A shaving revelation for me has been to use "skimming" strokes in which I barely touch my skin with the blade in a rapid buffing manner. This results in a shave that's so smooth that I barely feel it. I even do this with the gillete slide a bit. I can safely say my technique has become quite advanced. And using a slant razor + skimming+ rapid buffing strokes+ plus guillotine strokes on my chin and mustache has resulted in a long awaited perfect shave for me. I now can shave my head and face almost without feeling it cutting. A true feat for me. Anyone else skim their skin with their razor so to speak?
Fast strokes, feather light pressure
- Thread starter Sethology
- Start date
I am practicing my feather light touch. Short strokes are/were indeed my way to go - also increases the longevity of blades in my experience. I say were because part of my current explorations is also a pattern very close to my beard map and while still relatively short in nature I think these strokes are longer compared to the ones you are suggesting for example.
Enjoy!
Guido
Enjoy!
Guido
- Thread starter
- #3
I use longer strokes on my cheeks and neck, shorter ones on the heavier parts of my beard. Chopping motions work better for certain areas for whatever reason.
I do a three pass shave using Gillette slide on the wtg pass. Use normal strokes and yogurt consistency of the lather. I use a fourth and maybe a fifth pass using a very thin wet lather with long strokes and feather touch and skim the surface as you say. It has definitely made closer bbs shaves on a daily basis. I do this against the grain and across the grain.
You can feel the blade skate like it is on glass until it meets fine stubble and then its gone. I get no razor burn or irritation using this technique. It has made a great difference in the quality of my shaves. The super thin lather helps with this technique.
You can feel the blade skate like it is on glass until it meets fine stubble and then its gone. I get no razor burn or irritation using this technique. It has made a great difference in the quality of my shaves. The super thin lather helps with this technique.
I think we are using a similar technique, it sure makes a difference. Haven't heard of many people using this technique and have seen no videos of anyone shaving this way. Glad you mentioned your technique maybe it will help others progress in their shaving experience.
I just found my “this changes e’erything” technique a few days ago. Can’t keep pace with all the great advice flying out of the General Shaving Discussion forum this month.
Short strokes are particularly important for me on my neck.
Yes indeed! ‘No pressure’ meaning a feather-like touch. 
- Thread starter
- #9
Yeah seems like most people, based on videos I've watched, just put the razor to their face. I stretch my skin and skim down it with the razor quite quickly. Maybe I just have coarse hair, idk
A feather-light touch and a very flat blade angle are the things I focus on.
It sounds a great deal like blade buffing to me. Anything that uses very light pressure is a good idea in my book.
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- #12
Only places I don't use light pressure on the sides of my chin. Hairs too coarse and dense, needs a little extra something to get it off smoothly
- Thread starter
- #13
I only blade buff really on my chin. Too dense. Everywhere else it's just light quick strokes. Although I'm sure it's not as quick as I think. Just nice decisive strokes. Probably if I went any faster the razor would go amok
I do this, pretty much all the time. So every 2-3 days at work I shave. Also tends to be “blade buffing” if anything. But after years of this a 1 pass OC shave works for me.
I let the weight of the razor do the work for me which results in fairly light strokes. Which is also why I don't like aluminum or Ti razors...I find them to be overly light to shave with and have to add pressure which for me is counter intuitive.
Getting better at this. Finding skimming and actively avoiding the feeling of hair being cut (avoiding and succeeding not being the same) gave me my most comfortable shave ever last night.
Made sure to put the razor away before doing the Wiggles Dance in celebration
Made sure to put the razor away before doing the Wiggles Dance in celebration
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