I see the advice to SE shave with the razor "flat against your face". It's the pretty standard mantra to all new SE shavers. I wonder if all who give that advice are using their SE's that way? Or if they SE shave at all? I use a Junior regularly and a Micromatic some, and I don't shave flat to the face on either. Of those who use single edge razors, how many keep the razor flat to the face?
Flat against your face SE shave
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Not I, said the wolf. Then again, my SEs have torn me up pretty bad in the past 
With my 1912, I keep the head nearly flat against my skin. I've tried a steeper angle, similar to what I use for a DE, and have really torn my face up. Use whatever works best for you.
-Clarke
-Clarke
no. dont do it.
I may have contributed to this. When just starting with the GEM I found two different sets of instructions that said "flat against the face" was the right thing to do and posted the pictures. These are for the GEM Contour and the GEM Featherweight, not the 1912 nor MicroMatic.
WARNING! The following pictures are used to demonstrate CONFLICTING ADVICE from American Safety Razor themselves. This advice may be correct for SPECIFIC MODELS, but I wouldn't count on it. Note that the 1912 is much older than the razors pictured in these images. See my ADVICE AT BOTTOM!
Another set of instructions indicated that it was wrong to hold the head flat against the face:
In my experience, with the 1912s, MicroMatics and earlier Lather Catchers, the "flat against the face" advice is bad. I would also take that last picture with a grain of salt. The pictured angle looks pretty steep to me.
My advice is to forget ALL of the above and feel it out for yourself. The SE blades give plenty of feedback and the 1912s are forgiving razors so that should be easy to do without a lot of over-analyzing.
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The, "keep almost flat" is advice meant for the ppl who use DE razors and start using SE.
It should be : "Keep flat and lift just a little till it starts cutting hair". And that's the usual advice.
It should be : "Keep flat and lift just a little till it starts cutting hair". And that's the usual advice.
I may have contributed to this. When just starting with the GEM I found two different sets of instructions that said "flat against the face" was the right thing to do and posted the pictures. These are for the GEM Contour and the GEM Featherweight, not the 1912 nor MicroMatic.
WARNING! The following pictures are used to demonstrate CONFLICTING ADVICE from American Safety Razor themselves. This advice may be correct for SPECIFIC MODELS, but I wouldn't count on it. Note that the 1912 is much older than the razors pictured in these images. See my ADVICE AT BOTTOM!
Another set of instructions indicated that it was wrong to hold the head flat against the face:
In my experience, with the 1912s, MicroMatics and earlier Lather Catchers, the "flat against the face" advice is bad. I would also take that last picture with a grain of salt. The pictured angle looks pretty steep to me.
My advice is to forget ALL of the above and feel it out for yourself. The SE blades give plenty of feedback and the 1912s are forgiving razors so that should be easy to do without a lot of over-analyzing.
That sounds good, tried for some advice last nite--chickened out this am and just did not shave. Think I'll go try it out
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I've seen that advice before and since I never followed it I thought it would be good to talk about it. This flyer seems like better advice. That's more or less how I do it.
Yup. The second flyer is how I do it as well. Flat against my face didn't cut much. The Blue Star blades where "tall buildings at a single bound" leaps over the crappt PAL blades. Made more difference than any alteration of technique.
Welp, I'm impressed. Thats about all I can say to summate the shave. Noticed a tiny spot of blood on my cheek of all places which disappeared with a cold rinse, weird. Very closely resembles a straight. Absolutely no irratation at all.
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Welcome to the club!
ASR started the angle confusion early on. I've seen two contradicting versions of the 1912 instruction sheet.
-Clarke
-Clarke
I keep the razor about half way between the two instructions. The 1912's are a little closer to flat than the Micromatics.
I think Andy's on to something here.
I don't think about it. I tend to adjust the razor angle subconsciously to make a comfortable stroke. I think I'm near flat against face, probably pull just slightly off. I get great shaves, tho.
-- John Gehman
I started SE with the Micromatics, and never could get anything close to a good shave with a 1912 model. A while back I decided that so many guys loved their 1912, I must be doing something wrong. After a "week of 1912" I found that I had to use a slightly different angle with the two razors, not much, but enough to be the difference between a great shave and a terrible shave.
BTW, I still think the Micromatics are superior
i think thats just what ends up happening to some people. the natural angle ends up being just off the face. the only time it really works with it flat against the face is with the bar on the pre 1912 models. ymmv of course
I generally use them pretty much flat against the face. Using too much of an angle would result in just scraping the whiskers off your face.
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