Blade Angle question

[JPM]

I'm still pretty new to straights and when I shave my throat I use a pretty shallow angle. I usually do a WTG and then a XTG/ATG depending where on my throat I'm shaving. I usually do touch up on some rough spots on my neck after the first two passes. My question is this:

Today while doing the touch-up, I used almost a 90 degree angle and did what I can best describe as blade buffing. I got a really close shave and it seemed to take the whiskers off nicely. I do have a bit of redness and irritation now, but not too bad. So, do others do this or am I playing with fire? It seemed to work pretty well today but am I on the path to shredding my neck if I keep this up? I only plan on trying it after I've done my normal two passes.

 

[FiveOhNine]

I think you're in as much danger of ruining your edge as your skin. I'd be very careful with that if I were you.

 

[holli4pirating]

Yes, using that high of an angle is very rough on your face and the edge. If you need an angle that steep to get a close shave, there is a problem with either your technique or your edge.

 

[huracan]

Yes, that move could have ruined your day, at best just ruin the edge as 509 says.

The hollows of the neck and the corners at the chin where the most difficult for me to get acceptably clean at first. My trick (learned from here) for the neck is to point the chin high and opposite the side I want to shave and use the jaw to stretch the neck skin; I hold the razor with the same side hand to do WTG pass and the opposite side hand when I get to the ATG pass, using the free hand against the base of the neck to stretch the skin even further. I hope that makes sense and you can visualize it.

 

[JPM]

Yes, that move could have ruined your day, at best just ruin the edge as 509 says.

The hollows of the neck and the corners at the chin where the most difficult for me to get acceptably clean at first. My trick (learned from here) for the neck is to point the chin high and opposite the side I want to shave and use the jaw to stretch the neck skin; I hold the razor with the same side hand to do WTG pass and the opposite side hand when I get to the ATG pass, using the free hand against the base of the neck to stretch the skin even further. I hope that makes sense and you can visualize it.

Sounds good, thanks for the tip.

 

[CraigJ]

I use the same high angle all the time but only on my second pass. I neither cut myself nor does it wear the edge down excessively. I have been doing it this way for twenty years and may just have gotten good at it but it works for me, YMMV.

Yeah, yeah, I am a heretic.

 

[JPM]

I use the same high angle all the time but only on my second pass. I neither cut myself nor does it wear the edge down excessively. I have been doing it this way for twenty years and may just have gotten good at it but it works for me, YMMV.

Yeah, yeah, I am a heretic.

Thanks, I guess I'll just have to experiment a bit.

 

[Luc]

I think you got your answers. I would recommend keeping that angle as flat as possible (or closer to 30 deg). It might not be as close as 90 but, the shave will get closer with time, trust me...

 

[JPM]

I think you got your answers. I would recommend keeping that angle as flat as possible (or closer to 30 deg). It might not be as close as 90 but, the shave will get closer with time, trust me...

Thanks, Luc. I'll keep at it. I'm really enjoying the shaves. I enjoy your running posts on your shaves.