Do you change grip with the razor?

[Jarmo P]

I use one grip when shaving downwards, N-S. Looks same as Mantic uses in his video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO2gMTNnyYk

But I really don't change the grip either when I shave upwards, S-N. Or with any direction. Only thing that changes is my wrist angle. Don't get me wrong, the shave movement is from my arm during the stroke and not from the wrist.

Mantic does change his grip totally with the upwards strokes, and I might try if it is better. The wrist angle anyways is more straight.

But I have been getting just fine shaves using my one razor grip technique too.

Let's see if I can make this into a poll.

Jarmo

 

[Must Dash]

Let's see if I can make this into a poll.

Ummm.... yes, you can.

Cheers

Jeremy

 

[Jarmo P]

Thanks for the votes so far. Seems myself being in the minority.
To make things clear about what means a grip (hold) and not to confuse it with the wrist angle or how the razor rotates in your fingers for various direction shaves with the same grip.

"Darts" hold means that if you would throw the razor away as a dart, the razor head will be the feather tail part of the dart.
And "Spoon" grip will make you throw throw the razor away (not recommended) with razor head first as the dart spike.

I also understand that not many really analyze this and I just started to do it myself. Since and if I am in the minority, I might try soon someday to learn the grip changing thing, though I am sure it will take quite some time to acquire that new technique to S-N direction. Without some nicks or irritation.

 

[Beast]

I grab it like a monkey would grab a stick and cut the whiskers using a downward hacking motion.

(I switch up up. Oh yeah)

 

[rabidpotatochip]

I really liked the "spoon" and "dart" descriptions for how one holds a razor. I think I'll use them for teaching people in the future.

 

[Wade253]

I like to think of it as backhand or forehand.

 

[Aevum]

some pens have a small rubber band on them that improve the grip, maybe something similar for DE´s

 

[castlecraver]

"Dart" all over for me.

 

[duckintheface]

Dart for N_S and right jaw....

Spoon for S-N and left jaw...

but the difference between Dart and Spoon is a very slight adjustment.

 

[doleeo]

Dart going down

Spoon going up.

 

[DangerIsMyMiddleName]

I grab it like a monkey would grab a stick and cut the whiskers using a downward hacking motion.

(I switch up up. Oh yeah)

+1111

 

[TimmyBoston]

Same grip all the time, the one detailed in Kyle's What Works for Me thread

 

[Steerpike]

Yes, and I change hands- but I'm using a straight.

 

[Jarmo P]

A few things fellow members.
It has been really nice to see how this vote develops. I wanted to know if anyone changes the grip and to much to my surprise, most do. Gives me incentive to try that spoon hold more.

I'll have to postpone some serious study on my technique untill later, since I got my Arko cheap but nice shaving sticks today. Also a cheap omega 48 boar brush. I do like the gentleness of my badger brush. so a new variables in my shave. Tjhe really cheap ones I wanted to test.

But I did manage to have a shave with spoon grip S-N this morning. With those new things there. The aim was not to cut or irritate. And I did well! Not a close shave, but ok. Much to my surprise I got no nicks. It was not a natural feeling shave at all though. Had to be really carefull.

What I get so far is, in my imagnation and opinion:
The "dart" hold is much more versatile than the spoon grip. And a human wrist is very flexible. And the little finger movements too that we make for the miniscule adjustments of our shave allows us to survive and be really happy with just one grip, the dart one.

This poll has showed me though that there is, perhaps, worth, not sure though, to examine that still that quite not so controllable for me spoon grip since we all have every morning the aim to have a nice shave, no nicks and looking presentable instead with some stupid nick on our face

But tomorrow it will be more interest of me to my new acquisitions.

Jarmo

 

[Jarmo P]

I still have not changed from the darts grip to any other. It is not a Kyle grip I use even though that could be used in downwards strokes. More like my fingers are more in the handle than just on the end of it.

It was unnatural (perhaps from my learned muscle control) using spoon grip when shaving my neck up or under my chin up. Much easier for me to just set and lock my wrist angle to various positions with the same basic razor hold. There is a lots and lots of ways to make big differences how it holds the razor.

So someone has to really give me big reasons to change my way of shaving and tell why spoon hold should be better for upwards strokes?

Jarmo

 

[_JP_]

Can't vote for this poll. I use a combination of more than two types of ways of holding the razors and I don't even think about.

 

[packRat]

I use the same grip all the time. Like holding a dart.

 

[hoselayer]

How ever it feels good in my hand for the part of my face I am shaving, is how I hold it.

 

[mmccrary]

I'm trying to visualize the process in my head but it's so natural now that it just kind of happens on auto-pilot. So, no promises that I'm not mistaken but I believe that it's all dart style with wrist rotation to invert the razor. If I'm not already, I'm going to give the "spoon" shot in the am though.

Update:

I did a super quick (and pathetic) shave this morning, as I was running late, but I did notice that I do change grips from the dart (N-S) to the spoon (S-N).