A shaving development that makes you feel like youve been doing it all wrong?

[Sethology]

For the last 7 or so years of wetshaving I've shaved in pretty much the same way. I've used various slant razors, either a 37, wunderbar, or these days mostly a razorock super slant. I've always stretched my skin pretty tightly. Somewhere along the way I felt like doing so helped deliver a superior shave wherein the hairs are cut more effortlessly. I always felt like only slants worked for me. Some of the really meticulously machine straight bars worked okay, such as the blutt and overlander. But for me overall slants felt like they were perfect for my beard.

Today I was mindlessly scrolling youtube only for a geofatboy video to appear on my recommended. I clicked on it for lack of anything else to do and noticed he barely stretched his skin whilst shaving. I wondered why I was the only one. Thereafter I looked up various shaving videos. And each one regardless of beard density or coarseness seemed to have the lack of stretching skin in common. So for S&G today I tried just shaving without stretching my skin. To my amazement many sensitive areas I had experienced really didn't feel that sensitive when I didn't stretch. However not stretching to me feels "unsafe". The razor occasionally pulls a random hair if I don't stretch and my mustache and chin area seem to catch the blade alot if I don't stretch. Stretching makes me feel like I'm in control of the hair and razor. However stretching also seems to make certain places sensitive and as though the blade is cutting painfully close to the root of the hair in areas. All that being said I'm kind of at a strange cross roads right now. I've spent years shaving the same way, assuming it was the best for me. But now I almost feel like I'm back at square one. Should I just gently stretch my skin to flatten the skin instead of tightly pulling taut? I'm at a loss here as melodramatic as this all sounds . I wonder if other razors I waved off would have worked if they hadn't been fighting stubble that is pulled up and at attention very tautly.

 

[Sethology]

Also pulling my skin tightly seems to make certainly patches of hair resist being shaved. Like my stache for instance. If I pull it tight I can really feel the hairs being sliced. If I don't pull it at all and just relax my face the area that usually resists cuts pretty smoothly. But then the ends of my stache are pulled a bit. I dunno. I'm extremely perplexed at how to best shave my face now.

 

[brucered]

If stretching works for you, who cares what some YT'ers do.

Ths same topic came up a couple weeks ago:

Thread 'Skin pulling, why not?' Skin pulling, why not? - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/skin-pulling-why-not.649343/

 

[JKaboom]

It sounds like you have discovered that some changes need to be made in your technique. How awesome is this hobby! It is of course a bit perplexing as well. It’s like golf, you can become great but can never master it 100%

 

[Sethology]

If stretching works for you, who cares what some YT'ers do.

Ths same topic came up a couple weeks ago:

Thread 'Skin pulling, why not?' Skin pulling, why not? - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/skin-pulling-why-not.649343/

Agreed. My dilemma here though, in less long winded terms, is that not stretching was actually superior in many places and inferior in other places. So not I'm just baffled as to what to do. The inner parts of my mustache seem to prefer no stretching. The outsides prefer stretching. Cheeks seem to be smoother without stretching, neck too, but my goatee region is stiff so I suspect it's impossible to hit that area without some stretching. I don't know man. I'm just feeling like my whole routine is in question now and don't know how to incorporate what I just learned without going back to basics. Sigh.

 

[Sethology]

It sounds like you have discovered that some changes need to be made in your technique. How awesome is this hobby! It is of course a bit perplexing as well. It’s like golf, you can become great but can never master it 100%

I do like this hobby but am frustrated by this development honestly. It's shattered some conceptions I had before about shaving my own face. And is an inconsistent enough discovery that I think im gonna struggle to incorporate it

 

[JKaboom]

I get where you’re coming from

 

[spacemonkey42]

I realized the same thing, sometimes stretching helps and sometimes it makes it hairs lay down. Sometimes slacking works better or sometimes stretching in a different direction. One has to see for each patch of whiskers what makes them stand up. This can take as long or longer than mapping ones grain. But it is all part of the quest for a better shave. Good luck!

 

[Sethology]

I realized the same thing, sometimes stretching helps and sometimes it makes it hairs lay down. Sometimes slacking works better or sometimes stretching in a different direction. One has to see for each patch of whiskers what makes them stand up. This can take as long or longer than mapping ones grain. But it is all part of the quest for a better shave. Good luck!

Sometimes stretching makes hairs seemingly resist shaving as well. Typically when I shave my neck I stretch it and shave upwards. I always feel a "wall" of hair were the grain changes from up to sideways under my jaw. That's usually where I stop shaving up and go downwards diagonally. But if I don't stretch the razor goes through that hair like any other. It's perplexing because one would think if the grain changed it'd be uncomfortable to go against it no matter what. But it's only uncomfortable when I stretch my skin? Maybe ill grow a beard instead lol

 

[spacemonkey42]

You're totally right, this hobby can be so frustrating! Now I slack a good portion of my neck and I can get it very close and without irritation. Before I stretched it and never got a smooth result. Quite counter-intuitive until someone here told me the obvious - I have to figure out what makes the whiskers stand up in each patch. Sigh, back to work!

 

[Salty_Shaver]

For the last 7 or so years of wetshaving I've shaved in pretty much the same way. I've used various slant razors, either a 37, wunderbar, or these days mostly a razorock super slant. I've always stretched my skin pretty tightly. Somewhere along the way I felt like doing so helped deliver a superior shave wherein the hairs are cut more effortlessly. I always felt like only slants worked for me. Some of the really meticulously machine straight bars worked okay, such as the blutt and overlander. But for me overall slants felt like they were perfect for my beard.

Today I was mindlessly scrolling youtube only for a geofatboy video to appear on my recommended. I clicked on it for lack of anything else to do and noticed he barely stretched his skin whilst shaving. I wondered why I was the only one. Thereafter I looked up various shaving videos. And each one regardless of beard density or coarseness seemed to have the lack of stretching skin in common. So for S&G today I tried just shaving without stretching my skin. To my amazement many sensitive areas I had experienced really didn't feel that sensitive when I didn't stretch. However not stretching to me feels "unsafe". The razor occasionally pulls a random hair if I don't stretch and my mustache and chin area seem to catch the blade alot if I don't stretch. Stretching makes me feel like I'm in control of the hair and razor. However stretching also seems to make certain places sensitive and as though the blade is cutting painfully close to the root of the hair in areas. All that being said I'm kind of at a strange cross roads right now. I've spent years shaving the same way, assuming it was the best for me. But now I almost feel like I'm back at square one. Should I just gently stretch my skin to flatten the skin instead of tightly pulling taut? I'm at a loss here as melodramatic as this all sounds . I wonder if other razors I waved off would have worked if they hadn't been fighting stubble that is pulled up and at attention very tautly.

Wait until you become a senior citizen and your skin sags, and you must pull it tight. Some mornings, tight, like you're wearing an Edgar Suit from Men in Black. But when I was young never needed to do that. YMMV.

 

[ButterfaceX]

Shaving smart is what my dad taught me over 50 years ago. I just a blend of developing your skills, correct prep, during, and post practices, the right tool for the right job, hardware and software. But the most important factor, is finding what works best for you. Being open, being methodical. All faces, stubble (thick, thin, dense) and skin are different and we change with age and weather.
One simple change I made early on in tracking my facial hair mapping.
Back in the early days, I would shave southward then northward...with minor touch up. I new I could better, by mapping I could see I to do some changes in directions even with a slant. Than resulted in smooth, closer, more efficient shaves. And yes, I started with SR, so I am also just naturally stretching also. It is just build into the my technique and muscle memory.
Just have fun, be open mind, really understand your growth patterns...
And take care of your skin..
BFX

 

[Tanuki]

For the last 7 or so years of wetshaving I've shaved in pretty much the same way.

I will admit that I am inconsistent with skin stretching. It doesn't solve every problem, and yes it can be a problem in some circumstances. Plus I can stretch using fingers, facial contortions, head positions, and inflation. Not all stretching is equal.

The full confession: I am inconsistent is every aspect of shaving. Razors, type of razor, prep, soap, format of soap (puck, cream, croap, stick), brush handle, brush fiber, knot diameter and loft, pre-shave, blade, interval between shaves, time of day, amount of time for shaving - I change almost everything almost every shave. So every shave requires me to be open to a flexible, almost experimental approach. There is always something to learn, but the lessons are prevented from becoming strict rules.

But now I almost feel like I'm back at square one.

So my thought is that Square One can be a great place, the start of a new game. I might have become a bit addicted to fresh starts in the shave den.

 

[Guido75]

Good question/observation @Sethology.

I think I am more with John @Tanuki here. I do the less obvious ways of stretching. I barely stretch using my fingers but I do tucking in my chin, bullfrog or make funny faces if that tightens up an area - the goatee area comes to mind.

My experience is actually reverse to yours (maybe I got lucky: I started out with Geo’s videos). I found that if I stretch I am more prone to ingrown problems than if I just leave it be.

DE is of course forget from a straight, because part of the stretching is done for you by the safety bar. Even the open comb pulls a little straight just before the razor cuts.

I also use multiple passes and I am more concentrating on reduction. Beard mapping and then strictly following that map was my eye opener. ATG is the money shot for me no matter how effective the razor is or how many passes I make.

I would be inclined to say not to be so hard on yourself. It is far from wrong. Think of it as your next development into even better shaves. And only stretch in those areas that need it barring sensitivity. I would personally skip whatever I am doing if it irritates my skin.

Cheers,

Guido

 

[Wgg2017]

I don't have a whole lot to add other than that I second the comments encouraging you to experiment and keep at it. An example of how different techniques can work in strange ways: Underneath my chin, I stretch for the first pass which is wtg. For the second pass xtg, I use the bullfrog technique. I don't know why, but that's what works best underneath my chin.

Don't get dejected just because you learned something new that challenges your previous beliefs. Embrace it and experiment to learn how to get even better shaves than you once did. Just be glad you learned this now rather than in 2034

 

[Phoenixkh]

I’m guessing most of us have that shared experience: being totally convinced we know something, then discovering, we knew less than we thought.

Paradigm shifts. So fun when we look back on them. A bit terrifying at the initial outset.

 

[Barbarian80]

I don't normally stretch my skin, but i've found that stretching is a requirement if i'm using a blade that has a less than stellar keen edge due to frequent use. This would begin at around shave #3 with a DE blade. Cutting is more efficient with a keen edge and you can achieve less irritation with the blade edge just touching your skin and not stretching. Keep a flat cutting surface is always more important than stretching or not.

 

[thombrogan]

Stretching makes me feel like I'm in control

Better to chase that feeling with over-zealous skin stretching than by other means.

I'm just baffled as to what to do.

You’re already doing it! You’re realizing the universality of your technique isn’t a 100% perfect fit for your face in this universe.

Your face and neck have different curves and contours and your whiskers grow in different densities, thicknesses, and directions. That doesn’t mean different techniques are needed for differing spots on your face, but it’s definitely an avenue to explore.

So is stretching or bunching using the safety bar and cap of your razor or doing facial contortions as @spacemonkey42 suggested instead using your fingers.

I scour your posts for technique advice on a weekly basis (older ones I may have missed, misread, forgotten, or have new ways to misread), so I know you know your stuff. Even still, aside from the blade’s edge having to pass through the stubble, most other all-or-nothing ideas are just ideas and not laws of physics.

I’m guessing most of us have that shared experience: being totally convinced we know something, then discovering, we knew less than we thought.

Too often!

Paradigm shifts. So fun when we look back on them. A bit terrifying at the initial outset.

Some can remain terrifying years later, too. It’s a gift.

 

[Sethology]

Truly truly a paradigm shift . In the end I suppose it's just shaving. So I'm not going to be throwing myself into the Nile after this revelation. It's just gonna take some time to figure out the changes, if any, I must incorporate. I may just experiment with gentle stretches henceforth instead of abandoning them altogether. As overall maintaining some sort of tension above the blade does seem to offer more control over what hairs are standing up versus some standing at attention and some lying flat. It may just be I am at times too heavy handed with the stretching. Now I'm wondering if I shouldn't maybe revisit some razors I had disregarded. Razors like the blutt, overlander, etc that people always said shaved their face like a knife through butter never seemed to equal the effectiveness of a slant for me. But perhaps that's because I was pulling the hairs so tight. But then again one would think hairs pulled tight or left loose, when properly prepped, would cut all the same? Hmm.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I am taking my ATT S1 DE Slant with me on our upcoming trip. I might even throw in the S2 base plate and see if I can get that one to perform for me... I think I will... thx to @Sethology . I really do love shaving with the S1.... it's so easy to use.. so comfortable. I haven't been able to get it to a 12 hour shave yet..... but I'll bet I could with a bit more practice.