor you've got me beat.

Mustache area is one of the few places I don't go against the grain.

I work straight down on the first pass, then I use the toe of the razor working in at a 45 degree angle to the nose but still working down but more to the opposite corner of my mouth on the second pass. If I do a third pass then it's across the grain, working from one corner of my mouth to center.

I have done against the grain passes on that area, And I have found that it always ends up with the shave been so close that it causes some skin damage, normally making you look like you used a dull razor.

I never do ATG pass on my upper lip.....I like my nose where it's at LOL

I generally use two hands and stretch my lip over my teeth for the atg. What can I say I'm bbs obsessed.

Originally Posted by Trimmy72

I never do ATG pass on my upper lip.....I like my nose where it's at LOL

LOL here also. Thankfully my wife won't let me totally shave my mustache and beard. I just have to worry about slicing my cheeks or slitting my throat!

Thank goodness for square points and spikes I used to nearly kill myself trying to "fine tune" with round points...

I recently watched a video of someone shaving with a straight razor. Can't remember who. I'm sure someone will chime in. When he got to the upper lip he did not go against the grain. He did say that going against the grain on the upper was called the "fools pass". You can probably guess why.

All love and respect to those who can do it, but definitely no ATG for me on the upper lip! Like Iceni above, when I need a little bit of extra closeness or follow-up, I use an extremely light XTG stroke.

This is why mustaches are so popular.