Help with the neck

[oldschool77]

Gentlemen, I have been using a straight now for about 2 1/2 months, I guess. I am constistently getting bbs or close to it everytime on my face and chin (WTG and XTG). I have a fairly thick beard with terribly sensitive skin on my neck and the hair grows in any way imaginable all over that area. I have heard about trying different angles and that has worked for the chin and jawline but with the hair of the neck so discombobulated I can't seem to get that smooth without devestating effects . Is there something else I need to be doing other than angle. The lather is supurb as I have taken to heart the wisdom of this site; cushiony yet slick. Help Please. The shave looks so great on the face but southbound it looks like a cactus farm! Thanks folks!

 

[MikeNYC]

Try stretching your neck area with your free hand or maybe put a little pre-shave oil on that area.

 

[JBHoren]

Gentlemen, I have been using a straight now for about 2 1/2 months, I guess. I am constistently getting bbs or close to it everytime on my face and chin (WTG and XTG). I have a fairly thick beard with terribly sensitive skin on my neck and the hair grows in any way imaginable all over that area. I have heard about trying different angles and that has worked for the chin and jawline but with the hair of the neck so discombobulated I can't seem to get that smooth without devestating effects . Is there something else I need to be doing other than angle. The lather is supurb as I have taken to heart the wisdom of this site; cushiony yet slick. Help Please. The shave looks so great on the face but southbound it looks like a cactus farm! Thanks folks!

Here's what works for me:

1. Bite the bullet and learn to also shave your neck ATG.
2. In addition to WTG and ATG on your neck, try a second pass in these directions, with a change: using your non-shaving hand, pull the neck skin in the area you're going to shave to one side. This puts the hairs at an other-than-normal angle to the blade stroke, and you'll cut more of them.
3. Finally, on the second and/or third passes on your neck, instead of shaving up or down, use a scything motion -- not slicing, but scything. This will also get lots of hairs that previously escaped your blade.

It takes some work to get this down, and adds some time to your shave; but if you're already shaving with a straight razor, I'd bet that a quick shave is not one of your requirements.

Smooth Shaving!

 

[Ranat1]

Good advice so far. Your neck is kinda like mine. I find that I need my razors super sharp and that I have to make my passes in diagonal directions to the grain because doing a wtg is also atg in places and xtg in other places. I found an angle that is either wtg of xtg for almost all of them and I use that first. Then I go to north to south and the an south to north with some touch up for the stragler areas. I have to be really light with the pressure and pull the skin taught from the bottom of the neck while stretching it out so that I can get the hairs up straight. Mostly it took getting used to. Keep at it. You will get it.

 

[oldschool77]

Good advice so far. Your neck is kinda like mine. I find that I need my razors super sharp and that I have to make my passes in diagonal directions to the grain because doing a wtg is also atg in places and xtg in other places. I found an angle that is either wtg of xtg for almost all of them and I use that first. Then I go to north to south and the an south to north with some touch up for the stragler areas. I have to be really light with the pressure and pull the skin taught from the bottom of the neck while stretching it out so that I can get the hairs up straight. Mostly it took getting used to. Keep at it. You will get it.

Thanks guys! I will have to keep at it and give it the ole college try. Although some try harder in college than others . I have tried the taught skin approach several times before and that does help, I guess I will just have to find that secret angle Ranat and go from there. Thanks again, and I'll keep and update on the progress.

 

[AlpinMacK]

Keep at it. I am dealing with the same issue. I can get my face nearly BBS but my neck is a whole other story. ATG is actually sideways from R-L for me. I'm having trouble getting the blade where it needs to be. But, seeing as how I'm only on my second straight shave ever, I know I'll get it with practice. But any tips would help.

 

[Thebigspendur]

The neck is always a challenging area unless you have a really large round neck. I have a very narrow and deeply contoured neck and though I have been shaving for years now and have tried every trick in the book with most razors I simply do not get BBS on the neck. If I use a blade with a deep smile to it I can get BBS and if I use my japanese straight then I can go E-W and get it that way. Sometimes that's just the way it is. You can still get a great shave it doesn't have to be BBS.