Chin Techniques?

[jinenjo]

I've been at shaving, using a straight, for about two months now. Things have been progressing smoothly--less nicks (none on my last two shaves), no razor burn.

I'm still working on my left hand skills as well, but the most difficult step by far is my chin. As with the rest of my face, I take it slow and steady with light pressure. One thing I've learned so far is to let the blade do the work. Due to my heavy hand, the first few times my skin felt so raw afterwards I felt like I lost about 14 layers of skin!

However, because of the coarseness of my chin hair, going slowly doesn't seem to work--there's a lot of stopping and starting with the razor, if you know what I mean. That and making the turn as I move the edge under my chin is challenging to say the least. I find myself cheating and just going ATG on the first pass in this area underneath. Finally, doing half of this is even more difficult to navigate with my left hand.

Any suggestions? Or should I just chalk this up to part of the learning curve (of my chin), knowing it'll get easier the more comfortable I get with the straight?

Salut,
Lear

 

[Taysauce]

I have the same problem but with my DE.

 

[Thebigspendur]

The chin is the area where the hair is usually the coarsest but it should make no difference. Your razor should glide right through it like the rest of your face. If it doesn't it might not be sharp enough.

Doing the chin is an advanced maneuver I think I was shaving well over 3 months before I was able to do it by just going straight down and around.

 

[jinenjo]

I'm assuming it's not dull, since I had Lynn hone it for me.

 

[ouch]

Chin techniques? I can help yez out. Whaddaya need dun?

 

[jinenjo]

Tanks. But my chin, it ain't dat big.

 

[AFDavis11]

Put your fingers into the chin area and stretch. Go from one side to the other in an across the grain closeness pass after a light with the grain pass. Use the base of the razor.

 

[balaban9331]

+1

 

[Yeti]

I f you have a prominent chin like mine the finesse is half the battle. I do down from the lower lip to as far as this will work is fairly short strokes being VERY aware that on the chin the angle of the blade changes to the face constantly. I have found that I can go across from left to right in short stokes with my right hand for 80% of the way (Again watching that constantly changing angle). I then do an against the grain in the center of my neck above the Adam's apple in short strokes watching the changing angle. My hair is thick and generally seems to require a chainsaw but I do seem to have better luck with wider heavier blades 6/8 and up to Civil War Chopper wedges. Keep at it and you WILL get better. Go slow and practice. Cheat with a disposable after you're done if necessary to look good but do it until you do not need to cheat. Clear as the hair on your chinney chin chin. Patience. You shall prevail!

 

[jinenjo]

Put your fingers into the chin area and stretch. Go from one side to the other in an across the grain closeness pass after a light with the grain pass. Use the base of the razor.

You mean use my thumb and index fingers on each side of my chin to spread the skin? Also, what do you mean by "use the base of the razor"?

If you have a prominent chin like mine the finesse is half the battle.[...] My hair is thick and generally seems to require a chainsaw [...] Cheat with a disposable after you're done if necessary to look good but do it until you do not need to cheat.

They don't call you Yeti for nothin'!
Also, I can never go back to disposables. I'd rather go patchy, than cheat (my job doesn't require a perfect shave). If anything, DE, and even that I haven't used, or needed enough.

THANKS GENTS!

 

[Magruder]

The chin is the area where the hair is usually the coarsest but it should make no difference. Your razor should glide right through it like the rest of your face. If it doesn't it might not be sharp enough.

That has not been my experience. I've used a razor honed by Lynn, other razors honed by two other members here, and I've done my own honing, so I'm pretty sure that my blades are sharp. I can't speak about anyone else's face, but on my face the blade goes through some whiskers more easily than others.

Doing the chin is an advanced maneuver I think I was shaving well over 3 months before I was able to do it by just going straight down and around.

+1. Here's something that works for me: In the chin area my whiskers grow straight down, so WTG is straight down and ATG is straight up. I've been doing a XTG stroke, going upwards from the center of the chin at about a 45 degree angle. The first few times I tried this it was extremely awkward. It feels natural now.

I also go side to side, as AFDavis11 described. The "base" of the razor is the end of the edge closest to the pivot. It's also called the heel.
Here's a diagram.

 

[Oxi]

Two weeks in... Reading this topic I felt it was time to try to hone my chin techniques... Now I have one hell of a gusher and I'm glad it's my evening shave and I won't have to go out for the next 12 hours. I guess I should have stuck with more easy techniques for the time being. I felt complacant during the first week without a single cut or irritation and pretty smooth shaves (for WTG).

But.. I now have BBS in places I never thought would be possible (with a DE). That's one of the reasons I wanted to try a straight.

Straight razor shaving is definitely something I'll stick with. Especially the lack of irritation, I never could do this with a DE or anything else.

 

[kahunamoose]

Shaving Chins - Across the grain on all strokes, with the grain is almost useless, against the grain is not only useless but dangerous. See the chin as a patchwork of .25X.25 inch squares. Shave each one separately using lots of short choppy strokes. Each stroke will effectively be a flat spot. Stretch as much as possible, side to side, in line with the direction that across the grain needs to take you. Keep a very shallow blade angle, so you can go over the same patch a few times quickly with minimal danger of razor rash or actual cuts.

 

[Oxi]

Sounds like good advice, it would have saved my chin. I'll try it in a few days when my skin is ready again.

 

[AFDavis11]

You mean use my thumb and index fingers on each side of my chin to spread the skin? Also, what do you mean by "use the base of the razor"?



They don't call you Yeti for nothin'!
Also, I can never go back to disposables. I'd rather go patchy, than cheat (my job doesn't require a perfect shave). If anything, DE, and even that I haven't used, or needed enough.

THANKS GENTS!

No, put your fingers into the center of your chin and work out or put your fingers to the left/right of your chin and work around. Don't try to only pull the skin from the side.

The base is the strong, lesser honed area, near the shank. Typically better suited for "heavy" beard areas. This area is usually less fragile due to the x pattern producing slightly more action near the tip. Something many beginning users think is a problem to be avoided. It produces the full function of your razor. Experienced barbers used to say "use the tip of the blade for the top of the chin, the middle for the middle, and the base for the lower section"

 

[Magruder]

Experienced barbers used to say "use the tip of the blade for the top of the chin, the middle for the middle, and the base for the lower section"

Hmmm. More ways to experiment with technique. I hadn't heard of this, so thanks for mentioning it.

 

[BJC]

Hmmm. More ways to experiment with technique. I hadn't heard of this, so thanks for mentioning it.

+1 Something to try for tomorrow's shave

 

[jinenjo]

Experienced barbers used to say "use the tip of the blade for the top of the chin, the middle for the middle, and the base for the lower section"

Sounds like very useful advice.

Just curious, how'd you come across info like this?

 

[kahunamoose]

Experienced barbers used to say "use the tip of the blade for the top of the chin, the middle for the middle, and the base for the lower section"

This is assuming your blade is equally sharp at the toe, middle, and heel, of course.

 

[AFDavis11]

Sounds like very useful advice.

Just curious, how'd you come across info like this?

I watched a video demonstration on how to prepare a customer for a straight razor shave by Bluerain films.

The idea I believe is that the base of the razor is NOT honed as well as the tip and therefore is stronger and less fragile. But that was just my interpretation.

The video I'm referring to is NOT the one for sale here, but was produced by the same company. It used to be on the net, but I haven't seen it in years.

http://www.bluerain.com/barberland.html