Thread: Safety razors

If you do a You tube search for Mantic59 you will find some excellent videos that may help you get started. Happy Shaving!

Originally Posted by joshjay2

...I have not really tried going against the grain with it ..would you guys just shave with the grain using DE?
I did try and go against the direction of the hair but it seem to Be catching so I stopped.

Like @JTmke I started with a straight and later (re)explored safety razors after a 40-year lay off. A straight does ask for good prep, excellent angle, light touch and serious sharpness. With a DE you don't have to worry about sharp but the rest is still up to you. I started with the head of the DE razor on a sideburn and, as I drew the razor downward, I gradually dropped the handle until I heard/felt whiskers cutting - that's what I call my perfect angle.

It took me a quite a few shaves to get that angle thing dialed in and keep it consistent. IIRC that was not a comfortable time for shaving ATG. After a couple of weeks (and with a couple of very aggressive razors) it suddenly got easy but, even with good prep and skin-flattening, I still don't (or can't) draw strokes on my neck/chin and jawline strickly against the grain. Like canoe guys I pull a series of small curvey slip-sliding "J" strokes that cut clean and without any pull.

Others have said this, but I just want to second it. It's better to master shaving with a DE first before you get into straights. Learning how to shave well with a DE without cutting yourself will teach you the correct amount of pressure you should be using with a blade that sharp. (next to none.) Also, it's totally ok to shave ATG. I do it every shave.