ATG help

[Leche]

First off I am the proud new owner of a Dovo Bismarck 6/8 honed by Lynn. That thing is sharp! I was also surprised how much heavier than it is than my 5/8 Kama.

So my question is ATG on my neck. They grow from my left jawline at a diagonal to my right lower neck. With my DE I would go straight across and for my last pass follow the growth ATG so it was across and slightly up. My right face is easier as I basically j hook the blade, up and sweep to the left. I can't do this for the life of me on the left side. I can't go ATG. Any tips?

 

[mparker762]

First off I am the proud new owner of a Dovo Bismarck 6/8 honed by Lynn. That thing is sharp! I was also surprised how much heavier than it is than my 5/8 Kama.

Mostly that's because of the heavier grind. For similar grinds a 6/8 is only marginally heavier than a 5/8.

So my question is ATG on my neck. They grow from my left jawline at a diagonal to my right lower neck. With my DE I would go straight across and for my last pass follow the growth ATG so it was across and slightly up. My right face is easier as I basically j hook the blade, up and sweep to the left. I can't do this for the life of me on the left side. I can't go ATG. Any tips?

More practice. My last strokes on my neck are exactly that stroke, one on each side. It's a backhand stroke with the scales slightly closed (~160 deg) with thumb and forefinger gripping opposite sides of the shank (not on top and bottom of shank). Stroke goes from carotid to tip of jaw. This is probably the classic example of where a smiling blade is beneficial, and it is an important one.