Thread: Most valuable and UNCOMMON tips and advices

My piece of advice is learn to shave with distractions. If you can only concerntrate with complete silence, then at the first noise you will slice something off. I often shave with my in-laws arguing a few feet behind me, my father in-law singing (or doing what he thinks is singing) and sometimes even with people standing beside me cooking (I have to shave in the kitchen).

Stretching is very important but sometimes your face is wet and soapy, or it's very humid and you're sweating, and you can't get a good grip. If you rub your wet fingers on an alum block it acts like rosin and you will get a very good grip on your skin for stretching.

Until you get a close shave WTG don't start an XTG or ATG and expect good results or comfort.
Strop lightly.
Water and good lather is your friend.

Over-stretching=ingrowns... I've spent a week with an unwanted mustache inorder to fix this, and not only does it look bad it feels bad.

I have several tips I have written about before that might be of help.

1. How do I know when my lather is wet enough?
Well, after I lather up and take a few strokes with my blade, when I put the blade under the faucet and lightly rinse it, if the lather doesn't totally wash off the blade I know I need to add a little water to the mix. When it washes off completely, I know it is wet enough.

2. The chin seems to be a problem for most. I stretch the chin after I shave the cheeks clean by putting my thumb on the corner of one jaw and my middle finger on the other corner and push backwards. This stretches the chin tight so I can shave it without issues, in most any direction I like.

3. What about under the nose?
It seems that doing the masters pass is pretty simple, once you get the rolling technique figured out, but then what? I decided to try something a little different to do the fools pass, from south to north, without cutting my nose. It seemed logical to me that you can cut hair two different ways. Move the razor, or move the hair. So here's how I do it. I place the blade almost flat right at the top of my lip, and roll the lip down over my teeth, pushing the hair through the blade. This cuts about half way up so I then move the blade up a little and do it again. I do this all the way across my upper lip and end up with a really smooth shave there.

Hope this helps.


Ray

newbie tip.

When your face is sore after shaving, corn husker's lotion makes a very soothing balm. Try it you will thank me.

Originally Posted by xman

I was reminded of this in a recent n00b post so I'd like to offer up this little gem which helped me particularly when i was a new straight razor shaver.

In The Deep End » Blog Archive » Creative Visualisation

X

That is the first time I have seen that approach applied to shaving. I have read of it and have successfully applied it to bicycling off road. One in particular of the trails I ride is loaded with obstacles. Large log piles to go over and such. I visualize successfully making it over the logs as I am approaching them and usually do.

The best advice I've ever received is in my sig line below.

Keep a towel folded next to the sink, to have a soft place to put down your razor and to keep your shaving hand dry and free from lather... Never hold your blade with a slippery hand.

-Chief

Originally Posted by BHChieftain

Keep a towel folded next to the sink, to have a soft place to put down your razor and to keep your shaving hand dry and free from lather... Never hold your blade with a slippery hand.

-Chief

+1 on the towel. The alum trick works well too for this.

dont try new passes or angles during the week. save it for saturdays and sundays...case you nick your face or irritates your skin you dont need to spend the whole day at work answering questions and explaining why do you use a straight razor instead of the "amazing, confortable, safe and other kinds of blablabla wonders of the disposable razor" from the users of the regular methods.
ps: fans of the eletric shavers tends to be really agressive!