Even the 'Gillette Slide' is possible with a straight. Been there, done that. So with a non-fancy straight, for instance a Japanese one, one could be so reckless as to try it.My thoughts: don't try it with a straight razor.
Your thoughts on J Hooking
- Thread starter djw19
- Start date
Both.
It's less efficient than sliding the blade in two directions as with the Gillette slide, but the directionality change is an advantage over the Gillette slide in areas where the hair grows in inconsistent directions.
I always rotated and translated the blade. Never saw a reason to restrict the blade movement to perpendicular. Maybe it's a good idea when you're first learning, since you need to get a feel for how far you can slide and rotate without cutting yourself. I suppose I learned by cutting myself. Before seeing the mantic videos and then coming to B&B it wasn't even concievable to me that people would only move the blade perpendicular. I find it nearly impossible to move a straight across my face without rotating the blade. Just bought a smile for that very reason. Strictly speaking, I probably never did a j-hook in my life. Instead, I move the blade along an arc, and always with the inside moving forward a tiny bit, so not strictly rotation, but more like revolution along an orbit.
Definitely give it a try, but just like there are 360 degrees in a circle, and more directions than strictly WTG, ATG, and XTG, don't take the j part too literally. You should be safe as long as you move both ends of the blade forward at the same time. The two ends move at different rates, but they should both move forward. To be safe, you should probably begin but moving the blade forward, so try to do the straight part of the J at first until you get the hang of it.
Definitely give it a try, but just like there are 360 degrees in a circle, and more directions than strictly WTG, ATG, and XTG, don't take the j part too literally. You should be safe as long as you move both ends of the blade forward at the same time. The two ends move at different rates, but they should both move forward. To be safe, you should probably begin but moving the blade forward, so try to do the straight part of the J at first until you get the hang of it.
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J-Hooking... only way that I can get bbs on my neck,
I use it to clean up trouble spots during the "clean-up" pass. Which is less of a pass, and more of a feel-around-for-missed-spots routine.
I only ever find myself needing to use it on my neck, and it works well for me.
"advanced" is relative. I don't consider myself to be a very proficient shaver, but I've never cut myself or gotten more irritation from J-hooking. I've had more from too much pressure, or from ATG with a dull blade. (always just weepers if anything)
Give it a try.
I only ever find myself needing to use it on my neck, and it works well for me.
"advanced" is relative. I don't consider myself to be a very proficient shaver, but I've never cut myself or gotten more irritation from J-hooking. I've had more from too much pressure, or from ATG with a dull blade. (always just weepers if anything)
Give it a try.
Blade buffing works better on my cheeks where the growth pattern is predictable, but on my neck the hair changes direction so frequently and randomly that it doesnt work so well. I can never seem to do the gillette slide without cutting myself at least once so I'm pretty hesitant to use it on my neck. That just leaves J-hooking as the only way i can get BBS on my neck.
All I can say about J-Hooking is be very, very careful. 
Never tried blade-buffing. The only explanation I've read seemed a bit racy. J-Hooking is something I think I'll have to see on video to imagine, but I'll have to get to a cafe for that. I have started to go other than perpendicular with my blades at the end of the stroke and have started to, especially at the muzzle ATG, do a little pirouette at the end of the stroke. Ear to mouth XTG with a straight, the blade'll start straight-up then the lower edge'll be brought forward and the pass-proper starts when the top catches up, then overtakes and slides down the muzzle. I find this v soothing.
I prefer an "S" hook or a "Figure 8" hook. Sometimes I hang a picture of Egyptian hieroglyphs on the mirror and try to emulate the more intricate patterns. 
